Facts and Figures About The Health Risks Of Smoking

According to World Health Organization (WHO), it is estimated that smoking causes more than 8 million deaths each year. More than 7 million of those deaths are attributed to direct tobacco use while about 1.2 million deaths are the result of non-smokers getting exposed to second-hand smoke. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that cigarette smoking leads to more than 480,000 deaths every year in the U.S.

Smoking is a major cause of disease and disability with adverse effects on on nearly every organ of the body. Smoking causes many disease such as cancer, lung diseases, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Smoking also increases the risk of developing tuberculosis, a number of eye diseases, and immune system problems. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 16 million Americans are living with tobacco-related diseases.

There are a wide variety of powerful health benefits for those who quit smoking. Some benefits can be seen immediately while others take years to materialize. Quitting smoking improves your blood circulation, increases oxygen intake, improves concentration and helps you feel more energetic. Physical activity becomes easier and you will notice an improvement in your immune system’s ability to fight off common illnesses.

People who quit smoking are more likely to live longer and enjoy a healthier old age. Heart disease, lung cancer and chronic bronchitis are less likely to affect people who do not smoke. Over time, the damaged lungs of smokers heal themselves and make breathing easier.

5 Good Reasons To Quit Smoking Today

When most people think of the side effects of smoking they think of things like emphysema, asthma and shortness of breath. However, a lot of them do not know the exact toll it takes. A serious addiction to nicotine could lead to serious diseases and ultimately cost you your life. It is not very easy to quit smoking, but anyone who currently smokes should do everything they can to quit. There are a lot of good reasons why now is the time to put the cigarettes down.

1. Smoking Can Lead to Heart Disease

Many people are not aware of the fact that smoking affects your cardiovascular system and can lead to heart disease. In many cases, people with heart disease end up going into cardiac arrest. Not only does smoking reduce the amount of oxygen that flows to your heart and throughout your body, but it makes your cardiovascular system work harder due to increased blood pressure.

It also damages the lining of the arteries, causing them to harden, allowing plaque to build up. This restricts blood flow and can lead to complete blockages. Smoking also increases the risk of blood clots and strokes, both of which can be fatal.

2. Smoking Causes Lung Cancer

Cancer is something that affects people all over the world. While there is no exact cause for many types of cancer, studies have shown that people who smoke are at a higher risk of developing cancer than those who don’t. At least 70 of the over 7000 chemicals found in cigarette smoke are known or suspected carcinogens. Every time you puff on a cigarette, you increase your exposure to these cancer-causing substances, thus increasing your likelihood of developing cancer.

Your lungs are not the only organs at risk, either. Smoking can lead to oral, bladder, pancreatic and numerous other types of cancer, too. Going through chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments is not something you should look forward to. By continuing to smoke, you are taking a chance on making that a reality.

3. Smoking Causes Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

There are two primary types of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Many sufferers experience both conditions. The symptoms include shortness of breath, frequent infections of the lower respiratory tract, persistent coughing and fatigue. As a chronic illness, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cannot be cured, but quitting smoking can slow the progression of the disease.

A number of complications can stem from the disease as well, including pneumonia, malnutrition and osteoporosis. Always keep in mind that that It is hard to lead a normal and active life when you have these kinds of symptoms.

4. Your Skin Will Age Prematurely

Premature wrinkles are one of the side effects of smoking that many people do not think about as much as the others. However, looking years older than your true age is certainly undesirable.

This happens because your smoking causes your skin cells to overproduce an enzyme responsible for breaking down collagen. Your skin also produces less collagen, meaning that your skin cannot regenerate as quickly, which is how skin stays youthful-looking. The overall impact of these effects on your appearance is wrinklier and drier skin. Once you get wrinkles, there is no way to eliminate them short of having plastic surgery which can be quite expensive and risky.

5. Your Smoking Affects Others

When you light up a cigarette, you make the choice of putting your health in danger, but you also expose others around you to secondhand smoke, which has been proven to have negative affects on health.

Children who breathe secondhand smoke may experience more frequent ear infections and other illnesses, as well as conditions like allergies, asthma and bronchitis. Pregnant women who breathe secondhand smoke are at a higher risk of giving birth prematurely or to a baby with a low birth weight. Even if you only smoke outside and away from others, you carry small amounts of the toxic soup of chemicals found in smoke on your clothing, hair and skin that can affect the people around you adversely.

