How to Quit Smoking for Good

If you have ever attempted to quit smoking cigarettes, you've obviously found out how difficult it can be. The famous American author, Mark Twain once quipped, "to quit smoking is one of the easiest things in the world, I must have done it over a dozen times."

Although it will take much effort and hard work on your part to quit smoking, you can do it. Or maybe you would like to consider the alternative which is nearly half of all those who don't quit smoking will die as a result of health problems that are directly related to smoking.

Research has indicated that most people who smoke want to quit. Sales of books written to help people quit smoking have soared by over 260%.

Even though we realize that it is very difficult to quit smoking you shouldn't be discouraged. Remember that millions of Americans have given up the smoking habit for good. In fact it is estimated that over 46 million Americans have quit smoking permanently.

Before you know it, after you decide to stop smoking, you can be free from smoking forever. You want to keep reminding yourself that it is never too late to kick your tobacco habit.

You May Be Wondering Where You Begin to Quit Smoking

Before you begin down the road of quitting smoking, you must first ask yourself if you really want to stop. If you can honestly answer 'yes' to this question, you are now ready to begin your journey towards becoming an ex-smoker.

As you begin your journey you will discover there are a number of ways to quit smoking and many programs available to help you quit. Keep in mind that there is no one perfect way for you to quit smoking but there will be one way or a combination of ways that are best for you.

How you are able to cope with stress when you quit smoking will profoundly affect your comfort level and your ability to remain an ex-smoker.

To help you to increase the chances of success, you may perhaps consider including medication, such as is available in a nicotine replacement therapy program for instance. However not everyone who makes the decision to quit smoking will want or need to use these certain medications.

However, although many smokers are able to quit smoking without using nicotine replacement therapy, it is found that most folks who attempt to quit without NRT may not be successful on their first attempt.

You will find that there are many stop smoking aids that can assist you with quitting smoking such as nicotine gum, nicotine patches, prescription medications such as Zyban and Chantix, herbal stop smoking products, stop smoking hypnosis, and acupuncture.

Most folks who decide to quit smoking may decide to use a combination of these methods and we will discuss some of them further on.

Harmful Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking

You've heard it all before I know, smoking cigarettes is bad for you. If you didn't already know this you wouldn't be here, right?

But Just How Bad is Cigarette Smoking?

When asked why they want to quit smoking, most people stated their concerns for their health as one of the top reasons for wanting to stop smoking. Quitting your tobacco habit is singularly one of the most important decisions you can make for yourself. Your decision to stop smoking will not only improve your health but also the health of people around you.

We are all aware that smoking cigarettes can result in a large number of health problems including lung cancer. However what most folks don't realize is that smoking cigarettes is a major risk factor for many other kinds of cancers as well. These include cancer of the mouth, larynx, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, cervix, stomach, pancreas, and even some leukemias.

It is estimated that one out of every ten moderate smokers and close to one out of every five heavy smokers (exceeding 15 cigarettes a day) will die of lung cancer.

Unfortunately for men smokers, we are 22 times more likely to develop lung cancer compared with women smokers who are 12 times more likely to develop lung cancer than are non-smokers.

Of those smokers who do develop lung cancer, men who smoke are 10 times more likely to die from lung cancer than those folks who do not smoke. Also lung cancer is a bigger killer of women that is breast Cancer.

And even if you survive the lung cancer for now, the surgery to remove diseased lung and the ongoing chemo treatment will not be pleasant.

And let's hope you don't live in Canada - the wait for treatment might just kill if you are needing rapid treatment.

However lung cancer is not the biggest killer of a smoker - its circulatory disease.

Smoking plays a large part in increasing your risk for heart disease, stroke, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and various other lung diseases. Smoking has also been found to increase your risk of periodontal disease which results in swollen gums and teeth that fall out.

Smoking has also been found to increase one's risk of age related loss of vision. Smokers have a much greater likelihood of developing the eye disease called macular degeneration.

