Smoking cigarettes is dangerous, habit forming, expensive, and soon to be outlawed in many public places. If your a true smoker none of the listed problems scare you. This would include cancer and the ever growing list of complications to your health smoking cigarettes creates. Smoking is also a stress reducer, relaxing technique, social act, and a cool thing to do among the teen crowd.
Second hand smoke has been proved to cause the same reactions to a persons health, as if they were smoking first hand. Tobacco is an addiction. Millions of people are trying to kick the habit. Aging is also magnified by smoking. Many tell tail signs exist among smokers. One major sign is the wrinkles that form around the mouth. Your teeth suffer on a count of the constant sucking and blowing effect. In time you will notice the permanent yellowing of the teeth. Many options are available to help you become nicotine free. Smokers usually fail at their first few attempts to quit smoking. If you want to quit smoking, try joining a support group.
The market is flooded with products to help you quit smoking. The patch is the leader. It delivers nicotine right to the blood stream. It is designed to be used in a step down program, lowering the amount of nicotine delivered as the weeks pass. Soon you will be patch free and a non-smoker. Nicotine overdose is possible if you wear the patch and smoke, or smoke too soon after removing the patch.
Nicotine gum comes in 2-4mg of nicotine induced taste to help you bridge the road to being smoke free. Nicotine gum is relatively inexpensive. Nasal sprays and inhalers have their down side too. They have been noted to burn nasal tissue or the throat. Nasal sprays are like the product used for nasal congestion-just pump it into your nostrils. Inhalers are shaped like little cigarettes, suck on them until they release a mist of nicotine, straight to your lungs.
Another aid in quitting the habit is free on-line help. you can talk to a live human being, free of charge. Even the phone call is free. Visit; www.nicotine-anonymous.org/ for more information. The site states the following message:
“Call 1-800-QUIT NOW for free support with a trained counselor, who will talk to you whether you are ready to quit or just thinking about it. This number will forward to your State’s tobacco cessation program, which offers live phone support in your area. When you call, a friendly staff person will offer a choice of free services, including self-help materials, a referral list of other programs in your community, and one-one-counseling over the phone.
There is also the National Cancer Institute’s Smoking Quitline, 1-877-44U-Quit, offering proactive counseling by trained personnel.
Try the great free meetings
at Nicotine Anonymous
If joining a small group of other quitters appeals to you, then try a Nicotine Anonymous meeting. It’s likely there’s one near you where you live. It’s a 12-step program based on AA; they’re nonprofit and meetings are free. You can find a local meeting near you, and if there isn’t one, you can learn how to start one at the Nicotine Anonymous website. (A for-profit company trademarked “Smokers’ Anonymous”. Instead, you want the FREE program — Nicotine Anonymous).
Their site notes, “Nicotine Anonymous® is a fellowship of men and women helping each other to live lives free of nicotine. We share our experience, strength and hope with each other so that we may be free from this powerful addiction. There are no fees. Our primary purpose is to offer support to those who are trying to gain freedom from nicotine.”
Don’t count on any of these programs to make it a breeze. None of them will do that — but they WILL absolutely reduce your distress by 15% to 50%, depending on how addicted you are psychologically, vs. physically — and that may well make all the difference this time around.
Smoking is a very hard habit to break, get help and get healthy. You’ll be glad you did. You can buy yourself a new car with all the money you won’t be spending on cigarettes, or take a relaxing trip. Start your own support group in your neighborhood. Good luck.