So ask yourself if it is fair to endanger the lives of those around you. Your friends and family may have chosen not to smoke to remain healthy, but the choice you have made can harm them. So do your best to quit smoking for the sake of your loved ones.

How To Quit Smoking

Smoking may be terrible for your health, but putting down the cigarette is never an easy thing to do. Especially, it becomes harder and harder to quit after years of smoking. The risks associated with the deadly habit of smoking are well known, yet people are still eager to head to the store and purchase another pack.

Remember that as you quit smoking, you will go through a lot of stress and other negative feelings. Reducing the amount of nicotine you ingest will cause your body to produce more toxins. And these toxins will cause you to feel stressed, angry or to crave a cigarette.

You can reduce the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms by eliminating these toxins and avoiding foods and beverages that would cause your body to produce more toxins. The best way to reduce the amount of toxins present in your body is to exercise, sweat as much as possible and avoid alcohol, coffee and junk food.

40 Time Tested Tips to Help You Quit Smoking

If you’ve been toying with the idea of quitting smoking but just haven’t quite committed yourself to it, here are some tips to help you succeed on your journey. When you quit smoking for good, you will realize how much better your life is without the cigarettes.

1. Define your reasons for quitting smoking

You need strong motivating factors to facilitate the process of quitting smoking and never let yourself relapse into your old methods of thinking. Many smokers who reach for a cigarette think, “One more puff won’t hurt me.” This is a poor choice that many people tend to live by, and one more puff is the difference between you quitting or relapsing.

To keep yourself motivated, ask yourself why it is important that you quit smoking. Whether it’s your children, being healthier, living longer or avoiding the risk of developing dreadful diseases, write them down on a piece of paper and post them in a highly visible place to serve as a constant reminder for why you are trying to quit. When you have a personal reason for choosing to quit, you are much more likely to hold yourself accountable and less likely to fail.

2. Decide what makes you crave smoking

No matter what drives you to smoke, it is important that you figure it out at the very start. This is the most important step to overcoming your smoking addiction. For instance, you may have a problem with someone, or you may be going through a stressful situation, or perhaps you need to quit your job. Once you know why you smoke, you can do all you need to do to resolve them as a first step towards quitting smoking.

3. Develop a sound strategy

You have many different options when you are trying to quit smoking. All you need to do is to develop a plan and stick to it. So create a detailed plan of how you are going to quit smoking. Map out your path to successfully quitting smoking by knowing how to handle cravings. Weigh all of the possible strategies, aids and methods you can employ to succeed at quitting. This includes what techniques you are going to use to quit, such as cold turkey, nicotine patches, or hypnotherapy.

Also, make out a plan of how you are going to stay away from cigarettes. Remember that quitting is only half the journey, the other half is to continue to abstain from smoking.

4. Establish a time frame to quit smoking

If you are serious about stopping smoking, you must set yourself a deadline. You are more likely to have more motivation when you have this specific date set. Once it is established, lay out your plan, step by step so that when the day arrives, you will be physically, mentally and emotionally prepared to put down the cigarettes for good. Make one of your steps reducing the amount you smoke each day until the deadline. You can determine to snuff out each cigarette a puff sooner, smoke one less each day, and so forth until the time comes.

5. Make sure you are fully committed

Committing to quitting can be the most strategic step in stopping smoking completely. It is extremely crucial that you are truly prepared to do so. You have to make a clear, final decision that you will no longer smoke. When you decide to quit, mean it. Don’t be swayed by stories of how hard it is to quit.

Show your commitment by telling everyone you know that you have made the choice to quit. Going all the way and letting everyone know makes it harder for you to back down. The last thing you want to be doing is setting yourself up for failure. It can be a very discouraging process if you are not completely ready for it. Simply concentrate on what you intend to do and stay focused. That in itself will make it much easier for you to quit smoking.

6. Avoid using the old-fashioned ‘cold turkey’ method

Called ‘cold turkey’, this is a drastic way to stop smoking. It may work for some people, but not for most. You just have to take all your cigarettes and throw them away. However, tossing your cigarettes into the trash and declaring that “you’ve quit” rarely works. You may stay away from smoking for a while, however, 95% of smoking addicts resort back to their old ways. As nicotine is addictive, it is very hard for most people to quit this way. Even people with the strongest will power will have difficulty quitting with this method.

7. Have faith in yourself

Before you even begin the journey of quitting smoking, it is important that you have the faith and confidence to do so. You are not going to get very far if you tell yourself that it is impossible. Instead, nurture positive thoughts and tell yourself that you can do anything you put your mind to, including quitting smoking.

