Nicotine is a highly addictive drug and the cigerette is an extremely effective delivery device. So it’s going to be a real fight and it will take all your willpower to stop. However, there are a number of ways that you can boost your motivation to get rid of this deadly habit. But before we take a look at them, there are three things to bear in mind.

First, you must want to give up. You must be 100% committed or you won’t stand a chance of overcoming this addictive habit.

Second, always bear in mind that it can be done. Millions of people have broken the chain of nicotine addiction and there’s no reason why you can’t become one of them.

And finally, there are several different methods to help you stop smoking, but the same one won’t help everybody. So try the methods below, find your own methods and then stick with the ones that work until you reach your goal. So let’s get started.

1) A Thousand Mile Journey Begins With A Single Step

Now at this stage, some people will tell you that it’s best to cut down gradually. They claim that if you’ve smoked a pack a day for a long time you’ll have developed a physical addiction to nicotine and the best way to lessen the withdrawal symptoms is to cut down gradually over time.

Alternatively, some people claim that cutting out the habit completely is the only way to stop smoking. These people claim that gradual reduction will only make it harder to quit, both physically and psychologically.

But it really doesn’t matter whether you cut down from 40 a day to 20 or stop completely. The most important thing is that you decide to quit smoking and take action.

The route you choose should be the one that you have most confidence in your ability to complete. If you’ve got an all-or-nothing type personality it may be best to stop altogether. But if you can’t even contemplate doing that, start to cut down gradually. Just do something.

Intention without action is a waste of time.

2) Be Aware Of Your Behaviour

Smoking is a psychological habit. Over time you’ve trained yourself to smoke at certain times and in certain situations such as first thing in the morning, last thing at night, after meals, at parties, when you’re stressed etc.

So it’s important to remain consciously aware of your actions at all times. Work out the times when you have a strong subconscious desire to smoke and take steps to avoid lighting up.

And if possible, try to avoid the situations that make you want to reach for a cigarette. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself smoking before you’re even aware of it. Of course if you’ve decided to stop completely, the situation isn’t as dangerous as you can remove all cigarettes from your life. However, it is harder if you decide to cut down gradually, live with someone else who smokes or have easy access to cigarettes.

So make sure you’re aware of what you’re doing at all times. Learn to catch yourself before the desire to smoke grows stronger.

3) Mutual support

Find a friend who wants to stop smoking or get involved with a support group where you’ll find other people who want to kick the habit. This will allow you to support and motivate each other when your willpower shows signs of breaking. It will also make you feel that you’re not alone, making the challenge seem less daunting.

4) Swap The Habit

Try finding a healthier habit to replace your smoking habit. Then, every time you feel the urge to smoke, use your new habit as a way of diverting your attention from the cravings. For example, you could try drinking water, eating a healthy food etc.

5) Relax

Stress is often a trigger factor that makes people reach for their cigarettes. So learn a few relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises or yoga. As your ability to relax and fill your lungs improves it will help you to deal with the withdrawal symptoms of nicotine and tobacco. It will also show you the benefits of being able to breathe freely and hopefully encourage you to keep going until the harmful effects of smoking have completely left your system.

6) Replacement

One of the most popular ways to stop smoking is to use nicotine replacement products. There are lots of different products on the market that consist of items such as chewing gum, patches, nasal sprays and lozenges. All of them are designed to manage your nicotine fix, help conquer withdrawal symptoms and ultimately remove your desire to smoke.

Studies have shown that people who use these aids to help them quit are more successful than those who don’t. But before you use these products, please consult your doctor or smoking counselor to consider the health implications of these products.

7) Disgust

Every time you have the urge to light up, think about how disgusting cigarettes are. Remind yourself how unhealthy this disgusting habit is. The idea is to condition yourself so that you associate smoking with thoughts or feelings of disgust. It’s a form of aversion therapy that makes you glad to avoid the mere thought of smoking everytime you develop a subconscious urge to smoke.

Alternatively, you can do the same with pain. Put an elastic band around your wrist, and every time you think about how much you want to smoke, give yourself a ping with the elastic band. Over time this will subconsciously teach your to associate smoking and cigarettes with pain.

All it takes is a conscious decision to quit and the determination to take action. What have you got to lose?

Good luck.

One of the changes that occur when a person takes Cocaine is the development of cravings. If a person takes Cocaine and then stops taking it, he or she will crave the drug. In other words, the individual will have a strong desire to take more of the drug. Cocaine exerts such a strong effect that even the mention of it may stimulate cravings in Cocaine addicts. Figuring out why addicts are so prone to relapse is a major area of research. One culprit is the phenomenon of craving, or the powerful “hunger” for drugs that can linger months or years after an addict quits using. Scientists have discovered evidence that this craving may be partly a physiological phenomenon, related to the long-term changes in brain function that addiction causes. Now accustomed to functioning in the presence of drugs, the addicted brain, in essence, has become unable to function normally in their absence.

As you have learned in previous, on a short-term basis, Cocaine alters the release of dopamine. But what happens when a person takes Cocaine over a long period of time? Does the body respond to it in the same way it did when the person tried the drugs for the first time? Often, the individual doesn’t get as intense of a response after taking it repeatedly. This is called “tolerance.” The brain has adapted to having a certain amount of the drug present and doesn’t respond the same way it did initially. The body may become more efficient at metabolizing or breaking down the drug. This reduces the amount of drug in the bloodstream. Or, the cells of the body and the brain can become more resistant to the effect of the drug by causing changes in the activity of the receptors. Tolerance explains why drug abusers and addicts take increasingly higher doses of drugs over time.

Nicotine inhaler- A prescription method developed in 1998. The inhaler is similar to smoking a cigarette, using a plastic tube that contains a nicotine cartridge. The quitter puffs on the inhaler to administer a nicotine vapor. Recommended dosage: 6-16 cartridges per day for up to 6 months.

Side effects: coughing, throat irritation, upset stomach.

These are the most expensive form of NRT.

The Lozenge- Nicotine lozenges are the newest NRT on the market. The FDA approved an over-the-counter smoking cessation aid in a lozenge called the Commit. The lozenge is available in 2mg and 4mg. As with the gum, the quitter administers as need and cravings surface. The manufacturer recommends a 12 week program, 1 lozenge every 1-2 hours for 6 weeks. Tapering off gradually by using one lozenge every 2-4 hours for week 7 through week 9 and one lozenge every 4-8 hours for the final two weeks.

The Commit manufacturer recommends:

“Stop all tobacco use when beginning therapy with the lozenge.

Do not eat or drink for 15 minutes before using the lozenge. (Some beverages can reduce the effectiveness of the lozenge).

Suck on the lozenge until it dissolves. Do not bite or chew it like a hard candy, and do not swallow it.

Do not use more than 5 lozenges in 6 hours, or more than 20 lozenges total per day.

Stop using the lozenge after 12 weeks. If you still feel you need to use the lozenge, talk to your doctor.

Do not use the lozenge if you continue to smoke, chew tobacco, use snuff or any other product containing nicotine (e.g., nicotine patch or gum).”

Side effects: sleeping problems, nausea, coughing, headache, heartburn, hiccups and flatulence (gas).

Despite the side effects, NRT has been proven to be an effective tool for smokers who decide it is time to quit. No one method is better than any other and the smoker/quitter can decide for themselves which method might help them the most. Is it that you need to replace the oral fixation that smoking provides and will be missed with the cessation of smoking? Is it important not to be reminded of smoking, using a once a day convenience??

Aside from NRT, there are also prescription medications you can ask your doctor about to assist you with quitting smoking. Some are used in conjunction with NRT. Bupropion (Zyban) and Varenicline (Chantix) are the two new prescription medications available. Zyban is an antidepressant and Chantix is specific designed to help you quit smoking. Ask your doctor what is right for you.

Adverse Affects Of Smoking Should Be Reason Enough To Stop Smoking

Smoking impacts the smoker’s health in adverse ways and could cause many harmful effects such as wrinkling of the skin, unattractive tobacco-stained hands, yellowish, brownish tobacco stained teeth as well as possible impotence and also be at greater risk of suffering from diabetes. The case for quitting smoking is strong and using stop smoking aids does a viable option that a serious smoker should consider when want to quit this unhealthy practice.

The first thing that a person who tries to quit smoking will notice is withdrawal symptoms. By getting to soothe such withdrawal symptoms and controlling the physical desire for nicotine, the smoker will regain the power of focusing on emotions and habits that are healthy when he or she is successful in giving up the habit.
The smoker can make use of many stop smoking aids including patches that offer a continuous nicotine dose that helps sustain the smoker during withdrawal symptoms, and also calms the physical craving that is experienced when one quits smoking. Taking a single stop smoking aid such as a patch every day will offer protection from nicotine craving which will help the brain become used to existing with less nicotine, and one may then gradually reduce the strength of patches to get rid of the dependence completely.

Other stop smoking aids include nicotine gum, lozenges, nasal sprays as well as inhalers that allow the smoker to actively control their nicotine dosage. However, one should not raise ones expectations too high and instead be realistic about assessing whether a particular stop smoking aid is right or not in their particular instance.

Being sensible and not falling for wild claims about the benefits of various stop smoking aids is advisable, especially as there are no magic or wonder cures available. Stop smoking aids are helpful in assisting the smoker and cannot do more and should be taken with a strong desire to quit smoking. It is also necessary to persevere and not give up even if one does not succeed at first. Evaluating ones needs and keeping up a sustained effort to quit smoking with the help of stop smoking aids should eventually get the desired results.

Taking Action—The Process

* Create a plan for after you leave. Work with your therapist, counselor or the treatment center you attended to assist you in developing an after care treatment plan. These are designed to give you a strategy for staying clean. It’s a plan that will keep you on track in the recovery process. Lay person and professional experts in recovery know that an outlined plan detailing the things you can do to stay sober is valuable. Here are some of the most common, and maybe not so common, steps/actions/objectives that can be part of your plan towards a goal of staying healthy, sober and free from addiction.

* Continue with therapy. Follow up sessions with a trusted counselor or professional helps to address those issues or problems that are new for you. Life after addiction comes with new or confusing situations you will be faced with. For example, there was a man that after having been in a drug induced state for years did not know how to order his eggs at a restaurant. He would say, “I just let them throw the eggs on the plate, anything to get some food in my belly. I never paid attention to or cared how they were cooked”. When you are confronted with something you don’t know how to handle, frustration and desire to turn to what you know best (getting high) may become overwhelming. There is no problem too small or large that a trained professional can’t help you with. It’s better to seek their advice and look for solutions than to return to abusing drugs or alcohol.

* Keep your body healthy. This part of the after care plan should involve listing ways you can keep your body functioning at optimum levels. Some steps may include:

* Nutrition and eating right are essential. There have been studies recently showing that the right intake of calories, vitamins and nutrients, staves off the craving for drugs and alcohol. When your body feels good, the chances are you can better fight the cravings for addictive substances.

* Drink lots of water. Water hydrates the body and maintains your body temperature. Proper hydration allows for smoother waste elimination, and keeps the body emotionally balanced. Experts that work in the crisis industry (rape crisis centers, nurses in emergency or triage, etc.) have long known the power of water in regulating a person’s mood. It has a calming effect. An added bonus among many, water keeps your skin from drying out too.

* Exercise. Find an exercise routine and stick with it. If you like the gym or workout centers get a membership Take evening walks in your neighborhood after dinner. Use stairs wherever you go instead of elevators. Remember to find exercises that will bring your heart rate up (aerobic) and those that include warm-up, stretching and free-weights.

* Keep your teeth clean. One of the first things to not only put on your plan but to arrange is a dental exam. Drug use and alcohol abuse damage teeth and gums severely over time. Studies have shown that excessive plaque and tartar on the teeth carries through to our blood stream and creates a plaque build up in the arteries. This means potential heart problems and cardiovascular disease. Also, clean teeth means you will smile more and that alone will better your social life.

* Make social activities part of your plan. When you’re developing your after care plan, be sure to include activities that make you happy. Socializing will decrease depression and keep you from feeling isolated. On this note, make sure to not include former drinkers or drug using “buddies”. Chances are very high that if you begin associating with your former partying partners (that are still using) you will quickly begin abusing the substance again. Find people that have been in recovery for a long time or others that have never had a substance abuse problem. Seek new friends, return to favorite hobbies, whatever it takes to get you out and busy.

* Find your spiritual path. Whatever spirituality means to you, discover or re-discover what it is that gives you strength through the hard times. Returning to a spiritual place that made you feel connected, worthy or special will help.

* Find the creativity within. Do you draw, paint, dance or read? Bring the creative you back to life. Creativity gives a sense of self-worth and accomplishment. This is important for anyone recovering from an addiction. By the way, start your creative processes with your treatment plan. Give thought to the social activities you like. Outline some ideas to eat foods that will not only nourish you but make you feel good, alive and energetic. There are many healthy foods that can give this feeling. Bring your creativity to your plan and make it uniquely yours.

When preparing your after care plan, make sure it’s what you want. There is nothing worse than having a plan that fits someone else’s needs or expectations. Often in alcohol or drug treatment and detox centers we hear quite a bit about what we should do. Our days are planned with activities, counseling, meal times and social events. We become accustomed to what others think we should do to remain sober. Family and friends offer advice, your counselor or therapist may suggest items for your plan but in the end, the treatment plan belongs to you. It needs to be tailored with the purpose of achieving your goal. Your goal is to remain sober and clean. If the plan is one you want and can live with, the chances are you will respect it, follow through with the steps/objectives and stay sober for many years to come.

From a lecture in March, 1998 at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Leshner explained how brain function is modified by drug use and how that change persists after an individual stops taking drugs. Addiction also has to be recognized as a result of many bio-behavioral factors.

Dr. Leshner said a user does not have control over the change when voluntary drug use becomes a compulsive addiction. He likens the change to a flip of a switch, although the change may be a result of opponent processes where changes have accumulated over time. Regardless, Dr. Leshner believes it is important that people understand that once addicted, a person is literally in a different brain state.

Anyone that has known and witnessed the changes in behavior and ethics in a person caught in the thralls of addiction can see the declining spiral of personal care and ethics, work ethics, emotional stability and generally, a feeling that one hardly recognizes the addicted person as being the same individual as they were before the drug use.

One very important point to know is that any drug use may set off these destructive behaviors in an individual and that using drugs “recreationally” is playing Russian Roulette with one’s life. The effects of these “poisons” on the brain and nervous system are always destructive, but the timeline of when the effects will be obvious varies from immediately to, sometimes, after years of “casual” use.

The scientist’s say that one of the tasks of treatment is to revert the brain to its original state or repairing the damage that these poisons can do. Some scientist believe that this can be done by introducing other drugs, then called medicines, into the delicate brain chemistry of someone suffering from drug addiction. That is what National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) is doing now as it begins to design new medications. “We have molecular targets,” Dr. Leshner said.” We don’t need serendipity.” Serendipity is defined as “a natural gift for making useful discoveries by accident.”

However, don’t be fooled by the scientist since they have yet to discover any medications that restore a person to full and, more importantly, enthusiastic living. These “medicines” are always a tradeoff in giving up some of the beauties of life to keep the addict from using a more destructive drug. For a total cure, one should pursue getting the original poisons out of the body and letting the body’s natural repair mechanism restore the person to his original, functional and loving self.

Urinalysis has been the most common and often used drug testing method. However, this is also the easiest to trick and cheat. Diluting urines with water or other colorless fluid is enough to make the drug traces virtually undetectable. To reinforce security on this kind of testing, most companies and drug testing laboratories prefer on-site specimen collection. A drug test technician either visits the site to collect and test samples from workers or candidates for testing visit the laboratories where their urines are collected and tested immediately. Candidates are not allowed to leave the testing room until the test is finished. This ensures that the urine samples collected are not tampered or diluted. However, on-site collection is awkward especially for women because the candidates are actually supervised while collecting their samples. The testing of oral fluid or saliva is also implemented but not popular. Though oral fluid can be collected easily and are not susceptible to alteration, results based on this test are still suspicious. This is because drug traces in saliva can be undetectable after a day. Hence, if a user stops taking drugs a day or two before the test, he may be given a negative mark and pass the test.

Newer technology in drug tests now allow for hair testing. In the present, this is regarded as the most foolproof drug test. Drug residue from drug use, whether ingested or injected, remains inside the hair cuticle. Even if the user bleached, colored, or cut his hair, the residue would still be present and can be detected. This is also very popular since the collection of samples is not difficult and possible without embarrassing the tester and the candidate. Candidates do not need to worry about ruined hairstyles since the snips are done in inconspicuous places and are not noticeable. The latter kind of drug testing are also more cost-efficient for employers. Though the fees for the test is pricier than urinalysis, the company saves more because hair testing can effectively weed out drug abusers from the company’s ranks. This is because a drug-dependent employee cost a company as much as $10,000 in terms of unproductivity, absences, and benefits. They are usually the perpetrators of office theft. Plus, the employees would be deterred from using drugs because they know that is cheat-proof. All in all, investing in drug and hair testing are worthy expenses for the employer.

Two of the most famous and well-reputed new quit smoking drugs are Chantix and Bupropion. Both are non-nicotine medicines, that require a certain period of treatment in order to be effective and which should be supported by professional counseling sessions. Before starting using new quit smoking drugs, it is best to have all your medical investigations made and to have the doctor analyze your record.

Chantix is a new quit smoking drug that comes in tablet form. Produced by Pfizer, this drug was conceived for pregnant women and teenagers under 18 who have to quit smoking. It is varenicline tartrate derived and it is considered to have a superior rating smoking cessation than Zyban. The usual Chantix treatment lasts for 12 weeks, but administration of this new quit smoking drug can be extended to a longer period depending on the case.

Bupropion is considered another revolutionizing new quit smoking drug that enjoys great result in nicotine addiction cessation. Initially Bupropion was made to combat depression, but studies and trials have proved that it helps smokers’ wishing to quit. It is as effective as nicotine-based drugs, but it also prevents gaining weight. The most common side effects associated with the use of this new quit smoking drug is dry mouth and sleeplessness.

Studies were conducted on large groups of smokers to test responsiveness and efficiency of this new quit smoking drug, and the results were compared to those obtained by administration of nicotine based drugs, placebo and shots. It resulted that treatment with Bupropion is superior to nicotine administered transdermally.

Smoking is a hard bad habit to break, it takes patience, strong will and motivation to ensure the effectiveness of new quit smoking drug therapies. This is the purpose of taking a quit smoking counseling course, because it offers the psychological support that you need to get rid of smoking and all its side effects. Just think that after quit smoking drug treatment, you will be over unpleasant breath smell, tiredness, low immunity, persistent cough and so on.

Of course, I never would have dreamed that over a year of my life during my mid-twenties would be spent in drug rehabilitation, but it happened. I began doing drugs in junior high school, mostly I guess do to the typical amount of peer pressure that most teens get from their friends. I started using drugs with great hesitation, but party after party I got a little less afraid of using drugs and that became my biggest problem. Losing my fear of doing drugs was the single worst thing that happened to me in my struggle with drug use.

My drug use became a more serious problem throughout high school and into my years at university. I thought that I was doing a great job of hiding my problem until Christmas break happened one year and my parents saw all the signs. I had great parents, by the way, and I believe that they were in no way responsible for my drug use or for my eventual need for drug rehabilitation.

My drug problem got so bad shortly after that Christmas break that I ended up agreeing to go to drug rehabilitation without any fight. Most drug users, I am told, put up a fight for a while when someone first suggests that they enter drug rehabilitation. But not me. I knew how badly I needed help and I knew that if left alone I would probably allow drugs to kill me.

My fourteen months in the drug rehabilitation center taught me more about myself and about life than I ever expected them to. I learned about my value as a human being and as a man for the first time in that center. I learned in drug rehabilitation that drugs are a substitute for a hole that is empty in my life, just as food or exercise or alcohol or any other thing can be for people. I learned that I had a huge responsibility in taking care of my life and my health.

It has been healing for me as I have begun talking about my experience with drug rehabilitation with honesty. I have never felt more free than when I am looking back on the mistakes of my past with honestly and then when I am looking forward to my future with hope.

Here are a few of the benefits that will come to you if you commit to stop smoking:

Short Term Benefits

A lot of the most noticeable benefits come in the first year after you commit to stop smoking, and some will even be noticeable after hours or days. Within the first 24 hours after you quit smoking, you’ll find that your heart rate and blood pressure, as well as carbon monoxide levels in your blood, will drop. If you have a problem with high blood pressure, it is hard to beat an immediate benefit like that!

Over the next few months, you will find that a lot of damaged systems in the body will start functioning better than before. Your smell and taste will return, which makes eating more pleasurable, and your lungs will be able to work better, both for taking in air and in keeping those lungs clean of harmful materials, which in turn will mean less infections. This is because once you commit to stop smoking, tiny little hairs in your lungs called cilia, which catch dust and other foreign materials, start to work like they are supposed to.

Long Term Benefits

The big, lifesaving benefits that come when you commit to stop smoking are not as noticeable, since they prevent major health problems, but they have been well documented. In the years after you stop smoking, you will benefit from a reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease, most dramatic after the first year and over a period of more than a decade, steadily declining. You will also have a reduced chance of suffering a stroke and of several kinds of cancer. And while being able to smell your food better is a great benefit of not smoking, reducing the chance of suffering from deadly diseases is a more poignant reason to quit.

So commit to stop smoking today and enjoy both the benefits that will come to you soon and the ones that will improve your life for years to come.

Probably the most detrimental myth about his drug is the idea that it is not addictive.Users of this drug will equate it to a potent caffeine-type substance, and in some ways they are correct.Methamphetamine and caffeine are both stimulants, but that is were the similarities end.A drug can be addictive at the psychological or physical level or both.However, all psychologically addictive drugs have a physical addictive component as well. The level of addiction is directly related to the amount of discomfort one experiences during abstinence from the drug.Everyone is familiar with the headaches that one can get when they have been drinking coffee on a regular/daily basis and then they abruptly stop.