The surgeon general has for decades been reporting on the health risks that are associated with smoking. The surgeon general concluded in 1990 that quitting smoking has major and immediate help benefits for both men and women of all ages.

Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for yourself to dramatically improve your life and health.

Stop Smoking Medications

The use of nicotine replacement therapy such as found in nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, or nasal sprays, can be quite helpful in your attempt to quit smoking. The inhalers and sprays are only available by prescription but the nicotine patch and gum are available without a prescription and over-the-counter at pharmacies or online.

Nicotine patches and nicotine gum help to lessen the severity and discomfort of nicotine withdrawal symptoms by controlling the release of nicotine into your body. This can help you deal with the physical component of nicotine addiction and can drastically reduce your withdrawal symptoms.

Nicotine gum and nicotine patches may also enable you to control your weight as well while you are involved in your smoking cessation program as nicotine acts as an appetite suppressant. This may keep you from having to rely on a restrictive diet, appetite suppressant drugs or diet pill to help you not gain weight.

The nicotine patch is applied like a Band-Aid to your skin and slowly releases a controlled amount of nicotine into your system throughout the day. The patch can be used by folks who may have problems with gum due to dental work or may find the gum inconvenient due to school or work place restrictions.

The nicotine gum is chewed slowly to release nicotine and then placed between your cheek and gum until another nicotine urge arises. Nicotine gum can also replace some oral gratification that cigarettes may have given.

Other Quit smoking aids include Zyban (same active ingredient as Wellbutrin) which is a prescription antidepressant, bupropion hydrochloride, and is thought to work on the reward/withdraw receptors in your brain.

Another prescription stop smoking drug that has been designed exclusively as a stop smoking aid is Chantix. Chantix is not an antidepressant so is not subject to the same types of side effects.

Also some natural herbal products like the herbal patch, which works like the nicotine patch but uses herbs instead of nicotine and herbal drops which are added to water or your favorite fruit juice, have shown promise in helping to alleviate nicotine withdrawal symptoms, reduce your irritability, curb your hunger, and eliminate toxins from your body.

Hypnosis as an Aid to Stop Smoking

Some folks find that hypnosis or hypnotherapy can be helpful to help them stop smoking. Hypnosis is a suggestion to your subconscious mind while your body and mind are in a deep state of relaxation.

Research seems to suggest that stop smoking hypnosis can be successful in helping folks to quit smoking and if visiting a hypnotherapist seems a bit inconvenient, self hypnosis tapes and audio CDs are available online.

The Medical Hypnosis and Counseling Center believes that while not a cure all, hypnosis can play a long-term role in keeping folks away from cigarettes.

Support for Smokers Who Would Like To Become Non-Smokers

Most folks who have been successful at quitting smoking make the suggestion that you develop a network of support from friends and family. Research that has come out recently seems to suggest that continued support as well as encouragement from friends, family, and health care providers can be extremely helpful.

Studies also suggest that people will find greater success with their quit smoking efforts if they combine several stop smoking supports. As an example, gettting on board with a support group as well as perhaps using nicotine patches or gum can be quite effective. To locate support groups or a stop smoking helpline, you might want to check with the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345.

With the combination of smoking cessation aids, support, and good old-fashioned determination you will soon find yourself if the ranks of ex-smokers.

Learn more strategies and tips to help you quit smoking for good at http://quitsmokingforgood.org

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How To Help Someone Quit Smoking

Want to help someone quit smoking? A relative, a dear friend, a sibling, a co-worker?

Many people in your shoes want to know how to help them quit smoking because you care, and you don't want them to develop a serious illness.

Besides, it's not as "attractive" or "sexy" as it was back in the '40s when Humphrey Bogart stood in the fog-filled airport with Ingrid Bergman, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

The question "how to help someone quit smoking" is easier asked than answered, because in the end, it all comes down to the smoker's own determination to quit smoking. If he isn't ready, if he isn't committed, if he isn't convinced and determined, or if he doesn't think he has a good reason to quit, it isn't going to happen.