8. Think positively

Positive thinking is what helps you go all the way in your endeavor to stop smoking. If you think with a can-do attitude, you will find yourself succeeding. However, if you constantly think that you can’t do this, then you will find you won’t and relapse into your old habits. Continue to nurture positive thoughts and work towards your ultimate goal of quitting smoking.

9. Be patient

Keep in mind that this is a process that should be taken one day at a time. There are many people who fail simply because they think this is something they can change overnight. It has to be taken slowly, and you have to have a lot of patience and willpower. There will be times when you feel like nothing in the world matters but a cigarette, but you have to fight that feeling and stay on your path.

You will not be completely free of symptoms of craving for at least a few weeks, perhaps more if you have been smoking most of your life. Give yourself the time to make changes and get used to not smoking. Keep in mind that few people manage quitting with their first attempt. You will eventually succeed if you keep trying.

10. Don’t give up

Unfortunately, you may not succeed on your first try. Although you don’t want to use this as an excuse for giving in without a fight, be aware of the possibility. Just resolve yourself to keep trying and see if you cannot figure out what caused the falter. A daily journal may provide clues to your slip-up and be the key to your eventual success. Reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke in a day is a victory.

11. Keep a journal

Journaling is a great way to gain an understanding of your own behavior and make positive and measurable changes. Be sure to keep a daily diary of your smoking habits. Use the ABC method to understand why you smoke and what you get from it. What happens just before you light up? How do you feel before you smoke? How do you feel afterwards? What do you get from smoking? Can you find something else that would provide you with the same enjoyment without all the negative effects of smoking? Explore these ideas in your diary to come up with a viable smoking alternative.

12. Change your lifestyle

When you are trying to quit smoking, being around the smell of smoke will tempt you to light one up yourself. So stop hanging around places that encourage you to smoke. Do not go to bars, dancing clubs, restaurants or parties for a while where you know others will be smoking. Likewise, stay far away from people who smoke even if they are your closest friends or at least ask them not to smoke in front of you. It is much more likely that you will be inclined to smoke if you go to all the familiar places, so try something new for a while.

13. Have support from family and friends

Let your family and friends know you want to quit smoking and allow them help you. You most likely know someone who is a smoker or was a smoker in the past that may be willing to offer some of their personal advice on the subject. Then, they can provide you with all the encouragement and support you will need. Their support will go a long way in sustaining you throughout the ordeal.

14. Join a support group

Look for online forums or groups in your area that are focused on helping people quit smoking. In these environments, you will find people like yourself who are going through the same ordeal as you are, as well as people who have successfully kicked the habit. These support groups will give you suggestions about how to deal with cravings, and they will also offer you advice if you have a cigarette or two. You can also help others by telling them about your experiences.

15. Find a quit-buddy

If you know some people who smokes, you can even ask them if they would like to join you on your journey to quitting smoking. Friendly competition can motivate the two of you. Having someone quit with you may be what you need to keep going through the ups and downs of quitting smoking is a great way to ensure success, for both of you.

16. Move in with a non-smoking friend for a week or so

Chances are good that a lot of people you know can’t stand smoking. So hook-up with a friend you are close with and learn first-hand how to live as a non-smoker. You won’t be allowed to stink up the house or sneak outside for a quick puff. So this can give you a healthy jump-start on breaking the habit.

17. Use smoking cessation aids

Certain products, such as nicotine gum, nicotine patches and electronic cigarettes for nicotine consumption exist that have been proven to work over. These products will deliver the body with a small dosage of nicotine and help battle the craving and can be the best solution if your cravings are more than you can handle.

These may not be an immediate replacement for smoking, but they are great for slowing things down. Utilizing the technology available will make your job much easier. However, it is important that you talk to your doctor to figure out which aid is the best fit for your lifestyle and your medical history so that you can avoid any adverse effects of such aids.

18. Try a prescription remedy

If your smoking habit is extremely serious and nicotine products aren’t helping you, ask your doctor if any of the available prescriptions are suitable for you, and what side-effects they may have. Your doctor may be able to write you a prescription for medication to help you quit smoking. Most of these medications are formulated to help defeat the craving and are more powerful than store-bought solutions. Many people are against taking medication, but they may help to curb your urges, which is what you may need to quit smoking.