The body gets accustomed to having coffee as an external stimulus and when that is removed, there is an adjustment that happens physiologically that causes stress.However, when a person uses methamphetamine on a regular/daily basis and stops, you find dramatic effects on the body.It isn’t uncommon for a person to sleep for over 48 hours after being on a “meth” run.The over-stimulated glands, especially the adrenals, will under-produce until they can re-establish normal activity again, and in the absence of these hormones, a person is barely able to keep bodily functions alive, so it becomes necessary for a person to sleep for long periods of time while normal equilibrium is being renewed.

Whenever the body is under extreme stress, the person’s emotions become unstable.In the case of the cessation of methamphetamine, one experience mild to severe depression, leading to suicidal thoughts.Knowing that one can stop these uncomfortable feelings by the use of more “speed” is the simplicity of this psychological addiction and the reason that most people will need professional care to progress without problems through this recovery.

One of the new methods of treatment for those attempting to quit smoking is nicotine gum. This process of quitting involves substituting a nicotine gum for cigarettes whenever the craving hits. The theory is that this allows smokers to deal with the physical withdrawal from the addictive nicotine and the oral stimulation once associated with smoking. The idea is that they can begin to wean themselves off the gum slowly as the cravings become less prevalent.

A similar theory is the driving one behind the nicotine patch. Unlike the gum which requires the smoker to actively recognize their craving and treat it with a piece of gum, the nicotine patch as a method of quitting delivers a regular stream of nicotine into the smoker’s system to help alleviate the cravings. People who use this system to quit smoking gradually reduce the strength of the nicotine patch until the cravings are gone and the physical addiction has subsided. An added part of the patch treatment is that most people experience mild nausea if they attempt to smoke while wearing the patch, creating a form of aversion therapy.

A third treatment gaining in popularity is hypnosis to quit smoking. Smokers pay for a two or three hour session, often a group session, with a hypnotherapist who implants a suggest in their minds creating an aversion to smoking. This treatment option deals with the mental addiction to the habit, but does nothing to combat the physiological aspects of cigarette addiction.

Drug therapy is also being used successfully to help some people quit smoking. Some anti-depressants have shown great success in combating smoking as have drugs designed to interact with the chemicals in cigarettes and make them less pleasing to smokers. The drug therapy usually is used in conjunction with another quitting method, nicotine gum or the patch, in an effort to deal with the physiological addiction as well.

Finally, also gaining prominence recently in the effort to get people to quit smoking is acupuncture and accupressure. Research indicates that trained therapists can use pressure points to release the addiction from the system and help former smokers get over their cravings for cigarettes. Unlike hypnotherapy which deals with the psychological addiction and not the physiological, this treatment is effective with people who want to quit smoking but not those who are unwilling to commit to stopping. The acupuncture treatment treats the physiological addiction, but does not address the psychological addiction.

1) Life Span

If you smoke, you’ll reduce your life expectancy by an estimated seven to eight years. That may not sound too serious, especially if you happen to be under 30, but if we break it down further, every cigarette you smoke will shorten your life by approximately 10 minutes.

And if you want a truly shocking figure, try this; Every day, more people under the age of 70 die from smoking related diseases than the combined total of deaths through road traffic accidents, drug addiction, breast cancer and AIDS.

2) General Health

It’s no secret that the general health of smokers is much lower than that of non-smokers.

Medical studies have shown that smokers are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, which lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. And it’s not just older people who are affected. Many of these studies have questioned smokers in their twenties and thirties.

But that’s not all. People who smoke are likely to have poor quality skin. Due to the lower level of oxygen that reaches their skin they develop a pale, sallow complexion. And then there’s the issue with wrinkles. If you smoke, any wrinkles that you develop will be up to ten times worse than those developed by non smokers of your age.

In fact, it has been shown that smokers with noticeable wrinkles are much more likely to suffer from chronic conditions such as bronchitis and emphysema.

3) Major Illnesses

Smoking also increases your chances of developing a whole host of major illnesses. This includes;

a) Conditions that affect the respiratory system; asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

b) Cancers, especially of the mouth, throat and lungs.

c) High blood pressure and high cholesterol which leads to an increased risk of strokes and heart disease. In fact, smokers are two to three times more likely to die from a heart attack than non-smokers.

4) Viruses

Recent research has shown that due to the effect of smoking on the immune system, smokers have a higher chance of becoming infected with HIV.

5) Infections

If you smoke you’re at greater risk of respiratory infections because the smoke that you draw into your nose and throat damages that beneficial bacteria that lives in your respiratory system. This allows disease causing bacteria to enter your body.

6) Infertility

Smoking causes lower infertility levels in both men and women. Male smokers tend to have a lower sperm count, and may suffer from various mutations to their sperm. And due to the gradual blocking of arteries male smokers are more likely to become impotent.

Women who smoke are also less likely to conceive. And women who smoke during their pregnancy are more likely to experience a range of problems, including ectopic pregnancies, miscarriage, premature birth, lower birth weight and birth defects.

7) Mental Health

Studies have shown that smokers are twice as likely to suffer from depression than non-smokers.

You will benefit from reading this article with all the factual information in it.

A large percentage of smokers sincerely do want to quit smoking, and wait for the right time.
Yet, it seems close to inconceivable to follow through on the decision. The attempts are often hitting the brick wall of the habit.

They want to succeed but again find themselves standing on the same point from where they have started their journey for the good cause. The harsh reality is that this is not a rare case, and almost every second smoker may experience this.
Nicotine is the biggest obstacle in their way, and trying hard to quit is not always enough.
The strength of the addiction to Nicotine is second only to its deadliness.

The fortunate thing is that thousands of people are successfully trying to escape its grip and many have already succeeded.

One can assume that the thought of not being able to go through with it, crossed many of their minds too.
Finally they won over evil and turned their dream into the reality.
Strong will and persistence did their work.

“Most people would like to be delivered from temptation but would like it to keep in touch.” Robert Orben

Would you want to be amongst those people?

You should now have at least a basic knowledge. But there’s more to come.

You need to follow the promise you have done with yourself and with your close ones. The first step you need to have some modifications in your contemplation. Be optimist and change way of living a little. The actions you have embraced with the habit of smoking needs to have some alterations. Just change the way of dealing with them and you will notice a great difference in you.
You need to conjoine a good reasoning behind cause of quitting and have to think about good consequence that follow.

If you do not feel good about quitting, then you will never be able to quit smoking.

If you properly condition yourself mentally then you can certainly make sure your commitment ’sticks’. People are generally apprehensive of the withdrawal effects without giving thought to their long term benefits. They never comprehend that the pleasures, comforts and enjoyment that they are getting from smoking is short term. These feelings exist at subconscious level. We each generate around 60,000 thought every day. Regrettably most people give rise to the negative ones in that range.

It may help to actually write down the benefits of quitting.
Smokers and non-smokers alike, generally agree that quitting is the better option.
Once you start applying logic as a tool, you will be able to overcome some of the emotional turmoil and get better results.

My friend Susan was going on vacation for a month and asked me to substitute for her at the local drug rehab center at her Wednesday yoga and meditation class.

It truly was an experience I’ll never forget as I watched people’s bodies and minds relax.I was struck by the strong determination that was applied towards learning the different forms of breathing as well as various meditations. I think the residents found it helpful to see they could channel the same drive they had used to locate drugs to their own healing.

It’s always good to use try and direct the natural tendencies you have for a higher purpose. For instance, an “addictive” personality can redirect this to areas such as meditation, exercise or writing a journal. This I have found is much better than fighting with oneself and trying to “stop” one’s tendencies. This is one’s passion and it should be used for one’s evolution.

If you are taking yoga please keep in mind it’s not about competing with others but in “stretching ” yourself inwardly further than you thought you could go. If you can be patient when you hold a posture, that quality will also carry into daily life as well.

You also will develop tools you can use for stressful situations such as deep breathing, visualizations of your true potential and inner joy. Even if you only feel good for an hour
after doing some yoga or meditation , it is a center that grows and you can remember it when you become agitated around other residents or towards your parents.

Robin, a 20 year old, fighting prescription drug addiction said to me that she just wanted to ease the pain but realized that pain is a feeling she could watch. It really was wonderful to see the ability to watch one’s mind that the residents developed with a little practice. In the east they return to the mind as a drunken monkey-not just wandering from thought to thought, but a drunken monkey stung by a scorpion. Sometimes it seems so restless and jumpy, plus out of control. Take a few moments to watch it and discover some true jewels.

1. Why Do People Get Addictions?

The reasons for addiction are complicated and vary with each and every individual. These same reasons may be difficult for us to understand, and even a lot more difficult to resolve. Drug and alcohol rehab in recent years has taken a hard and diverse approach to the problem of addiction. Taking in consideration are the physical, emotional, and even nutritional factors that may be causes. Whether you’re seeking help for yourself or whether you are a concerned friend or family member of someone who is in a very dangerous grip of addiction, be confident that you are not the only one. Addictions come in varied forms, some are dangerous and some are not.

2. The Physiological Approach

It doesn’t mean that just because you are encountering a dangerous addiction it’s alright to think that you are different from everyone else. It only means that you’ll need to seek out specially qualified help. Many physiological and chemical imbalances that occur in our bodies and brains may contribute or cause our feelings of depression, that can lead us into addiction as we try to self medicate to compensate for our emotional distress. We are living in an era where many problems like chemical depression and blood sugar imbalances are easily diagnosed and treated. Often, addicts who treat these underlying problems will experience great relief from the urge to feel better by drinking.

3. Blood Chemistry

The best and most popular idea we have of drug rehabilitation is the old 12-step group therapy that we so often see on television shows and movies. The fact is, science has a lot more to tell us about how our bodies and brains respond to all kinds of substances. A lot of evidence suggests that when a physiological or chemical imbalance is occurs in the brain no matter what the cause, that individual will try to compensate for the imbalance he is experiencing by self-medicating with drugs. Modern drug rehab programs often use this approach to look for chemical brain imbalances to help their patients recover. In addition to this, imbalances in blood chemistry can also lead to drug and alcohol addiction. Having problems such as low blood sugar can lead someone to self medicate so that he can cure any fatigue or anxiety that he may be feeling. A balanced nutritional intake and exercise have shown themselves to be aids in the process of drug rehab.

4. Social Theory

Usually people who are deeply addicted often have neglected themselves, so by finding a diet and exercise program, it can really lift their self image. Another advantage of exercise to anyone who is an addict is that it also provides a natural high that can help an addict to get through the rough periods in his rehabilitation. Some individuals may be comfortable with the idea of group counseling while some may have difficulty in comprehending it. An option for these kinds of people is one on one therapy, where a therapist can reach out to the deepest and most personal aspects of an addict’s life. Looking for answers for addiction and possible recovery is an extremely difficult task to anyone. It takes a lot of devotion and time to even see the smallest of developments. Being able to find the right place to do the work toward recovery is an important step. The wants needs of each and every addict are different from each other, and the process of finding a place to fully recover can be a very deep, difficult, personal and intense process.

Here are a few ways to help your Relative or someone you care about quit smoking.

Quit With Them Him or Her

If you are a smoker, then by joining your Relative, their chances for quitting smoking can be better as you get instant support from someone you care about. Even if you are not a smoker, there must be an area in your life on which you have been meaning to work on. Make that your goal. It could be exercising more or drinking alcohol less. Whatever it may be, start helping your partner quit smoking by setting goals for yourself too. So in case they feels the urge to light up a cigarette, you can help him by modeling how you too are staying away from fast food restaurants.

Keep Him Away from Triggers and Triggers Away from Him

Some people or situations can be triggers for wanting to smoke again. As a way to help him quit smoking, try to make plans that do not revolve around friends who smoke or places where everyone is happily puffing away. Remove ashtrays and other stuff from around the house which can serve as constant reminders of the filthy habit. Unsubscribe from smoker promotional emails and mailings that send discount coupons and other incentives to continue smoking. Pool Halls can be littered with smokers and smoking advertising. Find alternative forms of entertainment.

Find a Distraction

Enroll in a cooking class or learn ballroom dancing together. It may not be a magic pill, but it may help you get his mind off smoking and in to some other creative outlet.

Look At on the Good Things

Help Relative quit smoking by clipping out articles (or emailing them to him) about the financial and health benefits of kicking the habit. Of course, he may know all of it already, but subtle reminders can act as motivation and may just make the difference between lighting up another cigarette or not.

Sign up for my free newsletter on help to quit smoking at www.stop-smoking-insider.com

Plenty of studies suggest that working towards any goals becomes easier if done with a partner. That’s what Weight Watchers is based on. They say people who join with a friend are 3 times more likely to stick with the program and hence lose weight and keep it off. The same applies to helping someone quit smoking. Give them the support and the shoulder they need.

* The Specialty

Not all drug rehab centers specialize in every type of addiction recovery. Therefore, the first step in selecting the right drug or alcohol rehab center is to identify those that specialize in the drug the person is addicted to. For example, an alcoholic will receive little help from a program specializing in addiction treatment for those who abuse heroin. While the basics of addiction recovery are the same regardless of the type of drug that is abused, there are special considerations to be made with different drugs. The withdrawal symptoms can vary from drug to drug. In addition, the exact approach used to help the person recover from addiction can be different depending on the drug. Addicts may find a higher level of comfort treating in an environment where other addicts have shared the same drug experience.

* The Location

The location of an alcohol or drug rehab center can have an impact on its success with the addict. For some, it is best to find a rehab center that is located near to family and friends. In this way, it is possible for them to maintain more consistent contact with the addict. For others, it is better to find a rehab center that is further away from home because the memories and the people there make it too difficult to refrain from abusing drugs or alcohol. The proximity to home may cause triggers leading to early relapse.

* The Program

The first consideration a person must make when attempting to select the right drug and alcohol rehab center is the treatment program. Most drug rehab centers offer both inpatient and outpatient care programs, but careful consideration must be exercised when making the decision for the level of care. For some addicts, an inpatient care program may be the best option because they do not have the strength or ability to fight the addiction without receiving 24-hour care. For other addicts, outpatient treatment may be sufficient for overcoming the problem while still allowing the person to live a semi-normal life. A preliminary assessment by a physician or qualified counselor/therapist will help determine what level of care is most appropriate.

* The Approach

Nearly all alcohol and drug rehab centers provide physical and emotional care to help addicts overcome their disease. The exact approaches used by various rehab centers, however, can vary. For example, some centers place a greater emphasis on the physical aspect of the addiction while others focus more on the emotional impact. In addition, the way these rehab centers address both components of treatment may vary.

In some rehab centers, patients are provided with another drug in order to overcome the addiction. For some patients, however, there is a risk of becoming addicted to the replacement drug. Therefore, this type of approach may not be best for some addicts. Yet other rehab centers simply have patients go cold turkey, but this approach can be devastating for some patients and can even cause them to give up hope and want to quit.

In addition, the emotional approach used by rehab centers to assist with addiction recovery can differ. For example, some drug rehab programs may utilize less known approaches, such as music therapy and art therapy. Similarly, some centers may focus on hypnosis or acupuncture. Yet other programs may utilize only counseling and group therapy. For an addict, the approach used can make a huge impact on the overall success because if the addict does not believe in the type of therapy being utilized, they will likely be defeated before the recovery program even begins.

There are other questions that should be asked when making a decision about admission into an alcohol or drug rehab facility. Staff credentials, medical supervision, cost, typical length of stay, aftercare programs, 12 step philosophy, sobriety success rates, and family involvement are a few other important considerations to think about when making perhaps one of the most important decisions in the life of an addict.

Smoking Hazards For people who are attempting to quit smoking there are three events which lead to failure; the strong desire for nicotine, the withdrawal symptoms, and the habit of lighting up and having something in your hands. Chantix is designed to help alleviate two of these events. It helps relieve withdrawal symptoms and if you smoke it prevents the pleasure you receive from the nicotine by the blocking the effect the nicotine has on the brain. There are a whole host of reasons why people should not smoke. Smoking has been linked to lung cancer, COPD, increased cholesterol levels, and even osteoporosis. The dangers not only exist for the smoker but for the people who are around the smoker as well. Second hand smoke has come to the forefront of society as a serious medical concern. Experts warn that pregnant women who smoke have an increased chance of birth defects and stunted fetal growth.

Society today will no longer accept smoking. More and more states are adopting smoking bans in public buildings and restaurants. Many employers prohibit smoking on their property and some will even terminate your employment if they discover you are a smoker. Smoking contributes to increased work days lost due to illness and there are many employers who simply will not accept it.

The introduction of Chantix offers help to those who have struggled to quit. By taking away the pleasure experienced when smoking if offers a real advantage over other smoking cessation products. It comes in a pill form which is taken either once or twice a day. Heavier smokers who have smoked for several years would probably do best on two pills a day. It is available only by prescription and can be taken for up to twenty four weeks. If you have a desire to quit and are willing to give Chantix a try you might find the solution you have been looking for. Talk to your doctor today and begin your smoke-free life tomorrow.

This “stop smoking product” isn’t found on any shelf or in any store or web site. The desire to quit smoking for yourself and for the betterment of your health must be present for a smoking cessation program to be successful.

With that being said, here is a list of quit smoking products available today that you may find helpful in your quest for a healthier, smoke-free life.

Nicotine Patches

This method of quitting smoking is a form of nicotine replacement therapy. A small, usually transparent patch is placed on the body and periodically releases small amounts of nicotine. This allows your brain to get the nicotine it craves while weaning yourself from it but without getting the harmful smoke.

Nicotine Gum

Nicotine gum is a popular stop smoking aid in that it serves two purposes. First, the gum releases small amounts of nicotine when chewed, and secondly, it helps keep your mouth busy and may help with overeating.

Quit Smoking Lozenges

These lozenges are said to help decrease nicotine cravings and ease withdrawal symptoms such as nervousness, anxiety and headaches. They’re also useful for the oral fixation aspect of quitting smoking and can help some avoid gaining weight.

Quit Smoking Pills

There are a few quit smoking pills available that you can ask your doctor about. Zyban is a popular drug that many people have found helpful that doesn’t contain nicotine but aids in the withdrawal process.

Zyban contains the same ingredient as the anti-depressant Wellbutrin and has the same effects such as easing irritability and anxiety, but without being classified as an anti-depressant.

A new drug hitting the market, under the name Chantix, Varenicline has been shown to block nicotine from attaching to the receptors in the brain. When nicotine is inhaled, the chemical properties attach themselves to the brain receptors, which then act as tiny messengers telling the body to release dopamine.

Dopamine is the chemical that gives us a feeling of relief and pleasure, which is why nicotine addiction is so strong since the body continuously wants to experience that “feel good” sensation it gets from smoking.

Herbal Remedies

If you prefer the natural route, you may want to consider herbal remedies such as pills, teas and even herbal cigarettes. These cigarettes resemble the real deal without the nicotine and tar and may give you something to do with your hands. They also still allow you to experience the sensation of smoking while quitting the habit.

Hypnosis and Support Groups

If you are a person who is able to be hypnotized, as not everyone is, then perhaps this method is worth trying as several people have reported success after a stop smoking hypnosis session.

Support groups are beneficial in that they surround you with like-minded people who understand your feelings through first hand experience. People often find it easier to quit smoking with the support of others and can share tips, hints and even frustrations in your journey to quit smoking.

Any of these stop smoking products coupled with the strong desire to lead a healthier and longer life can help you realize your dream of being a non-smoker. Remember the adverse ramifications that are well-documented and filling the news reports today such as lung cancer, emphysema, COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, not to mention the damage caused to friends and loved ones by second-hand smoke.

Every place a smoker goes nowadays there is the public pointing out to them that it is in there best health to quit smoking. Additionally, with many villages and communities passing laws regulating where a person can have a smoke, many have decided that it is worth the trouble to quit smoking.

Less then 30 years ago, there were very few organizations who minded smoking. Often during that time smokers were seen on television shows and in the movies smoking their cigarettes. Albeit the earliest warnings about the health hazards of cigarettes, there was no real rush to get people to quit smoking.

When the facts of second-hand smoke dangers was first presented men that smoked, often in the presence of children and other non-smokers, wanted more scientific evidence to back that claim before they would quit smoking around others. Even with daming evidence of the dangers, many are still finding it hard to quit smoking.

Smoking is an addictive habit that normally begins when a person is in their teen years or early into their 20’s. It is very easy to become addicted on cigarettes but not nearly as easy to quit smoking, as people would like to believe.

Addiction Is Mental And Physical

There is a physical addiction to nicotine, the main addictive drug in cigarettes that can take about a week to work out of the body. The first 72 hours are considered the worst time when people quit smoking but after that the physical craving for nicotine diminishes. The remainder of the addiction is considered mental, although there are physical aspects to it as well.

People who smoked, especially for many years, find they have nothing to do with their hands, which held onto a cigarette during their smoking years. In order to reduce the mental craving some turn to eating, which is something they never did while they were smoking. Weight build up is a common reality for new non-smokers, but masses believe that losing weight will be easier than when they quit smoking.

Others think that just like becoming addicted to cigarettes did not happen overnight, breaking the habit will take time as well. They have a slow withdrawal plan with a target date to quit smoking. Others find various means to break the habit, such as hypnosis, laser techniques and substitutes to wean them off the addictive habits. But most agree that they need to do whatever it takes to quit smoking for their health’s sake.

Nonetheless – if you’re really serious about looking good as you get older and want to make sure your skin stays supple and toned – stay off the weed you must!

Without a doubt, the first two weeks after you quit smoking are when you’re at your most vulnerable so don’t be shy about seeking help during this difficult time. But remember – just because you don’t succeed in quitting smoking the first time you try definitely does not mean you’re a failure as a human being.

Nicotine is a strong drug and it may take several attempts before you successfully quit smoking.

Feeling a failure can be one of the reasons a temporary lapse becomes a more or less permanent return to being a smoker. “Well you’ve gone and done it now” – you say to yourself – “you may as well have another one”. No doubt about it – if you’re a smoker trying to quit you are up against a whole army of obstacles that could so easily trip you up.

Withdrawal from the nicotine hit is one of the major reasons for failure to quit smoking but sheer force of habit plays a major role. Even years after quitting, ex-smokers can find themselves in a situation where they would once have smoked and without even giving a thought to what they’re doing, they reach out, take a cigarette from a friend’s pack and light up.

