Wednesday, 2 January 2013
General Statistics On Cigarette Smoking
People smoke for different reasons. Some do it as a form of stress release, to some a form of socialization. To some it is their way of rebelling against their superiors, to some it is an addiction. But whatever reasons a person has to make them start smoking, it is important that one knows the basics about cigarette smoking. Let's begin with general smoking statistics:
l Approximately one-third of the adult male population worldwide smokes tobacco in different forms.
l Smoking-related medical conditions kill one out of ten adults around the world, which may be summed up to an estimated four million deaths per year. It has been predicted that by the year 2030, if the current fatality trending continues, tobacco smoking will claim the life of on in every six people.
l A very frightening fact: every eight seconds, someone dies from tobacco usage.
l About fifteen billion cigarettes are sold on a daily basis – that makes about ten million every minute.
l Among the different World Health Organization (WHO) regions, the western Pacific region that covers east asia and the pacific has the highest smoking rate, with almost two-thirds of men smoking.
l The tobacco market is controlled but a few corporations – American, British, and Japanese multinational conglomerates.
Here are some smoking statistics on the youth:
l All around the world, about one in five young teenagers between the ages of thirteen and fifteen smoke.
l It is scientifically proven that an approximated fifty percent of people who started smoking at an early age continue to smoke for fifteen to twenty years.
l It has been estimated that about a quarter of the youth population in the western Pacific region will die from smoking.
Here are some health-related statistical data on smoking:
l About half of long-term smokers will pass away from cigarette smoking. It has been said that a stick of cigarette cuts away at least five minutes of life on average – it is just about the same duration of time needed to smoke a stick of cigarette.
l Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of diseases and early deaths. It has been reported to be a primary factor in cardiovascular disease, stroke, and chronic lung disorders. It can also cause cancers of different organs in the body like the lungs, kidneys, larynx, esophagus, and bladder.
l There are more than four thousand toxic and/or cancer causing chemicals present in tobacco smoke.
l It has been recorded that at least one-fourth of all deaths caused by heart disease and about three-fourths of world-wide records of chronic bronchitis have been linked to cigarette smoking.
l Smoking-related medical conditions cost the United States more than a hundred and fifty billion dollars every year.
Here are some trivial facts on smoking and its advertisements:
l A recent survey found that roughly eighty percent of American advertising executives from top agencies do believe that cigarette ads makes smoking more appealing or socially acceptable to the youth.
l Cigarette advertisements often connect smoking to sexual attractiveness, success, adult sophication, adventure, and self-fulfillment.
After reading about all these smoking statistics and facts, ask yourself before you light up your first cigarette: Is it really worth it?
General Information On Smoking
In the sixties, when the hippies ruled the world, cigarettes were available just about anywhere, and they can smoke pretty much anywhere they please – even in hospitals! Different advertisements of cigarettes filled the streets as well. But nowadays we're more aware about the different effects smoking can bring. It has also come to a point where smoking is prohibited in public places, and cigarette packets are required to include fair warning about their product's ill effects.
Here are some basic information about smoking:
1. Smoking is one of the most common forms of recreational drug abuse. Smoking, once started on, is a hard habit to break. This is thanks to a substance called nicotine which is found in tobacco leaves. Nicotine, like heroin and other addictive narcotics, make the mind and body quickly get used to it that it does not feel normal without it.
2. Nine out of ten tobacco and cigarette smokers taste their first puff before they reach the age of eighteen. And most adults who have started smoking in their teen never thought they would get hooked on the habit when they started. This is the same reason why they advise that it is easier not to get started on the habit.
3. Smoking increases a person's risk of developing heart diseases like heart attacks and stroke. It also increases the chances of having different forms of cancer like lung cancer, throat cancer, and cancer of the mouth. It may give a person lung problems like bronchitis, and emphysema.
4. Smokers are more likely to be absent from work than non-smokers, and their illnesses tend to last longer. This means smokers may incur more medical costs because they see physicians more often. They also have a tendency to be admitted to the hospital more often and for longer periods of time as compared to those who do not smoke.
5. Smokers have a lower survival rate after surgery than non-smokers. This is because cigarette smoking may also affect the body's immune system, which may cause delayed would healing, and reduce immune response. And because the immune response is reduced, there is a great probability that complications may come up after surgery.
6. Periodontitis, a serious gum disease which may lead to tooth and bone loss, may also be caused by cigarette smoking because it smoking affects the body's natural ability to fight off infection and repair damaged tissues.
7. Smokers have a higher chance at developing peptic ulcers, which can be located in the stomach and the duodenum, as compared to people who do not smoke cigarettes. If peptic ulcers are left untreated, this condition may be fatal.
8. Aside from serious medical conditions, smoking may also give a person bad skin. This is because smoking restricts blood vessels, preventing oxygen and other nutrients from getting to the skin.
9. Cigarette smoking may also leave a person with bad breath. And if it becomes persistent, it may develop into a condition called halitosis.
10. The smell of stale smoke lingers and sticks to a smoker's clothes and hair. And it is pretty difficult to remove.
Before you start smoking, think it over and ask yourself: “Do I really want all these medical conditions to affect me?” This may as well help you decide whether or not you're going to light that first stick or not.
Free Stop Smoking Patch Myths
Many ex-smokers explorers have heard or used stop smoking patches. Many ex-smokers explorers have read at least once adverts for a free stop smoking patch. However, the truth is that there is no such thing as a free stop smoking patch.
The good news is that nicotine patches are not that expensive. Of course, their price depends on the brand and the store you are buying them from. Another price factor is the number of the patches you are using per day and for the whole treatment period. Some people do not need that many patches, as their addiction is not that strong. Heavy smokers may need stronger nicotine patches and more frequent change of the patches.
You may not be able to get a free stop smoking patch, but what you can get is a good deal. There are many online shops that sell stop smoking aids and their prices are usually much more affordable than the prices in the regular shops. Moreover, online drug stores have regular promotions – for example, you may be able get a free stop smoking patch if you buy a specific product.
Another thing to consider carefully is what to do if you do come across a free stop smoking patch offer. Be very carefully before taking and using such product and make sure it is genuine. It might be a fake patch and not have the desired effect, let alone that it may contain harmful substances to danger your health.
Finally, some good news for all ex-smokers. You may not be able to get a free stop smoking patch or any free stop smoking product. What you can have free however is a lot of information and support.
The internet can provide you with hundreds of pages to show you the whole picture of nicotine addiction as well as hundreds of ways to help you quit smoking. It can offer you many online discussion and support groups where you can meet and communicate with people in your situation, share your thought offer and receive support.
If you are not an internet savvy, you can still get hold of a lot of free support – there are many ex-smokers groups (similar to the Anonymous Alcoholics Groups) where you can receive advise and support through the smoking cessation journey.
Free Quit Smoking Advice
If you are trying to quit smoking but are working on a restricted budget, there are a number of free quit smoking programs available to you. You can also consider trying a habit replacement method to help you quit smoking. If you are truly ready to kick the habit, you might discover that it is easier than you imagine it is going to be. It seems as though the paramount ways to quit smoking involve a lot of will power, if you are ready to quit smoking, you may have just enough to get yourself over the smoking hump. Free quit smoking programs can give you that extra push.
All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs. Anthony Robbins Free quit smoking Programs
There are numerous free quit smoking programs that are offered through non-profit organizations. For example, the American Cancer Society offers a variety of online programs for which you can sign up. They will send you a lot of hand-outs regarding the harmful nature of smoking, and you can peruse all of their quit smoking tips. The American Cancer Society has done plenty of research regarding the effects of smoking, so their literature can be extremely motivating, specially if you are already beginning to feel the negative effects of smoking. The American Cancer Society will also send you smoking free videos that supply support and quit smoking times when you are trying to quit, and they often sponsor quit smoking support groups and twenty-four hour quit smoking hotlines. These services can supply just what you need to finally end your stretch as a smoker.
Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory. General George S Patton
The American Heart and Lung Association also provides a diversity of free quit smoking programs. Much like the American Cancer Society, the sponsor support groups and offer free hotlines manned by accomplished counsellors who can help you if you are about to plunge of the wagon. They also offer quit smoking tips online, and they can suggest to you affordable quit smoking aids that will help you on your journey toward better health.
It is important to note that...
There are also a variety of free quit smoking methods that you can use to help cut down on your cigarette cravings. For instance, toothpicks area an excellent replacement for cigarettes. You can draw out a toothpick every time you want a cigarette, chewing on it will help to keep both your hands and your mouth busy. Even though this is no substitute for high-priced nicotine replacement quit smoking products, you will find that it is a helpful way to keep your mind off of smoking.
Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory. General George S Patton
Even with a limited budget, there are still many free quit smoking methods that can help you to quit smoking. One really great way to reduce your smoking it to read a variety of research studies that discuss the effects of smoking. The more you know about what is going into your body, the less likely you will be to carry on to relish the act of smoking.
Free Help to Stop Smoking
One of the most common reasons to deny quitting smoking is the cost of the stop smoking aids. Many smokers find silly excuses like what it is going to cost to use the stop smoking products, the cost of the laser or acupuncture therapies, let alone the cost of behavior treatment.
Well, we have news for you – you can find and receive free help to stop smoking.
