Nicotine: Tips on How to Break the Habit

The same acetone found in nail polish, is also found in cigarette smoke. Now that’s a scary fact! Know what’s even scarier? On average, each cigarette shortens your life anywhere from seven to eleven minutes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking is the third leading cause of death, causing more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. An additional 42,000 Americans die because of secondhand smoke exposure. Smokeless tobacco use leads to an increased risk of various cancers and risk for sudden death from a condition called ventricular arrhythmias, where the heart does not beat properly.

Quitting smoking, or the use of any nicotine product, is the single most important step someone can take to improve the length and quality of their life. Did you know that after just 24 hours of quitting, your chance of heart attack decreases? Or that after one year of quitting, your risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a tobacco user? After five years of quitting, that your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and bladder are also cut in half. It’s truly remarkable.

Faith Technologies’ Nicotine Cessation Program aids our employees and spouses enrolled in Faith Technologies’ medical insurance toward a healthier, nicotine-free life. We offer a Nicotine Cessation Reimbursement that covers the first office visit to discuss nicotine cessation with a primary care provider at 100%, no copay, through our Preventative Care Wellness benefit. Brand or generic prescriptions, as well as over-the-counter (OTC) products, are covered at 100% with a prescription.

In addition, Faith Technologies offers two free and confidential resources to aid in nicotine cessation. Healics, our Health Risk Assessment provider, offers an online resource center that is available to all employees and their family members. This online resource offers an expansive library of tools and videos to support your cessation goals. The MHN Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to employees and their dependents offering confidential support, resources and information to get through life’s challenges, such as nicotine use.

If you’re a Faith employee or family member interested in taking the next step towards a healthier life and would like to kick the nicotine habit, than please check out the free nicotine cessation resources outlined above. Not a Faith employee or family member? No worries! Look into what programs your employee offers, or visit SmokeFree.gov where you’ll find several cutting-edge, evidence-based tools and resources to help you quit smoking and remain smoke-free.

Let 2015 be the year you take charge of your health!