Of course, if there are no regular smokers in your immediate social circle, quitting will be much easier. Research shows that failure to quit smoking is also more likely if:

• you’re a woman (nicotine dependency is stronger for female smokers)
• you were a heavy smoker
• you’ve been smoking for a long time
• when you smoke you inhale deeply
• you experience severe withdrawal symptoms

Tests have also shown that those of us who cheat during the first six months after quitting smoking – even if it’s just a few puffs on a cigarette – are highly likely to be smoking again by the end of those six months.

In contrast, those who don’t cheat – who are honest about their lapses – are most likely to still be cigarette free after six months.

So – if you really want to quit smoking then be totally honest with yourself. If you have a lapse, admit it and resume your quit smoking program immediately. Start your count of smoke-free days from when you resume.

But don’t beat yourself up either just because you gave in to the craving. You’re human after all and it doesn’t represent the end of your efforts to quit smoking – it’s simply part of your journey to get there.

Remind yourself of all the reasons you want and need to give up. Think of the way you’ll look if you carry on smoking. Think of the damage smoking is doing to your looks and the aging effects of smoking on your skin. Talk to someone about your temporary lapse – that way you’re not fooling anyone – least of all yourself.

Remember successful quitters are honest about their progress – with themselves and with the people helping them to quit. Successful quitters don’t use a temporary lapse as a reason to start smoking again.

So do yourself a favor – stay honest, resolve to quit and you will.

Stop Smoking – A Worthy Battle

Everyday we hear somebody say “just stop smoking”. This is an easy statement to make for someone who has never smoked. People who have never smoked do not understand the powerful addiction caused by nicotine. Also, how can we tell our teens to stop smoking if we smoke ourselves? The best deterrent for teens is simply education and support. Parents need to take a realistic look at their teen’s lives. Who are their friends, what do they do for entertainment? Get to know their friends and accept them. Offer education on the dangers of smoking; get graphic with pictures if you have to. Encourage them to talk to you about the pressure they are under. Let them know you don’t intend to punish them. The fear of punishment will only discourage them from being honest with you.

There are some alarming factors associated with teenage smoking. Many of them start as early as the eight grade and over half of high school students have at least tried cigarettes. The chance of premature death due to smoking is about five times higher than any other cause of death. Many smokers will die from smoking related causes as early as their twenties. If you find out your teen is addicted to nicotine help them get the tools they need to stop smoking. There are many programs and smoking cessation aids available for you to choose from. If you smoke, it is important that you also put forth the effort to stop. The greatest success comes with a good support system. Exercise and good nutrition help to teach a healthy lifestyle.

If you want to help your teen to stop smoking you have to help them understand the dangers and risks. If they fall off the wagon, be there to help them get up and start again. By helping them through the stop smoking process you will be helping them to add many years to their lives.

Lets face it. Smoking is a bad habit for a lot of reasons. No need to go into it, everyone knows the dangerous health risks involved. Mumbling the words “I’ll quit when this pack is gone” or “After the New Year” or a hundred other reasons you convince yourself now is not the time, are just excuses to keep smoking.

If you want to smoke, you are going to smoke. You are going to tell yourself that your father lived until 85 and smoked 2 packs a day, or your great uncle smoked for 70 years and was never sick a day in his life. Blah blah blah. You probably even tell yourself that you enjoy smoking. How on earth can inhaling smoke be enjoyable. I have listened to smokers coughing and hacking, it doesn’t sound enjoyable to me. How about that light up after a nice meal. Yeah, just what I want to do after I eat a delicious meal, wash it all down with some gritty disgusting smoke. You probably didn’t even taste the meal anyway because all your taste buds are completely destroyed and everything tastes like stale ash.

Smokers make up all kinds of reasons to keep smoking. “I’m under a lot of stress” or “I’ll gain weight”. Ultimately the decision to stop smoking has to be yours. Yes family and friends will bug you to stop, but if you attempt to quit smoking and you really do not want to, your chances of success are slim.

The point here is, if you want to stop smoking you will. Make the decision for the right reasons. Be dedicated to the task because you do not want to die a horrible, painful slow death. You want to wake up in the morning without going into a coughing fit, you want to be able to go up a flight of stairs and not gasp for precious air. You want to smell good and get rid of the bad breath. You want to be FREE!

Well, what are you waiting for? Are you going to stop smoking, today?

So if you have picked your day to quit, you’re ready to begin. Here are my tips on becoming a happy and content non-smoker.

1.Drink plenty of water. By increasing the amount of water that you drink you will be increasing your chances of an easier transition to being a non-smoker. The nicotine (the drug which you are addicted to) that is in your body needs to be flushed out and an increase in the amount of water that you drink helps you to do just that. It also hydrates your body, which in turn will give you a greater sense of wellbeing and allow you to feel healthier – this could benefit you if you tended to feel a bit crabby after giving up previously.

2.Do something different and keep busy. In those first vital days, make sure that you keep busy, and do stuff that you like doing as this will keep you occupied and less likely to think about smoking. Maybe spend some time with your friends or family and go out for the day. To make sure that your habit stays broken, it may be helpful to break your routine for a few days. During their day a smoker will associate a lot of things with his or her smoking, such as, having a beer, driving the car and after having sex. Still do all of these things, however do them differently! For example – have your beer at a smoke free bar for a few days!

3.Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Just like drinking more water, eating healthily allows you to feel healthier and gives you a greater sense of wellbeing. This is great as in this frame of mind and body you are more likely to succeed as you are giving yourself more to loose! Try it – you will feel great!

So there you have it. These are not all of my tips; however they will certainly help to take the edge of giving up smoking for you. Good luck and enjoy your new healthier lifestyle!

It is easy to dismiss smoking as a normal, difficult to avoid/control and even inescapable part of teenage life, but it does not mean that we should ignore it. To understand that quitting smoking is not a cinch, some people find it harder to achieve than others. Confronted, people often say things like “I wish I could quit” or “I wish I never started smoking” but these types of statements are weak minded. Obviously these were the same people who made the stupid mistake of starting to smoke in the first place.

The real problem people have with quitting smoking is that they are addicted to nicotine. There are studies showing that the producers have added more nicotine in the cigarettes during the last two decades than they did twenty years ago. In that way the smokers will get even more addicted to smoking.

It is often said that it is not your fault if you are a smoker as nicotine is a highly addictive substance. That statement is both right and wrong, you decided once to start smoking and you are responsible for your actions. Then one might say it is not your fault that you cannot quit smoking. The good news nowadays is that there are several very effective ways to quit smoking for good. Below is information of a few methods for quit smoking aids.

Acupuncture therapy has been used in many areas and it also works great to help stop smoking. This therapy also has good side effects of nicotine withdrawals like depression, cravings and anxiety. It does not involve drugs, nicotine patches or pills and can even be cost free.

Laser treatments are one of the most modern and efficient way to deal with nicotine withdrawal from the body after giving up smoking. It can assistant during the first days after freeing nicotine addiction, sometimes it can be effective even from the first 30 minutes session.

Quit smoking hypnosis is a very efficient method to help people quit smoking. Hypnosis can be performed with the assistanse of a doctor but it can also be taught so you can do it on your own. The method is usually a number of steps you shall take to get rid of the smoking habit. In some cases persons have quit after only one session of hypnosis, rare yes but it can happen.

There are also methods that use electronic stimulation and this has been shown to drastically reduce the withdrawal associated with nicotine cessation. For some persons it can be easier to quit smoking if you get some prescribed medication from your doctor which is used to help people overcome their addiction to nicotine. Many also use one of the many consumer products on the market like the nicotine patch and nicotine gum to help stop smoking.

First, it’s important to understand how smoking affects your vital capacity. Ask your doctor to perform a Vital Capacity test to measure the amount of air you take in with each breath. You will be asked to take a deep breath and blow into a device that tells your doctor the volume of air dispelled. Air taken in by healthy lungs holds about 19% oxygen. Smokers take in even less vital oxygen, because the lungs are not able to expand as much. The more you smoke, the lower your vital capacity.

Cigarette smokers also double their risk of heart attack, and sudden cardiac death. Additionally more young smokers are killed by stroke than their young non-smoking peers.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that the body has incredible healing powers, and can start to correct the negative effects of smoking within minutes of extinguishing your last butt.

According to the American Cancer Society, these are the estimated healing times following your last cigarette:

* After 15 minutes: Blood pressure, pulse rate, and body temperature of your hands and feet return to normal.

* After 8 hours: your oxygen level increases to normal, and the level of deadly carbon monoxide in your system drops

* After 24 hours: Heart attack risk decreases. You are less likely to have a heart attack in as little as one day after you’ve stopped smoking.

* Within 48 hours: Your senses of smell and taste increase, as damaged nerve endings begin to regrow. Many smokers have no idea that their habit has actually stopped the growth of nerve endings.

* 2 weeks to 3 months: Your lung function has increased by up to 30 percent. Your circulation has improved, and you find it easier to walk. Overall, you’re feeling terrific!

* 1 to 9 months: You’ve noticed a decrease of coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath. The cilia in your lungs are now able to better handle mucus, clean your lungs and reduce infection.

* After 1 year: You are half as likely than a smoker to have a heart attack.

* After 5 years: You have nearly half the chance of dying from lung cancer as you did when you were a pack-a-day smoker. Risk of esophagus, mouth and throat cancers are half that of smokers. Some communities have banned tobacco companies from giving chewing tobacco away at rodeos where it can easily get into the hands of children.
It’s hard to imagine anything worse than mouth cancer.

* After 10 years: The lung cancer death rate is equal to that of nonsmokers. Pre-cancerous cells have been replaced, and the risk of death from cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas has decreased.

* After 15 years: Your risk of suffering coronary heart disease is the same as that of a nonsmoker.

Your hard work will most definitely pay off in renewed good health, and with healthy financial benefits as well.

Assume that you spend $50.00 per month on cigarettes. If you were to invest that same $600.00 each year into a stock mutual fund, annuity, or other financial instrument that generates 5% annually, you will have saved more than $20,000 after 20 years. Of course, $50.00 per month is a very nominal amount. Most smokers will spend a great deal more while they smoke, and save a great deal more when they stop.

You know that you need to stop smoking. Both your body and your bankbook will be much healthier for it. There are many resources available to help you become a non-smoker, but be wary of television commercials that promote sites to help you quit. As a matter of fact, the first step to your healthier lifestyle should be to turn off the TV altogether. Instead, ask your doctor about the stop smoking methods and support groups that are available to help you quit.

Acupuncture clinics are a great place for getting timely diagnosis, treatment and patient care. The patient receives individual care and their case can be discussed, studied and reviewed with a qualified acupuncturist. Appropriate acupuncture points and treatment techniques can be identified that will suit each individual patient.

Chinese Herbal Medicines
In addition, some acupuncture clinics offer a variety of treatment options in addition to traditional acupuncture like Chinese herbal medicines. For those who are not sure of which is best being face to face with a staff member can really help in making an appropriate treatment decision.

Acupuncture clinics also focus on treating other health issues like: menopausal symptoms (i.e. hot flashes and fatigue), PMS and heavy periods, gynecological problems such as period pain, endometriosis, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches and migraines, anxiety and panic attacks, depression, auto-immune conditions like lupus and a host of other ailments.

When faced with a health condition that traditional modern medicine can’t diagnose the next logical step many people are now turning too for help is an acupuncture clinic. All treatments are considered safe with virtually no known harmful side effects.

One example of an acupuncture clinic is the Po Ji Tang in San Francisco. The Po Ji Tangs philosophy centers around complete health care. They believe and follow a holistic, preventive approach to pain relief and they offer a number of healthcare services in addition to acupuncture like: dietary and nutritional counseling, herbal therapy and traditional Chinese medicine is used to treat patients having a great number of different emotional, physical and psychological issues.

More and more are turning to acupuncture clinics because they embrace the use of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs in combination with acupuncture, whose effectiveness is thus increased due to synergy. Unlike modern medicine, acupuncture clinics spend time learning the patient’s background, lifestyle and habits before diagnosing and chalking out an effective treatment plan. To begin with, many patients receive treatments once a week which is gradually reduced as their health improves. All in all, going to acupuncture clinic should result getting professional treatment from a registered medical practitioner using time proven methods of natural healing without having to rely on drugs.

Smoking comes with many serious health risks that are easy to ignore because they take a few years to affect their bodies. Heart disease, stroke, and cancer are all a result of smoking. For a few who are strong enough to quit there is a second chance at life. But for many, by the time the truth about smoking sinks in, it is too late for they have succumbed to the results of smoking.

It is really quite simple cigarette smoking kills. Statistics and studies conclusively prove it. In hospitals, where there are hundreds of men and women who have suffered a major heart attack, undergoing open heart surgery, now lie in the wards fighting for their lives.

Statistics say that there is a 1 in 10,000 chance of surviving a left ventricular heart attack. Statistics also show that for other types of heart attack there is a 60% chance the patient will die before reaching hospital. If the patient is lucky enough to make it to hospital alive and undergo CABG 75% will survive but only 50% will return to their normal life. The other 50% will be left with major damage to their heart and thus the person will be severely limited. Of the 75% that survive the 5 year survival rate is only 30%. That is a very good reason to quit smoking.

Lung cancer is the number one disease associated with smoking. Only 50 years ago lung cancer was a rarity and yet today it is the number one cause of death in both women and men. There is no cure for lung cancer and it will generally kill the patient within 6 months of diagnosis. But lung cancer is not the only cancer cigarettes are responsible for – esophagus, mouth, tongue, larynx, lip, and pharynx as well as stomach, pancreas, bladder, and kidney cancers are all a result of smoking.

Smoking also causes circulatory problems. In fact more people die from these problems than from all of the cancers combined. Nicotine is a stimulant so it raises blood pressure and the heart rate while constricting the arteries, which is combined with the carbon monoxide in the body. The result is more than 300,000 deaths per year.

Emphysema is as deadly as lung cancer. The difference is lung cancer kills you fast while emphysema tortures you for years especially in the later stages.

Then there are all the less noticeable problems like sinus infections, more colds, and headaches. Smokers often feel fine right up until they suddenly die. Then it is too late. The best time to quit smoking is today or better yet, yesterday.

Around the globe more than 5 million people will die this year from cigarette smoking. Listing every reason to quit smoking could fill a book but just these main reasons should be enough to give up the habit.

Jot down all the reasons for quitting smoking. Always keep them with you. Whenever your urge for smoking rises refer to them. Decide to stop completely rather than gradual withdrawal. Have a strong will towards a healthy life & try to kill your appeal for smoking. So it’s better to set a date & stick to your quitting mission. You can get great support from your family in quitting. Tell everybody about your resolution. A ‘team’ effort may prove easier than doing it alone. Try to get other people in surroundings & stop smoking at the same time. Say good bye to ashtrays, lighters, and all cigarettes you already have. Set your mind for few withdrawal symptoms like nausea, headaches, discomfort, craving, and just feeling awful. Since your body has been habituated to the dosages of nicotine for its normal functioning, so these symptoms may whip you up for smoking. Stay determined as if the occurrence of symptoms is nothing for a strong person like you. These symptoms tend to hit you after 12-24 hours and then gradually ease over 2-4 weeks. Look forward to tough cough symptom. It has been found that “smokers cough’ gets worse when you stop smoking. This hard-hitting symptom tends to tempt you to restart smoking. Stand firm to this temptation! The cough usually gradually eases. Avoid every place or situation for the first few weeks that tempts you to smoke. Most commonly, drinking is associated with smoking. Try not to drink too much alcohol to stimulate your smoking desire. Stay away from pubs for a few weeks. Try to change your choices of coffee and tea with fresh juices and plenty of water. Mark off each successful day on a calendar. This will motivate you not to start all over again. You will feel the changes in you after a few days. You will smell better & enjoy your food more. Say with poise that you don’t smoke. Put the money in a piggy bank you used to spend on cigarettes whenever you have an urge again. See, how much money you can spend on treats rather than wasting on smoking. You may be doubtful about the increase in weight. Well, anticipate an increase in appetite, but avoid fatty or sugary foods as snacks. Take a crack at sugar-free gum and fruit instead. Don’t lose your heart if you fail. Be particular about the more difficult times when you couldn’t resist. Try to be stronger next time with a will to win. Seek the help of Stop Smoking Clinics when the need arises.

When you decide to stop, pick a date in the near future and plan for it. If possible, choose a time when you are faced with a change in routine, such as a holiday or a trip. Tell your family and your friends; They will reinforce your resolve. If you can, team up with another who’s quitting-sharing the experience helps. Talk to others who have stopped. Note the moments when you most want to smoke and be ready with a diversion.

When the date comes, stop carrying cigarettes, matches, or lighters. Hide all ashtrays. Carry nuts or other nutritious snacks to nibble on: stay away from candies. When you feel the urge to smoke, take a few deep breaths. Drink lots of water and fruit juices.

You will have moments of great anxiety. Endure them; they will pass. Keep active; exercise more. Read an engrossing book; engage in a hobby that keeps your hands busy.

If you backslide, don’t give up. Stop again immediately. Nicotine is addictive: a smoker must conquer the habit one day at a time. Don’t worry about not smoking ever again; focus on now.

Many have found help from such organizations as the American Lung Association, which has branches in every state, and from commercial smoke-ending programs, as well as from group therapy, hypnosis, yoga, acupuncture, and prescription drugs

So you want to quit smoking do you?

It has been estimated that the average smoker has wasted over $400,000 in tobacco purchases and medical expenses by the age of 35.

So imagine what you could do if you did stop smoking!

How do you quit? You put your mind to it and you do it.

You do not have to pay lots of money for hypnosis or for acupuncture or even some expensive nicotine patch. Just let your friends know that you are now serious about kicking the habit of smoking and get started on a free program.

U.S. Surgeon General has reported that nicotine is just as addictive as heroin and
Cocaine!

So you will want to take this seriously, because it is NOT going to get any easier to quit if you procrastinate this.

Those once smoking a pack or more a day, who have given up smoking for at least one year, have a death rate less than half that of those who have continued smoking. – American Cancer Society

One of the first people that I helped to quit smoking, always said that she really wanted to quit smoking. But when I asked her, she would say that she wanted to start her program once she had finished her current new pack of cigarettes. I asked her how much the pack cost her, and then offered to give her that amount of money to buy the pack from her. I bought her cigarette pack from her, and then I crushed the pack into pieces over the trash can.

Even if you do not care about your health, others do, and by you smoking, there is a danger of second hand smoke for others. And the worse part of it is that those that look up to you, may soon be copying your dirty habit. I have worked with lots of people who I have helped to stop smoking, who had been smoking for many years. It is not easy, but I know that it is possible.

You will want to remove all the things from your surroundings that make you crave tobacco. This means that you will need to get rid of the smells from your car, your clothes, your carpet and entire home. That could mean that you need to stay away from your favorite porch chair for a while, if that is where you do most of your smoking. Get rid of all of your ash trays. Stay away from the places where you normally buy the cigarettes.

Some people like to get candies to put into their mouth, for whenever they feel the urge to smoke. It is recommended that you use cinnamon flavor, since that helps control the urge. Before you start, get some cinnamon flavored candies and cinnamon flavored mouth wash. Orange juice, or even better, grapefruit juice, has shown to be especially helpful, due to the high vitamin C content. Have the juice available in your refrigerator and wherever you go. Get some healthy munchies. For example, maybe put a bag of those mini carrots in your refrigerator.

Stay away from high fat foods, coffee, and alcohol, while you are trying to quit. By doing this, you will be fighting some of the natural triggers that have stopped you from quitting smoking in the past.

A free program that has been used by over 20 million people, is the Five-Day Plan to Quit Smoking, put together by two Christians in 1964. And it is still being used today! The plan has been recognized by the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. This plan was put together by J.Wayne McFarland, M.D. and Elman J. Folkenberg. There are some places that will charge you to do this plan, with personal assistance, but you can download a find a free copy on the internet and do it on your own at no cost too.

The plan takes you through a five day long, step-by-step program to easily change your daily habits and achieve your goals to quit smoking. Through psychological motivations and physical changes (such as slight dietary modifications), the Five-Day Plan works to break your nicotine cravings and smoking routine.

Even when nicotine patches have worked for those who are determined to quit the nasty habit, they still leave the smokers taking in nicotine for quite some time, and directly into their blood stream. This just can’t be the ideal solution. Of course, it’s better to quit smoking gradually with the nicotine patch than to never quit smoking at all, but if there’s a way to start today on an immediate withdrawal of all nicotine, that would be far preferable.

Herbal stop smoking products are that immediate withdrawal answer that many are looking for. Besides, nicotine gum and nicotine patches just don’t work for every smoker that wants to quit. Some people smoke not only because of the addiction the nicotine has created in their systems, but also because they enjoy the physical smoking act. And you just can’t duplicate that with gum or patches.

Herbal stop smoking products work exceptionally well, and they do so because they take stock of the fact that folks craving smoking as much as they crave nicotine. The herbal stop smoking products try to address all of the smoker’s needs that brought her or him to smoking in the first place, and kept him or her there. The designer of herbal stop smoking products did there best – and succeeded – at working on the center of the craving’s source – the smoker’s brain.

There are so many facets to what these herbal stop smoking products do to ward off the smoking habit – and make it stay away. The herbs in these smoking cessation products balance the levels of serotonin in the smoker’s brain and also fight her or his urge to indulge in sweets. The latter may not seem the realm of a stop-smoking product. However, studies have shown, and smokers themselves will readily tell you, that one of the concerns that keep them puffing away is the fear that they’ll replace the intake of nicotine with the need to fill their mouths and stomachs with a high calorie sweet substitute. And it’s true that binge eating is often the result of the sudden withdrawal of the comforting cigarette puff.

Herbal stop smoking products focus on the principles of holistic health, and so try to help smokers kick the habit in a very healthy way. If, rather than replacing one form of nicotine ingestion with another – in the case of the nicotine patch and the nicotine gum – the smoker learns to give up cigarettes by replacing it with something that is good for them, she or he will feel happier, more confident, healthier and proud of him or herself.

But then again – We still do it! Why?!

People start smoking because they are curious. They want to know the effect on other people, why they use it, and can’t stop when they want to.

