Cleveland Clinic's PQRS Program
You may know a former smoker who woke up one morning, decided to clear the air in his or her lungs, tossed a full pack of cigarettes into the garbage, and never lit up again.
Well, sorry, but the chances that you can do that are pretty slim.
The physical addiction to nicotine, coupled with the psychological power of the habit, is just too strong for most people to overcome alone. If your attempts at going cold turkey have failed, you've got lots of company -- at least 98% of cigarette-kicking wannabes aren't able to ride out the withdrawal and cravings on their own.
Now the good news: Over a million Americans do quit smoking each year, and the smarter they are about using tools -- counseling, group support, nicotine replacement therapy, and quit-smoking drugs -- the greater their chances of success. That's one reason why the Cleveland Clinic's tobacco treatment center incorporates every kind of help available in its individual and group programs. Cleveland quitters learn strategies that the center's director, Iyaad Hasan, MSN, CNP, has nicknamed the PQRS program:
As you follow the YOU Can Quit Smoking plan, if you need a little extra resolve, fortify your efforts with tips from the PQRS program, which is part of Dr. Roizen's program at the Cleveland Clinic.