The first free help to stop smoking resource is of course the internet. There are hundreds of articles dedicated to smoking cessation, all offering free advice, tips, and techniques. Online discussion groups dedicated to smoking cessation is another form of free help to stop smoking. These groups are attended by people just like you – all trying hard to stop smoking completely, sharing their problems and tricks for overcoming their nasty smoking habits. Believe it or not, you need this kind of support much more than expensive medications or behavior therapy programs with famous shrinks.
The second free help to stop smoking thing you can do, is just outside your apartment. You may not know but people who spice up their lives with more sports are less likely to start smoking at all. On the other hand, smokers who introduce sports to their lifestyle are more likely to stop smoking. Sport helps cope with the cessation symptoms and the cravings. Even smokers who are not attempting to quit smoking confess that after a session at the gym they simply do not desire a cigarette.
The beauty of sports is that you do not need to go to an expensive gym, nor attend a costly fitness program. The parks and walking sideways are free for everybody so you can start with long walks or daily jogging sessions. Try to spend the weekends outside, even if this outside is the nearby park.
Finally, the last free help to stop smoking idea; and it is simply this. You can get most free help to stop smoking by yourself. After all, the whole cessation process depends on your will, determination and motivation. If you feel uncertain that you want to quit or you are show weakness in the face of the first serious craving, than nothing can help you.
Since you do not have a magic wand, just work closely on your character, life routines and habits. You will soon discover that your smoking addiction has most to do with your lifestyle than with you personally. If necessary change your daily habits and stop visiting the places where you can (or which prompt you to) smoke. Instead of going to a nigh club with your smokers friends, enjoy a walk n the park with your mother; substitute your morning coffee with tea, etc.
There are certainly more and more interesting free-help-to-stop-smoking tips out there – just browse the web or ask your ex-smoker friends.
Five Reasons Why You Should Stop Smoking, Now!
If you are reading this article it means that you have already thought about stopping smoking. The first step in quitting a habit or in changing your life is to take a firm determination or a vow to yourself that you are going to do something. However, in order to take this first step you have to be convinced that it is the right thing to do. If you need some more reasons why it is time to do something about your smoking habit, here are five things to consider:
1. You can live longer if you stop smoking now
According to a study in the British Medical Journal, quitting smoking now could add 7-10 years to your life. No one can be sure that he or she will be alive tomorrow. Anything can happen, due to circumstances beyond our control. Despite this, we should do whatever we can that is within our control to live a long and happy life. You can’t prevent yourself from being injured in an earthquake, but you can prevent yourself from dying due to a smoking related illness.
2. Smoking is no longer cool
Many people begin smoking due to peer pressure or for other social reasons. At one time it was fashionable or “cool” to smoke, but that is no longer so. With study after study confirming the harmful effects of smoking, the tide has turned. It is becoming quite difficult to smoke in public areas and smoking is viewed as a nuisance by the society at large. If you began smoking to be “in”, take a look around and you will see that the times have changed. Keep up with these changes and quit smoking now.
3. Set a good example for your children or people who look up to you
If you know that becoming a smoker was a mistake, then you should make sure that your children or friends who look up to you do not follow in your footsteps. The best way to teach others is by example. If your children or family see that mom and dad or their older brother and older sister do not smoke, then they will be less likely to start smoking. So, think about the example you are setting, and do whatever you can to change your life style.
4. Improve your athletic performance
If you like to play sports then you already know that endurance is very important. Smoking interferes with your breathing and your body’s capacity to absorb oxygen. If you want to improve your athletic performance and increase your endurance, then it is time to put down your cigarettes.
5. Don’t pass on smoke and harm others around you
Even if you are the only one who smokes in your house, your smoke is harmful to your non-smoking loved ones. Second-hand smoke has been proven to be the cause of disease in non-smokers and that is the main reason why smoking is now being banned in public places. While the new non-smoking laws will help to protect the public at large, you can protect your closest family and friends by making a personal decision to stop smoking
There are lots more reasons to quit smoking, but just think about these five reasons and make a decision that you are going to do whatever it takes to stop smoking. It could be a decision that will help you to live a long, healthy and happy life.
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Find Out Why You Feel The Withdrawal Symptoms When You Are Trying To Quit Smoking
“No problem, I could quit anytime I want to”. That is the case for many smokers who believe they can quit anytime they want to as though they believe they had a magic switch to turn the nicotine off.
But when you ask them why they are not quitting, it would as if of a sudden, they’re mind starts to get creative and could punch out 101 excuses. Sounds familiar right? The reality is...
Smokers Are Addicted And Need Preparation Before Quitting!
This is because nicotine and chemicals when introduced into our body greatly affect our biological system. Smokers need preparation for quitting are because of the withdrawal symptoms.
Nicotine is a stimulant drug of which its effects where both simulation and relaxation may be felt. You see when we smoke, our body gets used to a certain alteration of conditions in our body. The brain gets used to these certain alternation very quickly even before we can notice it.
Now, there’s a new balance in the brain due to those alterations. When the timely dose of nicotine or whatever chemicals as a result of smoking is not channeled towards the brain, the brain gets upset. Hence we feel uncomfortable with different people enduring different symptoms.
Some of the withdrawal symptoms include:
• Cravings to smoke
• Irritation
• Anger
• Insomnia
• Dry mouth
• Anxiety
• Fatigue
• Inability to Concentrate
• Headache
• Cough
• Sore tongue and/or gums
• Sleep Disturbances
• Sore throat
• Constipation, gas, stomach pain
• Tightness in the chest
Some ways that could help you with the withdrawal symptoms are:
• Wait
When it is time for you to smoke again, just wait a little while before you decide whether you want to smoke again just for about 3 to 5 minutes time. During this time of waiting, take 10 deep breaths slowly, relax yourself, also relaxing your shoulders.
• Drink Plenty Of Water
This is to help you fight off the cravings
• Become A Part Of A Community
Discuss with someone your feelings about quitting smoking. The easiest way to do that online is through forums. Exchange ideas, opinions and solutions. You’ll be surprised the insights you’ll gain through this experience.
• Exercise
I cannot emphasize how important this is, exercise is suppose to boost up your energy so that you have better preparation to fight the cravings.
• Get sufficient sleep
An excerpt from "Sleep: Essential for Optimal Health" by Drs. Robert Goldman and Ronald Klatz.
"Don't slight sleep. It's when you're tired that you tend to overwork. When you're rested you can finish the work without strain and still have energy and time left over for the rest of your life. Research shows that workers who get less than six hours of sleep a night are prone to costly accidents, poor concentration and poor performance. Without sleep depression, anxiety and anger increase.
The quality of sleep is just as important as number of hours. If you have trouble sleeping, try going to bed earlier, before 10:00. This usually creates a deeper sleep. Prepare for deep sleep by avoiding TV and computers in the evening."
So when you get more rest, the likelihood for the need for cigarette is reduced.
• Relaxation
Perform some night rituals such as reading a book before you go to bed or meditation to help you and your body to relax.
Find Help To Stop Smoking Cigarettes
If you are in need of support to halt smoking cigarettes, there are a assortment of different places you can turn. From natural cease smoking cigarettes goods to stop smoking cigarettes antidepressant medications, there are numerous different ways to quit smoking. You may also join a quit smoking help association to get aid to stop smoking cigarettes, and multitudinous non-profit organizations also offer smoking free videos to supply additional quit smoking tips. No matter which process you choose, the most important aspect of trying to stop smoking cigarettes is the truthful desire to be smoke-free and well again.
A focused mind is one of the most powerful forces in the universe.
There are many prescription medicines that provide aid to stop smoking cigarettes. Quit smoking cigarettes antidepressant medications are becoming more and more popular as doctors realize that smokers tend to be more depressive than the rest of the general population. By treating these depressive symptoms while also reducing nicotine cravings, medication smoking stop treatment has proven to be highly productive in helping individuals to stop smoking cigarettes.
If you are wary of medication to assist stop smoking cigarettes, you might consider one of the natural stop smoking cigarettes products on the market today. There is a growing market for laser smoking cessation treatments and acupuncture cessation smoking methods. Both of these stop smoking cigarettes aids work to boost your endorphin levels, giving you a high of sorts that blocks some of the nicotine cravings that make people begin smoking again. These additional stop smoking cigarettes methods do not have much scientific research to back them up, but there are many individual reports that state that the laser smoking stop therapy worked in one or two treatment sessions.
A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood. General George S Patton
In addition to these commodities, you can also find aid to stop smoking cigarettes at your local grocery store or drugstore. Nicotine replacement stop smoking cigarettes aids provide smokers with a means to manage their cravings and to gradually diminish their dependence on nicotine. These stop smoking cigarettes products come in the forms of nicotine gum, the patch and a smoking cessation shot. All of these methods help to cut down a person’s dependency on nicotine, and they also lend a hand to reduce the symptoms connected with the nicotine withdrawal process. These symptoms can be somewhat severe if a individual stops smoking cold turkey. However, there are a variety of stop smoking cigarettes methods that make the process easier than it has ever been.
A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided. Anthony Robbins
Even if you try to quit without the aid of medication or nicotine supplements, you will even need help to stop smoking cigarettes. This help can come in the form of quit smoking support groups, friends, family or co-workers. The more people you have supporting you on you voyage toward superior health, the better off you will be. You can also turn to any number of non-profit organizations to receive the help you need.