The first thing to realize is that you cannot force someone to quit smoking. Success involves having the right mindset at the start. If you try to force someone to quit smoking, your efforts will be met with resistance. If you insist, you will face their wrath.

It's quite the dilemma. You want to know how to help someone quit smoking, but he is reluctant to accept the importance of quitting. Some people think cancer happens to someone else. Others believe they can't quit smoking anyway, so why try.

Yet others fear the "pain" and "suffering" that goes with quitting smoking... the frayed nerves, the cravings, the weight gain.

Think about it. If someone tried to get you to quit drinking soda or coffee because it's bad for your blood sugar or your stomach, would you be so willing if you were addicted to the caffeine? You tried to quit in the past but the cravings got too much for you. You've decided it's worth the risk, or that it just isn't going to happen to you.

It's similar with the smoker, although the dangers are far worse. For them, continuing to smoke is less painful than quitting so they're willing to take the risk.

Do you really want to know how to help someone to quit smoking?

The key is to find out how to make quitting smoking less painful for him, but first you have to convince the individual to accept the challenge.

First, let's take a look at the whole process of smoking.

Smoking is an emotional action. It appeases something within the individual. The simple act of putting hand to mouth and providing something for the lips to grasp goes back to the days of bottle feeding.

For people who like to eat, it's food that pacifies their nervous energy. Smokers relate having a cigarette to filling a missing need.

As a child, it was food and the pleasure of suckling. But what makes an adult desire the same action? Do they feel unloved? Do they feel deprived in some way?

It goes back to the basic human need for fulfillment and satisfaction. A sense of self and the comfort of knowing that those needs are being met by important people in their lives.

So the first step is to realize that you can't force them to want to quit. Either they want to or they don't, and there's nothing you can do about their decision. If they have made the commitment, you can help someone quit smoking by offering your full, non-judgmental support.

That means not telling them they are "foolish" or "stupid" if they don't quit. Be conscientious about their situation. Remember, it's an addiction that needs to be broken, much like a drug addict or an alcoholic needs to wean off their addiction.

Don't allow other people to smoke around the person you want to help quit smoking. Don't take him to establishments that allow smoking (which are rare these days anyway). Don't encourage his behavior. If he begs for a cigarette, deny him, no matter how much he pleads. Try to take his mind off it instead.

Work with that person to help him identify exactly what might be missing in his life that smoking fills. What triggers him to light up? How does it make him feel? What does he experience prior to lighting up? Is he nervous? Anxious? Worried? Lonely? Bored? Upset?

Now, this might be hard to identify because at this stage, his smoking has probably become such a habit that he no longer understand why he smokes. Try to get him to think back to the early days of smoking. What was he going through in his life at that time?

Was he trying to be one of the crowd? Trying to look or act grown up? Did he start because his parents smoked? Did he just accept that first cigarette to experiment and got hooked?

Get him to think ahead to what he would like out of life. Help him to realize how smoking might interfere with those plans, whether it's the money or loss of health. Make him realize that the reason he started smoking is no longer relevant.

Smoking is often a stress-reliever, or so the smoker thinks, when in fact smoking puts more stress on the body. One of the best cures is deep breathing, rather than breathing in nicotine, tar and other horrid and dangerous chemicals. This exercise helps to force the lungs to expel the built-up chemicals in his system.

Encourage the smoker to get out and exercise, especially those that involve deep breathing. It might be walking, cycling, swimming, running/jogging, or time at the fitness center. It all helps.

Distraction is an excellent way to help someone quit smoking. When they get the urge, give them something else to think about or do. Make suggestions of something you can do instead. Work with them in any way you can.

Remember that you are not alone. Many people want to know how to help someone quit smoking, and they all face the same struggles you will. You will be constantly on the alert for that next cigarette so you can intercept it.

