The community health education program at Hi-Desert Medical Center is sponsoring Stop Smoking, Stay Quit, a six week class that provides a systematic approach to overcome the obstacles blocking your success to becoming smoke free.

The class begins Monday, February 15 at 6:00 p.m. Join VJ Sleight, a former smoker and cancer thriver, as she takes participants through the process of quitting and provides tools for success. Known as the "queen of quitting," she has made a career of counseling tobacco addicts through the quitting process and trains them how to remain smoke free. "Every method of quitting will work for some, no method works for everyone. It is important to find the right combination of behavior modification, medicinal support, and successful strategies to deal with stress, emotions, and social situations by assessing individual desires, beliefs, and fears," says VJ.

The class is limited to 25 participants; cost is $100/person with an installment plan available. Call Karen at Hi-Desert Medical Center to register: 760-366-6324.

The class will include:

• How to deal with triggers that increase the urge to smoke
• How to increase your desire to stop and resolve ambivalence
• Medications for cessation
• Recovery and withdrawl symptoms
• How to avoid weight gain
• How to handle stress
• What happens after you quite, how the body heals
• What to do if you slip
• How to stay quit forever