Thanks for taking the time to read this quit smoking article. You should continue researching for additional information to help you down the road to a smoke free life.
Fatal Fact: The Effects of Smoking Leads to Death and Disease
Smoking is a very hard habit to quit. When smoking, it makes the person feel relaxed, and in some way makes one feel less stressed. Especially during work breaks, or going out with friends for a drink, smoking always comes as some sort of “necessity.” It can calm down the throbbing nerves of a drunk person, or it may take away the stress and adrenaline from all the stressful situations in a person's everyday life. Either way, smoking can temporarily relieve the stress of one person, but that one stick of cigarette can actually lead to a dreaded disease or even a fatal illness.
Quitting smoking can be easy to say and a frequently heard advice given to smokers. But in reality, quitting is complicated, hard, and not very amusing to smokers. This could mean the end of the world to others (a little exaggeration won't hurt), or having a drastic change in their lifestyle. Moreover, quitting is all about the self, and if the person is wholeheartedly open to quitting smoking, then they will become successful. Otherwise, it could be a waste of time for them, since they are not open to the possibility of a healthier life after quitting smoking.
The effects of smoking can vary from physical appearance to risky health conditions. Tar in cigarettes can coat the lungs and eventually lead to lung and throat cancer. Nicotine is also responsible for the yellow brown stains on the smoker's fingers and teeth. The carbon monoxide in cigarettes robs the muscles, brain, and blood of oxygen, thus making the body (especially the heart) work much harder. Over time, this can cause the airways to narrow, and the blood pressure to rise, leading to heart attacks and strokes. High levels of carbon momoxide and nicotine can also increase the risk of heart disease, hardening of the arteries, and other circulatory problems.
Moreover, research has shown that there is a small difference between the amount of chemicals inhaled by those people who smoke ‘light’ or ‘low tar’ cigarettes and those who smoke regular cigarettes. People who smoke ‘light’ cigarettes have the same risk of developing smoking-related diseases as people who smoke regular cigarettes. so either way, whatever brand of cigarette one smokes, the effects of smoking would still be the same.
The effects of smoking can be seen immediately, and can be experienced as soon as one puffs that cigarette. First, there is an initial stimulation, followed by a reduction in the brain and nervous system activity. Enhanced alertness and concentration is also felt, together with a feeling of mild euphoria, feelings of relaxation, increase in blood pressure and heart rate. However, the negative effects of smoking will be immediately experienced. The smoker will suffer from a decrease in blood flow to body extremities like the fingers and toes, dizziness, nausea, watery eyes, and high acidity in the stomach, and a decrease in appetite, taste, and smell.
Long term effects of smoking leads to more than 140,000 hospital episodes and 19,000 deaths, with principal diagnoses such as cancer, heart diseases, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Passive smoking can also cause a number of health problems including heart disease, lung cancer, and irritation of the eyes and nose. When one sees this from a bird's eye view, everyone is at risk for smoking cigarettes, be it a smoker or a nonsmoker.
Fact: Smoking Is Taking Minutes Off Your Life
When you see a TV commercial for a brand of cigarette, you would see successful, professional men and gorgeous women enjoying their life to the hilt. They're good-looking, hip and glamorous. Or at least, that's what the advertisers would like to project smokers on screen.
But the truth of the matter remains. Cigarette smoking is absolutely damaging to the human body. There is nothing hip and glamorous with deep facial wrinkles. Smoking accelerates the normal aging process of your skin. These skin changes may be irreversible and may occur even after only ten years of smoking. Cigarette smoking causes the narrowing of blood vessels in the outermost layers of your skin. When blood flow to your skin is impaired, it depletes oxygen and important skin nutrients, such as vitamin A. It also damages collagen and elastin, special fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity, resulting in sagging skin and premature wrinkles.
The nicotine substance in cigarettes does not only make your teeth yellow through the years, but it is a poison that produces physical and mood-altering effects in your brain that may cause nicotine dependence or addiction, and may lead to a host of heart and lung ailments.
Cigarette smoking has toxic effects on most systems and tissues in the body that it contributes to the thinning of bones, also known as osteoporosis, which can lead to a stooped posture and broken bones. Studies reveal that women who smoke tend to menopause at a younger age than non-smokers.
Some people are not keen to give up cigarette smoking due to a variety of reasons, one of which is the notion that quitting may lead to weight gain. However, planning a healthy diet and increasing your activity level will help keep off the unwanted pounds. Though some people indeed gain no more than ten pounds after quitting smoking, there are medications to help assist in delaying or suppressing the weight gain.
While there are fewer women who smoke than men, women share a much larger burden of smoking-related diseases. Cigarette smoking can affect a woman's chances of getting pregnant as it is a major cause of infertility. There is a high risk of miscarriage and complications during pregnancy.
Some people believe that it won't hurt to smoke one stick a day, especially the “light” brands. Unfortunately, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these so-called “light” cigarettes have the same ingredients as regular cigarettes, including lead, ammonia, benzene, DDT, butane gas, carbon monoxide, arsenic, and polonium 210.
And it doesn't matter how many sticks you puff in a day. Every cigarette you smoke takes minutes off your life and keeps you in a nicotine-addicted state. In a matter of eight seconds, nicotine reaches the brain after someone inhales tobacco smoke. It can also enter the bloodstream through the mucous membranes that line the mouth when tobacco is chewed as most elderly people do. In the case of snuff users, the potentially poisonous substance passes through the nose. Moreover, even non-smokers can also get hurt as it can enter even through the skin. Think about the people around you who are suffering from asthma, heart disease, and allergies who will be harmed by second hand smoke.
Nicotine affects the entire body. It acts directly on the heart to change heart rate and blood pressure, as well as on the nerves that control respiration to change breathing patterns. In high concentrations, nicotine is deadly, as one drop of purified nicotine on the tongue can kill a person. It's so lethal that it has been used as a pesticide for centuries.
The number of reasons why people should quit smoking more than outweighs the number of excuses for quitting cigarette smoking. Yet, it isn't easy to quit. But unless one starts with determination, nothing can be accomplished.
Europeans Uncertain About Smoking Ban; Many Opt For Cancer
While Europeans generally support banning smoking in restaurants, many remain opposed to banning it in bars.
When interviewed, a British opponent of the ban said, “When I go to a pub, I like to smoke. I also like to inhale secondhand smoke. Then there’s the added benefit that the next day my clothes smell like an ashtray. So naturally I’m very much against banning it.”
“Let’s face it,” a Spanish opponent commented, “Dragging on a cigarette, inhaling the smoke, and then blowing it out is so exciting that I’d rather die in a bullring than quit.”
A French advocate of the ban in bars stated, “I like the catchy names of French cigarettes, like Gaulloises. Just feel how that polysyllable rolls on your tongue. But I’m just not a big fan of lung cancer.”
A German sighed, “I just wish somebody in Europe would open a bar for nonsmokers. At least, they’d know their customers will live long enough to become regulars.”
We asked a bartender in London what his opinion is. “I have to breathe cigarette smoke all day. So I like the ban. It’s not that I’m afraid of getting cancer. It’s that after about an hour at work, I start to cough and that makes pouring drinks a little chancy.”
Ensuring the Success of Your Quit Smoking Program
You have decided for some reason that it is now the right time in your life for you to stop smoking. So you now sit around and try to decide exactly how you are going to get started. You know the deep inside you are in for a long hard road, but at the same time, you really want to quit for good. The idea of quitting multiple times is just not attractive to you, so you are left with the task of creating a plan of attack that will work, and work well. You are likely to find this much harder than anything else you have ever tried to do in your life, and for good reason.
The number of people who fail at trying to quit smoking each year is astonishing. While millions are attempting to quit, there are still others who are starting to smoke. Everywhere you look there are smokers who are unintentionally tempting you to smoke again as well which makes it even harder for yourself. Trying to overcome these challenges is very important, because without being able to overcome these problems you will be completely unable to quit for good.
Starting with a good plan is essential and this begins with deciding exactly why you want to quit smoking. The reason really does not matter, but you need to know your reason. What does matter is you also should believe in your reason, if you merely pull the reason why someone else has quit that you do not believe in your experience trying to quit will be extremely rocky and full of problems. What you will need to do is spend a large amount of time trying to honestly decide why you want to quit smoking so that you have a good reason.
Once your reason is selected, the rest of the process should be much easier to deal with. What you do not always find immediately obvious is having a good reason to quit can serve as a huge motivation factor. If you are just quitting to quit, you are more likely to slip up on your goals, cheat and fall back into smoking very quickly. The remainder of the tasks such as creating a schedule, and even looking for the supportive guidance of friends and family will all be a simple breeze.
You will need to work hard to maintain your commitment. This means trying to avoid places and situations where you will be tempted to smoke. This means avoid the smoking areas of restaurants and bars, no going to tobacco stores, and certainly clearing the cigarettes out of your home. If you can find someone to help you quit who is interested in quitting themselves you will have a huge advantage. While not everyone does great with the buddy system, it is a great tool to use because you can hold each other accountable.