Another thing you can do is make them aware of the dangers, if they aren't already. Remind them that they are not immune. Help them to find a purpose in life that can be taken away if they don't quit smoking.

Having a strong purpose and a determination are the basic requirements for someone to quit smoking successfully. Until those are firmly established, there will be setbacks. There will be times when the person will just decide, or convince themselves, that it's okay to smoke and trick themselves into believing that they can quit anytime.

Help by reinforcing the truth, but don't become a nag about it. Just offer gentle reminders. They will most likely become ill from smoking - if not from cancer, then from some life-threatening condition that affects breathing, like emphysema. Just because they've had a setback doesn't necessarily mean they aren't serious about quitting. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get it right.

This is how to help someone quit smoking. Offer support when they need it most. Offer encouragement when it seems appropriate. Seek whatever resources are proven to help someone to quit smoking.

There are some excellent and highly effective drug-free quit smoking programs around that teach the natural way to quit smoking.

Don't lose patience with would-be non-smokers. Learning how to quit smoking is just that... a learning path. For some, it can happen quickly the first time they try. For others, however, it will be more difficult. That's when it's important to remind them of their goal and that you are there to help them quit smoking in whatever way you can.

Finally, find ways to make not smoking less painful. How do you do that? By discovering exactly what works. Substitutes for the hand/mouth movement are needed. The best is a glass of water. A simple solution but it works. Whenever a craving strikes, a sip of water will ease that craving. This is another way to flush those ugly chemicals out of the body.

In more severe cases, however, they might require a mild relaxant to ease the tension. This will require a visit to the physician, but it's best to avoid patches, gums and other drug-related cures because they do have side effects.

Keep them focused on their goal. Focus not on the negatives of smoking, but on the positives of quitting. Remind them of how good they'll feel - they will breathe easier, their cough will go away, they will smell much sweeter, they'll feel more alive and fit, they will have more energy, their minds will become unfogged and crystal clear, they will save a ton of money, and they can even get a discount on their insurance as a non-smoker.

Perhaps one of the best things you can remind them of, is that the worst part of quitting is the first 14 days. Tell them to take it an hour at a time, rather than for eternity. The delay tactic is amazingly effective. By waiting another hour to light up, they will give themselves time to get busy. Before long, they will realize several hours have passed and they haven't even thought about smoking.

How do you help someone to quit smoking? Offer non-judgmental support. Trick the mind with distraction, safe non-drug substitutes, exercise, and an alternative focus and before you know it, they will have quit smoking.

Sylvia Dickens is an ex-smoker who has been smoke-free for 32 years. Today, she repeatedly gets a clean bill of health from her doctor, which she contributes to quitting smoking all those years ago. She understands the struggle and has routed out this terrific program that is guaranteed to work, no matter how long you’ve been smoking or how many times you’ve tried to quit. If you truly want to Quit Smoking (and are fed up with programs, patches, pills and gums that are expensive and don't work), don’t disappoint yourself. Click here and get started in 3 minutes. Quit in 3 hours. Read the review at http://www.book-titles.ca/StopSmoking.htm Stop Smoking, Anxiety Relief, Dog Training, Music Instruction (piano, guitar) and Family Vacation Getaway ideas are just some of the topics covered on Sylvia’s site at http://www.book-titles.ca She offers articles and ebooks on a variety of themes in which she has previous knowledge and experience.

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Quitting Smoking Cold Turkey

Ninety nine percent of smokers know that, at some point in their life they will stop smoking. Their reasons for stopping will vary and the time they choose to stop will also vary. But we know that health scares to themselves and or close family members, as a result of smoking, along with government health warnings, anti-smoking campaigns and the Surgeon's General warnings on cigarette packets, don't usually convince you or the many others out there to pack it in.

Your reasons for stopping smoking will be yours and yours alone. You may have many reasons or just a couple but, when you arrive at the decision to stop smoking you will go through five general phases.

Phases of Stopping Smoking

Pre-contemplation: This is the first phase, you are not thinking seriously about stopping smoking in the near future, although you know that you will at some point.

