Useful information
A tobacco specialist is a doctor, psychologist, nurse, midwife or physiotherapist who has undergone specialist training in the harmful effects of tobacco and in methods to help smokers quit.
What does a tobacco specialist do?
The tobacco specialist discusses the following with the smoker:
- Their various addictions.
- Their history as a smoker.
- Their previous attempts to quit.
- Their medical history.
The tobacco specialist provides regular follow-up to maximise the chances of successfully quitting smoking. They tailor the treatment and follow-up to each smoker.
They help the smoker to strengthen their motivation and avoid relapses.
They provide comprehensive, personalised and tailored care, offering medication, substitutes, as well as advice and psychological support.
They may use tests to measure behavioural, psychological and physical dependence on tobacco.
The benefits are rapid and numerous. After the last cigarette :
After 20 minutes: Blood pressure and heart rate begin to return to normal levels. This immediately reduces the strain on the cardiovascular system.
After 8 hours: Oxygen levels in the blood begin to rise, which improves the function of cells and organs throughout the body.
After 24 hours:
- The risk of a heart attack decreases significantly.
- The body eliminates nicotine, which can help reduce the urge to smoke.
- The lungs begin to clear mucus and smoke residue, which helps improve lung function and breathing capacity.
After 48 hours: Taste and smell improve.
After 2 weeks to 3 months: Coughing and fatigue decrease, and breathing improves.
After 1 year: The risk of a heart attack is halved and the risk of a stroke is the same as that of a non-smoker.
After 5 years: The risk of lung cancer is halved.
After 10 years: Life expectancy approaches that of people who have never smoked.
Seeking help to quit smoking is essential for several important reasons :
- Low success rate without help: Fewer than 3% of attempts to quit smoking made without help result in lasting abstinence after one year. This demonstrates the difficulty of quitting smoking without support.
- Increased chances of success: The chances of success increase significantly by 4 to 5 times when psychological and medication-based support is combined with the process of quitting smoking.
This combination significantly increases the chances of long-term success.
- Severe nicotine addiction: Cigarettes create a serious addiction, both physically and psychologically. Smokers may find it difficult to overcome this addiction on their own, and specialist help may be needed to support them through this process.
Withdrawal syndrome :
When quitting smoking, you may experience withdrawal symptoms, which vary in nature and duration; this is known as withdrawal syndrome:
- Irritability, low mood (or even depression), lack of concentration, aggression, difficulty falling asleep, insomnia, restlessness, nervousness, anger, headaches, sweating.
- Increased appetite, cravings.
Smoking cessation treatment alleviates these symptoms and helps prevent relapses.