This level of accountability can be quite helpful in ensuring that you are really working to quit for good. So many people work to quit smoking and only end up starting up again once the going gets tough. A friend who is also trying to quit can serve as a fabulous way to really avoid the temptation since neither of you will want to slip up first. Use this to your advantage and watch your success grow while your health improves and cigarettes become a thing of the past.
Electronic Smoking Cigarettes - A Healthier Alternative?
Tobacco companies won't admit that smoking is an addiction but everyone knows it is so. And it is an addiction that's powerful enough to keep millions smoking tobacco and jeopardizing their health. The tar in cigarette smoke is a carcinogen and tobacco contains many other harmful substances. That's why no matter how pleasant smoking may be, almost every smoker has thought about quitting. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. But there is an alternative now - in electronic smoking cigarettes.
With just about everything else benefiting from the rapid advances in technology, electronic cigarettes should come as no surprise. Let me explain the idea behind it. If you're a smoker who has tried to quit, you know that it's not just the rush from the nicotine that makes it hard to kick the habit. It's also a psychological thing. Holding the cigarette or pipe, lighting up after dinner or during a break, tasting and twirling the smoke. So what if you could have all that, but without the tar and other carcinogens of tobacco smoke?
This is where electronic smoking comes in. It doesn't do away with nicotine, so there are no withdrawal symptoms. Unlike patches or gum, it also doesn't take away the physical aspect of a cigarette, a cigar, a pipe or a cigarillo; it does replace them with an e-cigarette, e-cigar, e-pipe and e-cigarillo. These smoking products use sophisticated, patented technology to vaporize special liquids, not surprisingly called an e-liquid, to produce smoke and deliver nicotine just as if you were smoking a real cigarette. For those who like the comforting glow of burning tobacco when they inhale, those e-smoking products even have a little light that simulates the glow when you inhale. Not necessary as far as I am concerned, but the makers apparently thought it added a nice touch.
So the idea here is to simulate smoking, down to getting that nice nicotine rush and the smoke, without actually burning tobacco with all its associated negative health aspects. But if there is still smoke, isn't that bad for you anyway? Well, it'd probably be better not to smoke at all, but if tar from smoking is the primary concern, there is none.
How does one use electronic smoking products? Do you just flip out an e-pack, smoke and then discard the cigarette butt? Nope; it's all different. Since the e-cigarette has a rechargeable battery and a liquid container for the smoking liquid, you use it over and over again. In that sense it is more like a pipe where you don't discard the pipe but simply put in more tobacco. Likewise, you don't discard electronic smoking products; you simply put in a new e-cartridge and occasionally recharge the battery (there's even a USB-eCig that doesn't need a battery; you just plug it into a USB port on your computer).
Do all e-cigarettes (there are also "e-MiniCig" tiny cigarettes) taste the same? They don't. There are a couple of dozen tastes to select from, including those of some leading cigarette brands, and there are also different nicotine levels, from none at all to extra-high. There is no doubt that electronic smoking cigarettes require getting used to, and the technology is probably still in its infancy, but smokers who are really concerned about tar may want to take a look at e-cigs.
Labels:
E-Cartridge,
E-Cigar,
E-Cigarette,
E-Cigarillo,
E-Liquid,
E-MiniCig,
E-Pack,
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USB-eCig
Efficient Quit Smoking Hypnosis by Nguang Nguek Fluek
Smoking cessation is a very hard work. The most difficult problem that a smoker has to solve is that of his psyche. It is difficult to try to give up smoking as long as the smoker himself is not really convinced that he wants to do this.
So the first important thing to do is to find a powerful motivation and to have a strong will. If necessary, these will be completed by some others alternative methods.
It is unquestionable the fact that actually smoking is not so much a physical addiction as it is a psychological one. Everything has to begin from this side of a smoker. Using all kinds of treatments is useless as long as there is no change in the mind. And it is exactly here that quit smoking hypnosis operates.
This is the most significant reason why this method seems to be so successful. A lot of surveys and reports have demonstrated the fact that even if quit smoking hypnosis is a rather new method it has proved its efficacy in a great number of cases. The results of numerous tests all over the world had shown that hypnosis is one of the most effective aids in the cessation of smoking.
Quit smoking hypnosis is an approach based on some principles that are scientific psychological. It shows some similarities with the individual counseling. This method consists of some recording in the form of CDs or cassettes that are listened regularly by the one who is seeking to be free of cigarettes.
When being a heavy smoker this vice becomes a habit, a routine and therefore most of his needs to smoke are sometimes automatic. Thus hypnosis acts upon both the conscious but mainly upon the unconscious side of the mind. It is here that most automatisms are to be found.
This kind of therapy relies on the fact that it gradually manages to change a smoker’s beliefs and mentalities on this habit. Little by little this mechanism starts to function and the giving up process becomes successful.
However the most efficient ways to stop smoking are the ones that are combined in order to operate on both the physical necessities for nicotine and on the psychological dependence. That is why quit smoking hypnosis must be viewed only as a complementary help in smoking cessation, but a very reliable one. When combined with some other variant it will certainly provide the most valuable results.
Effects of Smoking on Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a disorder that affects the large intestines. It exhibit symptoms such as cramping or pain, diarrhea, constipation, bloating and gassiness. IBS is also known in other names such functional bowel disease, mucus colitis and spastic colon. However although it also makes use of the term colitis it should never be construed as an inflammatory bowel disease.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is not a dangerous disorder and neither it is contagious nor cancerous. The greatest effect that IBS can have in a patient is to cause stress and discomfort which interrupts daily activities. Irritable Bowel Syndrome especially for married patients often affects their sexual lives.
Smoking and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Smoking does not only cause lung cancer but also worsen symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Tobacco just like caffeine and alcohol also worsen IBS symptoms. It really does not matter whether you smoked, chewed or inhaled Tobacco. The facts still remains that Tobacco is a potent GI tract irritant, carcinogen and stimulant.
People with Irritable Bowel Syndrome have sensitive gastrointestinal and are very susceptible to certain stimuli may it be in the form of food or even the simple waking up actions. Tobacco is one of the worst factors that trigger Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms and can cause various types of cancer.
Tobacco in general affects almost all the parts of the digestive system. It does not only cause heartburn but also reflux which are considered two conditions which IBS patients are likely to acquire. And since smoking damage the esophageal sphincter, the acidic contents of the stomach tend to flow upward and down into the lower portion of the esophagus.
Helicobacter pylori bacteria or irritation resulting from anti-inflammatory medications commonly causes ulcers however it is smoking that increases the possibility of peptic ulcer. Not only that, smoking also hinders healing and makes ulcer to reoccur more frequently. This is because smoking worsens ulcer perforation ten times. Aside from ulcer and triggering IBS symptoms, smoking also increases the chance of Crohn's disease. It may also lead to the development of gallstones.
The nicotine found on the tobacco is not only an addictive element but also a poison that tend to weaken the lower esophageal sphincter. This lead to hyper production of acid in the stomach and at the same time decreases the pancreatic production of sodium bicarbonate, which is an important substance in counteracting the production of stomach acid.
Aside from nicotine, tobacco also contains more than four hundred toxins and at least forty-three known carcinogens. All of these harmful substances enters the bloodstream and carried through the digestive tract triggering IBS symptoms. Similarly, inhaling a smoke from the tobacco also cause gassiness, belching and bloating which are symptoms also of IBS.
Smoking above all is famous for causing cancer either of the colon, the bladder, kidney, pancreas and stomach. Plus long-term smoking also increases the possibility of colorectal cancer. How? Inhaling or swallowing tobacco smoke can bring carcinogens right down to the colon. The tobacco also tend to increase colon polyp size which means that the bigger the polyp the higher the possibility for it to develop into cancer. In fact, studies shows that at least twelve percent of colorectal cancers are the direct result of smoking.
Lastly, smoking is not only a factor that can trigger Irritable Bowel Syndrome but poses greater health risk like cancer so for your sake better quit smoking.
Effects of Smoking and Excessive Alcohol Intake on Bodybuilders
Both drinking and smoking can have several negative effects on one's body. The adverse impact on one’s health may lead a person to consider or, in the best case scenario, totally quit the habit. Unfortunately, several metabolic problems emerge when long-time smokers or drinkers decided to quit the habit. In regular male drinkers, lowering the alcohol intake causes a decrease in High Density Lipoprotein cholesterol and systolic blood pressure, whereas the effects of smoking in men is associated with significant increases in insulin, triglycerides, glucose, waist line measure, and overall body mass index (BMI). Regular women smokers also experience an increase in their HDL-cholesterol, BMI, and waist circumference after quitting smoking. From this information, it is clear that it would be much better not to start smoking in the first place since it is really much harder to quit the habit than to refrain from having such an addiction.
The effects of smoking could also have an impact on one’s diet and normal metabolism. One’s diet can influence the effects of nicotine on body weight regulation. Chronic nicotine exposure results in adaptive changes in both the central and peripheral molecules which regulate a person’s eating behavior and energy metabolism. This applies especially to bodybuilders looking to put on or hold onto muscle mass. Nicotine is known to decrease body weight in individual smokers, whereas nicotine withdrawal is accompanied by increased expression of the orexigenic peptides neuropeptide Y and Agouti-related protein in the hypothalamus; and decreased expression of the metabolic protein uncoupling protein-3 in brown adipose tissues.