Contemplation: In this phase you are actively thinking about stopping but you are not usually quite ready enough to make a serious attempt yet. You may say things to yourself such as - "Yes, I'm ready to stop smoking but, I'm under a lot of stress and I don't want to gain weight" or "I'm not sure if I can do it."

Preparation: During this phase you are serious about stopping within the next month and, you may even have tried to stop in the past 12 months. You will usually have some sort of plan on how to stop - be it with patches, a hypnotherapist, gum, acupuncture, will power etc.

Action - Stopping Smoking with Help (Stage 1): This is the first 6 months when you are actively finding ways to kick the habit. Once you've found your way, you set a date and promise yourself that - "This is it." Many people fail to even reach this phase because of the pitfalls that we outlined in the sections before.

Staying Stopped (Stage 2): This is the period of 1 week to 5 years after stopping when you are aware of the danger of relapse and, sometimes actively take steps to avoid it.

Unfortunately most smokers only get as far as phase 4 - stopping smoking, but they completely neglect or are unaware that to successfully quit smoking they must prevent relapse and stay stopped.

So once the decision to quit smoking has been made, it is very important to follow through with the Two main Stages to quitting smoking. Both stages involve a lot of detail and some well thought through planning and preparation - when it comes to smoking the old phrase - 'failing to plan is planning to fail', is extremely appropriate.

In Stage One - Stopping smoking, you need to look at the things that make you smoke - not just addiction. You need to find out what are your main reasons for smoking, many of them are individual to you. For example, do you smoke mainly due to stress, do you smoke mostly out of habit, do you light up when you are bored, do smoke mostly as a social activity, is smoking your main / biggest / only pleasure, do you frequently use it as an excuse to leave a boring, uncomfortable situation.

These factors play a huge role in your smoking behaviour. When you do stop - these situations and times will arise again, and if you don't plan on how to deal with them your mind will automatically remind you to smoke. So it is important that you find out what each of these situations are.

The best way to do it is to write down every single cigarette you smoke and why you smoke it, for a few days. Then analyse the results and plan on how you are going to break those links and ensure that they can no longer be a valid reason for you to smoke. For example, if you smoke due to stress, find two main ways to reduce stress in your life.

Firstly, find something that you can do quickly at the time of stress, for example, you may like to use a variety of breathing techniques, a stress ball, you may want to take a short break and go for a walk, or you may want to lie down or just scream out at the top of your lungs if it is convenient to do so.

Secondly you need to set time aside every day specifically for relaxation and stress relief. Find out the one thing, other than smoking, which completely relaxes you. Maybe it's a trip top the gym, half an hour in the sauna, reading a book, a jigsaw puzzle, a walk on the beach with your dog etc.

Make sure the activity takes up at least half an hour to an hour each day - you probably spend at least an hour a day smoking, so you need to experience the same pleasure / result for the same amount of time each day.

You should also plan to have a weekend break often or plan on spending a few hours every weekend dedicated to relaxing. They key here and the objective is to firstly show yourself that you can relax without smoking, and you can actually relax much more without smoking.

When you have done this you have effectively removed relaxation and stress relief as one of your main reasons for smoking, then you move onto the next reason. They key is to remove and completely break your reasons for smoking - if you don't have a reason to smoke, why smoke?

Stage one also involves looking at your reasons for stopping smoking - are they your reasons or are they general or other people's reasons? That is, are you stopping because you know that it is going to 'kill you' or because your family / friends are pushing you into it? It is important to have your own specific goals - you should want to quit smoking for yourself and for the things that YOU will get when you quit.

For example, you personally may want to improve your sports performance - so quitting will help you get fitter and therefore improve. Or you may be concerned about the smell of smoke on and around you. So by quitting, you will personally smell better, you will no longer be concerned that other people are noticing how your hair and clothes smell and you will be able to smell and taste food better.