Does it really make us feel better or calmer? Will it really make us a part of the group if we use it?

We know the answers. When we are kids we think we should do what the other friends are doing and we smoke to be a part of the gang.

When are older, we think it might help us with the stress we experience in our lives.

Then it becomes a bad habit we can’t get rid of.

Sure the tobacco is addictive, but isn’t that another lame excuse?

When you want to stop something you do it. When you feel pain you stop doing what ever it is you do even if you like doing it because you don’t want to get hurt.

So why is it so hard for us to stop smoking?!

In order to stop, but really stop we need to decide we really want to do it. Not because our spouse asked us, Not because we just want to see if we can stop, Not just for a few month.

We need to decide we do not want this habit!

After we did that we can get to the next stage which is to stop.

If you are a heavy smoker try to reduce the amount of cigarettes first, until you completely stop.
You can also use some methods to help you when you feel like you must take a cigarette.

• Put mustard seeds on the lungs and tape them with plaster, also rub the spot.

• Every time you have the urge to smoke, put some salt of the tip of your tongue. Repeat for 1-2 month.

• Try nicotine products, such as: gum, drops, tapes and more.

Be healthy and smell better!!!

Nicotine is no ordinary addiction. It has destroyed millions of individuals and millions of homes. You made many resolutions in front of your friends and relatives but not one of them fructified.

Asthma can be controlled, but COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) which is the direct gift of smoking, is difficult to control or cure. Damage to the airways in COPD is permanent. The obstruction can not be removed. Here, the airways are only narrowed.

A test called spirometry is conducted to decide whether you have COPD. To confirm the diagnosis, bronchodilators are added. These are the drugs that cause the airway to dilate.

The treatment of COPD is peculiar. In the sense, you need to stop smoking first, before the commencement of the treatment. You can’t continue to smoke and expect the anti-smoking drugs to produce miracles. Highest co-operation from you is needed. Don’t depend upon the drugs as such. Take their co-operation. For treating COPD, short acting bronchodialator inhalers, steroid inhalers, long acting bronchodilators are used.

You have done enough of drama rehearsals. Time has arrived for your final show, or call it showdown with nicotine. It won’t give up easily. It is out to confront you ably assisted by around 4000 poisonous elements that it commands, 40 of them cancer-causing. No doubt, your will power to quit smoking is supreme, but let some drugs medication help
you stop smoking.

Some do cold turkey, with benefit. The triggers in environment are bound to make it psychologically difficult to lighting up. The main obstacle is behavior patterns. You will experience physical withdrawal symptoms. But if you are determined, this strategy will work.

Since nicotine is your enemy, tools or drugs that confront nicotine, and help in reducing its effect are most welcome. Nicotine patch is one of them. Though they are costly, and the insurance companies will not admit your claim for expenses on this account, this step is worth pursuing. Nicotine gum is another such product. You are not actually expected to chew the gum, just lodge it between your gum and cheek.

Herbal remedies also play a positive role in the area of stop smoking drugs medication. You may say, and strictly speaking you are right, that tobacco is also a herb. But “to remove the thorn, sometimes, you need to use a thorn.” Some other herb must confront the tobacco herb. Ginger cigarettes, herbal teas and things alike help to remove the toxins from your body.

Zyban is another drug, that finds favor in the stop smoking tools. It is a prescription medicine, and you need to take it under your doctor’s advice.

After all, between the physical addiction to nicotine and the psychological addiction, the whole person, mind and body, is craving the next cigarette. With that strong pull encouraging you to the next smoke, the thought of getting cancer, having a heart attack, or hurting your unborn baby might not be enough to make you decide to stop smoking.

That your health doesn’t deteriorate with the first cigarette encourages you to believe that smoking is not dangerous. Tobacco takes twenty to fifty years to damage your body with cancer or heart disease.

For a young person who is encouraged to start smoking at fifteen or seventeen that seems like a lifetime away. The sad thing is, by the time the damage is done it can be too late to quit smoking. They can end up dead of a heart attack at forty-five or dying of lung cancer at fifty.

How does one succeed in stopping the mind and body from continuing this addiction? You must deal with the body and the mind separately but at the same time. In other words, deal with the physical addiction with one technique and the psychological addiction with another technique all at the same time.

It’s actually easier to deal with the physical addiction. There are patches, pills, and gums that you can use if you need them. Your doctor will be able to help you in this area by recommending products that can help your body lose the desire for a cigarette.

The psychological addiction is more complicated to overcome. Everyone would rather experience pleasure than pain, and trying to stop smoking will produce pain. To the smoker, cigarettes produce pleasure.

Some smoke to have something to do, or because they believe it will calm their nerves. They might associate smoking with a pleasurable experience, such as smoking with friends at the bar or while they play poker. They aren’t smoking because they feel the need for the nicotine, but because they associate smoking with a good time.

So how does one overcome the psychological addiction? Some professionals suggest filling up the time you would normally be smoking with some other activity. The activity needs to be a positive one or it won’t work.

Have the activities planned out. Know exactly what you are going to do in place of smoking and be prepared for it.

Include times of regular exercise, meditation and breathing exercises. Believe you can stop smoking and surround yourself with people who will encourage you to succeed.

Most importantly, get rid of the idea that life isn’t worth living without cigarettes. That thought must not be allowed. Change that thought to “life is worth living without cigarettes.” Instead of thinking that cigarettes are good, replace the thought with something like “cigarettes are killing me.”

By changing your thoughts about cigarettes from positive to negative you will change your beliefs about them. When your beliefs change, then you lose the psychological craving for them and it’s easier to stop smoking.

In order to stop smoking one must put their entire energy, and mind into the task. Making sure it is really a commitment you want to keep can be a task in itself. Many of those that have quit smoking needed several warm up rounds, and trial and error phases before actually kicking the habit completely. This is because to stop smoking completely for most individuals is not an easy thing to do, and can often result in relapses. One shouldn’t be discouraged if the first attempt to stop smoking fails, as most people will go through this. The key is to keep going with the program, and look at it as just one step in the right direction. Keeping a positive attitude that you can do it, and if you falter, try again.

For those wishing to stop smoking, it is imperative to locate a program that will help you in the process. What works for some, might not work for others, and this is why it is important to go with a product or program that has a reputation for success, and is part of a user reviewed community that people have rated worthy of trying.

One great site is QuitSmokingRightNow, which offers a complete solution to quit smoking. This powerful website and e-book will be a one stop shop for those who want to quit smoking, and something that can fuel your motivation to truly stay quit. QuitSmokingRightNow is a site that offers its visitors helpful tips, and tricks to quick smoking, along with a full blown course kit to help users stop smoking all together.

Another quality site is SmokingChallenge. This website is full of helpful stop smoking information, along with a comprehensive course for sale that promises to help you stop smoking once and for all. This is the type of site that offers a course that shows one how to stop smoking, and makes it easy enough for those who want to give it a true shot to go for it and actually quit.

Whatever product you choose to go with, make sure you have a site that shows you customer reviews of the product, like the site Review Place. Review Place will show you what the real customers of sites like the ones listed above think about the programs, if they worked, how much they cost, and any other information that is important. This is good for those serious about trying to stop smoking.

Quitting smoking is something that is absolutely necessary in our society today. Doctors are now more than ever before proving that smoking is literally a massive killer, and it is not something that should be taken lightly. For those serious about trying to stop smoking, getting the right product may surely do the trick, and if the research is done right, you can be sure that now is the time that you will stop smoking for good.

In the recent past, they have developed many wonder drugs, claiming that they have almost made it, but soon many unanswered questions cropped up. Is it really possible to stop smoking by taking recourse to pills? If so, for how long the pill diet has to continue? Nicotine’s chemical reaction on the body is their main target. Having known this, will they succeed to mimic or block nicotine’s destructive powers? Researchers have also found out that certain pills have within them the in-built double-benefit scheme! They help you stop smoking and drop weight! Is it good or bad?

They say that the best friend is the worst enemy. Cigarettes were your best friend. Now suddenly you want to quit smoking. Naturally the worst experiences, call them sufferings, will meet you on the way. But it’s time you cross each hurdle, without losing confidence and without giving up the race. All should be well, in the end!

Now, there is no doubt that enemy number one is nicotine. Strike this enemy so hard that there is no need to strike again. There is perfect agreement amongst the researchers on the subject. A revolutionary medicine is being developed, which when hits the market on a commercial scale, could be in the form of potion or pill. It is called Methoxsalen. This drug is also developed on the scientifically accepted fact that cigarette smoking is an addiction developed by human body’s earnest desire, obsession for nicotine.

Curb the desire, say the scientists who developed this drug; elimination of this craving is possible, the researchers fervently believe! They have great hopes on this new discovery, which they hope, will produce precedent-shattering results!

Are they right this time? Logically speaking, it seems that they are moving on the correct track! It is just like removing thorn by thorn! They are out to develop ways and means to prevent nicotine to reach up to the brain. It is the brain that does the duty of producing happy and enjoyable sensations when you smoke. When the brain stops giving such signals, what will the poor addict do? He is now not interested in lighting another cigarette at all, and at the end of the day he finds that the packet is almost in tact.

He now knows that he has found a way out from the nicotine-influencing zone. Hopefully the final exit will be soon!

Tobacco has shown to be harmful to the entire digestive system. Two of the most common ailments caused by smoking is heartburn and acid reflux, which are conditions that people with IBS are already more likely to suffer from. Tobacco weakens the sphincter in the oesophagus, therefore allowing stomach acid to flow upward into the oesophagus. Tobacco has also been known to double your chance of developing a peptic ulcer and chemicals in tobacco also hinder the healing of ulcers and make sufferers more likely to develop additional ulcers later in life. The exact increase is unknown but it’s thought to be as high as 10 times as likely. Doctors also believe that there is a link between the development of Crohn’s disease and the possible development of gallstones in tobacco users.

The addictive and poisonous part of tobacco, nicotine, can cause many health problems on its own. Additional weakening of the sphincter of the oesophagus, increased acid production in the stomach and a decrease in the pancreas making sodium bicarbonate, which neutralizes stomach acid. But nicotine isn’t the only problem with tobacco. There are over 400 toxins and at least 43 known carcinogens in tobacco, all of which will hit someone with IBS harder than they would hit a healthy person. A seldom considered side effect of smoking is increased air consumption, which can lead to bloating and flatulence.

And of course, the most common result in long-term cigarette smoking or tobacco chewing is the development of cancer, including cancer of the digestive tract, such as colon, bladder, pancreas, kidney and stomach cancer. It’s not known if IBS sufferers are at a higher risk to develop cancer of the digestive tract, but the additional irritation and stimuli to the body tends to not be favourable for IBS patients.

Tobacco irritates the lining of the intestines, which can cause diarrhoea, intestinal cramping, pain, bloating and gas in IBS patients. Nicotine has been reported to highly increase the frequency of stomach cramps in IBS sufferers. Tobacco use also decreases the efficiency of food digestion and it can also dramatically slow down the metabolism of those with IBS. This can alter bowel movements, which are already a huge problem for those with IBS, and cause bloating. Withdrawal from nicotine can cause both constipation and diarrhoea, again, already a big problem for those with IBS.

So for those people with IBS, sometimes just a small amount of stimuli to the digestive tract can be too much. The effects of tobacco use are universally negative for an average person and can be dramatic for those with IBS. There is no known cure for IBS and treatment options are not widely agreed upon, even by experts. But one treatment everyone can agree on is to reduce or eliminate tobacco use, even if you don’t have IBS!

There are a number of myths about smoking. For example, it is generally thought that young men become addicted to smoking faster than young women, but this is not the case. Research has shown that young women tend to adopt the bad habit of cigarette smoking much more quickly than their male counterparts. Studies have also suggested that just being around people who smoke cigarettes brings a higher risk of developing cancer; so-called ‘passive smokers’ even have a higher risk of getting the disease than chain smokers, in fact.

The World Health Organization has associated smoking with over 25 types of cancer, including uterine cancer, kidney, cervical, and pancreatic cancers, and the list grows by the day. Women and nonsmokers have been found to be more prone to breast cancer than any other form. The WHO report indicates that smoking cigarettes is not only damaging to the smoker, but also to the health of people just standing nearby. For women, smoking is synonymous with death because it increases the chance of heart attack and stroke as well as cancer. Their risk increases ten-fold if they are also using birth control medications and smoking.

If you were to list all of the bad effects of smoking you would be involved in a never-ending task. Smokers use cigarettes, happily thinking that this will relax them by easing their stress and tension. However, the unhealthy effects of the smoking are easy to see on the faces of smokers. They have bad breath, yellow teeth, wrinkled skin, and complain of tongue and stomach ulcers.

Children are at greatest risk of picking up the smoking habit. Parents who smoke are providing a terrible example to their children, who often want to follow in the footsteps of their mothers and fathers. Children of smokers can’t tell the difference between what’s good or bad because, from their earliest years, they have been exposed to a bad example.

Smoking cigarettes can also hamper a person’s ability to think clearly. It creates an addiction that is difficult to overcome, and people who smoke always think they need a cigarette to get through any period of tension in their lives.

Nicotine stimulates the central nervous system creating a pleasurable and euphoric sensation that makes the smokers feel so relax. In the meantime, it is paralyzing your nervous system. So to get that same euphoric feeling again, you have to in-crease the amount you smoke. This cycle play over and over again until most likely you are addicted.

Once you become addicted, your body will crave nicotine. Trying to quit smoking causes withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms may include nausea, irritability, depression, headache, insomnia, fatigue, and cravings for a cigarette. Withdrawal symptoms should be expected when you are trying to quit smoking. But remember it is only temporary.

In addition to nicotine cigarette smoke also contains the dangerous gas carbon monoxide. Studies show that carbon monoxide has a stronger attraction for red blood cells than oxygen does. Since red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your system, this means that a smoker’s body is being depleted placing additional strain on the heart.

Nicotine coupled with carbon monoxide release fatty acids in the blood stream. This plaque contributes to hardening of the arteries, which may lead to a heart attack, stroke, and other circulatory diseases.

It is not unusual to feel depressed while quitting smoking, but proper nutrients can help you cope with the withdrawal symptoms. Unfortunately, smoking became a habit instead of a choice. It became a part of your lifestyle. Your activities and smoking are so intertwine that you do not even realize you are doing it. As you drink your coffee, read the newspaper, talk on the phone, take a break at work, and socialize you have a cigarette in your hand.

There are so many health problems associated with smoking including: Cancer, Heart Attacks, Cataracts, High Blood Pressure, Impotence, and Ulcers.

Let’s not forget secondhand smoke. Evidence shows that secondhand smoke may be more dangerous than the smoke the smoker inhales. Recent air sampling show that pollutants are more concentrated inside our house than outdoors. Indoor toxicity runs two to five times higher than outside. The effects of constantly breathing impure air in a room that’s polluted with cigarette smoke, even though you are a nonsmoker can lead to lung cancer. Also, if you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is even higher.

Most smokers wish they had never started smoking, but is so hard to quit smoking because they are addicted. In fact some researchers say tobacco is more addictive than heroin and cocaine. Smoking contributes to at least 21% of all heart disease. Quitting now will reduce your risk of heart problems up to 70% in the next four through five years.

In fact you can reap the benefits of not smoking in just 24-hours after your last cigarette. In 1 day your pulse should calm and your blood pressure should return to normal.

There are so many health advantages when you quit smoking.The secret to your success if finding which way is right for you.

Quit Smoking Tips

It is estimated that cravings for a cigarette usually last only 3 to 5 minutes. When the nicotine demon strike try focusing on something else for that small length of time. As you resist, it will become easier as time goes on.

Cut back on junk food, processed, refined, salt, white sugar, white flour, and saturated fat. Get rid of alcohol, coffee, and teas. Only herbal tea is allowed.

Incorporate more vegetables and fruits into your diet. Drinking fruit and vegetable juices have been known to curb cravings.

Drink plenty of pure water that’s free from toxins. This will helps cleanse the system.

When the craving of tobacco comes over you, try reaching for some carrots or celery sticks.

Don’t miss meals eat regularly. This will stabilize your blood sugar until your body is accustomed to being without nicotine.

Get rid of all cigarettes, try to freshen everything that smell of smoke, and make your place smell “smoke free.”

As much as possible stay away from smokers and a smoking atmosphere.

Take long walks in the open air and breathe deeply. This will help strengthen and clear your lungs.

Be determined to quit! Even if you slip don’t throw in the towel.

Jokes apart…All will lose deposits. No one likes them, for the simple reason that millions are affected by them and suffer on the account of them. They are all most unwanted. You wish to get rid of them but may not actually know it.

High blood pressure which is also known as hypertension in medical terms has affected millions in the US. The estimated figure is 80 million! Many of these, and their number also runs into millions, do not know that they have blood pressure.

The identifiable symptoms of blood pressure are constant headache, difficulty in breathing and feeling dizziness. Smoking is definitely harmful in the state of high or low blood pressure. It is an accepted fact that smoking increases the possibilities of heart attack. The reason is simple enough to understand. Nicotine in cigarette and other tobacco products constrict one’s blood vessels and the heart thus beats faster which is not good for the high blood pressure patients. Further, smoking creates complications in the lungs and in the vascular system.

In fact the thread bare analysis- whether smoking, alcohol, coffee, tea, are good or bad in the condition of blood pressure is meaningless. They are all equally bad. The loyal agents of the dreaded nicotine therefore deserve nothing but condemnation. Any soft attitude towards the products of such classification is not going to help the cause of your health.

And if you are the jack of all trades and are indulged in activities such as drinking coffee, drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes, you are a certain candidate for blood pressure. You also become a possible candidate for future heart attacks and other lung problems!

Stress and headaches are the natural outcome of blood pressure. These three are so closely interrelated that it is difficult to pinpoint which is the direct cause of which disease or imbalance.

Now the question arises how to treat this smoking habit, blood pressure, stress and headache all together? Seemingly they look different, but all of them belong to the same root. So, “positive lifestyle changes” is the only answer!

Your one negative trait may be the cause of several diseases. Similarly one positive trait may be the cure for several diseases. Believe me just one positive lifestyle change may initiate a series of changes in your health. That too all naturally, and for the better!

When you smoke a cigarette, the nicotine level in your body spikes and your body receives an immediate rush of nicotine. As the nicotine level slowly dissipates and then drops below a certain point, your body craves another spike or “hit”, obviously through another cigarette, in order to relieve this craving. For this reason any attempts to quit smoking can be so difficult.

Going cold turkey or relying on willpower to quit smoking most often ends in failure. However, there are medical aids that may make the task a little more bearable, with the most popular ones being those that supply and regulate nicotine in the bloodstream.

The nicotine patch is one of the more popular medical aids for quitting smoking. This nicotine patch is placed on your skin, which then releases a slow and steady stream of nicotine into the bloodstream. Instead of cutting out nicotine instantly from your system, the patch supposedly helps your body adjust slowly to not having spikes in the nicotine level and wean your body gradually off nicotine. As your body adjusts to lower levels of nicotine, the dosage of the patch can be further reduced, until eventually the nicotine level is almost minimal and your body is finally nicotine free.

The patch is also a very strong deterrent against smoking, because if you smoke while on the patch, you could suffer from a potentially lethal nicotine overdose. However, one common problem with the nicotine patch is that because the patch supplies a steady amount of nicotine into your bloodstream, there is no spike or hit, so that some smokers still crave cigarettes for the hit that cigarette provides.

Like the nicotine patch, the nicotine gum works on the same idea. It can be quite effective as it can replicate the nicotine spikes in your bloodstream without you having to smoke cigarettes. You generally hold the nicotine gum in your mouth without chewing, and only chew a couple of times when you desire a hit of nicotine.

Another aid, Zyban, is also a very effective aid in your battle to quit smoking. It does not work by supplying nicotine to the bloodstream, but works by altering the brain chemistry to reduce the desire for smoking. Zyban is usually taken a few weeks before you plan to stop smoking as it takes time for any effect to take place.

Zyban is a prescription drug, so you need to consult with a doctor to be prescribed Zyban. It cannot be taken in combination with other drugs, and may have some side effects such as dizziness, insomnia, dry mouth or even seizures.

To quit smoking takes serious effort, but too many smokers try to quit by relying on sheer willpower, which is extremely hard to do. By using these aids such as the nicotine patch and Zyban, you are making it easier for your body to quit smoking and thus improving your chances of success.

There are a lot of reasons to quit smoking. We all know the life threatening reasons, but we don’t necessarily understand the the full impact that smoking has on our bodies and minds, and possibly even on others around us.

Women especially are susceptible to some of the more hidden dangers of smoking, and may actually benefit in different ways than men when it comes to smoking cessation.

For example, many women probably do not even know this, but lung cancer is now killing more women every year than breast cancer. That’s right, lung cancer is actually more deadly to a woman than breast cancer, which is by far more talked about in women’s health than lung cancer.

Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer since nearly 90% of all cases are traced directly to smoking, so it’s important that women really understand the health benefits of quitting smoking.

There are actually a lot more health issues that a woman needs to think about if she is a smoker as well. For example, most contraceptive pills carry warnings on them that the patient should not take the contraceptive birth control pill if she is a smoker.

Her risk of developing heart problems is greatly increased if she is smoking while on the pill, since smoking increases blood pressure, and the pill is known to also increase blood pressure. This creates a double hazard for heart issues.

Another concern may be for a woman’s children. Children many times can develop asthma and other types of breathing problems if the child is exposed to cigarette smoke at a young age. This is also a concern for men, since they are not exempt from this rule either!

There are also a myriad of other health problems, inconveniences and even just “cosmetic” reasons that a woman may want to consider smoking cessation in order that she may be her “best self”.

These don’t necessarily fall into the category of life threatening or imminent dangers, but they certainly can affect your quality of life, as well as your appearance, which is held in high regard in today’s aesthetically concerned society. These additional health and well being benefits to smoking cessation are as follows :

1.) Your skin is greatly affected by smoking, and not in a good way as you can probably imagine. As we age, our skin cell turnover tends to slow down. Smoking actually speeds the process of this slower turnover up, making us essentially age faster.

Add to this the fact that smoking essentially robs our body of oxygen and creates more free radicals, which are skin’s number one enemy and aging’s number one comrade, and you have a recipe for accelerated aging, and sagging, colorless skin.