In relation to this, a conclusion can be made that for a bodybuilder looking to hold onto muscle mass, or get lean, there is some difficulty getting involved with smoking in the first place. In extreme cases, a smoking cessation clinic may be the best place to go. A French study was made to assess the effectiveness at one year of a hospital clinic that provides individual management of persons seeking to stop smoking and the factors predictive of failure. This descriptive study included smokers seeking assistance at this hospital clinic over a one year period. This analysis excludes people with schizophrenia and those who came only to one consultation.
All in all, however, as with everything else, the addiction to smoking begins in one's own mind. Food, cigarettes, alcohol and various drugs can all leave a mental imprint on one's brain, and it is up to the person to control his or her habits in a positive way in order to achieve whatever goals they have set for themselves. A bodybuilder's life is one where extreme control must be exercised on one's desires, if adequate progress is to be made. We need to be very careful in choosing what to put into our own bodies. But what really comes first is the necessity with being careful with what we choose to place into our minds. The effects of smoking such as bad breath, cancer, lowered testosterone, increased caloric intake from alcohol and accompanying poor eating habits when drunk, will eventually harm a bodybuilder's health and performance.
Effective Ways To Quit Smoking
A purpose is the eternal condition for success.
Every former smoker can tell you just how hard it is to stop smoking cigarettes. However, there are a range of stop smoking commodities that can assist you on your transition to a smoke-free lifestyle. Though there is no cure for smoking, there are a variety of smoking free videos, quit smoking aid groups and prescription and natural stop smoking aids that will make your endeavour to quit smoking cigarettes much easier for you.
Quit Smoking Tips
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Lao-tzu, Tao-te Ching
You may feel like you will never possess enough commitment power to quit smoking cigarettes. However, trying to stop smoking is just like all things else in the world. It takes practice. Very few individuals stop for good on the principal try. Each time you try to stop, it will get a little easier, especially if you are knowledgeable of some of the best ways to quit smoking.
These days, there are a variety of goods on the market that can assist you to stop smoking cigarettes. There are laser smoking restraint treatments, acupuncture cessation smoking methods, and even a smoking cessation shot. You can also see your physician to obtain a stop smoking antidepressant. These medicines help to relieve stress and to also cut down on your cravings, serving you to stop smoking faster and more permanently.
A person with some doubt but taking action is better than one with no doubt taking no action. Michael E. Angier
If you are interested in nicotine interchange methods to help stop smoking cigarettes, you might consider purchasing the patch or nicotine gum. The patch is just a patch that you apply everyday that delivers a stable amount of nicotine into your system. Rather than dealing with nicotine withdrawal symptoms such as irritation or hunger, the patch allows you to gradually wean yourself off of the drug by gradually reducing the amount of nicotine every week or so. The patch has proven to be one of the best ways to quit smoking.
Nicotine gum is another method that can help you to stop smoking cigarettes. Nicotine gum works greatly like the patch, except that you can control the amount of nicotine you are receiving. Every time you have a cigarette hunger, you can reach out for a new chunk of gum rather than a cigarette. If you strictly follow the directions that go along with these nicotine gum stop smoking products, you will discover that your cravings are drastically reduced. Rather than spending your entire day fighting your cigarette cravings, you can feel a bit more normal while you are trying to stop smoking.
A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided. Anthony Robbins
No matter what stop smoking methods you use to stop smoking cigarettes, you can rest assured that it is worth it. You will have much more energy once you boot the routine, and you will also save a lot of cash. All of these benefits pale in comparison, however, to the fitness benefits you will giving yourself and the people around you.
I hope you have gotten some good quit smoking advice from this article and that you are able to use them.
Effective Hypnosis Quit Smoking Methods
Hypnosis quit smoking methods maintain caused quite a stir in the medical world over the last two decades. There is a lot of argument pertaining to whether or not hypnosis quit smoking treatments are actually useful in the long-term. Nonetheless, there has been much research conducted concerning the treatments, and the agreement is that hypnosis treatments are just as effective as any variant stop smoking product.
I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward. Thomas Alva Edison.
Whether you have been smoking since your adolescence or if you just became genuinely addicted, hypnosis quit smoking treatments can assist you get on top of the intense cravings that most persons experience when they try to quit smoking. The process of hypnosis to support stop smoking involves a hypnotherapy’s who guides the patient into a heightened condition of awareness that is also a dreamlike state.
In this state of perception, the patient is highly susceptible to suggestions. The hypnotherapies will suggest a variety of phrases that help to cut down the patient's cravings and reliance on cigarettes. Many therapists claim that the pressure reduction brought about via hypnosis is the primary explanation why it works. Patients feel less stress and are therefore less likely to use cigarettes as a means to reduce stress throughout the day.
Though hypnosis quit smoking methods do appear to travail in the short term, there is still much debate pertaining to the long-term effects of the treatments. For example, hypnosis can help some person stop smoking for a few months, but after the treatments are finished, it may be hard for a patient to continue to thwart the drive to smoke. However, hypnosis is still considered one of the most popular commonplace stop smoking aids. Because it does not include prescription or nicotine supplements, it is one of the healthiest ways to quit smoking.
There are typically a few hypnosis quit smoking clinics in most metropolitan areas. For instance, Atlanta hypnosis quit smoking clinics are scattered all over throughout the city. With regular stop smoking methods gaining more and more approval, hypnosis is becoming one of the more common ways to obtain quit smoking support.
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Lao-tzu, Tao-te Ching.
When you are trying to quit smoking, hypnosis quit smoking methods and alternate ways to help yourself quit are only as productive as your willpower allows them to be. You have to be ready to give up smoking before even the finest quit smoking way will work. Quit smoking tips can only go so far when it comes to reducing your cravings.
You must be ready to fight your urges in order for any quit smoking aids to be useful. However, if you are resolute to quit smoking, you can use any figure of stop smoking products to help you along on your journey toward a smoke-free lifestyle. From natural to medical alternatives, you are never by oneself while you are trying to quit smoking.
Easy Way to Stop Smoking – An Overview
“An easy way to stop smoking? Oh, forget about it.” sad but true, this is what smoking really is – a nasty and persistent habit that is so difficult to leave behind. However, it is not impossible to quit smoking. Although there is no single easy way to stop smoking, there are plenty of ways to help you succeed. Here are a few that you might find useful in case you have headed the ex-smoker journey.
An easy way to stop smoking is to get aware of all health problems that smokers are likely to experience. Since this is not exactly, “a way” the information will help you understand how dangerous smoking is and what it does to your body. If you cannot really reasonably understand what all of the diseases mean or if you are one of these “this cannot happen to me” guys, than the pictures provided along the information will make you change your mind. After all not many of us can resist the view of rotten lungs or tumors.
Another easy way to stop smoking is through a smoking injection. Many people say that after the shot their cigarette desire simply disappears. Amanda, 43, who has been smoking for 10 years, says: “I went to the clinic had the injection and on the next morning I woke up as a non smoker”. It is an affordable therapy, likely to cost around $500 and most health insurances cover it.
Laser therapy is also a well know quit smoking method. It has pretty good results especially if combined with the right behavior treatment. Laser therapy will generally reduce the physical effects of the quit smoking process and help you concentrate on the physiological ones.
A combination of behavior treatment and medications is also an easy way to stop smoking. The therapy is supposed to re-order your living habits to exclude smoking. Medications will help you cope with the ceasing symptoms and with the cravings. You can ask your doctor to refer you to a good therapist and to prescribe you medications that suit your physical condition and lifestyle.
People with strong personality and will find the cold turkey method an easy way to quit smoking. Once decided they trust their strong will only to keep them away from cigarettes. Unfortunately, it might seem the easiest way but it is also the most unsuccessful way. If you want permanent results, do not try it unless you are absolutely sure in your abilities to resist the cravings and post-smoking stress.
Don't Want a Cigarette: Help Quit Smoking Is Here!
If you don't want a cigarette: help quit smoking is what you need. Many people are tired of smoking and do not want to continue it. But their addiction drives them to continue to buy cigarettes. The nicotine in there blood stream will not let them just give up it grabs them with constant cravings until the person finally gives in.
Smokers often fight daily with their cravings for more and more nicotine. It is a substance that once in the body has an extremely difficult time letting go. People who have only smoked for a couple of months can still find quitting smoking to be extremely difficult. For those that have smoked for years and year, the idea of quitting smoking is two fold.
Heavy smokers have to fight against the nicotine addiction and try to become smoke-free over time. It is difficult for the body to rely on nicotine and then have to start functioning on less and less of it. But most heavy smokers find that a gradual cessation from the nicotine or tobacco works best for them. Becoming totally smokeless can often take several months.
The second part of quitting for, people who have smoked for several years, is the lifestyle changes that it will bring. For years the person has spent hundreds of dollars on cigarettes every month. They are now faced with a surplus of cash that can be hard to handle productively. Smokers also have developed habits or rituals that surround their smoking habit. These may include meeting friends at work during smoke breaks or going to a favorite bar to smoke and have a drink.
When the smoker is finally able to quit smoking their trigger spots will still be there. If there was a certain restaurant that they always smoked at it may be hard to eat there and not have a cigarette. These responses are normal and it does not matter if you quit smoking cold turkey or did it over a long period of time. The craving for nicotine can last years after a person has quit smoking.
