Sinusitis

Cigarette smoking detection test. Fagerström test to determine nicotine addiction

To get the test result, answer all questions.

You no big dependency from nicotine, so you can try to quit smoking without the help of medication.
You probably won't experience nicotine cravings when you stop smoking. However, you may still sometimes experience strong cravings for smoking: in moments of boredom, when talking on the phone, when stressed, in the company of people who smoke, etc. Observe the situations that provoke you to smoke and prepare for them.
When you quit, the support of family and friends will be very important. Provide it in advance.

You are addicted to nicotine to a weak extent.
Think about how you will cope with the urge to smoke and the emotions that will arise when you quit. It is worth considering using medications to quit smoking.
You probably won't experience severe nicotine cravings when you stop smoking. However, you may still experience strong cravings for smoking from time to time: in moments of boredom, when talking on the phone, when stressed, in the company of people who smoke, etc. Observe the situations that provoke you to smoke and prepare for them.
When you quit, support from family, friends and qualified specialists will be very important. Provide it in advance.

You average degree dependencies from nicotine. Consider using medications to quit smoking. They will relieve symptoms of nicotine cravings and nicotine cravings while you work on your habits. Medications double your chances of coping.

You high dependence from nicotine.
Consider using medications to quit smoking. They double their chances of coping. Many of these products are sold without a prescription.
Even when using pharmacological agents There are times when you want to smoke or other symptoms appear. Prepare for this.
Get support from your family, friends, and other former smokers. Call 8-800-200-0-200 to get qualified advice.

You very high dependence from nicotine
We strongly recommend that you contact a specialist and discuss with them suitable medications for quitting smoking. They will help you cope with your smoking urges while you work on changing your habits. Medications double the chances of success.
Most people say that medication makes it easier for them to quit smoking. However, many people have moments when they want to smoke or experience other symptoms, so prepare yourself for how you will deal with the urge to smoke.
Get support from your family, friends, and other former smokers. Study materials on quitting smoking on this and other sites and call 8-800-200-0-200 to get qualified advice.

Dr. Karl Fagerström studied at Uppsala University and received his higher education as a licensed clinical psychologist in 1975. He then began working at a release clinic nicotine addiction. In 1981, he received his PhD and defended his dissertation on nicotine addiction and smoking cessation. K. Fagerström is one of the founders of the Society for the Study of Nicotine and Tobacco.

Take a nicotine addiction test

Please leave your results in the comments to the test.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)

The principle of the NRT method is to replace nicotine from cigarettes with nicotine from various dosage forms. This helps prevent or minimize the severity of withdrawal symptoms when quitting smoking and increases the chance of successful quitting. In our country, nicotine replacement therapy drugs are registered by the Pharmaceutical Committee and approved for free sale: nicotine-containing chewing gum, inhaler, nasal spray and patch.

Basic principles of NRT:

Provide sufficient nicotine to reduce withdrawal symptoms that occur soon after smoking cessation.
Consistently reduce the intake of nicotine into the body, facilitating gradual complete failure From him.

Indications for NRT:

Complete smoking cessation.
Gradual cessation of smoking by gradually reducing the number of cigarettes smoked daily.
Prevention of withdrawal syndrome during prolonged stay in places where smoking is prohibited.

Text and transcript of the Fagerström test

The test itself

How soon do you reach for a cigarette after you wake up?
1. within the first 5 minutes.
2. after 6 - 30 minutes.
3. after 31 - 60 minutes.
4. after more than 60 minutes.
Is it difficult for you to refrain from smoking in places where it is prohibited?
1. Yes.
2. No.
Which cigarette would be the hardest for you to abstain from?
1. From the morning.
2. From the subsequent one.
How many cigarettes per day do you smoke?
1. Up to 10.
2. From 11 to 20.
3. From 21 to 30.
4. More than 30.
When do you smoke more - in the morning or throughout the day?
1. In the morning.
2. Throughout the day.
Do you smoke when you are sick when you should be on bed rest?
1. Yes.
2. No.

Processing and interpretation of test results

Key to the test

Points are awarded according to the following scheme: 1a -3 points, 1b - 2, 1c - 1; 2a - 1; 3a - 1; 4b - 1, 4c - 2, 4d - 3; 5a - 1; 6a - 1.

The maximum score is 10.

Interpretation of test results

From 0 to 3 points - low level dependencies. When deciding to quit smoking, the main focus should be on psychological factors.
. 4-5 points - average level of dependence. It is advisable to use nicotine replacement drugs.
. 6-10 points - high level dependencies. Quitting smoking abruptly can cause discomfort in organism. Nicotine replacement drugs will help you cope with them.

A smoking test detects cotinine in the body. Cotinine remains in the body for approximately 7 days, while nicotine is eliminated very quickly. From this article you will learn how to prepare to take such a test and, perhaps, quit smoking completely if you decide to get rid of this problem. bad habit.

Steps

Part 1

How to take the test

Find out whether it is legal to ask you to take such a test. In the US, smoking tests are banned in only one state - South Carolina. More than half of the states have a provision that prohibits employers from penalizing activities occurring outside of work hours, including smoking. If you live in one of the 29 states that have this provision, you are not required to take this test.

to learn about the legality of smoking tests on a state-by-state basis.

