Tobacco: You Can Quit!
UM is a smoke-free campus. Learn more at the Smoke-Free University Initative webpage.
As part of this initiative, students, faculty and staff can get Free or Reduced-Cost Nicotine Replacement Products.
On this page:
There is no better time to quit: Millions have quit smoking and you can quit, too. Given the UM Smoke-Free Initiative, there is no better time to quit, even if you've thought about quitting before, tried to quit or successfully quit in the past and started again.
Remember, if at first you don't succeed, quit, quit again! And hey, keep in mind that 86% of UM students don't smoke cigarettes, so you'll have a lot of support!
What about hookahs? Hookah pipes (also known as narghile, shisha, and goza) originated in the Middle East and have recently become popular on many college campuses. Flavored tobacco, which often used in hookahs, is sweet and marketed toward younger people.
The tobacco is heated in a water pipe and the smoke is moved through water in the base. It's commonly assumed that hookah pipes are safer than cigarettes because the smoke is "filtered" through water. In reality, the water only cools the smoke; it does not filter it.
The tobacco inhaled is similar to smoking an unfiltered cigarette. It has the same cancer-causing substances and is as addictive.
Also, smoking hookah pipes may cause more lung damage than cigarettes because hookah smokers tend to inhale much more smoke than cigarette smokers during a typical smoking session, exposing users to higher levels of nicotine, carbon monoxide, and other carcinogens found in tobacco. In fact, an hour spent smoking a hookah delivers as much carbon monoxide to the user as smoking a pack of cigarettes.
Want more? See the New York Times article on Putting a Crimp on the Hookah (5-31-11).
Resources for quitting:
UHS resources:
Quit Kits (free information and tools to help you quit smoking) are available in the Health Promotion and Community Relations Department of UHS, room 2110, 734-763-1320.
Pick up discount coupons at the UHS Pharmacy for the purchase of nicotine replacement products. See Smoking Cessation Products for more on nicotine replacement.
Make an appointment for a group or individual smoking cessation program through UM Health System Tobacco Consultation Service -- it's free of charge! Email quitsmoking@med.umich.edu or call 734-998-6222 (99 T-OBAC)
Schedule an Appointment with a UHS clinician to discuss your health and quitting. See also Who Can Use UHS? for eligibility.
U-M Student Health Insurance Plan Benefits
Are you enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan and interested in quitting smoking? The one-year Quit Tobacco program is provided by Healthyroads, a leading provider of tobacco cessation programs. You’ll get free personal counseling from health professionals that can help find what works for you. Get Started Here or call toll-free 800-650-2747.
Local programs:
Kick The Habit
MHealthy Tobacco Consultation Service
734-998-6222
Group program (8 sessions over 7 weeks) emphasizing unlearning the tobacco habit and learning healthy coping strategies. Individual and group counseling is also available to the UM community. Free for UM Health System employees, Premier Care members and people with physician referrals; $100 for others.
Freedom from Smoking
American Lung Association
800-586-4872 or 248-784-2024
- Free on-line program with focus on withdrawal symptoms, weight control, stress management, assertiveness and relaxation techniques
- Group sessions for 10 or more people; fees may apply
Veterans Administration Center
734-769-7100 or toll-free 800-361-8387
Group program (5 sessions over 7 weeks). Focus is on smoking reduction and/or cessation using nicotine replacement techniques and Zyban. Only for veterans (free).
Smoking Cessation Products may help you to quit if you are addicted to nicotine. If you are not physically addicted, these products probably will not help you quit.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) products: These products provide nicotine to ease withdrawal symptoms (such as nervousness, restlessness, irritability, headache, dizziness and stomach upset) until you are weaned from smoking. They don't make you quit and they don't help you cope with the psychological challenges of quitting.
As part of the Smoke-Free Initiative, UM offers free or reduced-cost nicotine replacement products:
- For UM employees: Follow link for information
For UM students: You can get free nicotine replacement products when you consult a Tobacco Treatment Specialist. To arrange a free consultation (or a quit-smoking program), contact Tobacco Consultation Services at quitsmoking@med.umich.edu or 734-998-6222. For your convenience, consultations can take place at University Health Service.
The UHS Pharmacy also offers a discount on smoking cessation products.
Non-prescription NRT products are:
- Patches (Nicoderm CQ, generics), applied once a day, provide a steady amount of nicotine through your skin.
- Gum (Nicorette, generics) is chewed and held in your mouth throughout the day.
- Lozenges (Commit) are used throughout the day so nicotine is absorbed through your mouth.
Prescription NRT products are:
- Nicotrol Inhaler, which has a plastic mouthpiece similar to a cigarette. Cartridges containing nicotine are placed into the mouthpiece and puffed on for up to 20 minutes.
- Nicotrol nasal spray is absorbed through your nose and is used several times a day.
Non-nicotine products, available by prescription, can also assist in smoking cessation. Talk to a clinician if you are interested in these products:
- Zyban (bupropion HIC) is believed to work on the brain chemistry involved in nicotine addiction and withdrawal. Zyban comes in pill form and is usually taken twice a day.
- Chantix (verenicline tartrate) works on nicotine receptors in the brain. It is believed to decrease the reward mechanism of smoking and reduce the urge to smoke. It comes in pill form and is taken once or twice a day. It may cause serious neuropsychiatric symptoms. Before starting Chantix, tell your clinician about any history of psychiatric illness. While taking it, inform your clinician of behavior and mood changes.
Other resources:
Family and friends: Social support is probably the most valuable resource! Ask for what you need - encouragement, congratulations, company. If you know someone else who wants to quit, try a buddy system.
Michigan Department of Community Health offers online information and a Tobacco Quit Line at 800-480-7848.
National Cancer Institute 800-4-CANCER
Nicotine Anonymous uses a 12-step approach. Free. 415-750-0328
The American Cancer Society (ACS) sponsors the Great American Smokeout, an event that challenges smokers to quit, one day at a time, and connects people with local resources. 800-227-2345 or 877-44U-QUIT
Internet: Try using search terms such as "nicotine" or "smoking" for tobacco facts, tips for quitting and on-line support groups. Our standout favorite is thetruth.com.