Most women see a marked improvement in the tone, clarity and firmness of their skin just a few weeks after they quit smoking, especially if they were a heavy smoker.

2.) Your teeth and mouth will thank you. Smoking not only gives you bad breath, but it also turns your teeth yellow, or sometimes even brown from nicotine residue and tabacco staining.

3.) Quitting smoking can greatly help with your mental state. What do I mean? I mean that smoking may seem at first like it is a relaxant, since it tends to immediately feel like it is relieving tension and anxiety once the cigarette is in your mouth and you begin to inhale. Contrary to this belief that cigarettes “calm” you, studies have shown that in the long run smoking actually increases anxiety.

We all know that depression and anxiety tend to go hand in hand, so quitting smoking may also greatly benefit a woman’s psyche.

4.) No more coughing, weezing, and possibly even a reduction in allergies. If you quit smoking, chances are you will breathe a lot easier.

It takes a lot less time for your lungs to heal than you think. Studies have shown that even the most blackened smoker’s lungs have made full recoveries within just a few months after they have quit smoking.

The preventive methods, unfortunately do not reach the entire targeted audience Which means, the profit rate of counseling is as not much as it is expected to be. “These gaps in care should be closed for the benefit of everyone,” said Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which sponsored the study. The study is published in the July issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

When you are stressed in life,cigarettes pose as if they are your friends. But are they really? Are they capable of de -stressing you permanently? The answer is in the negative. Nicotine addiction temporarily sedates you. Stress pounces on you with vendetta again. The funniest part of the smoking process, is that even when you smoke, you know that you are not happy to smoke.

Openly declare your intention to quit smoking with your close friends, both smokers and non-smokers,and your family members. You are sure get support from your family members.

The gentlemen smoker friends will stop offering you the cigarettes. If you drink alcohol, try to give it up. At times, it may be counter productive. It may weaken your resolve to quit smoking. The carvings for the cigarette intensify. But this is one of those situations which you have to undergo and sort out with resolute will power.

In the process to quit smoking, do not hesitate to make your best smoker friends, your temporary best enemies. You are undergoing one of the crisis period in your life. Some of them will understand, as not all of them are happy smokers. They too wish to give up, but they do not know, how to give it up. If you are successful, you will have to do the act of counseling to many many others.

Addiction to tobacco has assumed alarming propositions today in the world. So health advice, and anti smoking counseling are the items of priority, before any health authority.

The need to give anti-tobacco advise at the formative stage of life of the younger generation is bound to give highly beneficial results.

1. First, make up your mind. Honor your commitment and get yourself registered in a smoke-quitting program or visit a counselor or hypnotherapist;

2. Make a list of the reasons why you want to quit smoking and go through it every time you crave a cigarette;

3. Write 10 good things about smoking and 10 bad things about smoking. You’ll notice the difference in the good and the bad. This helps a lot;

4. Buy yourself a nicotine inhaler or Zyban. This will make it a bit easier to give up smoking;

5. Get audiotapes and books related to quitting smoking. Read them and enlighten yourself about all the ill effects of smoking;

6. Consult your doctor if you face seizures or any other complications;

7. Get your friends and family to support you and help you give up smoking;

8. Try to eat fruits, chewing gum, lollipops, hard candy or cinnamon sticks if the urge to smoke arises. Try replacing nicotine with other non-addictive stuff like beer nuts or corn muffins;

9. Keep your mind occupied with creative activities such as knitting, embroidery or carpentry. Take a brisk walk, go for a swim or some other physical activity. This will help to keep your mind off smoking;

10. You may gain some weight while trying to quit smoking. This is because people tend to feel hungry initially when trying to give up smoking. However, this minor problem can be easily handled through regular exercise;

11. In the first few days after quitting, drink plenty of water. This washes away the nicotine and other harmful toxins from your body;

12. Give up coffee and other carbonated drinks when you quit smoking;

13. Ask people around you to stop inviting you to go out for a smoke. This will not only help you to deal with the craving for a cigarette, but give you somebody to talk to about how hard quitting is;

14. Take long deep breaths every time you feel like smoking. When you slowly inhale, feel the fresh air reach deep inside you. While exhaling, feel all the stress and tensions leave your body. Let your chin rest on your chest and relax;

15. Remember, all cravings last only five minutes. If you succeed in diverting your mind for five minutes, you can give up smoking.

You won’t die if you don’t smoke. So never give up when you badly feel like smoking. Make it happen, give up cigarettes and live a long and healthy life.

Riddle: A minister made his son drink lye, which burned out his vocal chords. What was the positive intention behind his behavior?

If you are like 99.9% of the clients who have come into my office since 1978, you’ll indignantly say something like: There’s no positive intention behind that behavior. But you would be 100% wrong. To answer this riddle, first you have to separate the behavior from the positive intention of the behavior.

The minister’s son was cursing. And the minister believes that if a person curses, his soul will be condemned to Hell. So the answer is that the minister was burning out his son’s voice box so that he couldn’t curse. So he was saving his son’s soul from being condemned to Hell.

The secret formula for success works as follows:
We must always respect the positive intent behind every behavior. If we have a compulsion to use a behavior that we don’t like, we can easily get rid of the compulsion to use that behavior providing we find another behavior to substitute in it’s place that is as effective and available at accomplishing the same outcome, but is more consciously acceptable to you. This is called a REFRAME.

When clients come into my office, one of the first things that I do is to take a through case history. Let’s say that they come in and ask me to help them overcome their appetite. Conventional wisdom tells us that the two main reasons that people eat excessively are:

(1) For relaxation and pleasure;

(2) Because eating can be a conditioned response. For instance, if a person eats while they are watching TV, they will develop a conditioned response, and thereafter, every time they sit down to watch TV, they’ll get cravings and an urge to eat.

However, the above answer only takes into consideration the possible positive intention behind the eating behavior. What if they also have another behavior that is involved in the equation? For example: What if being fat is also a behavior for this person? I can hear your mind grinding right now as you think, Being fat isn’t a behavior, what are you talking about?”

Sorry but you could be 100% wrong. Here is one simple classic text book example that will illustrate the fact that being fat can be a behavior. It can be a behavior because it can accomplish positive outcomes.

Example: A woman is deeply in love. Her boyfriend breaks up with her, and breaks her heart. Her unconscious mind wants to protect her emotionally and prevent her from having her heart broken again. So it motivates her to get fat to keep her out of relationships. That way she won’t get her heart broken again. The point is that everyone is totally different. And sometimes there are hidden elements at work causing compulsive behaviors. These are elements that are different for each person.

Here is another example: A woman comes into my office complaining of an uncontrollable urge to overeat at dinner time. During my case history, upon questioning, the woman explains how she was never been able to satisfy her father.

We did an age regression, and one of her earliest memories was of eating dinner with the family. And dad was insisting in a very loud voice that she clean her plate, even though she was full. So she cleaned her plate out of fear, and dad commended her for eating everything. It was one of the only times in her life that she could recall her dad telling her that he was happy with her.

Shoot forward to present day. Dad’s been dead for years, but the unconscious program he installed is still working. She still has a compulsion to clean her plate, even if she is feeling stuffed, because by cleaning the plate she is getting dad’s approval, and eliminating her fear!

So if you are having a problem making personal changes, keep in mind that there is a positive intention behind all behaviors. And keep in mind “The secret formula for success.”

© 2006 By Alan B. Densky.

Bad habits are controlling and rule your life, how many times have you promised to give up smoking and yet here you are still throwing money down the drain in pursuit of death!

You may not care how long you live and you may not care that your clothes and your house stink of smoke but what about your partner and your family. Is it fair to make your children breath in the smoke that you throw in their direction even if it’s just off your clothes? What about your partner, there are many petty habits that I would agree your spouse may just have to learn to live with but smoking is in a completely different league. By continuing to smoke you are showing a lack of care towards your family by the shear fact that you are prepared to go to your grave years early, perhaps missing your children grow up and leaving your partner alone just because you are not prepared to take one little step and learn how to break the smoking habit.

I admit that giving up smoking isn’t easy but it can be done, with a little effort and determination you can break any habit.

The evidence against smoking is mounting and along side the evidence of the real harm smoking can cause is the increasing social disapproval of smoking.

You might believe it doesn’t matter that death is a long way off but the older you get the quicker life passes you by and all too soon you wish you had broken the smoking habit years before.

I lost my mother in law to lung cancer a few years back. She was an otherwise healthy individual who enjoyed life to the full. Smoking destroyed her final years and significantly cut short her life. Once she understood that there was more to life than smoking it was too late to for her to break the habit. She left behind an adoring husband and family and her husband now has to see out a good many of his final years alone.

Take it from me, now is the time to stop smoking, not next week, next month or next year. Break the habit now, stop smoking today and if you can’t do it alone, and many people can’t, get help.

Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. In fact, smoking tobacco is the major risk factor for lung cancer. People who smoke are 10 to 20 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke. The longer a person smokes and the more cigarettes smoked each day increases the risk for developing lung cancer.

People who quit smoking have a lower risk of lung cancer than if they had continued to smoke, but their risk is higher than people who never smoked.

You Can Quit Smoking! If you have tried to quit you know how hard it can be and the reason is that nicotine is a very addictive drug. Usually people make two or three tries before they successfully quit. Each time you try to quit and fail, you can learn what works for you and what situations are problematic. If you use proven cessation treatments it can double your chance of success.

Studies have shown that these five steps will help you quit and quit for good. You have the best chances of quitting if you use them together.

First set a quit date and get rid of all cigarettes, ashtrays and lighters. Don´t let people smoke around you. When you quit, don´t smoke at all! Not one single puff or cigarette.

Second – get support from telling your family and friends. Tell your co-workers that you are going to quit and want their support. Ask them not to smoke around you or offer you cigarettes. Talk to your health care provider and get individual, group, or telephone counseling. The more help you have, the better your chances are of quitting.

Third – learn new skills and behaviors so you distract yourself from urges to smoke. Talk to someone, go for a walk, or get busy with a task. When you first try to quit, change your routines. Use a different route to work and drink tea instead of coffee. Eat breakfast in a different place. Drink a lot of water and other fluids.

Fourth – Medications can help you stop smoking and lessen the urge to smoke. The FDA has approved six medications to help you quit smoking and a couple of them, like Nicotine gum, are available over-the-counter. Your health care provider can advice and you should also carefully read the information on the package. These medications will double your chances of quitting and quitting for good.

Fifth – You shall be prepared for relapse and difficult situations. Most relapses occur within the first three months after quitting. Don’t be discouraged if you start smoking again. Remember, most people try several times before they finally quit. The following are some difficult situations you may encounter:

Avoid drinking alcohol. Drinking lowers your chances of success. Being around smoking can make you want to smoke. Many smokers will gain some weight when they quit, usually less than 10 pounds. Eat a healthy diet and stay active.

I tried to quit three or four times and actually did for a week here and there before some perceived crack in my comfort zone drove me right back to my best friend, Marlboro cigarettes. I read all the steps to quit; even followed some of them for a few minutes or days. I even “worked down” from my beloved red pack to the light version.

I made a general announcement, “This is my last cigarette! I quit!” My belief was that I would chat myself into a public hole that would embarrass me enough to prevent relapse. Wrong!

I found things to keep in my mouth to distract me from smoking…hot cinnamon candies, mints, fake plastic cigarettes, nasty-tasting mouthwash. Wrong! Nothing tasted like my Marlboros and I was never distracted from the craving to smoke.

I read that after 3 days, the physical addiction was gone and the rest was emotional, Well, after 3 days my emotions were pounding a drum beat inside my head and I was sure I was going crazy. But I thought about that emotional thing for a while…while I was happily relapsing into nicotine heaven and working up to another bout with pneumonia.

One day, while taking a shower, it came to me that I was using cigarettes as my personal reward system…do the dishes and have a cigarette…take out the garbage and have a cigarette…wash clothes and have a cigarette…put them in the dryer and…you get the idea.

Being somewhat logical, I decided to try quitting smoking in a new way…one I designed myself. I gave myself permission to get some Marlboros anytime I wanted to, but I had to wait 30 minutes before I did it. This removed the “absolutely forbidden” component of trying to break this habit. While waiting for the 30 minutes to pass, I got busy doing something I enjoyed…like playing computer games, writing my genealogy, watching a really good video.

When I felt a need to smoke, I took notice of what task I had just finished…dishes, picking up dog poop on the lawn, etc. This brought the entire nicotine addiction problem down to something I could handle and could understand. Most times, when I got myself involved in some distracting activity while waiting for the 30 minutes to pass, an hour or two had actually gone by.

I have to admit that more than once I grabbed my keys and started out the door to buy some Marlboros. Once I analyzed my own need to smoke (reward system) I could say to myself, “You’ve got to wait 30 minutes,” and it worked. I haven’t smoked for over 10 years.

I still feel a twang of wanting a cigarette when I am stuck in traffic on Southern California freeways. I look around and people in most of the cars around me are smoking. But it is a momentary passing urge that disappears in a moment and no longer controls me. Hope this helps you.

Acupuncture is based on an ancient Chinese belief that the body is made up of mystical energy streams. This could be correlated with our knowledge of nerves today and that the nerves are all entwined with each other. The nerves for the shoulders may be next to the nerves for the toes. This means that by stimulating the nerves on the toes, you as well stimulate the nerves on the shoulders. Stimulating one nerve therefore will stimulate another.

Acupuncture does not promise to be a weight loss miracle. What it promises is to affect symptoms related to or that may contribute to weight gain to help being about weight control. Acupuncture therefore can help make weight loss easy and effective.

One example is stress. Stress has been identified as a key factor in certain people’s weight gain. Some people feel the need or urge to eat a lot when they are stressed and they find comfort in doing so. Acupuncture can help promote stress relief and relaxation.

Acupuncture for weight loss involves inserting needles in specific areas or points of the body through which endorphins are known to pass through, to promote calming and relaxing effects.

Endorphins are also known to affect the digestive system, especially metabolism. Therefore, by targeting these points in acupuncture, it is hoped that weight loss can be promoted.

A visit to an acupuncturist for weight loss begins with an assessment of one’s general health. Pulse points are checked, along with the stomach and tongue.

When used to support weight loss goals, acupuncture counts the mouth as an important point, especially for impulsive eaters and heavy smokers.

It also focuses on the stomach for people who continue eating even if they are already full, and the endocrine system for water retention that can cause bloating and weight gain.

Other points act on the spleen for sugar imbalances, the kidneys for hormonal and nervous imbalances as well as water retention and the thyroid for metabolism. Two or more points will be chosen from these depending upon the health and needs of the patient.

Modern technology has also helped the art and science of acupuncture. The acupuncturist may use electro-stimulation to promote the release of endorphins and increase the relaxing and calming effects.

The needles usually stay on for around 30-45 minutes and the number of repeat sessions will depend upon the need of the patient, especially his weight loss goal.

The patient is also taught how to apply the pressure again afterwards for example, when he feels the strong urge to eat heavily or smoke again.

Acupuncture sessions may also be supplemented by herbal medicines as well as counseling on nutrition and lifestyle changes. The acupuncturist may even suggest combining acupuncture with other stress reduction methods. These methods may include yoga and meditation as well as breathing exercises.

Acupuncture is an ancient technique that up to this day promotes several health benefits. Like any other health options however, consistency and determination on the part of the patient is also required.

It does not promise a miraculous loss of weight but it promises to address the problems that lead to weight gain. In the process, the vicious cycle of eating heavily due to stress is put to halt so the weight loss process can proceed.

Acupuncture aims to promote harmonious flow of energy through the body for better health and life.

Try to set a new routine, such as working out or going to the gym. If that isn’t possible, you should try waking up earlier and going for a short walk. If you can turn that walk into a run or a
jog, it is going to be very stimulating and the best way that you can start your day.

Keep in mind that exercise doesn’t really mean pumping metal. If you don’t have the time to stop by the gym every day, then it isn’t really that big of a problem, as you can always choose to workout at home.

Whether you choose to workout at home or at a gym, you should always remember that regularity is the
key. It isn’t getting started that’s the difficult part, it’s sticking to a regular exercise program
that is difficult and proves to be stumbling block for most people.

Some people have a great start. They will buy track suits, gym wear, running shoes, and a lot of other gear, so their first day at the gym is almost like a celebration. As the days go by, they find it very difficult to meet the demands and their routine will slow down a lot and finally come to a complete exercise burnout.

One mistake that several people make is choosing the evenings to exercise. If evenings fit your lifestyle, then it’s fine. For most people however,the evening hours are when they are completely pooped. By the evening most of us are drained, and simply too tired for exercise. Therefore, it is always best to set some time aside for exercise in the morning.

In the morning, wake up a half an hour or so earlier, put on your shoes, and hit the road. Most roads are less crowded in the morning and less polluted as well, making it a wonderful and relaxing
way to start the day.

You should also steer clear from the coffee and try tea instead. If you are moving around in the house, try playing music. You can also redecorate your room by adding a few pictures around. When you redecorate, you should get rid of everything that reminds you of smoking.

Plan your day where you’ll have something fun to do at the end of the day. It doesn’t need to be something that involves money, as you don’t want to end up bankrupt. Spending time with family, playing games, or going for a walk with your family are all good activities.

Watching television doesn’t really fit into the list. The reason is because television isn’t something that demands a lot of attention. You can easily do something else while you are watching television.

You should also make a list of things that build up your stress and try to avoid them. If it isn’t possible, you should try to find out some some ways to bust stress and use them. Whatever you do, you shouldn’t use stress as an excuse to start smoking.

There are many other methods that you can use to beat stress. You can try breathing exercises, mediation, or even music. Another great way to beat stress is using the distressing ball. If you don’t have one or access to one, you can always wiggle your fingers and toes. This too is a great and natural method to beat stress.

Maybe you’re thinking that you don’t smoke that much. Ok then, a smoker who smokes 20 cigarettes a day for just 10 years will spend £19,892.50.

A smoker who plans to smoke 30 a day for 30 years will waste £105,941.25.

These figures are based on a packet of cigarettes costing £5 for the first year and then increasing by 10 pence per pack per year thereafter, and this is not unreasonable to assume.

As well as the health dangers, perhaps any smoker should be asking themselves if they can afford to smoke. Over four hundred thousand pounds would pay off more than the average mortgage and buy a few nice cars but because the money spent on cigarettes is passed over the counter daily without any fuss, its absence is not really noticed.

Imagine holding a box containing £105,941.50 in cash and being told that you can have it back in 30 years if you don’t smoke, or smoke 30 a day for 30 years and never see the money again. Incredibly, most smokers would probably choose the 2nd option and then spend a few days or weeks chasing a tenth of a percent on a mortgage deal! These are the smokers that are not ready to stop smoking.

This illogical reasoning is caused by our rational thinking which has to come up with reasons why we do the things we do. The only problem is that sometimes if it can’t find a reason it will come up with an excuse such as “I won’t notice the daily fiver”.

Anyone wishing to give-up smoking and who passes the box test, who is willing to throw their cigarettes in the bin and look forward to getting their hands on the cash in 30 years, need only to put the money that they would have spent on cigarettes in a savings account! Don’t forget that this figure will be even greater because of the interest it earns.

So, how do you stop smoking? Most smokers know that smoking is expensive, both financially and in terms of health, but the fear of stopping seems even worse. Many people think that they will be ratty, not be able to concentrate, need new wallpaper as they will be climbing the walls and generally unable to cope with the imagined withdrawal symptoms and cravings. This fear of stopping is greater than the fear of smoking. Again, our rational thinking sometimes works against us.

If you could stop smoking virtually instantly, feel good, not experience any withdrawal symptoms or cravings and know that this change was for life and costs a fraction of the money that you would have spent if you were to carry on smoking, would you stop smoking now?

The aim of smoking cessation with good, professional hypnotherapy is to help you become a happy non-smoker virtually instantly.

What would you rather do, possibly spend hundreds of thousands of pounds feeding a habit that has not got one single benefit to it or stop smoking easily, quickly, naturally and safely?

Imagine someone offered you a box containing £105,941.50……..

I know there are some who would like to quit smoking and live a healthier lifestyle. And I shall say kudos! Wanting to quit is the first step to being free from the spell that nicotine has cast on you. Honestly, it is very easy to start and get the habit of smoking, but quitting is very hard to do. It takes determination and outside support to be able to break the chains that bind you to the nasty habit. It is not easy. But it can be done.

The first thing to do is to consult with a medical professional. Your state of health will be evaluated and then you will be given advice on different ways to stop smoking. Consulting with a doctor is a must so that you will know which stop smoking program will work best for you. Apart from that, if you are working with a professional to be able to break the habit, your progress will be guided and any chance of relapse will get debunked fast enough.

If you plan to embark on this journey without the help of a professional, it is important to have determination. You may consider trying nicotine gums, patches or pills. You may also want to join groups such as Nicotine Anonymous. Private counseling may also be employed. There are other stop smoking programs in the form of herbal supplements, pills and other concoctions. But be very careful before trying them. Do your research and find out everything you can about these products.

There are a lot of support groups that aid chain smokers in kicking their bad habit. Call or visit your local community health center and ask for particulars about stop smoking programs. I am sure that the health workers in your community would be more than happy to assist you in finding a support group. It would also be very helpful to have family and friends who would stand by you and support you in this matter. Be patient, stay determined, live a long, healthy and happy life! Break the habit now and embark on stop smoking programs.

Detox your body from daily environmental toxins as well as prescription drug detoxification, drug detox, nicotine detox, alcohol detox product, which helps diminish the uncomfortable symptoms of drug detox withdrawal. Detoxification achieves total body purification, the rapid removal of drug residuals is a key goal in rapid drug detox. Without this rapid drug detox process, drug residues can remain in ones body and cause cravings for years after drug use has ceased. A vital step in a successful drug detox as well as drug rehabilitation is flushing out these accumulated toxic residues so that the individual no longer experiences unwanted adverse effects from toxins.

Avoid all toxins and unnecessary medications for at least 48 hours before your deadline. Do not eat or drink 4 hours prior to using this Clear Choice prodcut. Allow 60 minutes for the Green Clean to become effective. For best flavor, refrigerate the detox drink before opening. Shake well then drink entire detox drink as quickly as possible. Immerediately after consuming the detox drink.