These reasons are positive and they provide real motivation for you - these are the things that will help you. By combining the two points you are effectively tipping your smoking scales in your favour. You are making your reasons for smoking much weaker and lesser in number, while increasing and strengthening your reasons for stopping smoking.

In Stage Two of stopping smoking you need to actively take steps to prevent relapse. In a majority of cases relapse is due to one of three main reasons - weight gain, withdrawal symptoms or the pitfalls that come from constantly thinking about cigarettes.

Weight gain and withdrawal symptoms can pretty much be beaten by taking the same steps. Weight gain is due to excess eating. So why do smokers eat lot when they quit? There are several reasons - snacking easily replaces the habit of fidgeting with a cigarettes every half an hour or so, your appetite increases - as there is no longer nicotine in your system to suppress your appetite, and eating feels good. When we feel depressed, sorry for ourselves, split up from a partner, get bad news or lose our jobs, most of us turn to food - it's a natural comforter.

To beat the weight gain you need to stop eating as much - easier said than done perhaps. However, the reason smokers eat a lot is because their body is crying out for the vitamins and minerals that it has been missing out on through a lack of food. And as today's frozen, processed, pre-prepared and fast foods don't contain as much of the daily vitamins and minerals as they should, a smoker's body wants more food - so a smoker will eat more to get the foods he needs.

The simple solution is to eat a lot of fruit and veg, eat more cooked meals drink lots of fresh fruit juice (which also helps in the extraction of nicotine) and to take several vitamin and mineral supplements. These four strategies will have smokers eating less and will reduce the body's cravings for food - which can often be confused as withdrawal symptoms.

Drinking lost of fresh fruit juice is especially important as it will top up your blood sugar levels - something your body artificially did - by smoking every half hour or hour. When you smoke your body takes in more nicotine which suppresses your appetite, and you do this every half hour to hour of the day - by drinking fresh juice you do this naturally and beat off withdrawal symptoms.

A focus on cigarettes is extremely harmful for smokers when they quit. Don't fall into the following common trap of seeing someone else smoking and thinking to yourself - 'That cigarette looks soooooo good, I wish I could have one' or thinking to yourself ' I can't believe I've gone twenty hours without a cigarette, and now I'm going to have to go for the rest of my life without them, this is so hard'

These thoughts simply rub cigarettes and smoking in your face and show you what you are 'missing out on' or having to 'give up'. It's the same reason diets don't work - because a diet concentrates and focuses on the very things people want! You can't have chocolate or greasy chicken or burgers. When you think about smoking in a similar manner you are telling yourself that you 'can't have a cigarette'. And what is the one thing that you want? A cigarette!

It is not a good idea to find yourself in this situation. Think about it, when do you most want a cigarette? Is it when you are watching TV, in town, driving or is it when you are half way through a three hour film at the cinema, when you are on a long haul flight, when you are at a family gathering with the children around and when you are in an important meeting?

You want cigarettes when you can't have them. So focusing on them will only lead to relapse - don't try to force yourself to watch other people smoke - 'because you have will power and are stronger than cigarettes'. You've not been stronger than them in the past so what makes you think that you are stronger now?

Forget about cigarettes and focus on a new hobby - something you can get your teeth into and something that gives you real motivation to stop smoking.

When you have completed Steps One and Two of quitting smoking you can be sure that you are on your way. But remember, you smoked for probably over a hundred different reasons

- be aware that there will be other things that will make you think about smoking

- plan on how you are going to death with them and your quit will be ten times easier with preparation.

Daniel Fargher
Click Here To Learn How To Quit Smoking In 28 Days Or LESS With Hypnosis

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Should You Stop Smoking

BENEFITS OF STOPPING TO SMOKE

The benefits that are obtained when stopping to smoke are multiple and immediate, and as the old Chinese aphorism says:

"The man that can conquers itself, is worth more than the one that has conquered a thousand times a thousand armies"

The benefits of stopping to smoke are many, and they embrace many aspects among which we can highlight:

It improves your health, it improves your body aspect, and it improves your economy HOW DOES YOUR HEALTH IMPROVE

Stopping to smoke only 20 minutes, recovers the normal level of the arterial pressure, the heart frequency and the feet and hands temperature.