Understand what this testing involves. A “smoking test” usually comes down to detecting cotinine in the body. To do this, take a smear from oral cavity, urine and blood tests. Cotinine is the main metabolite of nicotine. Nicotine is eliminated from the body in a few hours, while cotinine has a longer half-life, remaining in the body for up to 7 days.
- The half-life of cotinine is 16 hours. This means that a small amount is excreted from the body approximately every 16 hours. Unless you are a heavy smoker, most of the cotinine should disappear within 48 hours. It depends on the number of cigarettes you smoke, but still a small amount of cotinine remains in the oral cavity, which will be revealed by a smear.
- Tests detect cotinine not only from smoking, but also from consumption of other tobacco products, as well as smokeless tobacco, including vaporizer pens and other electronic cigarettes.
Stop using any tobacco products 5-7 days before the test. It is impossible to say for sure exactly how long it will take to become completely clean, but non-heavy smokers should stop consuming nicotine 3-4 days before the test, and heavy smokers 5-7 days before the test. This will ensure that the test result is negative. If you want to stop smoking in a week or longer, read the next section.
- If you smoke more than one pack a day, then you need to stop smoking early. The sooner you can stop, the safer it will be.
- If you are a social smoker or smoke occasionally, it will be enough to abstain from smoking a few days before the test.
Cleanse your body with diuretics. If you have to take a urine test in the coming days, drink as much fluid as possible throughout the day.
- Drink regular filtered water. To continuously cleanse the body, drink at least two liters per day.
- Drink warm water with a little lemon, garlic, leek or ginger. This will help cleanse the body and remove all excess.
- Drink more herbal tea with ginger, dandelion root, juniper. These plants have natural diuretic properties.
- Drink more natural cranberry juice. Most cranberry drink manufacturers write "Cranberry" on their products, but in reality there is very little cranberry juice, but a lot of sugar and apples. If you want the maximum diuretic effect, then try to find pure, natural cranberry juice.
Don't spend money on detox drinks. In specialty stores you will find many different expensive drinks that guarantee that they will pass any smoking and drug test. In this case, you can smoke right up to the test. However, check out their ingredients. Most often, expensive drinks are a combination of fruit juices and electrolytes. Not from them more benefit than from cheaper or even free drinks. Think about it, maybe you shouldn't overpay.

Blame it all on passive smoking. If your test results in a small amount of cotinine, try to attribute it to second-hand smoke in a smoky bar, during a rehearsal, or any other meeting where people around you were smoking a lot. Just be careful that this does not contradict the information you provided before taking the test.
- To obtain reliable results, many smoking tests are carried out directly in the workplace. If you are found to have a small amount of cotinine, then this explanation will seem plausible.
- If you smoked on the day of the test, the amount of cotinine will be much higher. In this case, it will not be possible to attribute everything to passive smoking. You must stop smoking at least a few days before the test.

Part 2

Stop smoking before taking the test

Try gradually reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke. If you know your scheduled test date, set a goal to smoke less. This will make it easier for you to stop smoking a week before the test. If you gradually start smoking fewer and fewer cigarettes two weeks before the test, it will be easier for your body to give up cigarettes before the test. Perhaps this way you can quit smoking completely.
- Try to halve your consumption of tobacco or tobacco products every day. As soon as you know about the test, immediately start smoking less.
- If you find out that the test will not be carried out soon, then use chewing gum or nicotine patches to start fighting psychological addiction as soon as possible.
Learn to put off smoking for ten minutes. If you feel the urge to smoke, be patient. Don't immediately follow your desire. Keep yourself busy for ten minutes. During this time, the desire may weaken. After ten minutes, think about whether you really still want to smoke.
- If you are trying to quit this bad habit, gradually increase the length of time you abstain from smoking. The more you suppress this desire, the easier it will be for you to cope with it.
Be prepared for withdrawal symptoms. If you use tobacco in moderate or large quantities, then suddenly abandoning it, be prepared for the appearance of physical and psychological symptoms cancellations. These symptoms include anxiety, insomnia and headaches. Their severity depends on the number of cigarettes smoked.
- The hardest thing is to survive the first three days. Common symptoms include anxiety, headaches and insomnia. The main thing is to endure these three days, then it will be easier.
- Unfortunately, the week before the test you will not be able to use nicotine patches, lozenges, or other substitutes because the test will still show that you have cotinine in your body. Before the test, you must stop using nicotine in any form.
During this period of time, avoid anything that you associate with smoking. If you have become a habit of smoking a cigarette over a cup of coffee or during a break at work, then it is important to prepare in advance for the fact that you will have to face such situations and create an action plan on how to avoid them or what to replace them with. Try experimenting: drink tea instead of coffee, and jog during the break.

Fagerström test - determines the relationship between an individual score and the severity of withdrawal symptoms. Includes 6 questions: the higher the score, the more severe the withdrawal symptoms will be.

The test was developed by Dr. Carl Fageström, one of the leading experts on the effects of smoking on the body.

Dr. Karl Fagerström studied at Uppsala University and graduated as a licensed clinical psychologist in 1975. He then began working in a nicotine addiction clinic. In 1981, he received his PhD and defended his dissertation on nicotine addiction and smoking cessation. K. Fagerström is one of the founders of the Society for the Study of Nicotine and Tobacco.

Instructions. Answer the questions and add up the number of points indicated in brackets.