Skokie Health Dept. Stop Smoking Clinic

Introductory session.

Some people will find attending this one session will be all the help they need for quitting on their own. For those looking for a comprehensive program, you will know who we are and what we are all about!

Conducted by Jerry Zabin, L.C.S.W.

No quick fix gimmicks. We treat the nicotine addiction like any other addiction.

Group and individual counseling.

24-hour live hot-line.

Extensive reinforcement.

Clinic graduates are eligible and encouraged to participate in future clinics for reinforcement at no extra cost.

At our Stop Smoking Clinic,
we treat the "Intelligent Smoker."

Being an intelligent smoker means you recognize that smoking is dangerous to your health, threatening your social status and costing you a lot more money than it is worth. Since you are intelligent, you probably want to quit smoking but just can't seem to. We can help you break free from cigarettes.

Since 1978, over 4,500 smokers have participated in these Stop Smoking Clinics. Participants attend six evening sessions over a two-week period. Twenty-four-hour live hot line service is available for all participants both during and after the clinic. Group and individual counseling is provided.

There are no shots, record keeping, hypnosis, needles, or any other quick-fix gimmicks. Our method is clear and simple. Participants quit smoking completely at the first session and are supported through the worst period of physiological and psychological withdrawal. Long-term reinforcement then provides additional support to maintain abstinence.

Why choose our Stop Smoking Clinic over other programs? We don't claim to be the cheapest, quickest, easiest, biggest, or most convenient. We do not guarantee that you will not experience withdrawal, and if you fail to quit, we will not give you a penny back. Other programs may promise any or all of these miraculous benefits. We offer none of them. So why choose our clinic?

Only one reason we can think of. Because it works. We are a no-nonsense program. We recognize smoking is a true form of drug addiction, and we treat it as such. Being an addict means there is no magic cure, no easy way out. But the nicotine addiction like any other drug dependency is treatable. We offer the most comprehensive and sound support to beat that addiction. But do not let us give you the wrong impression. We won't quit for you. You will have to do the hard part. We will simply help show you how to stop and then how to stay off.

We are not the program for everyone. If you think you can quit anytime you want, do not call us. If you are offended that we put you in the same category as alcoholics, heroin junkies, or cocaine addicts, do not call us. If you want an easy, painless method that requires no effort or responsibility on your part, do not call us. But if you are sick and tired of smoking, and you really want to quit-give us a call.

Why quit cold turkey.

To many, cold turkey conjures up visions of torturous pain, suffering and general drudgery. In fact, it is easier to stop smoking using the cold turkey method than by using any other technique. Cold turkey induces less suffering and creates a shorter period of withdrawal. Most important, cold turkey is the approach by which the smoker has the best chance of success.

Smokers must recognize that they are drug addicts. Nicotine is a powerfully addictive drug. Once the smoker has smoked for a fairly long time, the body requires maintenance of a certain level of nicotine in the bloodstream. If this level is not maintained, the smoker will experience varying degrees of drug withdrawal. The lower the level, the greater the intensity. As long as any nicotine remains in the bloodstream the body will keep craving its full complement. Once the smoker quits, the nicotine level will eventually drop to zero and all physical withdrawal will cease. Cravings for an occasional cigarette may continue, but this is due to an old habit not to a physical dependence.

Cutting down on cigarettes or use of nicotine replacement strategies throws the smoker into a chronic state of drug withdrawal. As soon as the smoker fails to reach the minimum requirement of nicotine, the body starts demanding it. As long as there is any nicotine in the bloodstream, the body will demand its old requirement. Smoking just one or two a day or wearing a patch which is gradually reducing the amount of nicotine being delivered will result in the smoker not achieving the minimum required level, creating a chronic state of peak drug withdrawal.

This state will continue throughout the rest of the smoker's life unless one of two steps is taken to rectify it. First, the smoker can stop delivering nicotine altogether. Nicotine will be metabolized or totally excreted from the body and the withdrawal will stop forever. Or, the smoker can return to the old level of consumption accomplishing nothing.

Therefore, cold turkey is the method of choice. Once the smoker stops, withdrawal will end within two weeks. If you smoke, we can help you over this crucial period of time. Once it is past, you can rest assured that you will never need to smoke again. We will teach you methods to maintain your non-smoking status forever. We will even provide support for as long as you feel you need it. Give us a chance. Give yourself a chance. Join today.

Jerry Zabin has been working in the field of social work since 1976. He has conducted Smoking Cessation Clinics over the past twenty years, helping many people to successfully stop smoking. He has maintained a psychotherapy practice since 1985. As the former Director of two addictions programs, Mr. Zabin has a great deal of experience in working with chemical dependency.

The city of Evanston is committed to making all public meetings accessible to persons with disabilities. Anyone needing mobility or communication access assistance should contact the ADA Coordinator or the Facilities Management at 866-2916 at least 48-hours in advance.

Online video version of information covered in clinic can be accessed at http://www.whyquit.com/joel/quitday.htm