Why you still smoke (but shouldn't)

The desire to quit smoking often gets sidetracked by false perceptions and needless fears, says Michel Lebel, a registered nurse with the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario's (RNAO) National Smoking Cessation Initiative and a case manager with the Montreal Chest Institute. “A few perceptions act as barriers for smokers, such as weight gain after quitting. Even if this is the case, often smokers just need tools and support from professionals to build the confidence they need to overcome those barriers.”

The Smoking Cessation (SC) Initiative is an expanded version of the RNAO's successful Ontario-based program, which is building a network of nurses and other health-care professionals called “champions,” through educational workshops that focus on smoking cessation best practices. Despite all warnings, tobacco smoke kills more than 37,000 Canadians every year.

Here are four common self-sabotaging perceptions popular among smokers, busted with the help of experienced nurses experienced in how to help clients quit smoking.

Myth #1—Smoking keeps the weight off. Cigarettes' reputation for keeping the pounds off is unfounded. One recent Swedish study is exploring why obesity rates are on the rise while smoking rates are on the decline in the developed world. And while quitting smoking can lead to some weight gain, says Lebel, it is vital for smokers to face this fear ahead of quitting, and establish some solutions they can fall back on after they butt out. “Nurses trained in motivational interviewing can show smokers how to overcome their fears, including providing exercise and nutrition advice in the case of weight gain.”

Myth #2—Smoking is a habit. “Smoking is a very serious addiction, similar to heroine,” says Laura Jardine, a public health nurse with the Assiniboine Regional Health Authority in Neepawa, Manitoba. Smokers need to recognize this so they don't make the mistake of thinking quitting is merely a matter of willpower, she adds. “Smokers need to prepare a quit plan and put a number of supports in place.”

Myth #3—Smoking helps me concentrate. Any improvement is actually more likely due to the relief of withdrawal symptoms that arise between cigarettes, says Robin Manoll, an Iqaluit, Nunavut-based registered nurse and a member of the national initiative. Once you get past the physical withdrawal symptoms, which usually only last a few days, you will feel much more clear-headed, permanently, she says.

False perception #4—Smoking is cool. “This is definitely a perception among youth,” says Manoll. She says that there is significant peer pressure among this segment, especially in certain communities. “Nurses are equipped to offer kids engaging smoking cessation interventions that drive home how the long-term consequences of smoking aren't cool at all.”

More information about the national smoking cessation initiative and advice for quitting smoking can be found online at TobaccoFreeRNAO.ca.

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