19. Enter an addiction rehab

You should be aware of the fact that nicotine is essentially a drug. If you are addicted, you need treatment. A cessation therapy or rehab can be costly and will not be easy. However, if you are seriously hooked on smoking, it may be the only way to stop your addiction. You will be supervised, trained and conditioned on how to become a non-smoker by experienced health professionals and given a lot of information to absorb. If this method will work for you, take it for all its worth.

20. Try hypnotism

Hypnosis may help you get rid of your addiction to nicotine. This method can be very effective in helping you stay motivated, associate cigarettes with negative things and battle your cravings. You should meet with a professional who specializes in hypnotizing smokers. A professional hypnotist could convince you that you do not need smoking.

If you cannot afford to go to a hypnotist, buy some hypnosis CDs and listen to them before you go to sleep. After listening to some CDs or being hypnotized by a professional, you will become convinced that you are able to go through a whole day without smoking a cigarette.

21. Clean your home and car of smell of cigarette smoke

The home and car of a smoker becomes saturated with the odor of nicotine, although the smoker is accustomed to it and does not notice. The smell of cigarette smoke attaches to fabrics and materials throughout your home so it is a good idea to clean your home thoroughly. You will be amazed at the amount of smoke residue that comes off of the walls and windows so just imagine what your lungs might look like! Also, have your car detailed to have all of the smoke smells taken out. Once your rid your home and car of this nauseous odor, you will not want to re-introduce it into your life. Otherwise, you will be more aware of these odors and will be tempted to smoke again.

22. Get rid of all the smoking accessories

You have to make sure you dispose of all the smoking accessories so that they don’t conjure up feelings of smoking. Throw away cigarettes, lighters, including any special lighters you have, ashtrays and other smoking related equipment. You can put the special ones away if you really want to, but put them away far out of your sight and mind.

23. Reduce the nicotine intake gradually

If you try to stop quitting in one sitting, you will become irritable, cranky, and are likely to pick up another smoke. Quitting smoking cold turkey makes nicotine cravings stronger, leaves more room for relapse and can cause severe withdrawal symptoms. Headaches, depression and digestive problems can often accompany the cold turkey method.

People who try to quit smoking cold turkey are more likely to relapse to smoking and less likely to attempt quitting smoking in the future. So try reducing the number of cigarettes progressively by a certain amount each week. This is less of a shock to your system and may be more effective than simply stopping smoking.

24. Avoid stressful situations

If you are under serious stress, you will have an increased urge to smoke. Since stress drive cigarette craving, the best thing to do is lower or avoid stressful situations. Exercise, sleep, and well-maintained diet are all natural stress reduction techniques. A good eight hours of sleep every night will benefit your battle with nicotine. The next time you want to smoke, step outside and jog around the block to curb your craving.

25. Find a way to channel your stress

Many people who feel stressed out reach for a cigarette and any kind of stressful situation will make you want to smoke very badly. Reprogram your automatic responses, and instead of reaching for that cigarette, grab a drink of water or chew some gum. Do not let small things upset you. Think back to your daily routines, and whenever you used a cigarette to fill up blank space in your schedule, replace it with something positive.

26. Try relaxation techniques

Use relaxation techniques to help you get through your cravings. Yoga is an excellent way to relax, work through cravings, and enjoy a smoke break without smoking. Instead of taking 10 minutes to smoke a cigarette, spend 10 minutes doing yoga. This way you can still enjoy a few minutes of relaxation without continuing to destroy your lungs. Deep breathing exercises can help you get through cravings.

Think about the reasons you have decided to quit smoking. Perhaps you have health problems or just want to avoid smoking-related health problems. Maybe you want to set a better example for your children. Whatever your reasons are, you can remind yourself while doing relaxation exercises.

27. Don’t give in to temptations

Don’t tell yourself that just one puff is okay. When you are in the middle of an urge and you feel the need for nicotine, it can be easy to convince yourself that one or two puffs won’t hurt you. The truth is that one puff can throw your life away and can hinder your ability to live your life disease-free and flush your weeks of work down the toilet. Use the N.O.P.E. method which stands for, ‘Not One Puff Ever’.

28. Drink more water

One of the most natural, healthy substances you can ingest to help clear the body and alleviate the urge to smoke is water. You should be drinking about 8 to 10 cups of water every day anyway, but this is especially important if you have just stopped smoking. Water is a substance that will make you feel full. So when you begin craving another cigarette, just grab a glass and enjoy the moment.