8 hours after stopping to smoke we begin to have a better lung oxygenation normalizing the monoxide of carbon and oxygen levels.

After 24 hours it diminishes the risk of a sudden death.

After 48 hours you begin to recover the senses of smell and taste

72 hours later, the breathing function is normalized

1 to 3 months later, your physical capacity will be increased, that is to say that you will be less tired

9 months later the risk of infections will decrease and the bronchial drainage will improve

Only 5 YEARS after stopping to smoke, the risk of suffering a lung cancer will be similar to that of the non smokers

10 years later the risk off having mouth cancer, throat cancer, esophagus and bladder will low to one half

Only 15 YEARS after having stopped to smoke you will have the same risk of having a coronary inadequacy that a person that doesn't smoke.

HOW DOES YOUR BODY ASPECT IMPROVE

Your breath, hair and clothes will stop having tobacco scent.

Your car, house and work place, will stop to have tobacco scent

Your fingernails and hands will stop to have yellow color

Your skin will improve in all senses, it will change the coloration becoming rosier (the skin of the smokers is grizzly), it will improve its smoothness and become more hydrated, and as a consequence of that you will have less wrinkles

HOW WILL YOUR ECONOMY IMPROVE

Obviously this point depends on the quantity of cigarettes that you consume daily, but a person that smokes during 30 years a package per day, does not spend less than 15,000 dollars in cigarettes, plus lighters, matches, ashtrays, burnt clothes, treatments against the asthma, treatments against the allergy, bronchitis and cold treatments, etc.

Some companies prefer to hire non smokers, because the smokers get ill more frequently and they cause more maintenance expenses, since the scents of the cigarettes should be eliminated, and the residuals of the smoke stick in the curtains, carpets and cloths in general.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO STOP SMOKING

A plan to stop smoking is only successful if it contemplates three aspects:

You should know very well what is it to be tobacco addict, and which are its consequences.

You need a training or help to face the abstinence.

You need to be absolutely motivated when attempting it

If one of these three aspects is not contemplated, the plan has few probabilities of success.

The percentage of people that are able to stop smoking by their own means is of only 5%, reason why it is always convenient that you accept the help of the ones that know how to do it.

Another thing that will increase the success possibilities, is that you supplement your plan with some substitution system as chewing gums, nicotine patches or antidepressants (if the doctor prescribes them)

Keep in mind that the strong desire to smoke will be more intense the first days after leaving the cigarette, but it will diminish every week, and to the fourth month you will hardly feel it. DAMAGES THAT THE CIGARETTES PRODUCE

The nicotine is an addictive drug, and as every drug it generates dependence and it enslaves the smoker for the rest of his life.

We all have to die some day, but half of the smokers die as consequence of his bad habit, and they live about 20 years less than the non smokers.

The tobacco contains almost contains 50 chemical substances recognized as cancer producers.

Almost all the of the lung cancer cases take place among the smokers

The tobacco is related with great part of the digestive, breathing, heart and vascular illnesses.

The lowest sectors in the society, dedicate to the purchase of cigarettes, a money that is indispensable to allow a better life to all their family.

The women older than 35 years that smoke and take birth-control pills, are in the groups of high risk of suffering heart attacks, cerebral spills and clots in the legs veins. As likewise they can suffer spontaneous abortions and to give to light underweight babies.

HOW IS THE SMOKER'S ADICTION

Any fairly learned person knows that smoking is harmful for the health, and the unavoidable question is:

If they know that to smoke harms them, why do they do it?

They do it because they are addicted to the nicotine, that is a very powerful drug that is in the tobacco.

The addiction to the nicotine is as strong as the one to the cocaine and to the heroine.

