From The Center for Nicotine Addictions 
                              
Did you know that 70% of all smokers want to quit?  One way to quit…..  if you have tried to quit on your own without success, is to enroll in formal treatment and use the QuitSmart™ method. QuitSmart™ is a four-session smoking cessation program that implements behavior modification techniques with the latest nicotine replacement strategies to enable a smoker to break free from cigarettes. David Burkart, PhD., Wendi Grabener, MA, Susan Derivas, NP, Jeffrey Leblang, PhD., Richard Whitaker, work/study and staff, who are Certified QuitSmart™ Leader(s), have facilitated QuitSmart™ participants to become non-smokers for over 3 years.   This team of leaders have earned high customer satisfaction ratings along with high success rates.
The following lists the treatment components of the QuitSmart™ program:

QuitSmart™ Treatment Components

• Stop smoking guidebook teaching coping strategies
• Stop-Smoking Medication Education
• Nicotine Fading - Brand Switching
• Health Professional counseling and support
• Withdrawal symptom management
• Self-image Thinking
• Hypnosis and Stress Management audiotape or Compact Disc
• Cigarette replacement device
• Relapse Prevention /Recovery strategies
• Social Support from spouse/partner, close friends and coworkers
• Weight Control Strategies

Session #1   Preparation Class (Two weeks of ‘Nicotine Fading’)
Session #2   Quit Date (Two Weeks)
Session #3   Staying Free & Maintenance Session

QuitSmart™ Philosophy success depends on two factors:

• A firm decision to quit using tobacco
• A willingness to try new ways of thinking and coping.

QuitSmart™ uses a "warm chicken" approach to easing off nicotine. The "warm chicken" phase detox individuals gradually during the first two weeks of the program.  Participants switch cigarette brands in order to reduce nicotine taken into the body. During this preparation phase, systemic nicotine levels decrease and new behaviors will be learned in preparation for quit day (session 2).
You will be coached to think of yourself as a confident nonsmoker. Many methods and tools will be introduced to help the smoker quit. The more tools individuals are given the more likely they are to quit.  The key to successful smoking cessation is preparation and planning. Remember, there is no greater liberty than a smoker breaking free from cigarettes. You can outsmart the urges!

For more information about the QuitSmart™ program:
Email Susan Derivas, NP at susan.derivas@va.gov.  
Click here for a list of brochures on becoming "Tobacco-Free"

For more information about QuitSmart™:
Visit the QuitSmart™ web site

Other Links:
Smoking Cessation Leadership Center
American Lung Association

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