29. Eat healthy foods

Many people replace the cigarettes with foods that are full of fat and sugar and tend to gain weight when they quit smoking. This defeats the purpose of quitting smoking because it is like getting rid of one addiction and picking up another. If you start gaining weight, it may be all the excuse you need to return to the habit of smoking.

Instead, focus on a healthy and balanced diet. Eat a few pieces of celery with peanut butter, or have a few carrot sticks. You can eat some yogurt or a stick of cheese. You can even snack on granola bars or nuts. Having healthy snacks makes your cravings go down, and it makes you less likely to go and have a cigarette. You can also have a mint or a stick of gum every time you feel like smoking. Try to get some that are sugar-free since you do not want to gain any weight while you are trying to quit.

30. Try a detox diet

You can try detox diets. Water and green tea are the best things for a body saturated with nicotine, tar and the thousands of other poisons from smoking. Bananas can actually take the edge off a craving. Search online for foods that you might already be fond of that will also clean your body out. Get all the anti-oxidants you possibly can and flush with water constantly.

31. Stay busy

Keeping your mind occupied will help you to not miss smoking. If you’re busy, you won’t even have time to want to take a smoke break. You will be engrossed in your activities and you will be less likely to want a cigarette because you are just not thinking about it.

32. Start exercising regularly

Exercise may be the key to quitting smoking. As you probably already know, exercise is good for your health in general. But it is even more beneficial to those looking to quit smoking. Your mind will be focused on your exercise routine instead of the urges you are having to smoke.

33. What to do with your hands?

A major part of the smoking habit is having something in your hands and the hand to mouth motion. Have bottled water ready or other healthy replacements you can reach for. Many people turn to food as a replacement for their cigarettes. Be aware of this beforehand and find things that won’t pack on the pounds.

34. Make sure you get a good sleep

Being tired and cranky all day will put you in the mood for a cigarette or weaken your resolve. Most people trying to quit smoking find that their pattern of sleep is disturbed. All they can think about while lying in bed and trying to fall asleep is that last cigarette of the day. Find a good way to unwind every night before going to bed so that your sleep is sound and restful. Make sure you spend plenty of energy throughout your day and that your sleeping quarters are conducive to relaxed and peaceful sleep.

35. Reward yourself

Always reward yourself when you have spent a certain amount of time without smoking. When you have accomplished your first goal, reward yourself with a little treat of some sort, and set your goal for even longer. As you reach each goal, reward yourself again and set another goal for a longer time. Choose rewards you are willing to work for, such as clothes, books, video games, a vacation, a night out at a favorite restaurant or even a trip somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. Use a bonus reward system by grabbing a jar and tossing the money you would have spent on cigarettes into it. Then, use that money for your rewards.

36. Pre-plan punishment

It may sound harsh, but you’ve got to face a consequence if you slip up. This helps to condition you for success. Skip out on something you really love if you failed to resist the temptation of smoking and then set yourself back on the course of quitting.

37. Find something to replace the habit of smoking

Many smokers have found it helpful to keep sugar-free lollipops handy so when they get the urge to smoke, they have something to put in their mouth and keep in their hands. As long as what you are doing is something less harmful to yourself, it is a safe replacement for cigarettes. It will be much easier for you to quit if you can replace your bad habit with one that is not going to harm you worse.

38. Take up a hobby

You can try taking up a hobby you enjoy that will keep you too preoccupied to smoke. Things like music and art can keep your hands so busy that you will not have time to pick up a cigarette. The idea is to find something you like. If you try any old thing, you may toss it to the side and pick up a cigarette when the urge hits. So choose a hobby that is in sync with other things that interest you, so you will not get tired of it too quickly.

39. Visit people dying from smoking-related illnesses

Most people lying in bed and hooked up to a machine would give anything to turn back the time to where you are now – the choice to quit or keep smoking. Many will be eager to tell you what excuses they used to keep lighting up or how they gave up too easily. They can also tell you what it’s like to endure chemotherapy and radiation. Don’t forget to ask them how it feels to say goodbye to life and everyone they love, just because they chose to smoke.

40. Fight back if you seem to fail

Do not feel bad if you give in and have a cigarette. Lighting up a cigarette does not mean all your efforts are ruined. Instead of giving up on your program, you should start over again. You will eventually manage to quit if you focus on spending as much time as possible without touching a cigarette. You might only be able to go through a few hours at first, but you will eventually be able to go through a whole day. Before you know it, you will manage to spend an entire week without smoking. At this point, the cravings should be more bearable.

