In this activity, you will create an educational tool about the addictive properties of tobacco and withdrawal for future patients.

Step 1: Select your preferred format/media to create your educational tool. You can create a slideshow (PowerPoint presentation), a piece of writing in a blog format (with pictures included), a trifold, a video, or an infographic for social media, etc.

Step 2: Develop a tool that explains the effects of tobacco use including its addictive properties and the physiological effects of withdrawal on patients.

You must consider:

• The tool's clarity and accuracy in explaining the addictive properties of tobacco.
• The tool's effectiveness in describing the physiological effects of withdrawal.
• The appropriateness of the content for prospective patients.
• The creativity and usability of the tool in real-world settings.

Step 3: Share your work on the course's designated discussion area for learners to view and discuss. To do this, click “add a new discussion topic” below, complete the fields, and paste a link to your product. If you want your work to be published on our website and social media, please specify this in your forum post description.

Step 4: Although not required, you are encouraged to review and discuss the works of your fellow learners. This is a great way to learn from each other and improve your own work.

OPTIONAL Step 5: Interact (10 minutes)

If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this activity, you will assess nicotine dependence in three case studies for pediatric patients. These case studies were adapted from ASH Scotland, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the AlbertaQuits Cessation Supports/Services, and the Journal of Medical Case Reports. For this, you will use the Modified Version of the Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire (mFTQ) tool.

Step 1: Read the following case studies:

Case Study 1: 

GM is 17 years old; she has been referred by her GP to assess her cannabis and tobacco dependency, which she had turned to since she was 13 years old because of sexual abuse as a child, her dyslexia and bullying at school. She has a history of self-esteem issues and self-harm. In fighting back against people, due to her insecurities, she had developed aggressive tendencies and had become isolated and withdrawn. 

She admits that right after waking up she has a joint (cannabis cigarette), a cigarette, and very little breakfast. She had been underweight and very malnourished. She was, however, motivated to work on improving her health and lifestyle and in particular her cannabis dependency. 

Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis as well as long bouts on her PlayStation were part of her coping strategy but she acknowledged that these needed to be tackled, she has a 60-a-day cigarette dependence and she inhales quite often. Her main concerns were regarding sleep. Cannabis was used as an aid to sleep and to relax and she wondered if less cannabis might result in heavier drinking or insomnia. 

She has been suspended 2 times from school for smoking cigarettes inside the building; she explains that it is impossible to refrain from smoking even when she knows the school rules forbid it, also because she usually smokes more at the beginning of the day. She has also been making attempts to quit smoking, has tried patches, as yet unsuccessfully but shows a commitment to reduce her smoking further.

Case Study 2: 

JD, currently 18 years old, started smoking at 17 years old; he tried his first cigarette during a youth group event, where a friend taught them how to inhale. A week after that event he was already smoking over 20 cigarettes a day. He has most of the cigars after waking up, even more than 10 before he has a cup of coffee.  

He admitted craving for this substance to the extent of doing dirty jobs for people to sustain the habit and neglecting other previous forms of enjoyment, such as watching television with family members.

He identifies himself as the kind of person who always goes out in any situation to have a smoke, even when sick in bed he can´t stop himself from smoking. He has tried several times to quit on his own, but now he is asking his General Practitioner for help.

Case Study 3: 

A 17-year-old is brought to a psychiatric hospital with a 5-year history of tobacco smoking and delinquent behaviors; he has been expelled from school because of consuming and sharing tobacco inside of the school. He lives with his mother who is of low socioeconomic status; she has a busy schedule and works full time. There is no history of mental illness or substance abuse in the family.

He was first introduced to tobacco smoking by his friends at age 12 years. He gradually stepped up his use from one cigarette/day over the next 2 to 3 years to approximately 20 to 30 cigarettes per day to sustain the relaxing and stimulating effect, he admits he inhales always, to get the ¨maximum effect¨. He has had several unsuccessful attempts at controlling the amount he took in a day despite the knowledge of its harmful consequences. His longest period of abstinence was 3 months in a rehabilitation center which was approximately 3.5 years ago. He had once experimented with cannabis and alcohol, but he never enjoyed these substances and so did not continue.

Two months ago he progressively neglected his personal hygiene and food, became emaciated to the point he could not even leave the bed, and spent more time cigarette smoking (that is, smoking continuously); he decided to seek medical attention at this time. 

Before he started smoking cigarettes, he was described as an easy child, quite cheerful, and an outgoing person who enjoyed the company of other children.