Wait 15 minutes then take the two remaining Herbal Detox Capsules with a 16 ounce glass of water. Individuals weighing 200 lbs. or more should drink an additional 8 ounces of water. Urinate frequently to remove toxins. Continue to avoid food and beverages. The detox drink will become effective one hour after taking all of the detox drink and you will be in the Clear Zone for up to five hours. Maximum effectiveness is achieved within the first or second hour.

Essentially, a few hours before you have to go in to take your drug test, you should drink the marijuana detox drink. How to pass a drug test? How to clean your system from drugs depression drug how to pass marijuana test urine detox? Drink grape!

You must agree not to drink any alcohol when you are going through detox. After a successful detox, some people go back to drinking heavily again at some point. You must agree not to drink any alcohol when you are taking the detox medication. If you are alcohol dependent then detoxification (’detox’) can help you to stop drinking. After detoxification and staying off alcohol, many people who successfully detox go back to drinking heavily again at some point.

Do you have a “long enough lever” in your life to quit smoking? With long list of reasons, you can do anything – even quit smoking.

(Ordered chronologically and by importance)
1. Wasting money on killing yourself
2. Smelling like an ashtray
3. Your bland taste buds
4. The embarrassing smoking smell of your
5. Even coffee tastes worst
6. Wondering if someone is going to get sick from riding in your “smoker’s” car
7. Your home won’t stink
8. The whizzing when you breathe
9. You alright get enough lung population by living in the city
10. You won’t have to move to the country to breath clean air
11. Poor circulation
12. Low energy
13. Feeling gorse
14. No amount of gum covers your ashtray breath
15. Yellow teeth
16. Yellow Stained fingers
17. Living an extra 7 years
18. Accomplishing what only 3.5% of smokers do a year*: quitting for a year or longer (According to the Surgeon General’s Report, 1990)
19. Grayish dull complexion caused by smoking
20. Preventing premature aging without surgery or fancy creams
21. Scaly skin caused by smoking
22. Having to look for a cigarette
23. Having to ask for a light
24. Those millions of thoughts about smoking
25. Wasting time planning your smoke breaks
Reasons to Quit Smoking
26. Experiencing panic-attacks when you’re not able to have a cigarette
27. Freezing outside in bad weather
28. Having money to go back to school, work less hours, or go a vacation
29. Extra money to purchase gift’s for loved ones
30. Hanging out with the mostly unhealthy and pessimistic “smokers” crowd
31. No energy to exercise
32. Three words “sex, impotence, loser”
33. Not being able to a flight climb stairs without losing your breathe
34. The “a smoker” unhealthy life style
35. Low self-confidence of being a smoker
36. People looking down on you for being a ‘smoker’
37. Being turned down for life insurance
38. Potential employer not hiring you because you’re a smoker
39. Not being able to find an apartment because no one wants to rent to smokers
40. concentration
41. All the interruptions in your life
42. Less running around
43. The negative drain of being addicted to something
44. Non-smoker hate kissing smokers, and most likely will NOT
45. The thought of harming your unborn baby
46. Second-hand smoke kills family members too
47. 75% of children who smoke because their parents do
48. Teens that smoke are seven times more likely do elicit drugs
49. Trips to the convenience store in the middle of the night
50. Waking-up in the middle of the night just to have a smoke
Reasons to Quit Smoking
51. Craving a cigarette and being irritated if you don’t get one
52. Less time to spend with your family
53. Less time inhaling toxic poisons
54. Less time inhaling other smokers second hand smoke
55. Never having to sit in another smoke filled room
56. Feeling and looking younger
57. The smell smoke in your hair
58. The smell smoke in your clothes
59. A toxic and cancer filled body
60. Aching joints
61. Muscle pains
62. That constant nagging cough
63. Getting a “colds” all the time
64. A weak immune system
65. Only being able to date less-than-perfect smokers
66. Burning holes your clothes
67. Worrying about burning down your home
68. Worrying about burning down some one else’s property or home
69. Encouraging your children to play with fire
70. Having money to go on “date night” to dinner and the movies
71. Time to start a new hobby
72. Time to start an exercise program
73. Time to clean your body out
74. Finally throwing clothes with burn holes in them
75. Smoking causes infertility
Reasons to Quit Smoking
76. Your baby will thank you
77. Your breast milk will be safe to drink
78. All of your family members will be proud of you
79. All of your friends will be proud of you
80. All of your co-workers will be proud of you
81. Having lunch money every day now
82. You won’t ever be called ‘a smoker’ again
83. Having to bum cigarettes from others
84. Worry about going for a long time without a smoke like in a movie or on a plane
85. Sleepless nights
86. The sad fact your first thought in your day is about “smoking”
87. You’ll instantly be sexier and more attractive to people even non-smokers
88. No more excuses about not quitting
89. Literally not being able to smell the roses
90. Other people thinking you’re dim-witted
91. Losing creditability as an professional or expert because of your dumb habit
92. Your mom never asking you to quit again
93. Having the title of “ex-smoker”
94. Quitting before you get cancer or die
95. Proving all those people wrong who said “you’ll never quit”
96. Dying a peaceful death
97. Giving the athletic performance advantage to the non-smokers
98. Burning holes in your carpets
99. Cleaning ashtrays
100. Cleaning up spill tobacco in your purse or desk
101. Hiding the fact you still haven’t quit yet

Right now, please write out your top 10, print it them off, or email them to a friend. I hope you found a long list of reasons to quit smoking now, long enough to easily quit smoking today.

Sources:
1US Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, p. vi
2According to the American Cancer Society, the average economic costs of smoking are estimated to be approximately $3,391 per smoker per year
*** According for the average inflation cost of Cigarettes
**** U.S. Fire Administration. A Profile of Fire in the United States, 1989-1998. 2000. Available online at: www.usfa.fema.gov
5Smoking 25 cigarettes (one pack) a day for an average 4 minutes (smoking and traveling to the designated smoking spot) equals 608 hours and 20 minutes of conscious time per year.

The best way to stop smoking was a mystery, until now! Right now, I will share and compare the top seven most used methods to quit smoking.

The first method I will talk about is Acupuncture. Now this thousand year old art has been reported to assist individuals in stopping smoking. My research at my clinic has revealed a less than 1% of people that try acupuncture to quit smoking actually stop. Although, I was not able to uncover or locate any information on the long-term success rate of acupuncture to permanently quit smoking.

The reasons are probably because acupuncture does not stop the cravings or withdrawal symptoms, causing most people to revert back to smoking within only a few short days.

Going “cold turkey” this is not really a method as it is a prayer, it is also what the vast majority of people who try to quit use and fail with… no wonder 93.5% of millions fail 9 each year.

Clearly just declaring that you are quitting smoking will not change your want, need, or desire for a smoke when the time arises.

And within hours or only a few short days into this method most (that is over 99%) will end in frustration find themselves lighting up once again. Probably while shouting some profanities.

There is no evidence to speak about that herbal supplements will assist or make someone quit smoking, or even if they are safe to take (as they are largely unregulated by the FDA.)

Even if these herbs worked in assisting someone to subside their withdrawals and cravings. They do nothing to help “the smoker” psychologically disassociate with their “smoker” identity.

And naturally, if your identity is one of “a smoker” then naturally you will be lead to smoke because your mind set was exactly the same before you took any supplements.

This can be said for all of the products that I have mentioned above in this article.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)11 has around a 4.8-11.5% success rate in assisting individuals to quit smoking.

With regards to the NRT gums, sprays, lozenges, inhaler and the patch some individuals in my office have said to me that they “got sick” and had to stop the above Nicotine Replacement methods immediately.

Clearly if you get sick from something that is supposed to make you feel better, this might be a big clue to stay away from it.

Also there are numerous dangerous side effects from taking any such nicotine replacement therapy in the form of chemicals or drugs.

Some individuals have found themselves addicted to the nicotine replacement therapies that were supposed to help them to quit smoking.

The drug companies saw this as another means to make your money off of smokers.

ZybanWellbutrin12 was initially designed to help people with anxiety. Some how someone figured that it might work for stopping smoking. What a farce this is…

With all of this said, there is evidence to show about a 6.1-8.1% success rate with the antidepressant pill Zyban.

However like all other drugs people have reported side effects such as anxiety attacks, (wait a minute that is what the pill was initially designed to cure and now it is causing the same issue it is supposed to cure) What’s up with that? Other side effects are nausea, insomnia, nervousness, irritability and nervousness and dry mouth just to name a few.

Hypnotherapy is a 25,000 year old Chinese art, that is today clinically prescribed to assist individuals to quit smoking.

Direct suggestion Hypnotherapy 10 has about a 8.0-11.0% success rate to help individuals to stop smoking.

Hypnotherapy is where the Hypnotherapist only uses words to talk directly with and to your nervous system to allow your own nervous system to re-program yourself at your nervous systems level of operation to assist you in becoming a non-smoker.

There are zero side effects. It is 100% safe and effective.

However with that said, recall back to a time when you were around 5 years old and your mother told you to “go upstairs and clean up your room.” Only about 5 to 10 % of the time when you were told to clean your room, were you motivated to clean it, right?

This is what is meant as direct suggestion Hypnotherapy.

Indirect Hypnotherapy 10 is a form of Hypnotherapy has about a 66% success rate.

The language used in these sessions, are so specific unlike the lower success rate of direct suggestion hypnotherapy.

There are no side effects. When used to quit smoking, there are no withdrawal symptoms. Cravings are permanently erased.

It is 100% safe. It is all-natural. It is often done in 1 or 2 sessions. Depending on how good the Hypnotherapist is and/or the creator of the audio hypnosis program.

Not only does Indirect Hypnotherapy make changes to your physical dependencies towards smoking, it also erases all emotional issues relating to smoking. This frees up your body and mind to easily and effortlessly let go of smoking permanently.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming is the science of how language affects our lives. Neuro-Linguistic Programming known as (NLP) has a 97% success rate in assisting individuals to permanently quit smoking.

This field is so far reaching and powerful that since the creation of NLP in 1973 any books written about Hypnotherapy have included some material about the field of NLP in them.

Basically most of the skills used in NLP are the same or similar to many hypnotherapy exercises and techniques.

By combing both Indirect Hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming have demonstrated to be the best way to quit smoking in my clinic and with my colleagues.

These two combined techniques, by far produce the most effective method ever invented to assist individuals to permanently quit smoking in only 1 session with over a 97% success rate.

I hope this helps you in uncovering the mystery in evaluating the top methods to quit smoking. If you want to ease your smoking habit, seek out a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Master NLP Practitioner or an good audio program created by one.

Sources:
1 Surgeon General’s Report, 1990
2 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 2003, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics
9 Depending on the study, success rates are variously reported at 2-5%
10 Hammond, D.C. (1990). Handbook of hypnotic suggestions and metaphors. New York : W. W. Norton
11 Nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation, Silagy, Lancaster , Stead, Mant & Fowler, 2002
12 Antidepressants for smoking cessation, Hughes, Stead & Lancaster, 2002

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!

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.

What causes snoring?

When a person sleeps, the muscles not in use begin to relax and the airways will narrow. Snoring occurs when the air is being pushed through a person’s airway. Depending on how forceful the air is being pushed, the loudness of the snore will vary. Men are often louder than women because their necks are generally larger. It is also believed that a hormone produced by women, known as progesterone, works to prevent or significantly reduce instances of snoring. There are many different causes that could lead to snoring. For example, if a person suffers from allergies that could clog the airways or takes medications that dry up the nasal cavities, they may suffer from snoring.

Anything that will clog, irritate, or otherwise block the airway can be a cause for snoring, such as a common cold, the flu, thick nasal tissues, nasal sprays, swollen thyroid gland, tonsillitis, swollen adenoids, large tongue, obesity, alcohol, aging, and smoking cigarettes. All of these can lead to the occurrence of snoring in any person.

Does snoring affect anyone other than the snorer?

In one word, YES! Snoring can affect everyone in the household. When snoring occurs, usually the person doing the snoring has no idea they are doing so. Everyone around them will likely be perfectly aware of it. There are a variety of things that can occur with those who have to live with a snorer. They will likely lose sleep and this can lead to many other emotional disturbances.

Is there a cure for snoring?

There are many different actions a snorer can take to cure snoring. There is surgery available, however, there are a few things to consider before undergoing surgery. For one, the cost of surgery is high and your insurance may not provide coverage for surgery to stop snorong. Another is that some people are more vulnerable to having complications following surgery. There could also be side effects, medication needed, or even the possibility that surgery was pointless and the snoring continued (due to other underlying causes for the snoring).

Some people look towards alternative methods for treating snoring such as medications, devices, exercise, diet, and changing sleep position.

The method most people try is to quit cold turkey. Unfortunately, this method is rarely successful. Quitting cold turkey means that you stop smoking cigarettes completely and never have another one. A few people have the will power to quit cold turkey, but there is more than willpower involved with this process. Your body is physically addicted to nicotine, suddenly stopping will result in fairly serious withdrawal symptoms. Quitting cold turkey may work for some people, but generally most people will start smoking again within a few days.

Another popular method is to slowly wean oneself of nicotine through the use nicotine gum or patches. The directions for the use of these products are found on the packages, and a number of people have found this to be a successful method to quit smoking. The gum and patches allow you to wean yourself off at your own pace. Follow the directions on the package carefully. Make an appointment with your physician to go over you plan in depth. Although this method eliminates the craving for nicotine it does not satisfy the hand to mouth habit that smoking established. Smoking is usually a physical, mental and emotional addiction.

Your doctor might prescribe medication to help you kick the smoking habit and addiction to nicotine. Discuss your options with the doctor and try to use the method with the fewest side effects and best success rate. Don’t ever make the mistake of taking another person’s medicine as it might interfere with something you are taking.

If you are successful in your quest to stop smoking, know that the process will go on for the rest of your life. The social aspects are still there, even if you’ve beat the addiction. In the beginning stages at least, you may need to change your lifestyle. An example of what this means is to consider how many people like a cigarette with their drinks. Until you gain some confidence it would probably be best to tell your friends you won’t go out drinking for a while.

See your doctor immediately if you smoke. If you successfully quit smoking now you can add years to your life possibly avoid many diseases that are a result of smoking. Quit smoking now and do yourself and you body a favor.

If we take an all-world picture, the statistics of deaths due to smoking looks like fantasy. But, who will give up smoking on the basis of statistics? They all know it. They desperately want to give up smoking, both from the health point of view and the financial point of view!

The topmost among the New Year Resolutions, is to give up smoking! Every year, for the last several years! Hope you have understood!

Why it is so difficult to give up smoking? Ask nicotine!

Smoking is an addiction. Since tobacco smoke contains this poisonous element, a near-impossible addictive substance to give up, the smoker’s plight is not condemnable, but pitiable!

But what is the fault of indirect smokers— the passive smokers? The smokers are providing free passports to them as well. And it is indeed a pity that this white-color crime goes unpunished!

Think of the family! There is every chance of children taking to the smoking habit, if the father is smoking. What a way to preserve unity in the family!

And what about women smoking, indeed pregnant women? Knowing well that it would badly affect the health of the baby that would be born! What a height of unconcern?

Therefore, tendering any amount of statistics, whether 4,000,000 die every year in the USA or 14,000,000 (this is a hypothetical figure) all over the world due to smoking is going to move which heart? Which Government? Can the UNO do something to stop this undeclared war?

The efforts to control smoking are all paper projects! Paper tigers! Can something tangible be done to save the situation? Perhaps no, with the present set of rules to protect the smokers and the strong lobby of tobacco manufacturers!

The method most people try is to quit cold turkey. Unfortunately, this method is rarely successful. Quitting cold turkey means that you stop smoking cigarettes completely and never have another one. A few people have the will power to quit cold turkey, but there is more than willpower involved with this process. Your body is physically addicted to nicotine, suddenly stopping will result in fairly serious withdrawal symptoms. Quitting cold turkey may work for some people, but generally most people will start smoking again within a few days.

Another option is to use nicotine gum or patches to slowly wean yourself off of your nicotine addiction. There are directions on the packages for use, and many people find this method a great way to quit smoking. This way you can also wean yourself off at your own pace. Be sure to follow directions on the package very carefully. The best idea is to make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your plan. Some people do find this method unsuccessful because it does not satisfy the hand to mouth habit that smoking has developed. Unfortunately smoking usually becomes not only a physical addiction but a mental and emotional one as well.

Another option to consider is using medication to help you quit your smoking habit and nicotine addiction. Again, check with your doctor to discuss your options. Your doctor can prescribe a medication that is successful with few side effects. Of course, never take any medication that has been prescribed to someone else – the medication could adversely affect you or interfere with other medications you may be taking.

Stopping smoking is a lifelong process. The social habit of smoking hard can be hard to stop long after you’ve beat the nicotine addiction. You may need to change your social life, at least temporarily, while you try to quit smoking. For example, you may need to stop putting yourself in social situations where you smoked, such as enjoying a cigarette with a drink. This is a hard social to break and It may be necessary for you to these pitfalls for a while as you are trying to quit your dependence on a nicotine habit.

If you are a smoker, talk to your doctor sooner rather than later. You can extend your life by quitting now and also avoid terrible diseases attributed to smoking. Be good to yourself, do it now.

Enter a conversation:

Sir Winston Churchill (the late former Prime Minister of Great Britain) was a chain smoker of cigars, lived up to the age of 85 years!

‘If he had not smoked, he would have lived up to 120 years,’ said the anti-smoking lobby. ‘What is the use of his living up to that age?’ said the smoking lobby! Die hard habits! Die hard arguments!

Who gains from your smoking, except the Finance Minister? In every budget, he tries to crush you, and the smoker is just not bothered! He cries for a while, only to forget everything soon. The smokers as well as the industry thrive!

Statistically speaking, it is scientifically proven that tobacco smoke contains over 4000 poisonous chemicals. The number and varieties of cancer it generates is in hundreds. Smoking damages practically every part of the human body, and heart takes the maximum pounding! Want proof? Count the number of ever-increasing cancer hospitals. Treating cancer has become a large-scale industry!

Just five decades ago, heart attacks used to be a rare phenomenon! The mixture of nicotine and carbon dioxide increases the rate of blood pressure and strains all parts of the body, the heart to be specific. How long can the heart tolerate this unbearable pressure? And one day, when it says that ‘enough is enough’, the well-wishers of that human being, summon the ambulance and take him to the most unwanted place— the hospital!

To some hard-smokers, living death awaits at the far end of life! Smoking initially reduces and at a later stage cuts off oxygen supply to hands and limbs and the smokers will have to live through the agony of their limbs amputated!

The long puffs that a smoker takes and the attractive, designer coils that he sends in the air, may look attractive, but what about self-inflicted damage is his action leading to? Tar in the cigarette coats your lungs like soot in a chimney and sends a cordial invitation to cancer! You drag the puff deeper into your lungs for the joy and adventure of it, and the rotting process of the heart starts!

Smoking is a slow way to die, there is no other alternative or option. It is a well known fact that heart diseases and strokes are very common among the smokers. Smoking’s contribution to heart attacks is maximum! To lung cancers too!

Are you happy or sorry? A foundation stone is being laid for a new cancer hospital!

These are the 4 reasons of why you should quit smoking.

1. it kills
2. it harms people around you
3. it makes you age quicker
4. it is expensive

1. Smoking Kills.

Did you know?
-Each year, smoking kills 5 million people worldwide.

These are some dangerous chemicals that can be found in cigarettes:

Nicotine
Nicotine is a stimulant drug. Like any drug, nicotine can be very addictive. Nicotine inhalation stimulates the central nervous system, making a person more relaxed and less sensitive to pain, but in large doses nicotine acts as a depressant. One drop of nicotine can kill a horse.

Tar
Tar transports chemicals to your bloodstream. Tar gets collected in your lungs and also, stains your teeth. Tar has proven to be the major cause of lung cancer.

Acetone
Acetone is an extremely dangerous substance, it can be found in nail polish removers. Acetone is also used to make fibers, plastic, drugs and other chemicals.
A long-term exposure to acetone can cause kidney and liver damage.

Mercury
Mercury is a chemical element, also called “quicksilver”. Mercury is a toxin, easily absorbed through the skin; it attacks the central nervous system, also Mercury affects gums and teeth. A long-term exposure to this chemical, can cause brain damage and death.

2. Smoking Harms People around You.

Your smoking can harm others. None-smokers, exposed to second-hand smoke are at risk of many health problems related to direct smoking.

Did you know?
- When you smoke in public, people around you could experience: dizziness, nausea, headaches, sore throat and eye irritation.
- Passive smokers have an extremely high risk of heart disease and lung cancer.
- Each year, 20% of people dying from lung cancer worldwide, are passive smokers.
- Children of smokers have a 70% increased risk of respiratory illnesses and middle ear infection.

3. Smoking Makes You Age Quicker.

Smoking makes you look older by narrowing the small blood vessels in your skin. Your skin loses its elasticity and shininess; instead, it will look dry, old and wrinkled.

4. Smoking is Expensive

Not only does smoking damage your health, it is also expensive. Depending on where you live, smoking a pack of cigarettes a day can cost you up to $4000 dollars a year. It is a lot of money that you could spend on something more important in your life. If you think, that $4000 a year is a lot, try to calculate, how much drugs and medical care services would cost you, to get rid of all of the side-effects and illnesses caused by smoking.

So, to sum it up:
Smoking kills you, harms people around you, makes you age quicker and costs a lot of money.

The laser quit smoking system is based upon a simple and very old principle. It is a well known fact that certain point in human body are nerve centers and they can encourage changes in the body. This principle is used in many disciplines such as acupuncture, reflexology, shiatsu and more. The point is, if you apply pressure to certain points in human body, you can get certain predictable effects.

This principle is used in stop smoking laser treatment. Low intensity laser beam is applied to those specific point in your body. The result is an almost immediate reduction of the cravings that accompany the smoking cessation.

This way you can go through the first stages of quitting smoking without the cravings associated with them.