Basic Facts About Stop Smoking Aids

There are lots of products on the market that claim they will help you stop smoking. Many smoking cessation aids slowly lower the dosage of nicotine administered to the patient until cravings are gone.

Nicotine replacement therapy includes patches, gums and lozenges. Certain anti-depressants can also help by decreasing nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Other medications have been developed which block nicotine receptors in the brain. This type of medication stops withdrawal symptoms and puts an end to the pleasure smokers get from smoking cigarettes.

Nicotine Gum and Lozenges

Nicotine gum and lozenges are rather dubious smoking cessation devices. They deliver nicotine with a small amount of oral activity. They do not deliver hand to mouth action as smoking does nor do they provide any of the perceived value of cigarettes.

The concept behind nicotine gum and lozenges is that you will chew on the gum or lozenge to receive a dose of nicotine and eventually you will substitute regular gum or lozenges for the nicotine versions until you are no longer addicted to nicotine and then you will stop smoking.

Unfortunately, most smokers miss the activity of smoking and feel a void in the part of their lives which smoking has filled in the past. Additionally, nicotine gum and lozenges cannot be used in the long term as they will cause gum disease and other problems.

Nicotine Patches

Also available as a smoking cessation device is the nicotine patch. The nicotine patches are available in three strengths (7 mg, 14 mg, 21 mg). The correct dose depends on how much you currently smoke. Many people thought that this would be a miracle when it comes to stopping smoking because you only have to apply the patch to your skin once a day and it delivers a steady dose of nicotine.

However, smoking is not just an addiction to nicotine. It is also an enjoyable habit. Smokers enjoy the hand to mouth action of smoking and the oral gratification. Many smokers derive a great deal of their personal gratification from smoking. The nicotine patch does not provide any satisfaction in any of these areas. Additionally, nicotine patches become ineffective if they become wet. Furthermore, many smokers report having very unpleasant side effects such as nausea, skin rashes and vertigo.

Electronic Cigarettes

While not approved as a smoking cessation device by the FDA and despite some of their adverse effects, electronic cigarettes have helped a number of people to reduce or eliminate their use of nicotine while retaining the habit of smoking.

Electronic cigarettes closely replicate the experience of smoking and deliver the amount of nicotine the user chooses in a simple vapor that consists of three common FDA-approved ingredients and pharmaceutical nicotine. Smokers can reduce the amount of nicotine to none over time and yet still retain the enjoyment of using an electronic cigarette. Even if the smoker chooses to continue nicotine intake, electronic cigarettes do not expose a smoker or those around the smoker to a myriad of toxins, pesticides and carcinogens found in tobacco smoke.

Prescription Drugs

In addition to these forms of smoking cessation devices, there are also prescription drugs available that are supposed to help control nicotine craving. The drawbacks of these are the same as the drawbacks of the other products. While they do deliver an ingredient that curbs nicotine cravings, they do nothing to satisfy the habit of smoking. Additionally, pharmaceutical drugs have proven dangerous. Users have experienced bouts of anger, paranoia, hallucinations, violence and some have even gone so far to kill others and themselves.

Regardless of the drawbacks of some of the accepted smoking cessation devices, many people have found relief from smoking by using them. Whether you choose to stop smoking by means of a pharmaceutical intervention or an electronic cigarette is a personal decision. However, if you want to explore any of them, you should first seek the advice of your doctor.

Final Words

Quitting smoking will not be easy, but you owe it to yourself and everyone who loves you. Staying motivated to quit smoking can be difficult, as you cannot ignore your cravings and expect them to go away on their own. However, if you try hard you will find that you can get rid of this harmful habit sooner or later. Give yourself time and take every day as it comes.

The first two weeks of quitting smoking is the toughest and you are most vulnerable as you go through the nicotine withdrawals. Once you are past these two weeks, you will be working towards success and will feel less inclined to reach for a cigarette. Soon you will discover that you are no longer interested in smoking at all.

If you still find yourself craving cigarettes and unable to focus on your life without them, turn to an alternative such as electronic cigarettes, nicotine gum or a patch, or even a prescription medication. If you are not sure, consult with your doctor to find the most workable alternative. You should not give up until you can proudly refer to yourself as a non-smoker!

Visit SmokingFree, which was created by The National Cancer Institute (NCI), for information, resources, and support to help you successfully quit smoking.