Smoking Cessation Classes
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Smoking Cessation Class
Want to stop smoking or vaping, or help a loved one quit? We’re here for you every step of the way with tools, tips, and support. The important thing is to keep trying to quit until you quit for good.
To get started, call our clinic at 208-618-2570 and register for a series of Smoking Cessation Classes. You will attend a regular weekly class that helps keep you on track for success.
Address: 1593 E. Polston Ave.
Post Falls, ID 83854
Phone: 208.618.2570
Fax: 208.618.8779
Class Schedule:
All classes are held on Thursday evenings, 6:00 pm–8:00 pm.
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Session 1: Jan 4th-Feb 15th
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Session 2 March 6th-April 10th
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Session 3 April 17th-May 29th
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Session 4 June 5th- July 17th
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Session 5 July 24th-Sept 4th
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Session 6 Sept 11th-Oct 23rd
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Session 7 Oct 30th-Dec 11th
The American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking® program uses techniques based on pharmacological and psychological principles and methods designed to help tobacco users gain control over their behavior and break their addiction. Because no single quit method is effective for all tobacco users, the program includes a comprehensive variety of evidence-based, proven-effective cessation techniques. The curriculum also includes information about nicotine replacement therapy (gum, inhalers, patches, lozenges and nasal spray) and other FDA-approved smoking cessation medications such as Zyban® and Chantix®.
Quit, Don’t Switch
Some smokers may think that e-cigarettes will help them quit but substituting one addiction for another is not quitting. E-cigarettes still produce a number of dangerous chemicals including acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde. The inhalation of harmful chemicals can cause irreversible lung damage, lung diseases, and even death.
Talk to your healthcare provider about a plan to quit smoking. The combination of medication and counseling results in the highest rates of success in quitting smoking for good. Effective medications include nicotine gum, patches, nasal spray, inhaler and lozenges.
Reasons to Quit
Every smoker has his or her own personal motivation for quitting. Some common reasons for quitting include your health and quality of life, the health of those around you, high costs, and the hassle.
Benefits of Quitting
As soon as you quit, your body begins to repair the damage caused by smoking.
- 20 minutes after quitting, your heart rate will drop to a normal level.
- 12–24 hours after quitting, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal, and your risk of heart attack is significantly reduced.
- 2 weeks–3 months after quitting, your risk of having a heart attack begins to drop, and your lung function starts improving.
- 1–9 months after quitting, coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
- 1 year after quitting, your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.
- 5–15 years after quitting, your risk of having a stroke is reduced to that of a nonsmoker’s, and your risk of getting mouth, throat, or esophagus cancer is half that of a smoker’s.
- 10 years after quitting, your risk of dying from lung cancer or getting bladder cancer is about half that of a smoker’s, and your risk of getting cervical, larynx, kidney or pancreas cancer decreases.
- 15 years after quitting, your risk of coronary heart disease is the same as that of a nonsmoker.
How to Quit
Don’t know where to begin? We have resources to help you get ready and then take the big step of quitting for good. Get started now!
What to Expect
Quitting smoking is a journey, not a single event. See what to expect when quitting, challenges you should prepare for and get answers to common questions about quitting smoking.
Talking to Your Doctor
Your doctor, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, dentist or other healthcare provider are key resources for quitting. They can help you discover what medication will work best for you and put you in contact with local resources and your local quitline. Healthcare providers can help with information and support you need to live smokefree. They may help you craft your own quit plan, offer methods to prevent slip-ups, or walk through the pros and cons of nixing nicotine. Doctors or healthcare providers often stick with you throughout your quit journey by scheduling follow up visits or phone calls. Remember, healthcare professionals are not there to judge—they’re there to help you in any way you need to achieve a smokefree life.
Since it was first introduced over 41 years ago, the American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking® program has helped hundreds of thousands of Americans end their addiction to nicotine and begin new tobacco-free lives. Freedom From Smoking® is based on proven addiction and behavior change models. The program offers a structured, systematic approach to quitting, and it’s positive messaging emphasizes the benefits of better health. Evaluation studies and other research have shown that people who participate in Freedom From Smoking®:
- Experience both immediate and long-term health benefits.
- Learn to address and overcome the physical, mental and social aspects of their addiction.
- Are six times more likely to be tobacco-free one year later than those who quit on their own.
- When used in combination with cessation medication(s), up to 60% of Freedom From Smoking® participants report having quit by the end of the program.
The American Lung Association has been helping people quit smoking for over 41 years through Freedom From Smoking®. Ranked as one of the most effective cessation programs in the country, Freedom From Smoking® has helped hundreds of thousands of people quit for good and is now available in a variety of formats.
Dawn Stiefeld, RRT, CCM
Respiratory Therapy
The Smoking Cessation Classes at Northwest Specialty Hospital are taught by NWSH own respiratory therapist, Dawn Stiefeld. Dawn has over 20 years’ experience in the field, and has devoted the last decade in helping her patients and community members get on their quit paths for a healthier life. Dawn taught the freedom from smoking program back in San Diego and we are proud to offer this program free of charge to our patients here at NWSH.
Smoking Cessation Classes
Northwest Specialty Hospital
1593 E Polston Ave.
Post Falls, ID 83854
Phone: (208) 618-2570
Fax: (208) 618-8779