Many college students do not consider themselves “smokers,” even though they have a cigarette or two when out drinking or partying with friends. The tobacco industry targets these occasional users with special marketing. As Phillip Morris put it, “significant choice moments in cigarette smoking tend to coincide with critical transition stages in life.”
The American Heart Association’s No-Smoking Confidence Assessment and Tips offers suggestions on how to fight the urge in situations where you’re not so confident.
For medication, you have several over-the-counter and prescription options available. The Colorado QuitLine can provide FREE gum, patches, and lozenges to those who are eligible. The pharmacy at the CSU Health and Medical Center also offers low-cost medications.
Prescription medications like Chantix and Zyban come in pill form and work directly on the brain to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Both of these do not contain nicotine, which is better for the body. Talk to your doctor to see if this type of medication is right for you.
Other prescriptions, like Nicotrol (an inhaler) and Nicotrol NS (nasal spray) contain nicotine and are absorbed into the body quickly. These can help control cravings. Some patches (like Habitrol or Prostep) require a prescription, while others (like Nicoderm CQ) do not. Nicotine is delivered steadily throughout the day, and the patch can be easily hidden under clothing.
Nicotine gum is available without a prescription. It works best if you chew it briefly, then hold it between the inside of your cheek and gum line. Don’t continue to chew – the nicotine can upset your stomach. You also cannot eat, drink, or chew anything else 15 minutes before using the gum, or while it’s in your mouth.
For more information about medication/cessation options, check out Tobacco Free U.
The City of Fort Collins’ Smoking Ordinance is in compliance with the State of Colorado’s Clean Indoor Air Act(CCIAA) of 2006, which prohibits smoking in most public places, including bars, restaurants, and places of employment. It also prohibits smoking within 15 feet of smoke-free areas (Fort Collins requires 20 feet).
The City of Fort Collins recently expanded smoke-free areas, to include:
- Old Town Square (January 1, 2016)
- All City parks, trails, and natural areas (Sept. 1, 2015)
- Most City-approved events and festivals (2016)
- All City owned and operated facilities and their grounds (Sept. 1, 2015)
Please visit www.fcgov.com/smokefree to view the most current City policy.
Many insurance carriers are required to cover tobacco cessation approved Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT) and counseling. Approved products include over the counter (OTC) nicotine gum, lozenges and patches as well as prescription medications (i.e. Chantix and Zyban). You will need to check with your insurance carriers for plan details.
If medication is right for you, you can get prescription medications at the Pharmacy located in the CSU Health and Medical Center. The Pharmacy can fill prescriptions written by any provider, including those from outside the CSU Health Network.
Counselors are available: Monday-Friday, 7 am-9 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 8 am-4:30 pm; 24-hour voice mail.
The Colorado QuitLine provides private counseling and support, advice on crafting your quit plan, problem-solving advice, and skills to help you break old habits, and help deciding which cessation products or medications may be beneficial for you. They can provide nicotine replacement like patches and gum for free to those who enroll in the program.
The Health District of Northern Larimer County offers cessation classes in group, individual, and couples formats, along with free nicotine patches or gum. Classes are offered in a six-week format and are on a sliding-fee scale.
Smokefree.gov offers a step-by-step quit guide, live help from National Cancer Institute cessation counselors through text messaging or by phone, and other tools to help you get started.
The American Legacy Foundation, a national public health foundation funded by Master Settlement Agreement payments, is a resource for tobacco and cessation information, especially for youth, women, and minority populations. Their site provides general tobacco facts, personal stories, quitting assistance, and information on ALF programs and initiatives.
The American Cancer Society is a comprehensive source of information regarding the harmful effects of tobacco, quitting tips, smoking legislation, risks for children and teens, and the Great American Smokeout program. The site also serves as a support and information network for cancer patients, survivors, and their families and friends.
The American Heart Association provides information on nicotine addiction, NRT (nicotine replacement therapy), smokeless tobacco, smoking cessation, tobacco advertising, environmental tobacco smoke, federal tobacco regulations, and the tobacco industry’s targeting of youth, minorities, and women.
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