Quit-Smoking Support: An Overview
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 70 percent of smokers say they want to quit, but smoking is such a tenacious addiction that it’s extremely difficult to stop. Nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco, is delivered to the brain within seven to ten seconds, making the cigarette a very efficient drug-delivery system. To quit successfully, you need a stop-smoking plan and strategies you can use to cope with withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
MIT Medical Can Help
MIT Medical offers tobacco treatment services for any member of the MIT community who wants to quit smoking.
Clinical Visits
As a member of the MIT community, even if you are not an MIT Health Plan member, you can make a free appointment to speak with one of our internal medicine care providers to review your tobacco use and learn more about medications that may improve stop-smoking success rates.
To make an appointment
- If you’re an MIT Health Plan member with a primary care provider (PCP), call your PCP directly to make an appointment.
- If you’re a Health Plan member who has not yet chosen a PCP, call (617) 253-4481.
- If you’re a member of the MIT community who is not an MIT Health Plan member, call MIT Medical at (617) 253-4481 to make a free stop-smoking appointment with an MIT Medical provider as part of your primary care benefit.
Consultation with a tobacco treatment specialist
Members of the MIT community can make an appointment for a free quit-smoking consultation with a tobacco treatment specialist. During this consultation, we can help you:
- Develop a quit plan
- Come up with strategies for coping with triggers and cravings
- Learn about other wellness resources to help you improve your overall health
To make an appointment, call (617) 258-6965, or send an email to helpmequit@med.mit.edu. Appointments are available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Quit-smoking classes
MIT Medical’s Center for Health Promotion & Wellness offers quit-smoking classes. Contact helpmequit@med.mit.edu to find out when the next class begins. For more information, contact the Center for Health Promotion & Wellness at (617) 253-1316.
Tips for quitting successfully
- Take the time to prepare. Set a quit date one or two weeks in advance, and prepare by working to understand your smoking behavior, planning ways to handle urges, learning relaxation techniques, developing coping strategies for dealing with stress, and enlisting the support of family and friends.
- Consider using medication. Research shows that people who use nicotine-replacement therapy or non-nicotine medications to quit smoking are twice as successful. Nicotine-replacement therapies (like the patch and gum) are available over the counter. Other medications, like Bupropion and Chantix, are available by prescription.
- Seek out individual or group counseling. Evidence shows that your best chance to quit successfully comes with a combination of behavioral counseling and medication. For information and referrals, call (617) 258-6965, or send an email to helpmequit@med.mit.edu.
Other tobacco treatment resources
Phone support
Try-to-stop Smokers’ Helpline: 1-800-TRY-TO-STOP (1-800-879-8678)
American Cancer Society Quitline: 1-800-227-2345
Online support
Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program: An interactive web site that helps you make a quit plan and connects you to expert advice.
American Cancer Society: Information about smoking and lung cancer.
American Lung Association: Information on quitting smoking and free online quit-smoking clinic.
Freedom from Smoking: Free, online quit-smoking program.
Nicotine Anonymous: A 12-step program offering support to those who want to quit smoking and stop other forms of tobacco and nicotine addiction.
Massachusetts General Hospital Tobacco Treatment Service: Offers group counseling with the option of low-cost nicotine replacement therapy.
QuitNet: Online quit-smoking community.
![[MIT logo]](/images/logo_mit.gif){kind=logo}