If you have tried in the past to quit tobacco and it hasn’t worked, tobacco cessation specialist Alexandra Fannin, MS, APRN, wants you to know that it’s perfectly ok and that you are not at the end of options.
Trying what hasn’t been tried
“I think people don’t always know that there are a lot of things we could potentially try to help them quit,” says Fannin, who enjoys going over options and discovering strategies that her patients haven’t tried before.
“It’s really nice to hear from patients who say ‘I’ve never heard of that,’ or ‘I’ve never tried that before.’ It gives them a renewed sense of excitement and maybe a little more confidence to say ‘Hey, maybe I can do this!’ and to try again.”
Fannin says it is always a joy to talk to people and have them tell her they quit smoking or their last cigarette was 2 weeks ago and they feel so much better. “Seeing the joy and excitement in their faces in making that huge life change in something that is really difficult to overcome is really rewarding,” she says.
Is a clinical trial right for you?
In addition to an available wealth of resources and practices in place for people to try, clinical investigators are constantly studying new ways to help people quit smoking.
For example, thoracic surgeon Joseph D. Phillips, MD, is leading a clinical trial that uses text-based cessation interventions to reach rural cancer survivors who smoke. The hope is that the scheduled text outreach will gradually reduce cigarette use to zero.
To connect with Fannin or to learn more for yourself or someone you care about, visit Dartmouth Cancer Center’s Tobacco Treatment Program website or call 603-650-1880.