It is important for a person who is trying to quit smoking to incorporate other lifestyle changes into their lives. If they normally meet for a smoking break twice a day it may be helpful to use that time to go for a walk. Smokers need to recognize their triggers and learn to avoid situations that are tempting to them.
Through monitoring of their environment and adjusting their quitting techniques it is possible for people at all smoking levels to quit. Quitting smoking may take a different amount of time for each individual and there is not RIGHT or specific program that can guarantee success.
A smoker that is aware of their triggers and is able to avoid them when necessary will have a better probability of quitting smoking and sticking to it. Millions of people every year try to quit smoking; it is a difficult thing to do. But extremely worth it for the people who do it.
Don't Quit Smoking! Immediately Part III
The Ultimate Stage – Staying off
Hey, are you still with me?? Good. You have made it.
The changes you feel:
You will find a lot of changes in you. Improvements mostly. You feel more …umm.. let’s say Able. You have more stamina, you can walk faster, you cough less, perhaps your palpitations have stopped, you feel better with yourself….
Medically, there are a thousand ways in which you have helped yourself and others.
One laughable change that I noticed was change in my body odor . Funny, try sniffing your armpits and notice the difference.
Now What??
Now you have to protect yourself against a relapse. There is nothing much new to this. The keystones are the same as those for Strengthening Your Resolve.
There are likely to be some psychological effects e.g. depression, anxiety, mood disorder, increased appetite, maybe weight gain etc. but if you have prepared your grounds well, you will be able to overcome these.
If you have consulted a counselor/ friend/ medical worker, continue reporting your progress to them. You will find them co-operative, understanding and encouraging. If you are using any medicines / substitutes, do so under medical supervision and your doctor will wean you off them slowly.
What you really need at this tentative stage is the environment. You need to be around people who don’t smoke, who don’ tolerate smoke, who don’t even tolerate the smell of smoke. You need to be in no-smoking zones.
Also, this is a very good time to begin some aerobic exercises or better still Yoga. Sounds funny, huh? But the truth is, the worst times to control are the ones when you are by yourself. When you are with others, you can stay off. There are enough excuses as well as your pride to keep you off. But alone is the testing time.
This is when you need to occupy yourself with Physical Exercises. The reason – you can reach out to smoke when you are reading or watching TV, but you won’t if you are working out.
I never said that quitting is easy. Its hard, very hard. But since you know that by now, you are prepared for it.
Also, now you begin to notice the smell of smoke. You will find yourself getting intolerant of cigarette smoke.
You will notice how, if someone smokes in your apartment or office, the smell can linger on for DAYS. It is also the time to turn into an evangelist and induce others to stop smoking.
Don't Quit Smoking! Immediately
“How to stop smoking? Hey, it’s the easiest thing in the world, I have done it a hundred times”….. So goes the hoary old joke. It brings a smile from some, a frown from the others and hacking cough from the smokers.
It is no joke for the smokers, however they may smile at it. At heart every smoker wants to stop. Many of them are knowledgeable enough to know how, but can’t quit the fags because the habit is too deeply ingrained.
A) What won’t work?
Gradually decreasing it.
Buddy, the nicotine won’t let you quit. It is too powerful an adversary and too cunning for you. You will find the gradual decrement plan going fine, until the day you have an excuse to forget it (tension, overwork, circumstances, party etc.).
Depending on medicines.
Medicines only help to reduce the craving. But seriously, do you smoke only when the urge hits you? Isn’t it true that most of the time you smoke casually, whether there is a physical urge or not?
Talking continuously about it.
While you may think that it will help to keep the issue the uppermost in your mind, it will most probably lead to you being ridiculed in case you fail to quit. Also, words being cheap, it will begin to sound like empty boast.
Nicotine substitutes.
These are substitutes. They aren’t really the solution. Sooner or later you will revert to the real nicotine.
B) So, What will work?
Well, that’s what this article is about
1) Strengthen your resolve
First of all, I thank and congratulate you on having come so far with me. It shows that there is hope for you yet . You have already proved that you can take tough talk and are determined to go through with it. That’s the first step.
Next, Analyze your smoking pattern, How many in a day? How often? When do you really have the urge (usually on waking up, after meals or generally after consuming anything orally)? When do you smoke maximum (with friends, alone, with drinks, under stress etc)
Number three, list down your reasons for a) smoking, and b) wanting to quit. I am a big advocate of putting things down on paper. It shows a commitment.
Number four, take someone into confidence. A friend, a family member, a medical worker or, best of all, a sympathetic ex-smoker.
These steps are keystones (preparations) for the big event. The only thing is that the “big event” is not a one off. It is a continuous obsession.
2) Back to basics
Now let’s revert to the point A) above. I was less than generous when I said definitely that these things won’t work. These things do help, specially reducing consumption. Every cigarette less means approximately 5 minutes more to live. Also, it helps to strengthen your resolve, which is the first step.
You see, archaic though it sounds, Will is a sure shot solution. So, unless you strengthen it, you will most likely fail. Why? - Remember that I said ‘Will’ and NOT ‘Will Power’ – They are different, 'Will Power' implies a struggle, where as using your ‘Will’, implies that it’s going to be easy.
Let me explain:
Do you need will power to smoke? NO
Do you need will power to eat your favorite Ice-cream? NO
Now to do one of the two above activities, is easy because it is your ‘Will’ and NOT ‘Will Power’.
The steps in the “won’t work” topic are generally the excuses that frequent relapsers offer. But they are helpful in their own way.
What is important is not only the steps leading up to it, but maintaining the tempo once you have reached the crucial stage of ZERO cigarettes a day.
3) Penultimate stage – Quitting it
By the time you have worked on stages 1 and 2 above, you would be feeling strong enough to risk quitting it. As the experts suggest, you should decide on a date. NOT like a ‘new year’s resolution’ - More like a new Quit Smoking Revolution! You’re the leader of the campaign and then just go for it!
Do You Have A Smoking libido? Or Are You Sleeping With An Inactive Ashtray?
Ok, so maybe you started smoking thinking it looked cool and that it might affect your sex life to look cool, or be grown up or rebellious or whatever.
You are of course totally correct in assuming that smoking affects your sex life. In fact, several recent studies have looked at exactly this question in regard to male impotence and found that there is a link between smoking and difficulties having an erection. Now tell me how cool is that? That is surely far too grown up, that is as grown up as your aged grandfather!
Smoking has been linked to coronary artery blockage, but now we know that arteries in the penis are damaged by smoking, too. In a study of men with penile artery blockage (average age 35), the smokers were significantly more blocked than non-smokers. And the more they smoked, the more their arteries were blocked. Since erections are mainly caused by blood flowing into the penis through arteries, unclogged arteries are very important in enhancing one's sex life.
Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it tightens blood vessels and restricts blood flow. In the long term, it has even been shown to cause permanent damage to arteries. Since a man's erection depends on blood flow, researchers assumed smoking would affect erections. Studies have confirmed this time and again. In one study published in 1986 in Addiction Behavior, it was shown that just two cigarettes could cause softer erections in male smokers. Results are corroborated by a definitive study published in June 2001 that looked at all studies done on impotent men over the last two decades. The research showed that 40 percent of men affected by impotence were smokers, as opposed to 28 percent of the general male population. Interesting eh?
So what does all this discussion about impotence mean for women? During sexual arousal, the labia, clitoris, and vagina also swell up with blood, similar to a man's penis, enhancing sensation and arousal. If nicotine can restrict blood flow and cause erectile dysfunction in men, it can be assumed that blood flow is restricted in women as well, and may have a negative effect on sensation.
In the British Medical Associations report: "Smoking and Reproductive Life", the report states that Women who smoke take longer to conceive. Among smokers, the chances of conceiving fall by 10 – 40 per cent per cycle. The greater the quantity of cigarettes smoked, the longer a woman is likely to take to achieve pregnancy.
Cigarette smoking can also affect male fertility: smoking reduces the quality of semen. Men who smoke have a lower sperm count than non-smokers, and their semen contains a higher proportion of malformed sperm. By-products of nicotine present in semen of smokers have been found to reduce the mobility of sperm.
Of course, quitting smoking would also eliminate stained teeth, unhealthy skin, rapid accumulation of wrinkles on the face, and clothing, hair, and breath that stink of smoke. That might improve one's sex life. Decreasing your risk of cancer and heart disease — which also do tend to have negative effects on one's sex life — can also be sexy in the long run.
Smokers may have enjoyed a sexy image in the past, but research tells us that they are not "doing it" as often as non-smokers. Studies show that men between 25 and 40 years who smoked one or more packs per day had sex less often than non-smoking men of the same age. Another study suggested that carbon monoxide in the blood caused by smoking inhibits the production of testosterone (a hormone that creates sex drive).
Lastly, smoking affects fertility. Smokers' sperm come in many sizes and shapes - many of them not normal. Some have two tails or two heads, others have giant or tiny heads, and some have split tails. The more a man smokes, the worse the damage. Nicotine essentially poisons the sperm and its ability to fertilize an egg.
Smoking isn't good for your lungs or heart as is very well documented, and it certainly isn't good for your sex life. It is no longer cool. Are you sleeping with an inactive ashtray? Is your libido being smoked away?
Do I Need Xenical Hgh Phentermine Detox To Stop Smoking?
