Three keys to a smoke - and snusfritt life

In Sweden, smokes 10 per cent of women and 8% of men on a daily basis. Almost every fifth man use snus, but only four per cent of women, according to figures from the Folkhälsomyndighetens annual folkhälsoundersökning.

at the same time, the number of people who smoke daily has decreased since 2004.

Notwithstanding the health aspect, more things lie behind a decision to stop with tobacco – economic reasons, for example.

and the operator of the quitline, which is operated by the Centre for epidemiology and community medicine within the Stockholm county council. Where work qualified tobaksavvänjare with different professional backgrounds, as health care professionals and behavioral scientists, to provide assistance to people who call and want to stop smoking or tobacco use. And you see a peak in the number of calls during the month of January, " she says.

– There usually appear a few weeks after the new year, when it starts to become cumbersome to hold in it where nyårslöftet.

Often calling people to the quitline to get advice. But the conversations usually revolve around more than just hard facts.

– It is also about to get the talk, and to be able to formulate their thoughts about the strengths and weaknesses, " she says.

Looking over the entire rökarkollektivet so is återfallen the big problem.

if you're depending on can be difficult.

There are three factors that together may make it easier, " says Hans Gilljam, professor at the Department of public health sciences at Karolinska institutet. He is also the president of the yrkesföreningen Doctors against tobacco.

" Primarily, it is the own motivation, which is the most important. There is no one that can stop for you, but you have to do yourself. If the motivation is not strong enough to alone manage it, will help advice and support. It is the next important component in the stop-career. On top of that is a drug, " says Hans Gilljam.

These three components work together, and if all three are necessary to be able to stop good, he says.

" Yes, it can roughly say. But motivation plays a major role. There are examples of strongly dependent, such as smoke several packs a day, stopped abruptly, and passed by it. But if you look over the whole rökarkollektivet so is återfallen the big problem.

It can be explained by several factors.

Nicotine is the product that the body essentially becomes chemically dependent on when you use tobacco. Nikotinnivåerna drops quickly, however, when you do not smoke – after a few hours, they have fallen to low levels. Then is the nicotine stored in the body, broken finally down and disappears from the body after a few days.

But what makes tobacco so hard and addictive is also what happens in general in the brain, that is to say, everything that man builds up his life with that of smokers, " says Hans Gilljam.

at the same time as nicotine goes out of the body relatively quickly goes out of the body nah man ends with snus or cigarettes, the withdrawal symptoms make themselves felt for several weeks. Photo: Pontus Lundahl

thus goes out of the body relatively quickly, the withdrawal symptoms make themselves felt for several weeks. Why is it so?

– There is much that is unknown about this still – it is not at all clear in detail how it has come about, " says Hans Gilljam and continues:

– But it also seems like there is a chemical memory in the brain. Even if it has been 20 years, it often goes lightning fast to get back in the consumption you had before you stopped. There is no system to teeth on all cylinders when you relapse.

the coffee, feströkningen and self-identity as smokers are examples of social factors that affect even addiction, and it is called the psychological dependence and vaneberoendet. Once it ends, it will be a pretty big change in life, says Ann Post.

– Often, the cigarette has been a companion for many years, and when you stop you have to come to terms with a new identity. It is not always so simple. It is also something that is discussed extensively in the talks, " says Ann Post.

at the same time, it should be remembered that there is a physical dependence and lurking in the background, she says.

– the Urge may be purely physical. But it can also be about the connection you have got to the cigarette during his time as a smoker. It comes to trying to bone up on that for yourself, understand what is what and find support. Where we see that the drug helps for some.

it is put in. It is about two to three weeks of suffering. 

Ann Post mean to an abrupt stop, it is best once you have decided to ditch the snus or cigarettes.

the Withdrawal symptoms put into, and it is different pronounced in different individuals, with different motivationslägen. It is about two to three weeks of suffering, which can take various forms. But it is, and it does it fairly quickly. It is then that it can be really tough, that is to say, to be able to resist the urge during the rest of the time, " says Hans Gilljam.

Although Ann Mail out that it can take a long time to get rid of their addiction.

– Often has much power in the beginning, when we decided to go. But then the hands of other things – you might be on vacation or back to work after a leave. You are not always the same control or the stamina anymore, " says Ann Post.

and you relapse back into smoking or snusningen, it is important to quickly get on track again, " says Ann Post.

– You might need another support, such as pharmaceuticals, for example. You also need to analyze what the relapse was due to and what happened. But see it only as a setback. It happens and it is normal. Try not to make it something dramatic, " says Ann Post.

There need not be lack of motivation or character that makes you relapse. Therefore, it is good to be kind to yourself when you stop, " says Ann Post. For example, by rewarding yourself in different ways when passed different stages then stopped.

– also, Try to focus on the positive changes, " says Ann Post.