Naturally, reducing the cravings is not always enough, as there are more aspects to quitting smoking. Therefore, the laser treatment goes very well along with behavioral therapy that will eliminate the psychological aspects of addiction. The laser simply deals with the physical Nicotine addiction.

The treatment is very “clean” and has no side effects, like some of the medications people take to quit smoking.

So, is Laser treatment to quit smoking a good idea for you?

Well, you must consider the following:

* It could be quit expensive. Prices very, and you should compare a few clinics before choosing. Some health insurances cover the cost of this treatment, so check it with your health insurance.

* You should plan to combine the laser treatment with behavioral therapy. Undergoing a laser treatment only will not give you good results in many cases.

Besides from that, laser treatment to quit smoking is a good choice to make as a quit smoking aid. Just remember that you really have to want to quit in order to make it. Laser treatment will help, but it’s you that actually quits smoking.

I smoked two packs of cigarettes every day for many years. I couldn’t go for any length of time without lighting one up.

If I was awake, I had a smoke going. And quite often I would get up in the middle of the night, smoke a cigarette, and go back to bed.

I’m sure you can imagine the state of my health during those years. I was a wreck.

I hacked and wheezed all the time. My nose and eyes were always burning.

I could barely walk a block without losing my wind.

In fact, I even had a heart attack as a direct result of my nasty habit.

I won’t go into the details of how I finally quit; you’ll have to get that scoop in another one of my articles.

But I do want to share some amazing facts with you about the body’s ability to recover, even from the devastating effects of constant smoke inhalation and toxic chemical abuse.

At the time of this writing, I have been smoke free for four years. My heart is strong and relaxed, and I have the lung capacity to endure long walks and regular exercise sessions.

There was a time during my smoking years that I had pretty much thrown in the towel. I looked at my extremely poor state of health and just assumed I had ruined my body for good.

But I was wrong.

I think a lot of smokers fall into this mentality:

“I’ve done so much harm to myself already, what’s the point of quitting now? I’ll never be truly healthy again, so I might as well just keep on smoking.”

This is utter nonsense. And moreover, it’s a copout.

Did you know that your body will begin significant reparations in as little as 12 hours after your last smoke? In fact, minor positive changes begin to take place as quickly as 20 minutes after you stop inhaling cigarette smoke.

Within just one year of being smoke free, your risk of heart attack, stroke, and aneurism is half that of a smoker’s.

There is absolutely nothing natural about the act of smoking. Your lungs don’t want to breathe smoke and poisonous fumes.

And there are a total of 4,000 chemical compounds contained in cigarette smoke. Many of these substances are known to cause cancer.

Your body actively seeks to rid itself of these toxins, and all of your major systems will begin a recovery process once the initial detoxification is complete.

One million people quit smoking every year, and many of these individuals enjoy long, healthy lives which simply would not have been possible had they continued to smoke.

Sure it takes time to achieve a full recovery, but it can happen. And I’m living proof of this fact.

The sad fact is cigarette smoking is part of many of our lives, regardless of whether we smoke or not. Unfortunately, this includes unborn babies as well.

Surveys show that many mothers still smoke cigarettes during their pregnancy. Most likely these women are unaware of how harmful cigarette smoking truly is on their unborn baby and are unaware that smoking cigarettes during pregnancy is one of the major causes of infant deaths in the society today.

Basically, cigarette smoke alone is full of chemicals, some studies even state it has more than 2,500 chemicals. Some chemicals like tar, carbon monoxide, and nicotine are considered the most dangerous substance for the fetus. It has long been proven how these chemicals can greatly affect the development of the fetus inside the mother’s womb.

First of all, mothers who smoke while pregnant run a risk of ectopic pregnancy. This is especially viable when the mother is a heavy smoker during the first trimester of her pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancy refers to the state wherein the embryo is embedded outside the uterus, which is contrary to what normal pregnancy should be. Usually, it is embedded in the fallopian tube. In this manner, the fetus has to be removed because this kind of pregnancy will never survive. This fetus will never survive outside of the uterus where a fetus gets all the nourishment and protection that it needs. Prolonging this condition will only risk the mother’s life.

Also, smoking cigarettes during pregnancy increases the probability that the mother will develop complications in the placenta. Reports show that placental problems are actually happening in about 1% of pregnancies. The most common problem is “placenta previa” where the placenta is connected very low in the uterus and is almost at the cervix.

Another problem with smoking cigarettes during pregnancy is the deterioration of fetal growth. The fact is cigarette smoking during pregnancy results in low infant birth weight. For many years now reports have shown that there have been significant differences between babies with mothers who smoked cigarettes during pregnancy and those who have non-cigarette smoking mothers.

Unfortunately, greater risks are imposed on babies who weigh less than the normal babies. They may acquire certain diseases like cerebral palsy, mental retardation, or worse – death.

There are also reports on how cigarette smoking during pregnancy increases the probabilities of birth defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate.

Moreover, babies born with mothers who are cigarette smokers have higher incidences of sudden infant death syndrome. If ever these infants survive, they may still incur diseases like asthma, behavioral problems, or learning disabilities.

Then there are the post-pregnancy woes…

For babies with mothers who smoke regularly, problems still lurk within their environment. This is especially true to mothers who smoke even when they are breastfeeding their babies.

Studies have revealed that nicotine can be passed on to the baby through breastfeeding. There have been experiments that prove the presence of nicotine in the babies system through urine testing. It later showed that there is a higher percentage of nicotine found on babies who breastfeed to cigarette smoking mothers.

Most experts contend that the problem lies within the mother’s urge to get back to smoking cigarettes right after she gives birth.

Unfortunately, when the mother continues to smoke during the formative years of her child life, chances are she is already shaping a child that will most likely be a cigarette smoker themselves.

So, what’s the point here? The fact that the mother does not care for her own health is one thing. But the fact that she puts greater risk on her baby because of her vice is another thing.

Babies should be given the right to live a decent, normal, and healthy life. So, for the “moms-to-be” out there, please keep in mind that your babies should not be forced to suffer from the long range dangers associated with cigarette smoking. Let’s take care of them by not smoking cigarettes.

Acupuncture works most effectively on human body to reduce chronic smoking habits

Acupuncture is based on the belief that “chi”, a vital energy force flows through 12 key channels around the body. Within these channels, there are at least 365 acupuncture points, which can sometimes get blocked preventing the smooth flow of vital energy, thereby leading to chronic habits. Acupuncture for stop quit smoking does not involve any “magic” acupuncture points. At least five needles are taken and inserted into the ear [particularly in the cartilage and not in the ear canal] and a few on the hands and wrists. With the needles pricked to your skin, you are left to relax for 30 to 45 minutes. These pricked needles provide significant effect on lessening cravings for smoking.

Treatments involved in acupuncture

To become a non-smoker, you have to follow a series of sessions. These sessions also focus on physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms occurring in the patient during the acupuncture treatments. While the needle-pricking treatments are going on you are also advised to undergo treatments with herbs. You can apply a mixture of oil of cloves and wintergreen, extracts of evodia fruits and Sichuan lovage rhizomes in the acupuncture points to get faster stop smoking results.

Other advantages of acupuncture – tips on stopping smoking

Acupuncture tips on stopping smoking not only relieve you from permanent smoking cessation but also works advantageous for you. After the acupuncture series is over, even cigarettes taste foul. It takes a nasty burnt taste and you can thus proudly redefine yourself as a “non-smoker”. Acupuncture therapy for stop smoking also reduces side effects of nicotine withdrawals like depression, cravings and anxiety. While the body actually improves in blood circulation and de-congesting the lungs, you also start feeling truly optimistic.

Acupuncture is a definite method that helps you to quit smoking miraculously within a few days. Try it out to experience instant success even if you are a chronic nicotine-smoker.

Nowadays, more and more people are becoming aware of the need to be healthy. They increase their intake of healthy foods, take vitamins to supplement their daily requirements, and go to the gym to exercise.

Unfortunately, many people still tend to neglect the adverse effect of cigarette smoking on their health. Despite knowing the harmful effects of cigarette smoking, people, for some reason, still smoke.

So, the question is, “Why?”

Maybe it is because while people know that cigarette smoking is “bad” they do not know exactly how “bad” cigarette smoking really is.

Well here’s the full story on why people should quit smoking cigarettes now:

1. Cigarette smoking kills 114,000 people each year in the United Kingdom alone.

This means that if you do not quit smoking cigarettes now, you could be the 115,000th. Smoking cigarettes really does kill and people should be aware of that.

2. Cigarette smoking is the number one factor of lung cancer.

There’s no greater factor that can trigger lung cancer in a person than what cigarette smoking can do. Smoking cigarettes is a detrimental element that instigates the formation of cancer cells in the body. This is because cigarette smoking primarily destroys the immune system of the body resulting in the body’s inability to fight back infection and to ward off harmful bacteria that enters the system.

3. Cigarette smoking really does cause cancer.

Aside from the fact that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, it can also initiate the formation of other cancer cells in the body. This is because cigarette smoke contains so many chemicals that are carcinogens. Carcinogens are the elements that cause cancer cells in the body. Once developed it could lead to acute condition of cancer which eventually leads to death.

4. Cigarette smoking is addictive and can cause hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.

The primary component of a cigarette is nicotine. Studies have proven that nicotine is addictive, which means to say that when you start smoking cigarettes it will be really difficult to stop.

Not only that, nicotine also increases your cholesterol levels. This would eventually lead to hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases that lead to heart attacks.

5. Cigarette smoking has adverse effects on your entire body.

The fact is, cigarette smoking is detrimental to your whole body, from the tip of your hair down to the tip of your toenails.

First, cigarette smoking makes your hair smelling terrible. Also, the elements found in smoking can curb the growth of your hair and it can even dry it out, losing its shine and luster.

Not only that, cigarette smoking also affects the teeth, lungs, heart, bones, and even your skin. That’s right. Cigarette smoking reduces the elasticity of your skin, thus, it will be more vulnerable to skin diseases and allergies.

The bottom line is that people should really stop cigarette smoking now because it will not only affect their lives but others as well. This is because the primary concluding effect of cigarette smoking is always death and nothing else.

It’s not a matter of choice. It’s a matter of how you value your life and your family. Is it really worth it to smoke cigarettes?

Smoking has many deep, deep roots that are intertwined in our culture and environment otherwise. This is in part what makes it so dangerous, that is that it is so natural. In fact there are doctors practicing now that as young doctors were suggesting that people take up smoking in order to reduce the stress in our lives. The other problem is that smoking isn’t the only quiet killer that we have to deal with. If we get rid of smoking than we will start dealing with the looming crises of obesity, high fat diets, inactivity, pollution, and on and on. This is not to say that we should give up but rather not be totally distracted from other public health issues.

Anyway due to the recent awareness there has been a lot of work into figuring out how to help people stop smoking. The results of all this work is fortunately encouraging. The major concern was that it wouldn’t be a good use of the physicians clinic time to counsel and manage smoking cessation efforts. The problem was this counseling was one of the key components to successful treatment of the addiction. Then people started looking not so much at how much it was costing to have doctors spend time treating this issue but how much it was costing to allow people to continue to smoke. The numbers are staggering, and very much in favor of paying physicians to treat this addiction to nicotine.

So all that to say that doctors have gotten good at helping people decide to stop smoking and to make good on this promise. Treatment usually involves a very well proven combination of frequent office visits for counseling, contracts to quit, recruiting the support of family and friends, nicotine replacement, and other pharmacotherapies that help to make a drastic but life saving change. So if you want to live but haven’t made the plunge, please seek out a well trained and qualified physician. It’s crucial to the success of your goal to stop smoking.

Are YOU smoking?

If you don’t know already, let me enlighten you: you are slowly dying, because smoking kills. The drug called nicotine is can be found in any cigarette you want and this drug is a very powerful one. It is very addictive and quitting it can be done only by will. It is hard, but it isn’t impossible. Here is a fact: around 400,000 dye each year from smoking related diseases. The foremost is the lung cancer. Let’s say you don’t care about yourself, but do you care about the others, about your family, your friends, because you are hurting them as well. It is called secondhand smoke, and it is just as dangerous as smoking itself. You already knew these facts? Look at this as a remember.

Are you quitting?

Well, if you tried to quit and you just couldn’t, it means you either didn’t really want to or you didn’t know how to proceed. I wrote a few tips, to help you achieve this goal. Good luck, and remember, the most important thing is WILL.

• Decide upon a day, and just stop smoking. The best way to do it is to find someone to quit with you. As the old saying goes: The more the merrier.

• When you get the urge of smoking, don’t. Wait for a few minutes before. In the spare time, try to do other things, like eating peanuts or eating gum.

• The old switch trick always pays off. Switch to a brand of cigarettes you hate and buy just one pack at a time.

• Change your routines. When you eat dinner, don’t sit in the same place. At the begging eat only at home, or at a non-smoking friend, so you won’t be able to have a quick one after dinner.

• Always have with you other things to put in your mouth, like a toothpick, or candy (watch for those cavities), or, usually the best, bubble-gum.

• At first you will feel sleepier and more tired than usual. Also you will be more short-tempered. These things pass in a week or so.

• Talk about what you are doing. Many smokers want to know how it is possible. Explain to them; discuss it over a drink, in the non-smokers section, of course.

• If at first you fail, try again. Don’t worry, there are fewer people then you think who made it the first time.

• If nothing works, visit your doctor.

Lung cancer directly caused by smoking surpassed all other causes of death in the 1950’s and has been (though having slowly declined from that peak) ever since. And this is just talking about death. Morbidity (not mortality) caused by smoking is a 60 billion dollar industry in direct costs associated with the health care needed for smokers. That is one heck of a lot of misery! This figure doesn’t even count all of the indirect costs including loss of man hours both related to smoking breaks and sick days as well as shorter life spans with more time spent on disability. Indirect costs also include the health of the people that live with the person that smokes who have statistically speaking several times more use of healthcare dollars than the average non-smoker living in a non-smoking environment. So yeah, the better question is why shouldn’t you quit smoking?

You say well your right I should quit and I have tried several times and I cannot do it. You don’t even know how hard it is to quit smoking. And my reply is for one thing you are right and I’m glad I don’t know how hard it is to stop smoking, because I’m sure that its hard after watching people struggle with it. I would also say however that giving up is not the answer and for several reasons.

For one thing haven’t you heard the phrase “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”? This is a natural part of life to have to fight for the things in life that are really worth something. You don’t just give up on something, especially if what you are straining for will kill you if you give up, literally! Would you tell your son or daughter to just give up the fight if they had leukemia because it was going to be hard? No way, and so you can’t either.

You also want to say something but I and my body want it so bad and like it so much. And I would agree, addiction is for sure the worst part of the whole thing and makes it hardest to make a good decision to quit smoking. However it still isn’t an excuse for several reasons. It still for one thing is a life and death matter. For another, are you going to let those tobacco companies who targeted you and got you addicted on purpose get away with doing that to you? And third many have done it before you and there are good programs that help you to quit smoking. So you’ve got some thinking to do and some decisions to make. I ask you to choose life!

Evidence of the health risks of cigarette smoking go back to the 1950s. However, the percentage of cigarette smokers was at its peak in 1964, when the US surgeon general first issued an official warning that smoking cigarettes was hazardous to one’s health.

Following the surgeon general’s formal warning about cigarette smoking, many reports were released on the link between cigarette smoking and heart disease, lung disease, and cancer of the mouth. However, the cigarette smoking habit continued, particularly with young smokers who were most likely smoking as a sign of rebellion and/or independence.

For adults, though, smoking cigarettes marked an addiction to nicotine – the key ingredient that makes cigarette smoking both pleasurable and addictive. This addiction to nicotine led to another warning from the surgeon general in 1988, which put nicotine addiction on the same level as addictions to cocaine and heroin.

The danger in cigarette smoking comes from the chemical substances released either as a gas or as a particulate. Nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanide and most especially carbon monoxide are gaseous emissions from cigarette smoke that threaten to poison the body.

Nicotine is one of several hazardous particulates emitted from smoking cigarettes. These particulates damage the cilia – the little hairs lining the lungs that help transport mucus out of the lungs. When the cilia malfunction, pollutants remain in the lungs and the likelihood of influenza and bronchitis, emphysema and other diseases increases.

Unfortunately, cigarette smoking has been cited as the cause of over 400,000 deaths in the US every year.

However, government agencies, scientists and health officials have also established that passive smoking, or second-hand smoke, also has negative effects on the human body. The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has reported that over 4,000 chemicals are generated by second-hand smoke, with more than 50 of those believed to be cancer-causing agents.

In fact, in 1975, the Centers for Disease Control released a report noting that toxic chemicals released from cigarettes stay in the air and are inhaled by unsuspecting victims. Thus, the concern over cigarette smoking shifted from a private-health issue to a public-health issue.

For pregnant women, the negative effects of cigarette smoking and second hand smoke raises even more issues. Cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke increases the chances of low birth-weight and even miscarriage. And, children less than a year old are twice as likely to have lung infections if their mothers smoke cigarettes compared to counterparts whose mothers do not smoke cigarettes. Likewise, children who already have asthma, allergies or other respiratory ailments can worsen their conditions if their parents smoke cigarettes.

Over the years some cigarette smokers have gradually quit smoking cigarettes, while non-smokers have become the focus of more protection as the government has worked on policies and legislation to curb cigarette smoking.

In the 1990s, class action suits started to bombard state and federal courts, claiming that cigarette manufacturers employed deceptive marketing tactics to keep consumers from knowing that nicotine was addictive and worked on ways keep cigarette smokers hooked on their product.

More recent suits against the cigarette and tobacco industry charge manufacturers of also misleading consumers into thinking that “lights” and similar cigarette products were healthier alternatives to regular cigarettes. These more recent cases later led to the multi-billion dollar settlement between the US government and the cigarette and tobacco industry in the late 1990s.

These lawsuits and the consistency of health lobbyists and persuasive government programs have helped pull down US cigarette smoking rates on a consistent basis over the last four decades. With the health risks of cigarette smoking so abundantly clear, it is likely that these cigarette smoking rates in the US will continue to decrease.

The biggest psychological benefit that comes with kicking the smoking habit is the sense of accomplishment when the task is done. When you finally stop smoking for good, there is a tremendous sense that you have shaken a very large monkey off of your back. Quitting smoking is an extremely difficult task, and those who manage to do it have every right to feel as though they can conquer the world, and this feeling will spill over into other areas of your life and help you in achieving other goals. Once you beat a habit that has been plaguing you for years, that is in fact an actual physical addiction, you will understand that there is not much you cannot accomplish once you put your mind and will into it.

As smoking becomes a distant memory, you will also be surprised in the rise of your self-esteem levels. No one denies that a big part of smoking includes the effort to cover up the smell- on your breath, on your hands, on your clothes, and in your car and your house. Once you quit, these smells become less and less of a problem, and you will no longer have to worry about other people- from lovers to your kids- shying away from you due to the smell that clings to you. You will also probably notice that your own sense of smell improves as the smoke cloud dissipates, and this too can carry with it enormous psychological benefits as you once again discover all the wonders of a spring morning, the smell of outdoor barbecues from your neighbors, and the general smells of the outdoors.

Quitting smoking also lifts a severe burden off the shoulders of smokers as far as other family members go. Many smokers are cognizant of the risks and in that vein endeavor to discourage their closest family members not to start the habit. However, as long as you yourself are smoking there is always the taint of hypocrisy attached to your words. Once you have managed to quit, this feeling will disappear and you will be able to lead by example instead of just with words.

If you are considering ceasing your smoking habit, there are thousands of others who have walked that road and who are waiting to help you out. The benefits are enormous, and some of them, like the psychological benefits, you may not expect. Be prepared to enter a whole new world of feeling once you butt out for good.

Lets take a look at what all of the factors are that cause such weight gain in people who quit smoking and see if maybe this weight gain may be able to be controlled to where it does not have to be a factor when you decide to put the cigarettes down for good.

The fact is you do not have to gain weight when you quit smoking. There are a lot of people who quit smoking who don’t gain any weight at all. On average, people who quit smoking gain only up to 10 pounds. Studies have shown that people who have smoked for 10 to 20 years or more, or who smoked one or more packs of cigarettes a day have a higher tendency to gain weight than short time smokers and those who smoked less than one pack a day.

Nicotine, which is a chemical found in cigarettes, does to a small degree keep your body weight down. When you quit and the nicotine begins to leave your body, you may see a marginal amount of short term weight gain, but usually it will be no more than 3 to 5 pounds, mostly due to water retention.

The major reason why so many people will gain a significant amount of weight however, has more to do with replacing the smoking habit with excessive eating habits. Many will substitute sucking on hard candies all day to replace the cigarettes. Others will begin to simply snack on various foods throughout the day as a replacement for the old habit. The cigarette break at work becomes a snack break. The after lunch cigarette becomes the after lunch snack. It is this new habit, which is done almost unconsciously, that is mostly responsible for excessive weight gain when people quit smoking.

When you quit smoking, keeping aware of what you eat, when you eat, and how much you eat along with some physical activity will keep that weight gain to a minimum and may keep you from gaining any weight at all. You also must consider that even if you do gain 5 to 10 pounds from quitting smoking, the risks of smoking cigarettes are far greater than a 5 to 10 pound gain in weight.

Smoking is the cause of more than 400,000 deaths every year in the United States. It would take a weight gain of over 100 pounds to equal the health risks of smoking cigarettes. Smoking causes your heart rate to increase, and you have twice the likeliness to suffer a heart attack than that of a nonsmoker.

You inhale around 4000 chemicals from cigarette smoke and 40 of these chemicals are cancer causing. Men are 22 times more likely to develop lung cancer than nonsmokers, and women are 12 times more likely.

With a little effort on your part to keep your eating habits in check and incorporate some exercise into your daily routine, weight gain can and will be at least kept down to a minimum when you quit smoking. You will be in better health, feel better, and have a more positive outlook on life when you make the decision to put those cigarettes down for once and for all.

As for the debate on which one’s worse, smoking or being obese, there are actually doctors who suggest that it’ll do you a lot of good to just quit smoking cigarettes point blank even if they say that you may end up gaining a few pounds due to it. This is because doctors believe that the problem brought about by tobacco is actually the most preventable cause of death in the United States while obesity is just in a close second place even though deaths caused by being obese is severely alarming.