Every smoker needs a good combination of quit smoking aids and products with a strong will to cease cigarettes. Though quitting is not easy always. Here in, I am taking up a quit smoking aid named as xenical hgh phentermine quit smoking detox.
Whether you use xenical hgh phentermine quit smoking detox or any other quit smoking aid, the main problem related to every type of smoking, be it a cigarette or a pipe, is how to tame the destructive, never-say-die agent, nicotine!
Nicotine is such a powerful, deeply entrenched enemy of the smoker that to dislodge it, clever and persistent efforts are required. All smokers have will power but many do not know that they have will power! They never get an opportunity to test it.
Xenical hgh phentermine quit smoking detox refers to a pill- a diet pill. The main purpose of any drug is to restore the balance. The balance that is lost by the body due to wrong living or may be due to any other reasons! The acceptable theory is that drugs as sertraline alter the receptors in xenical hgh phentermine quit smoking detox manner that restores the balance.
Xenical hgh phentermine quit smoking detox does another job as well. It participates in the battle of bulge. Such multi-benefit drugs need to be viewed with an analytical mind. There is nothing to feel happy about the cost saving involved. The side-effects phenomena need to be studied very carefully, before owning the drug for regular consumption.
The side effects about which there is near unanimity are, dry mouth and constipation. It is also believed that some illnesses such as depression are caused by phentermine. The use of alcohol combined with phentermine is likely to increase your risk for liver damage.
The pill goes straight into your blood stream. The results of any stuff that goes straight into the blood will be immediate, good or bad.
In the final analysis, there is lots of hype about xenical hgh phentermine quit smoking detox-and lots of doubts as well. As per the present research indications, the scale is weighing against it, and therefore, caution is the watchword before starting regular course of pills!
Do I Need Xenical Hgh Phentermine Detox To Stop Smoking?
Every smoker needs a good combination of quit smoking aids and products with a strong will to cease cigarettes. Though quitting is not easy always. Here in, I am taking up a quit smoking aid named as xenical hgh phentermine quit smoking detox.
Whether you use xenical hgh phentermine quit smoking detox or any other quit smoking aid, the main problem related to every type of smoking, be it a cigarette or a pipe, is how to tame the destructive, never-say-die agent, nicotine!
Nicotine is such a powerful, deeply entrenched enemy of the smoker that to dislodge it, clever and persistent efforts are required. All smokers have will power but many do not know that they have will power! They never get an opportunity to test it.
Xenical hgh phentermine quit smoking detox refers to a pill- a diet pill. The main purpose of any drug is to restore the balance. The balance that is lost by the body due to wrong living or may be due to any other reasons! The acceptable theory is that drugs as sertraline alter the receptors in xenical hgh phentermine quit smoking detox manner that restores the balance.
Xenical hgh phentermine quit smoking detox does another job as well. It participates in the battle of bulge. Such multi-benefit drugs need to be viewed with an analytical mind. There is nothing to feel happy about the cost saving involved. The side-effects phenomena need to be studied very carefully, before owning the drug for regular consumption.
The side effects about which there is near unanimity are, dry mouth and constipation. It is also believed that some illnesses such as depression are caused by phentermine. The use of alcohol combined with phentermine is likely to increase your risk for liver damage.
The pill goes straight into your blood stream. The results of any stuff that goes straight into the blood will be immediate, good or bad.
In the final analysis, there is lots of hype about xenical hgh phentermine quit smoking detox-and lots of doubts as well. As per the present research indications, the scale is weighing against it, and therefore, caution is the watchword before starting regular course of pills!
Discovering the Harsh Withdrawal Symptoms in Your Quest to Stop Smoking
You have set out in a goal to stop smoking, this of course is a great idea, however are you really prepared for the potential consequences. Of course, your health will enjoy a great benefit from the decreased smoking, but your body is going to have a period of adjustment as it works to handle all of the harsh effects that smoking has caused. Being fully aware of these potential negative side effects will ensure that you are properly prepared to attempt quitting the right way. Just saying that you want to quit is simply not enough, you need to actually make an effort and be prepared.
One of the most common side effects to quitting that you may experience is small spells of dizziness. These are typically only present in the first few days as your body works to regulate hormone production. If you just pause for a brief moment anytime the dizziness occurs it will generally pass quickly. If you try to press forth with activities during these spells you could become injured so taking your time is critical.
Headaches are another common withdrawal symptom. This is something that occurs very commonly. Your best line of defense is any typical headache remedy that you prefer. Many will opt with a mild pain reliever while others will focus on relaxing techniques. Regardless of the method, try not to suffer too badly with a headache or it could encourage you to smoke to relieve the stress the headache is causing you.
Tightness in your chest and even coughing is another common withdrawal symptom. As your body is adjusting to the lack of nicotine, it will start to also clear out the excess chemicals that are built up. This can cause several different reactions. Many people often mistake the chest tightening with having a heart attack. If you are certain that it is a heart attack rather than just standard chest tightening, make sure to get immediate medical attention.
One of the last major withdrawal symptoms is tiredness. While of course this is a problem that plagues almost anyone who can breathe it becomes an even bigger issue when trying to quit smoking. Often smokers use cigarettes as a way to give them a boost of energy, this can be helpful while you are smoking but the lack of energy as you are trying to quit can make you stressed, as well as weaken your resolve to actually quit. Try to ensure that you are getting plenty of sleep to combat this symptom as much as possible. Most people are able to return to their normal routine, minus the smoking after just a few short weeks.
Your body may experience additional withdrawal symptoms. How you handle them is typically left up to you as long as they remain mild, however at any sign of serious health problems you need to seek the advice and supervision of a doctor to ensure that there are not additional health problems that are being mislabeled as a withdrawal symptom. Talking to your doctor and letting them know that you plan to quit is typically a good idea so that they can also closely monitor your physical health during the difficult struggle. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth any time it may take to protect your health.
Discover Why Most People Fail To Quit Smoking And How To Overcome It
Occasionally, you would hear the same old stories, on how people would just quit for 1, 2 or 3 weeks/months even years, and then return to the old habit. Not only that, they will come back and smoke even more and more. It is as if
They are smoking with a vengeance!
Because they had to “cover” back the loss of cigarettes intake while they were taking a break when they were trying to quit. It may seemed funny or weird to you but this is true. It happens so often I’m sure you came across this situation at least once in your life before.
Did you know that according to statistics, only 10% or even less of those who tried to quit smoking only succeeded? Yes, even so, of those who quitted smoking, are not guaranteed to stop forever.
So why did those people and so many of them fail? They were lacking a very important aspect. You see my friend, they were lacking of
A STRONG Purpose To Quit Smoking!
This may seem over simplified at first, but this is crucial in the preparation of quitting smoking. Not only do you need a purpose, you must have a purpose so strong that it almost certainly becomes a conviction for you to quit smoking. I’m sure you heard somewhere before that why is more important than how.
Without a purpose, regardless of whether you can quit smoking, you may pick in up in the future.
Here’s how you should create a strong purpose to quit smoking:
1) Pick up a paper and write down how smoking has affected you in the past.
2) Next write down of how smoking is affecting you presently.
3) Followed by how smoking will 100% definitely affect you in the future.
You may relate any issues relating to this matter. Perhaps your family, love ones, relatives, job, career, health, performance, your time and money. You may relate how smoking has affected all those areas in your life.
The second reason why people fail to quit smoking is that many people do not know how to cope with the withdrawal symptoms. In the process of quitting smoking, many suffer from various symptoms such as anxiety, frustration and irritation.
Soon one may lose concentration and would be utterly “paralyzed” because of the addiction.
Discover The Link Between Snoring And Smoking
Most people understand all the potential health hazards associated with smoking. But aside from the commonly known things like cancer, it can also contribute to a snoring problem.
Smokers have a high likelihood of being snorers as well. Smoking causes swelling in the tissue of the nose and throat, as well as damaging the lungs. Nicotine can also cause disruptions in sleep that can contribute to snoring.
A group of European researchers studied snoring in a group of smokers between 25 and 55 years old. They studied 15,000 people from five different countries to see if they could find a link between smoking and snoring.
Out of the study group, 24% of the people who currently smoked and 20% of the people who smoked in the past suffered from snoring problems. This was compared to 14% of the people who did not smoke. They found that the more a person smoked, the louder their snoring.
Second-hand smoke also created a higher likelihood of snoring. 20% of the people who lived with someone who smoked also snored.
Another interesting fact they uncovered was that more men smoked but the female smokers had a higher chance of snoring.
So just what is it about smoking that leads to snoring problems? They didn't come up with a definitive answer to that question, but one of the theories is that the irritation to the airways caused by smoking leads to problem breathing, which in turn leads to snoring.
Another theory is that the body goes through nicotine withdrawal while asleep, which disturbs the sleeping pattern. This disturbance contributes to the snoring.
So you can add one more reason for quitting smoking. Not only does it damage your health and your body, it can lead to snoring problems which can ultimately lead to drowsiness, irritability and stress (in both you and your family).
Different Ways To Stop Smoking
People are fond of socializing: parties, business meetings, conferences, and seminars. And it is during these functions that a person feels an intense pressure to fit it with the crowd. If people drink, chances are, you would also have to drink. If a majority of the people in the group smoke, there is a big likelihood that those few who don't smoke choose to learn to smoke so that they can mingle with those who do.
