Quit Smoking
You're not alone in confronting the smoking habit..
Smoking is a worldwide problem with an amazing 1.1 billion people smoking worldwide and 50 million of those in the US. Studies show that one in two smokers will die prematurely of a smoking-related condition; and most of these smokers are dying in middle age.
We could list the huge range of cancers and all the other diseases related to smoking. We could remind you that smoking will age you prematurely and the first signs of damage will be on your face.
Current research indicates that 95% of people who quit smoking any form of practical help will fail. This isn't proof of how many weak-willed people there are in the world - it simply shows how enormously addictive smoking is.
There is universal agreement among experts that people who are successful at quitting smoking follow two clear lines of attack:
- dealing with the physical dependancy on nicotine
- breaking the smoking habit
There are no easy ways to quit smoking – but if you get help to follow this two pronged strategy and you commit to doing it - you will succeed.
Dealing with the nicotine dependency is a big part of succeeding in quitting. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is now accepted as having a major impact on your chances of success - research has shown that it can double your chances of quitting.
Nicotine Replacement Theraphy has world-wide expert endorsement. NRT is recommended by the American Lung Association - especially when used in conjunction with a behavior change program to deal with the smoking habit. In the UK - Nicotine Replacement Therapy is part of a government backed initiative funded by the National Health Service - so NRT is available free as part of a special smoking cessation program.
Nicotine replacement therapy is self-funding..
In America and in other countries there is no free NRT program but if you think about it - nicotine replacement therapy is self-funding. You will no longer be paying for cigarettes so - depending on how many you smoke - you may find you are actually better off even after you buy your patches, lozenges or gum! When you finish the NRT of course (usually after around 8-10 weeks) you'll have much more spare cash since no more of your hard-earned money will be going up in smoke.
Nicotine replacement therapy - help in the early days of quitting..
Most nicotine replacement products are available over the counter or online. The most common NRT products are: nicotine patches, nicotine gum and the more recently available - nicotine lozenges. Products can be used separately or combined as part of a quitting smoking strategy. Some of the best products on the market include: Habitol and Nicoderm patches; Nicorette gum and Commit lozenges. All deliver sufficiently high levels of nicotine to help you quit and come with free quit smoking programs.
All NRT products are intended to reduce the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal by giving you small doses of nicotine in the early stages of quitting - typically the first eight to ten weeks. As reported by the American Lung Association NRT products products: "lessen the chances of suffering from several of the major smoking withdrawal symptoms such as tenseness, irritability, drowsiness and lack of concentration."
Nicotine patches are similar to an adhesive bandage and deliver between 7-14 mgs of nicotine through the layers in the skin. Patches have many benefits as they release the drug directly into the bloodstream without passing through the intestine or stomach. There is less risk of the nicotine being neutralized by stomach acids or causing nausea.
Nicotine is also released at a constant level throughout the day without you having to worry about taking any medication or waiting until you feel the first pangs of nicotine withdrawal kicking in. Nicotine patches can be worn where they aren't visible and they won't interrupt your normal daily routine or mealtimes.
Remember to 'chew and park' your gum and let your lozenges dissolve slowly..
A nicotine gum like Nicorette delivers nicotine more quickly to the brain than a patch and is a highly effective nicotine replacement therapy - provided you use it properly. The recommended method is to "chew and park". You shouldn't keep chewing it like you would an ordinary piece of gum or the nicotine will be released into your saliva resulting in a nasty taste in the mouth and a craving for a cigarette.
Chew it a few times to break down the gum and then 'park' it between your cheek and gum and leave it there for around 30 minutes. Nicotine will be released slowly and make its way into your bloodstream through the blood vessels under the lining in your mouth. Chewing nicotine gum in the wrong way is probably the main reason why this form of NRT fails for some people. Chew it right and it will work.
Nicotine lozenges - such as the market leader Commit - are similar to a gum in their effect and in the way they are used. The lozenge should be allowed to dissolve in the mouth for about 20-30 minutes to enable the nicotine to get into the bloodstream in the same way as for gum.
Nicotine gum and lozenges have advantages over patches. With the gum or lozenge you can control when you take the nicotine. You may need a sudden 'hit' to help you over a time of the day or a situation when the cravings are at their worst - in the bar with friends or after dinner in the evening when you normally light up.
All forms of NRT are very effective if used correctly and they can all be successfully combined in a quit smoking program that works for you.
The first and most important step you take on the road to being a non-smoker is to make a commitment to yourself to quit. Your commitment should be clear and determined - to quit whatever it takes. List your reasons for quitting in positive terms - for example: "when I quit my skin will look younger"; "when I quit I will be better off financially"; "when I quit I will feel better" and so on.
Successful quitters get support from other people. Share your decision to quit with someone who cares about you - your partner, a close friend or family member. This is enormously helpful - especially if the person you talk to has an interest in you quitting.
Maybe other members of your family don't smoke or a close friend has been worried about the fact that you smoke. If you talk to people who care whether you smoke or not and want you to give up you'll have powerful allies in your battle against smoking - right from the word go.
But be careful who you pick to help. Make sure you talk to someone who is capable of giving you positive encouragement as you deal with the ups and downs of quitting. The last thing you want in your journey is a "back seat driver" constantly criticising or pointing out where you've gone wrong. The right ally against smoking can make a huge difference to how quickly you overcome this aging and life-threatening addiction.
Start now - you could be a non-smoker quicker than you think!
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