Step 2: Using the Modified Version of the Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire (mFTQ), identify the level of dependence according to the score you calculated for each case. Prepare an assignment that specifies the mFTQ score and level of dependence for all three case studies. Include an explanation for your results. 

Step 3: Post your work on the course's designated discussion board for other learners to view. Click “add a new discussion topic” below, complete the fields, and paste a link to your product.

Step 4: Although not mandatory, you are encouraged to review the work of your fellow learners. You can engage with the posts and use the critical questions to guide your review. This will help you develop your assessment skills and learn from the analysis of others.

OPTIONAL Step 5: Interact (10 minutes)

If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this activity, you will design a comprehensive treatment program for future patients. This program will focus on managing weight gain and stress during the tobacco cessation process.

Step 1: Decide on your preferred format/media to present your treatment program. You can use Slides (PowerPoint presentation), a piece of writing in a Blog format (with pictures included), a trifold, a video, an infographic for social media, etc.

Step 2: Develop a detailed treatment program that outlines strategies for managing potential weight gain and handling stress during a tobacco cessation attempt. Make sure to include the following elements:

• A brief overview of the program
• Specific strategies to counteract weight gain
• Stress management techniques
• A clear explanation of how these methods contribute to an effective tobacco cessation journey

Remember to consider:

• The program's comprehensiveness and clarity
• The relevance and effectiveness of the strategies included
• The usability of the program in real-world settings

Step 3: Post your treatment program on the course's discussion board for other learners to view. Click “add a new discussion topic” below, complete the fields, and paste a link to your product. If you're open to having your work showcased on our website and social media, include this in your post description.

Step 4: Though not required, you're encouraged to explore the treatment programs created by other learners. Engaging with these works can provide inspiration, offer new insights, and allow you to appreciate different creative approaches.

OPTIONAL Step 5: Interact (10 minutes)

If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this activity, you will put your skills to the test in locating and critically evaluating information regarding new standards, practices, and learning objectives about tobacco cessation.

Step 1: Select any topic related to this course that piques your interest. This could include new standards, practices, teaching methods, drugs, tests, etc.

Step 2: Conduct a literature search to find a recent research article that discusses a new intervention related to your chosen topic. Ensure the article was published within the past two years from the date you're undertaking this activity.

Step 3: Prepare a summary of 250 - 750 words where you evaluate key aspects of the research paper:

• What kind of intervention was implemented?
• What are the main advantages and disadvantages of this intervention?

Step 4: Post your work on the course's designated discussion board. To do this, click “add a new discussion topic” below, complete the fields, and include a link to the research you used for this task.

Step 5: While it is not required, you're encouraged to review and comment on the works of other learners.

OPTIONAL Step 6: Interact (10 minutes)

If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this activity, you will design a comprehensive program that utilizes alternative therapies for tobacco cessation tailored for future patients.

Step 1: Choose your preferred format/media to present your program. You can create a Slideshow (PowerPoint presentation), a piece of writing in a Blog format (with pictures included), a trifold, a video, an infographic for social media, etc.

Step 2: Develop a detailed program that outlines various alternative therapies used for tobacco cessation. Classify these therapies based on their effectiveness and compare the benefits of each alternative therapy. Consider:

• The depth and clarity of explanation for each therapy.
• The effectiveness of the classification of therapies.
• The quality of comparison between the benefits of each therapy.
• The creativity and practicality of your program.

Step 3: Post your treatment program on the course's discussion board for other learners to view. Click “add a new discussion topic” below, complete the fields, and paste a link to your product. If you're open to having your work showcased on our website and social media, include this in your post description.

Step 4: Though not required, you're encouraged to explore the work done by other learners. Engaging with these works can provide inspiration, offer new insights, and allow you to appreciate different creative approaches.

OPTIONAL Step 5: Interact (10 minutes)

If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

In this activity you will learn about the experience of patients during their smoking cessation efforts and reflect on these experiences.

Step 1: Read stories from former smokers at the following link: Former Smokers

Step 2: Reflect on what you learned from the readings, and select the case that made the most impact on you.

Step 3: Write a reflection piece (250 - 500 words) discussing:

• The challenges these individuals faced in their efforts to quit smoking
• Your emotional response to their stories
• Your understanding of why smoking cessation is a process

Step 4: Post your treatment program on the course's discussion board for other learners to view. Click “add a new discussion topic” below, complete the fields, and paste a link to your product. If you're open to having your work showcased on our website and social media, include this in your post description.

Step 5: Though not required, you're encouraged to explore the work done by other learners. Engaging with these works can provide inspiration and offer new insights.

OPTIONAL Step 6: Interact (10 minutes)

If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”