Smoking is a nasty habit to get started on. Thanks to its nicotine content, cigarettes can be highly addictive like other narcotics such as cocaine or heroin. The nicotine tends to hit the central nervous system by giving it a fleeting feeling of calm. Like other narcotics, the body easily gets used to the nicotine, and pretty soon it will be craving for more. It is then that people understand that the smoking habit has got them hook, line, and sinker.
A lot of smokers can attest to how difficult it is to get rid of their nasty smoking habits. They have gotten so used to it that they feel like their day lacks something important if they fail to puff even a stick of cigarette. How does one begin to quit smoking and keep their promises to remain smoke-free? Here are some quick and easy ways to stop smoking:
1. Prepare yourself for the battle you’re about to face. Admit it. Your biggest opponent here is your self – your will and determination to say no to cigarettes. Psyche yourself up, think only of positive thoughts. Negativity will only make you lose your drive to quit easier.
2. Make a list. Jot down every reason you have in mind to want to quit smoking. List down all the positive effects quitting will bring you. Write down all the activities you can enjoy once you’ve let go of smoking. This gives you something to look forward to when you’ve finally achieved your goal.
3. Condition your body. Get started in a moderately-paced exercise routine that will help get your body in the best condition to fight your cigarette cravings.
4. Mark the date. Set the date when you will finally quit smoking. Make it sacred, let nothing or no one break it for you. It may help that you make the quitting date fall on a significant date to make the event something to look forward to.
5. Know what you’re getting yourself into. Keep your expectations simple and attainable. Over-expecting may magnify little failures. Understand what you’ll be battling while trying to quit. You’ll experience withdrawal symptoms, but these symptoms will pass in a matter of minutes, it is just a matter of holding on to your will a little longer than usual. It is also best to keep in mind that most quitters never got what they wanted in their first tries. So don’t be too hard on yourself if you’ve failed a few times before.
6. Gradually cut back on the amount of cigarettes you light. It doesn’t help to abruptly deprive yourself of the cigarette and nicotine intake that you’re body has gotten used to. Something as little as one stick every one or two weeks will help your body ease out of your usual nicotine fills.
Smoking is never an easy habit to break. But with enough determination, and the adequate information to back you up on your battle, you’re sure to win the war and claim your life back from that destructive habit called cigarette smoking.
Developing Your Stop Smoking Plans
You are out to make a complete change in your life so you decide to pursue quitting smoking. While the option has crossed your mind before, you now have a sudden desire to actually quit, and to do it for good. You no longer want to be trapped to the cigarettes that have held you hostage for so long. This means it is time to start looking towards developing a sure fire plan that will allow you to quit successfully and for good. You no longer want to consider the option that you will fail; you have decided to go full steam ahead and now is the time for action.
You are going to need to do several things, and that includes picking an actual quit date. Here is the catch though; this date does need to come. People every year decide that as a New Year’s resolution, they are going to aim to quit smoking, but January 1st comes and goes and they are still smoking. Rather than finding yourself in this position pick a day to quit and stick with it. On that day, all of your cigarettes need to be gone, and you need to be prepared mentally to kick the smoking habit for good.
You should also look into setting up a rewards program for yourself; use the money that you are saving by not buying cigarettes to fund it if necessary. A year of smoking can easily cost more than $1,800 so you have a generous budget to work with if you are working towards permanent results. Just be sure to look for things that you really want to help encourage you. If you merely rely on the financial rewards, or just the physical and health rewards you are much more likely to fail, combine several types of rewards to keep yourself really motivated.
As you are working to quit smoking you need to increase the amount of exercise that you are doing, you should also start to watch how you are eating. Many smokers find that as they quit smoking, they start gaining weight. This can often be a huge shock, but if you are exercising and eating right, you can minimize the weight gain to ensure that you are instead focusing on quitting smoking, rather than splitting your time between trying to quit smoking and trying to lose weight. Be prepared to pack on a small amount of weight but these small changes will ensure that you are not gaining large amounts.
A final consideration that you should take into account is your overall health. If you are in poor physical condition, you should discuss your plan to quit smoking with your doctor. While a doctor is not going to discourage your from quitting, they may have some helpful advice and information that is specific to your health situation. This can also be great because your doctor will be able to monitor your health to ensure that you can make the most impact in the quickest amount of time.
Simply trying to struggle to quit smoking on your own is not necessary. Using the advice from your doctor, as well as working with a well developed plan you will find that it is not as hard as you ever imagined. You are certainly in for a long and difficult road, but you will be able to find success at one end of the road, which will leave you in better health, and also help you to take pride in yourself for your accomplishment.
Defeat Nicotine And Quit Smoking With A Firm Resolution
Someone who had quit smoking several times, said with anguish, “No, I don't want to quit smoking. I have done it on several occasions in the past— what I wish to do now is to kick smoking!”
Only when the resolution is that firm, can something tangible be achieved. All half-hearted measures are bound to fail! Ask any of the galaxies of smokers! Millions and millions! They want to give up smoking desperately. A smoker repeatedly thinks of giving up smoking!
There are several voluntary associations to help the smoker. Every small township generally has a health-care unit. But the unfortunate part of it is that, for every such unit, there are hundreds of small and big tobacco-products selling shops. The promotion campaign for these products goes on unabated, through newspapers, important periodicals, and TV channels (though it is banned to some extent) and the demand for tobacco products goes on increasing relentlessly.
Is it ever possible to quit smoking? Defeat nicotine?
Before trying to defeat your physical and psychological enemy, try to know its strength and to what extent it has taken hold of you because its destructive capacity is no less than additives such as heroin or cocaine.
Remember, in the blood of a hard smoker, each and every cell is surcharged with nicotine. It has become part of the blood. Therefore, pregnant mothers -beware! Your smoking is injurious not only to your health; it is dangerous for the tender baby within. Your smoking alone is responsible for this double tragedy.
With the failure of the first attempt to quit smoking, one should not get disheartened! Simply thinking routinely is not going to solve the problem. Resolute actions must follow. The courses run by the health care centers and hospitals may help you by way of information. But, ultimately remember that, it is you who have to quit smoking, for it is you who started smoking. You can build yourself or you can break yourself. That depends upon your will power.
Each withdrawal symptom is powerful and difficult to endure. At times you feel that the only way to get over them is to smoke- just one. If you succumb and slide, then it is doubly difficult to restart the pilgrimage to the smoke-free zone. So, with lots of determination, this dizziness, depression, irritability, anger headache, restlessness and trouble in concentrating will have to be tackled! But confront nicotine with a challenging poster. Which is better- your company with wrinkled skin, bad breath, bad smelling of hair, black teeth with cavities, and black lips or a glowing skin and a confident sparkling countenance?
Mark Twain said, “Quitting smoking is easy. I have done it a thousand times.” But please remember, Mark Twain has not told you to follow him. Your will power could be stronger than his!
Deciding to Stop Smoking: Rising Above Withdrawal Urges
When you smoke, your body is exposed to nicotine, a very addictive substance. The longer period that the body is exposed to nicotine, the harder it is for the body to function properly without such substance. This is the reason why people who smoke, especially those who have been smoking for a long time already, may find it difficult to stop smoking. They have become addicted to nicotine, and they will need longer time just to cleanse their system from the nicotine. So, even if they have finally stopped from smoking, they are still faced with the urge to go on a relapse and smoke again. This is commonly known as nicotine withdrawal urges.
Withdrawal symptoms may come in different forms, and has different effects on different people. Some urges may take form in the following:
* Difficulty to sleep
* Always being nervous and worried
* Unable to concentrate
* May feel depressed
* May feel irritable
* May feel the urge to light up another stick of cigarette
* Increased hunger and need to eat
Thus, before you finally stop smoking, you should first have an idea on how to fight these withdrawal symptoms, because if not you may end up starting on the process all over again.
Start by knowing the possible urges that you may experience once you have finally stopped smoking. By doing so, you would have ideas on how to manage them properly when they eventually manifest. There several products which can assist you as you begin to cut down your exposure to nicotine. There are nicotine gums and patches which are available in the market to satisfy your need for nicotine without the need of smoking a cigarette. However, if you choose to buy these products, you should realize that you would still have to stop using them eventually because you would want your system to be cleansed from nicotine.
There are also medicines and prescription drugs which can help you overcome depression after you have stopped smoking. Sometimes, these medications may also help with other withdrawal symptoms aside from depression. However, before you take any of these drugs, you should consult your doctor first so that you would be guided accordingly.
These withdrawal urges may come and go throughout the day. You just have to wait it out until the urge passes. You have to fight hard not to smoke despite such strong urges. After several times of being able to fight off the urge to smoke, you will feel that such urges will become less powerful, and you will find it easier to defeat such tendencies. You just have to stay strong because it is not easy to flush out the nicotine from your body, and will surely take time before you are absolutely cleansed from it. So, as you wait, you have to stay strong, firm, and focused. Try hard not to relapse; otherwise you might end up on the starting line again, and you’d waste your efforts. Do your best to divert your attention to healthier activities so that you will not think of smoking as often as necessary. Remember your reasons for quitting, and hold on to them. The process you need to go through to stop smoking may not be easy, but it shall be worth it.
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