Tobacco use of any kind will be prohibited anywhere on the campus including parking lots and privately owned vehicles. This policy applies to patients, visitors, vendors, employees, physicians and anyone else on the Desert Springs Hospital campus.

We're dedicated to healthcare so it only makes sense to be tobacco-free. While we are not requiring employees to quit using tobacco products, we're committed to helping them if they want to quit.

The Gift Shop sells nicotine patches and gum. Smoking cessation counseling is available to inpatients and employees.

Free information, telephone counseling education and an individualized quit plan with ongoing support are all available from the Nevada Tobacco Users Helpline.

• Tell your family, friends and coworkers that you are trying to quit and that you'd welcome their help. If they smoke, ask them not to smoke or leave their cigarettes out when they are near you.
• Get individual, group or telephone counseling. Join a support group or program for people who are trying to stop smoking. You can call your local health department for information about programs in the area.

Smoking Cessation TIP #2
Change your behavior

• When you feel the urge to smoke, do something else to distract you from the urge.
• Talk to someone, go for a walk or keep yourself
• busy working on a task.
• Change your routine when you try to stop smoking.
• Drive a different route to your job. Eat breakfast in a different place.
• Exercise, take a hot bath, read a book or do something else. Drink plenty of water and other fluids.
• Make sure to schedule at least one enjoyable thing to do every day.

Smoking Cessation TIP #3
Learn your triggers
Everyone has different situations and feelings that act as "triggers" and create the urge to light up a cigarette. 

Common triggers are:

• Drinking coffee
• Finishing a meal
• Watching television
• Drinking alcohol
• Talking to someone on the phone
• Watching someone smoke

Make a list of your personal triggers and try to avoid as many of them as possible. If you can't avoid trigger situations, try to develop new habits to replace smoking. For example, if you are feeling stress, try deep breathing exercises instead of a cigarette to relax.

Smoking Cessation TIP #4
Stay active
Activities and projects that require you to use your hands can help reduce the urge for a cigarette. When you do feel the urge, put a low calorie substitute into your mouth, such as vegetables, fruit or sugarless gum. And exercise releases endorphins which will help fill your body's need for nicotine as well as help your metabolism adjust.

Smoking Cessation TIP #5
Use medications safely and effectively
Before you use any medication, be sure to check with your physician to make sure they are safe for you to use. There are six types of medications approved to help you stop smoking. They are:

• Bupropion SR*
• Chantix*
• Nicotine inhaler*
• Nicotine nasal spray*
• Nicotine patch
• Nicotine gum

* By prescription only

Nicotine inhalers, nasal sprays, patches and gum all work by supplying low amounts of nicotine to your body without the tars and poisonous gasses that are present in cigarettes. They make it easier for you to quit smoking by providing a constant, low level of nicotine that helps eliminate cravings.