How To Quit Smoking & Other Tobacco: Veteran Resources
Tobacco and Health
Are you a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one?
To connect with a Veterans Crisis Line responder anytime day or night:
- Dial 988 then Press 1.
- Start a confidential chat.
- Text 838255.
- If you have hearing loss, call TTY: Dial 711 then 988.
Great American Spit Out
Overview
There is a long history of smoking and other tobacco use in the military. Many Veterans used tobacco while they served, particularly during deployment. Now seven out of every 10 Veterans who smoke would like to quit—for both the physical benefits and their mental health.
If you’re one of those Veterans, or if the Veteran in your life is trying to quit, you’ve come to the right place. VA offers resources for making a quit plan and sticking to it.
A proven approach
Our approach centers on the proven combination of medication and counseling, and we offer the following resources to help you on your journey:
- Counseling: VA offers group and individual counseling to talk about everyday tobacco use, identify triggers for use, and make lifestyle changes that can help Veterans quit. Counseling is available in person or through VA Video Connect, VA’s secure videoconferencing app. You can use My HealtheVet, VA’s online patient portal, to send your VA provider a secure message to learn more about your options.
- Medications: To help reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings that come with stopping tobacco use, VA offers prescription medications and nicotine replacement therapy in the form of nicotine gum, patches, lozenges, and nasal spray. You can also learn more about your medication options by reaching out to your VA provider on My HealtheVet.
- Quit VET: Veterans can call 1-855-QUIT-VET (1-855-784-8838) for counseling and help with developing a plan to stop tobacco use, such as smoking and smokeless tobacco use. Quitline counselors are available Monday through Friday, between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. ET, to help you prepare for potential challenges and avoid relapse. Counselors offer continued support in English or Spanish through follow-up calls.
- SmokefreeVET: For tools and tips you can use to stop smoking or using smokeless tobacco, sign up for SmokefreeVET by texting VET to 47848. SmokefreeVET provides regular text messages and also provides a message with extra support when Veterans text the keywords URGE, STRESS, or SMOKED to 47848. Text the word DIPPED instead of SMOKED to receive a tailored tip for quitting smokeless tobacco. Para inscribirse en SmokefreeVET en español, manda el texto VETesp al 47848. Learn more on the SmokefreeVET website.
Resources to help
Smoking affects everyone differently. VA offers specialized resources, tailored for different people, facing different challenges:
People who smoke are more likely than nonsmokers to have experienced anxiety, panic, stress, depression, or suicidal thoughts. The challenges of quitting smoking can also lead to increased stress and anxiety. Quitting, though, can increase the effectiveness of certain medications—particularly those used for depression, anxiety, and psychotic disorders—as tobacco smoke affects how some are absorbed and how fast they are used by your body.
For some people, smoking and drinking alcohol go together. In fact, approximately 70 percent of people with an addictive disorder also use tobacco products. The combination of smoking and alcohol heightens your risk for oral, throat, and esophageal cancers. But quitting can help: Scientific studies have shown that quitting smoking will increase the chance that you can also successfully stop using alcohol and other drugs. In addition, those who quit smoking in recovery are less likely to experience a recurrence of substance use.
Managing HIV can be difficult, and that hard work can be undone by tobacco. Smoking can affect how antiretroviral medications work as well as increase the risk for both non-AIDS-related and AIDS-related illnesses. Quitting smoking can decrease the risk of heart disease, pneumonia, and HIV-related symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, and body pain.
Women who smoke can face unique health effects—as well as unique challenges in quitting. These health effects can include difficulty getting pregnant, early menopause, osteoporosis, cervical cancer, and breast cancer. When coupled with birth control pills, smoking can also increase the risk for blood clots, stroke, and heart problems. Let your VA health care provider know if you use tobacco and are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant, as smoking can cause serious problems for both pregnant women and their babies.
