Be Smoke Free for You and Your Baby

Be Smoke Free for You and Your Baby is a program offered to Buncombe County Health Center clients who wish to quit smoking during pregnancy. This smoking cessation program is based in our Community Health Division.

• A clinic-based self-help smoking cessation program
• Includes brief counseling and follow-up visits by community health nurses.
• 1997 winner of "Outstanding Local Intervention" award by Project ASSIST
• Uses the " 5A's" to help clients quit smoking
• Provides support and incentives to clients
• Referrals can be made by any Buncombe County medical practice by contacting Health Promotion at 250-6987.
• Tips for Health Care Professionals to Help a Client Quit Smoking
• Tobacco facts for women
• Tobacco facts for pregnancy

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• Buncombe County Health Center Health Promotion Division provides coordination, training, technical assistance, and patient follow-up for the BCHC brief smoking cessation counseling program offered to clients and community residents.
• Brief Cessation Counseling has been proven to be the most effective method of counseling patients one-on-one.
• It is offered along with educational materials by trained staff to women of childbearing age who smoke, to other clinic patients, and to the families of both.
• Community health nurses assess patients who smoke, provide brief counseling and encourage enrollment in the program.
• Community health nurses provide support and incentives as their patients progress through the stages of quitting. If patients continue to smoke, nurses provide non-judgemental encouragement to quit.
• Follow-up and support, through letters and phone calls, are provided to patients enrolled in the program by health promotion staff.

• Encourage your client by telling them you know they can quit this time-even if they have tried and failed in the past. Many smokers try to quit several times before they quit for good.
• Be willing to offer support, especially during the first few days after the client quits. They make need extra help during situations where they may be tempted to smoke.
• Offer to call or arrange visits to check on your client. Be sure to ask your client about how they are feeling and what is going on in their life, NOT just if they have still quit smoking.
• It is ineffective to nag, judge, or preach to your client. The best way to encourage a client to quit is to let them know that you care. Let them how much you admire them for trying to quit.
• Try to see things from your client's side. They may be feeling insecurity, doubt, and fear about quitting. Let them know that you understand and care.
• Make sure to give your client lots of praise! Keep them motivated by giving rewards right away and as they progress.

For more information call
(828) 250-6987