However, a lot of people in America believe that even though there are a lot of heavy people in the country, they still get to live longer compared to heavy smokers basically because they don’t have the irreversible effects that are being caused by the poisonous ingredients that one can take in due to cigarette smoking. Another point to consider when quitting smoking is that while there are also a lot of various diseases that can be brought about by excessive eating and a growing waistline, there are medicines and drugs that can help alleviate the harmful effects, thus helping obese people to get a cure for their ailments.

Matched by a good diet and enough exercise, the road to being fit and healthy is not far off for obese people while those who’ve stuck with cigarette smoking have already badly damaged their lungs and whatever damages they may have incurred from cigarette smoking is sadly, irreversible already and they have to continue to suffer the consequences – even make things worse by refusing to kick this bad habit goodbye.

Even though there are a lot of people who are obese, and even though there are possibilities that may incur some ailments or other health complications, still, a lot of people who are obese don’t really have any adverse health complications and are actually able to live pretty normal lives while those who are into cigarette smoking have already kissed a good bill of health goodbye with every cigarette that they pop in their mouth.

However, there are also some health officials that claim that obesity is actually worse than smoking cigarettes.

Why is this so? Well it’s basically just because of the fact that a lot more people love to eat rather that smoke cigarettes why is thy problem with obesity is quick to soon overtake cigarette smoking as the number cause of death in America. Aside from having poor eating habits, health officials are also deeply concerned about Americans low level of physical activity wherein in spite of hitting the gyms or taking some time out to exercise, a lot of people still not take their health seriously by opting to take cars instead of walk for just short distances, watch TV instead of go out in the park and indulge in some fun physical activity.

To put it quite simply, being obese or being addicted to cigarette smoking are both big health risks, however, obesity is still a lot easier to cure and prevent through enough exercise, discipline and a healthy diet while those who keep on smoking cigarettes have already scarred their health for life and even though they may kick this bad habit goodbye there’s only so much that they can to do to better their health while it is never too late to quit either.

Many people take risks in life. In fact, some of the wealthiest people in the world will tell you they would have never gotten anywhere if they did not take any risks. However, while some risks are worth the chance some simply are not. The health risks of cigarette smoking is one of those risks because the end result of smoking cigarettes is almost always the same.

So what are the harmful effects of cigarette smoking?

There are many harmful chemicals in cigarettes that can be broken down into four main components: irritants, nicotine, carbon monoxide, and carcinogens. When considering the health risks of cigarettes smoking, it is important to look at each of these four components.

1. Irritants
An average cigarette contains irritants like ammonia, formaldehyde and oxides. Such irritants usually cause the respiratory tract to swell.

2. Carcinogen
There are roughly 40 kinds of chemicals in cigarettes that are considered carcinogenic, meaning cancer promoting.

Lung cancer is usually related to cigarette smoking because the respiratory system of a smoker is more vulnerable. The mortality rate of lung cancer cases is very high and found to be dependent on the number of cigarette consumed.

3. Carbon Monoxide
The carbon monoxide component of a cigarette harms the circulatory system. This disables the capacity of the blood to carry oxygen to the heart.

4. Nicotine
Nicotine is the major component of the cigarette and it also poses a notorious threat to the body. Nicotine causes the act of smoking to be highly addicting. Nicotine in the body system could also result in an increased heart rate and high blood pressure.

The four harmful components of the cigarette mentioned above all contribute to the negative effects cigarette smoking has on the human body. The immediate effects of cigarette smoking may be manifested by coughing, burning of the nose and throat or dizziness. There is also the tendency of increasing the health risks of a person already suffering from illnesses like high blood pressure and diabetes.

While there are claims that cigarette smoking may not directly cause the increase in high blood pressure, cigarette smoking does increase the risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack. Most doctors agree that cigarette smoking results in the body being susceptible to cardiovascular or heart diseases.

Peripheral vascular disease is also widespread among cigarette smokers. This pertains to the disease affecting the lower limbs of the person. This is due to the atherosclerosis or the narrowing of the arteries in the blood vessels of the limb. The narrowing is caused by the building up of plaque.

Studies also show that cigarette smoking is particularly risky to the female body. A woman cigarette smoker may have a more difficult time getting pregnant as a consequence of cigarette smoking. A pregnant woman who smokes cigarettes will definitely harm the baby inside her womb. Studies reveal that cigarette smoking actually increases the probability for the incidence of having a low birth weight, stillbirths, and sudden infant death syndrome. The mother also is in danger as cigarette smoking will increase the risk of having a high blood pressure or suffering a stroke.

Another health risk to cigarette smoking is passive smoking from secondhand smoke.

Passive smoking is the involuntary exposure to cigarette smoke. In this case, even a non-smoker’s health is put at risk. Breathing in fumes from another person’s cigarette (secondhand smoke) may cause the same adverse effects as it does to an ordinary smoker.

Recent studies show that those exposed to secondhand smoke, children and adults alike, have a higher risk of developing lung and other respiratory problems. Children who are constantly exposed to secondhand smoke are susceptible to colds, ear infections and breathing problems.

There are risks in life that are worth taking. However, one must recognize those risks that may cost one his or her life and clearly, one life-threatening risk includes cigarette smoking.

It truly is not as hard as you may think. Take it from a true one packer a day smoker or better on some days. It was like a true friend to me that I couldn’t let go. I have smoked a good thirty to thirty six years of my life. I’m not quite sure when I started smoking. I quit one time about ten years ago for a week. The big mistake I made back then was to ask a friend for a smoke so I could see what I was missing. That was a big mistake! I was back full time again and tried several times since and failed on all attempts except the last attempt.

Quitting smoking for me was always like a ritual that I attempted two or three times a year. The excuse was always the cost of cigarettes. Never did I complain about the possible ill effects that it could possibly have down the road. Sure I was aware everyday about how bad it was. I heard it on the news every day on how the smokers were getting the boot in restaurants and buildings. The worst people to smoke around were the non-smokers that quit smoking. I know, my wife quit ten years ago. I smoked outside come rain, snow or blizzard. I hope as a non-smoker I never get like that.

I was not a very pleasant person to be around when I attempted to quit. I’m sure smokers know how short tempered one can get, when one has not had a cigarette for a while. Every morning I attempted to be a non-smoker, I set myself up for failure by having a coffee and shortly after breakfast I ran around outside hoping to bump into someone who smoked. I always had a nic fit around lunch and dinnertime, only to give in to the craving over and over again. I did not last a good part of a day. I just about gave up trying to quit. I was convinced that I was going to smoke the rest of my life. I thought I was hooked for good, until one sunny afternoon around 3:oopm I had my last cigarette while I was washing my jeep.

Everybody tells me that I was ready. I really don’t know if I was ready. What I do know is there are several key things that I had to do to give it up completely, and I am not really sure of the one key thing that kept me a non-smoker two months later. I know that one of the key things that helped was telling myself once and a while that I was a non-smoker even when I knew I smoked. I would not say it out loud if people were around me that knew I smoked. They would probably think I was losing it. I told myself that I was a non-smoker for about two weeks prior to quitting. Self-preparation you may want to call it. I truly knew that I wanted to quit. Maybe I was ready.

That sunny afternoon I had one cigarette left which I smoked halfway through washing my jeep. I told my wife that I was not going to buy any more that afternoon. She heard me say that many times before. She told me to give a try and purchase some later and not to be hard on myself for a least trying. Again she repeated it was okay to buy some later. I think my wife just about gave up on me quitting as well.

The other key thing to do if you are attempting to quit is to learn how to procrastinate. That same afternoon I kept putting off buying cigarettes until bedtime. Bedtime came and it was too late to go to the store. I put it off until the next morning.

Morning came and I convinced myself that I was a non-smoker. I decided the other key thing to do was invite my weaknesses. I had coffee, which they say you shouldn’t do. I almost stopped my brother-in-law from coming over that same night because he smoked. I told my wife to have him come over, but he had to smoke outside alone. I thought about it for a moment and decided I was going to stand outside and watch him smoke. They also said not to drink beer or alcohol when you’re attempting to quit smoking. I bought myself a six-pack and drank and watched him smoke. That was the very first day. I finally quit and had no craving the next day. The nic fits were gone! The cravings were gone! The grumpiness from not smoking was gone! The wasted dollars on cigarettes was gone! It was like being born again.

The one key goal on quitting smoking for me was to convince myself a couple weeks before, that I was a non-smoker. Quitting halfway through the day was the other key thing to do. Think about that for a second. The day for me was not as long as it would have been if I quit first thing in the morning. When you quit in the morning, you have approximately 16 hours to go before you go to bed and forget about it. I quit at 3:00 in the afternoon with only 8 hours until bedtime to forget about it. It was half the amount of time to put everything to rest. I had a 16-hour jump to get the nicotine out of my system before the morning. Quitting in the morning was always tough before, because smoking and a cup of coffee was always an enjoyment for me.

The last key thing to do was just learn to say no for the remainder of the next day. The craving was not as bad as it was on other days that I quit. It must have had something to do with the time I quit. The craving was not as bad as prior attempts. The next day I could not understand why I smoked all that time. The addiction is finally gone and I do not want to pick up that cigarette to see what I am missing!

Just convince yourself that you are a non-smoker for approximately two weeks.

Finish that last cigarette half way through the day when you are doing something that you enjoy. Make sure you are in a good mood!

Do not tell anybody that you’re quitting. Just tell them you are not buying any for the rest of the day.

Learn to procrastinate for 6 to 8 hours, which shouldn’t be too hard for some of us.

Face all your weaknesses that you think will put you back on the smoking train.

Say no for one day! Say no for one day! Say no for one day!

Day three will set you free!!!

Why don’t we concentrate on the lighter side first? People who smoke tend to have bad breath and yellow teeth. Once you quit smoking however, you’ll never have to restrain yourself with a slight smile – one that doesn’t show your teeth to your disadvantage, that is. And you don’t have to worry anymore if you’re going to turn your date off with your wonderfully stale breath!

The second advantage that you’ll enjoy once you quit smoking is that most people would tend to have a better impression of you. Nowadays, only a few people are untouched by nicotine addiction and if you’re not into smoking, people would tend to think that you’re a disciplined and reliable person.

But those are just the lighter side of things. Let’s concentrate next on the cold hard facts. Once you quit smoking, changes could start happening in your life in just twenty minutes.

In less than half an hour, your heartbeat immediately drops – and by the way that’s a good thing because when you smoke, your heart rate is higher than normal. In half a day, the carbon monoxide level in your body goes back to normal as well. In two to twelve weeks, you’ll enjoy even more health-related benefits such as improved circulation and increased lung function. In nine months at most, you’ll be in possession of cleaner and better lungs and the tendency to cough will greatly decrease. Lastly, you’ll also feel that you’re not as short of breath as you used to be.

One year after your decision to quit smoking, your excess risk of having a heart coronary disease is already 50% less of a smoker’s.

In as early as five years after your decision to quit smoking, the chances that you’ll have a stroke is already equal to that of a non-smoker!

In as early as a decade, the probability that you’ll die of lung cancer – which is the fate of most people who don’t want to quit smoking – is half of a continuing smoker already! And in fifteen years’ time, the likelihood that you’ll experience heart coronary disease – one of the most serious risks that all chain smokers face – is that of a non-smoker’s!

The most obvious cost of smoking cigarettes is the daily, weekly and monthly financial cost. Cigarettes now cost an average of $4.00 per pack. Imagine smoking a pack of cigarettes per day at $4.00 per day. The money spent on cigarette smoking could amount to almost $1500 in a year! Just think what you could do with that kind of money. However, the costs of cigarette smoking are not solely financial. The number of smoking related diseases such as cancer, respiratory problems and heart ailments increase yearly while a cigarette smoker may have his life expectancy reduced by 10-15 years.

Medical expenditures will also have to be addressed as most, if not all, smoke related illnesses require treatment, services and medication. Health care services are not cheap.

At the same time, there will be lost productivity when the cigarette smoker is forced to retire to the hospital bed and refrain from working. Thus the earning capacity declines. Instead of bringing in more money to the household, the money had to be taken out.

The environment of the smoker will also deteriorate because of the fumes. The car is one place where the smoker could comfortably light up a cigarette. Definitely, the interior will smell, ashes will accumulate and upholstery may get burn holes. Same thing goes if the smoker freely lights up anywhere inside his or her house.

Furthermore, cigarette smoking gives a higher risk of starting a fire. Countless fires have originated from a cigarette left lit.

Smokers also harm their neighbors through secondhand smoke. Non-smokers exposed to the carbons emitted are susceptible to smoking related diseases. If these exposed non-smokers have illnesses, secondhand smoking could further aggravate the situation.

In acquiring insurance policies, there is the trend now to charge higher premiums to smokers since the cigarette smoker is considered a high-risk.

Cigarette smoking also affects the overall aesthetics of the person. These are offshoots of smoking that cannot be disregarded as they affect the self regard of the person and also his or her relationship with others. Rectifying these could actually cost money. For example, having yellow teeth means extra charge from the dentist aside from the usual cleaning.

Smoking cigarettes also makes clothes dirty and the results often require the services of a dry cleaner to be remedied. The smoke can even result in a bad smell in the skin and hair.

Of course, smoking cigarettes has emotional costs as well. The dependence to cigarette smoking when one gets addicted can be very restricting. There is also the pressure to quit smoking as the smoker realizes the harmful effects to himself and to his or her family.

Unfortunately for many, there is the constant sense of helplessness in addressing the cigarette smoking habit and its side effects. A person with a smoking-related disease will not be the only one who will suffer from these high costs of cigarette smoking. Immediate family members and friends will definitely feel the burden of this harmful addiction to smoking cigarettes.

The good news is, not all smokers who stop smoking gain weight. Even if weight gain was inevitable, the average gain is only between 6 and 8 pounds. Not too much of a big deal now, isn’t it?

It isn’t the fact that a person has stopped smoking that may cause him to gain weight. It’s the fact that he substitutes the habit of overeating for the habit of smoking.

In the belief that he needs something tangible to relax tension (which he previously achieved by the mechanical movements of lighting a cigarette) a “reformed addict” may take to eating candy bars or nibbling on sweets . . . something to do, anything to do, in other words, to take his mind away from the pressing problems, and to get back some of those old, familiar gestures that are part of the habitual pattern of smoking.

The gesture of reaching for something, and picking it up, and then placing it in the mouth. The gestures and muscle movements of the lips, mouth and jaws: as many of the gestures of smoking as can be achieved, in other words, without a cigarette. You’ll soon see that this isn’t necessary either.

Do moderate intensity exercises on a regular routine. Examples are to go swimming, jogging, playing a sport or aerobics.

Cut down on unhealthy snacking. If you feel like munching, grab something healthy like a diet bar or a fruit.

Avoid alcohol or limit yourself to 1 drink a week. Alcohol can make you fat too.

Instead of having 3 main meals a day, spread them out to 6 small meals throughout the day. This can help you maintain a high metabolism throughout the day and you burn more calories.

Avoid eating past 9pm. The body’s metabolism slows down at night so food consumed past this hour will take longer to digest.

Imagine the cigarettes as crutches. You’ve always had these crutches to lean on and soon, it becomes impossible to walk without them. The important thing to learn is that as soon as you walk on your feet again, they’ll quickly regain strength. It may be a little known fact, but about half of what a smoker inhales from his cigarette is pure air. The next time you’re hit with a craving, take some deep breaths and relax. You will soon be able to rise above the craving, feel refreshed, and move on.

Tip 2: All the reasons to quit

Why do you want to quit? Do you have children? Do you want to live to see your grandchildren? Are you sick of the smell? Whatever your reasons are, write them down. Keep a daily journal of how you feel and in the very first entry list in bold letters every reason you have for quitting. List things like health reasons, expense, inconvenience, bad breath, or other reasons and make the list as long as possible. Also be sure to list how you WILL feel when you’ve kicked the habit.

Tip 3: The good, the bad and the ugly

After you complete your lists of reasons you want to quit and how you’ll feel after you’ve quit, make a list of the consequences of not quitting. Have other smokers in your family gotten cancer? Have they died? Do they have to speak through a hole in their neck? Will you be unable to pay off debt because you’re always buying cigarettes? Whatever you consequences, be sure to list all of them. As above, be sure to list the consequences (good consequences, of course) of quitting. Keep them to look forward to.

Tip 4: Break time!

Most smokers agree: a cigarette is a break. When quitting, give yourself breaks, but do something. Go for walk, eat a piece of fruit or drink some juice. This is critical because the body will be going through changes expelling all the accumulated poisons. The fruit will aid this process in many ways.

Good luck!

Why? Because smoking is a habit and habits are hard to break. Interestingly even efforts to raise the price of a pack of cigarettes have failed to slow the demand. And even though they aren’t cheap, cigarettes are very easy to buy, which makes it even harder to break this habit.

Smoking is the number one contributor to lung cancer. Besides causing lung cancer, cigarette smoking can cause other health-related problems including emphysema, bronchitis, and heart disease. Combine cigarette smoking with excess weight, stress, and a sedentary lifestyle, and a person who smokes literally becomes a ticking time bomb.

Here are some interesting bits of information about smoking and lung cancer.

Any amount of smoking can ultimately cause lung cancer, but how long you have been smoking, how deeply you inhale, and how many cigarettes you smoke on a regular basis all impact the development of lung cancer. It goes without saying that people who smoke a pack or more a day and who have smoked most of their lives are significantly increasing the likelihood that lung cancer will develop.

Quitting smoking may not stop lung cancer from developing, but doing so still is highly advisable. You immediately lower your risk of developing lung cancer the moment you stop (but only when you stop for good). The body will go into repair mode within a day or two after you stop. It’s not possible to determine whether the damage that has been done internally can be corrected, but stopping is worth the gamble.

Women are just as much at risk of developing lung cancer from smoking as men are, assuming equivalent smoking patterns and history. When it comes to lung cancer, men generally get most of the attention. There are more cases of men with smoking-related lung cancer than there are women, but don’t let this statistic fool you. Women are in danger too. In fact, more women die each year from smoking-related lung cancer than from breast cancer.

Passive smoking can also cause lung cancer, even in people who do not smoke. Passive smoking is the same as inhaling second-hand smoke. If you smoke, be considerate to others who don’t. Don’t smoke in enclosed spaces such as homes or cars. This is especially important around small children who don’t even realize the dangers they’re being exposed to.

If a pregnant woman smokes, her unborn baby smokes too!

And finally smoking is the cause of 90% of the cases of lung cancer. That alone should keep you from starting!

The nicotine patch is one of the oldest, and certainly best-known, medical aids to quitting smoking. Patches are placed on the skin, and work by releasing a slow and steady supply of nicotine into the bloodstream. The idea is that the patch helps wean your body off nicotine – instead of nicotine being immediately absent from your system when you quit smoking, it is gradually reduced.

The way the patch works is to break your body’s desire for nicotine “spikes.” When you smoke a cigarette, your body receives an immidiete spike in its nicotine levels. As the level of nicotine slowly dissipates after the spike, it will eventually drop to a point where you desire to have it “topped up” again – the need for another cigarette. If you picture a graph of your body’s nicotine levels when you smoke, you would see a steady series of peaks and valleys – the peaks corresponding to the spike in nicotine levels when you smoke a cigarette. A graph of your nicotine levels when wearing the patch, on the other hand, would show a steady line: the line wouldn’t be as high as your peaks, but it wouldn’t be as low as your valleys either. The idea is that the patch goes for the middle ground, and your body slowly adjusts to not having spikes in its nicotine levels.

As you become more and more used to lower levels of nicotine in your system, you can reduce the dosage of the patches you wear, until eventually your body is nicotine free. Another good thing about the patch is that it is an extremely strong deterrent against smoking: if you smoke while you’re on the patch, your levels of nicotine will become too high and you could suffer from a nicotine overdose, which can result in sickness and even death.

The patch is a very effective stop smoking aid. It does, however, have some disadvantages: it is fairly expensive, and at the early stages of quitting it can often cost more than cigarettes did. The patch can also cause problems with sleeping if you wear it to bed – and at the same time if you don’t you will wake up with no nicotine in your system, and feel pretty bad until you put on a morning patch and it starts working. Despite these drawbacks, the patch remains the medical aid of choice for people dealing with serious nicotine addictions.

For many years the standard medical stop-smoking aid was the nicotine patch, which is attached to the skin and releases a steady supply of nicotine to the bloodstream. Fairly recently, though, another approach has become popular: the use of the drug Zyban (bupropion hydrochloride.)

Zyban’s development as an anti-smoking aid is a curious one: it was originally designed as an anti-depressant, and during clinical trials of the drug is was discovered that as a side effect, many smokers participating in the trails lost interest in cigarettes and found it very easy to quit. Further research revealed that the drug was an effective stop-smoking aid, and it was approved for use as such in 1997 by the FDA.

Zyban works in a completely different way from the nicotine patch. Instead of supplying nicotine to the bloodstream, Zyban alters brain chemistry in such a way that the desire for smoking is greatly reduced – many people find that cigarettes simply become unappealing after taking the drug. At no point does Zyban supply or regulate nicotine in the bloodstream.

To work effectively, Zyban is usually taken a few weeks before you actually stop smoking. Like all anti-depressants, it takes time for its effects to manifest. Once you’ve been taking the drug for some time, you stop smoking, and if all goes well you’ll find the process much easier than an unaided attempt.

It is important to keep in mind, however, that Zyban is a prescription drug that alters brain chemistry – in fact researchers are not even exactly sure how it works, only that it does for many people. Naturally, you doctor will be consulted in your decision to take Zyban, and it is crucial that Zyban is not taken in combination with other drugs. Make sure you talk to your doctor about the possible side effects of using Zyban to quit smoking: some common side effects include insomnia, dizziness, and dry mouth. In rarer cases, more serious side effects like seizures can occur. You must also discuss with your doctor the situations in which Zyban should not be taken, like if you are abruptly stopping the use of alcohol, or have a history of seizures.

While Zyban should be approached with some caution, as long as it is properly discussed with your doctor, it can be a very effective aid in your battle to quit smoking.