Effective Ways to Quit Smoking
As any smoker will testify, quitting can be incredibly difficult. Smoking is a major health risk to users, contributing to issues such as lung cancer, emphysema, asthma, high blood pressure, and many others. Many smokers try to quit every year, but due to the addictive nature of nicotine present in tobacco smoke, many do not succeed. While this can be disheartening, there are many methods one can use to increase their chances of quitting and greatly improving their health:
- Nicotine patches
Since the main addictive properties of tobacco smoke is the chemical nicotine, many products introduce nicotine into the body directly, without all of the other detrimental components of smoke. The nicotine patch is one of these. The patch is applied to the skin and slowly introduces nicotine to the system over a period of hours. While nicotine itself does present some health issues, it is considered far safer than smoking cigarettes. The patch comes with multiple levels of nicotine, allowing users to gradually reduce their nicotine intake until it reaches zero.
- Smoking cessation programs
Long time smokers often develop a psychological addiction to smoking in addition to the chemical dependence on nicotine. Cessation programs can help with this. These programs often combine a number of techniques to give smokers the best chance to quit. In addition to nicotine replacement, these programs also can include counseling, quitting hotlines, group support, and even prescription medicines to help smokers quit. Smoking cessation programs are often led and designed by medical professionals and researchers with years of experience helping smokers.
- Nicotine lozenges
Nicotine lozenges are sort of like cough drops that contain the addictive chemical. Like the gum, lozenges allow the user to ingest nicotine to fight immediate cravings. If someone does not like chewing gum or is in a work or social environment not conducive to chewing gum, the lozenge offers a discreet alternative.
- Nicotine gum
Similar to the patch, nicotine gum replaces the nicotine found in tobacco smoke. The chewing gum format allows users to fight cravings by immediately adding nicotine to their system when a craving hits. This flexibility of replacing nicotine when it is needed most can give a quitter the edge they need.
The most important step in quitting is deciding to try. Once you make that huge step, these methods can help you toss aside cigarettes for good and live a longer, healthier, and happier life!