We can understand then that a person that is addicted, can find serious difficulties to be liberated of his addiction, but.

If everybody knows that to smoke harms, why do they begin smoking?

The reasons why people begin to smoke are varied, to begin we should consider that people get this wrong habit at a very early age, where we are vulnerable in many senses, but the most common reasons are:

The bad example of someone of the family that smokes

To try to look of more age than we have.

To show more security and maturity.

Because all the friends do it and we fear to be different

The publicity it induces it

The sportsmen, actors and people that we admire do it

etc.

There are many the reasons why you can begin, but there's only one consequence for it: you will join up that human mass that is unable to appropriately take care of their own health, and the health of their dear beings. Vicious people that many times try to stop smoking but can't do it.

The addict to the cigarette doesn't like to be considered an addict like the one that consumes cocaine or other drugs, and he usually denies the graveness of what he does, or give a thousand excuses to justify his consumption, since the drug mines his willpower.

Then he says things like:

To smoke is a pleasure

I don't feel that it harms me

To smoke tranquilizes me

To smoke removes my appetite

I am not a vicious one

I can leave the cigarette when ever I want to

It is not going to harm me

I will leave it later on

Everybody dies of something

etc.

These addicts will spend their money daily in poisoning their health, their family and the environment, and they will follow doing it even when the cigarette has affected seriously different parts of their organism.

We also have to highlight that these physical addicts to the tobacco, also suffer other two addictions:

The psychological addiction to the cigarette

The social addiction to smoke in group

WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO STOP SMOKING?

To stop to smoke is difficult because of the nicotine. The nicotine is as addictive as the worst drugs, and it is a product that is a natural part of the tobacco.

With the course of the time, the smoker becomes physical and psychologically addict to the nicotine, and to be able to stop smoking he needs to be liberated from both dependences.

Every time that you smoke, the nicotine penetrates the lungs and from there it goes to the sanguine torrent that carries it to the whole body, it does not only affect the lungs but also the heart, the circulatory system, the hormonal system, the metabolism, the brain, the maternal milk, the amniotic liquid, the placenta and the babies of the pregnant ones.

As all drugs, the nicotine produces a pleasure sensation, and it is this sensation the one that makes the person want to smoke again, and to need more cigarettes as it affects nervous system (what of course increases the nicotine quantity in blood). Finally, once achieved a high level of nicotine in blood, the smoker needs to smoke to maintain that level.

When a vicious one tries to abandon the drug from which he depends, it suffers what is known as the abstinence syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by diverse physical and psychological symptoms.

Psychologically the smoker feels that he lacks something, it has suffered a strong change in his behavior, and for that reason sometimes to feel better, he needs to substitute the real cigarettes with plastic cigarettes and other things.

Physically, when stopping to smoke they can feel many different symptoms like:

Irritation

Anxiety

Lack of concentration

Depression

Insomnia

Headaches

Fatigue

Appetite increase

Regarding the appetite increase, I need to highlight that it is more a myth that a consequence, since in those cases that the appetite increases, the increase that takes place is really light, and it disappears in little time.

When the symptoms of the abstinence syndrome come, if the person lacks enough motivation and doesn't practice some kind of anxiety control, he starts smoking again, until he recovers enough nicotine to do not feel those symptoms.

How much is it necessary to smoke so that the abstinence symptoms come?

It is enough with having smoked a significant quantity during some weeks

When will the symptoms be presented?

The symptoms will be presented a few hours after having smoked the last cigarette, and they will reach their intensity pick in 2 to 3 days.

How much time can we have abstinence symptoms?

This depends on each person and of the quantity of nicotine in blood that each person has gotten used, but the physical symptoms usually last from some days to several weeks, while the psychological symptoms can last during several years.

THE PASSIVE SMOKERS

The addicts to the tobacco not only poison and mortgage their own lives, but rather they also produce a serious contamination of the environment, and they put in risk the health of those who surround them.

The mothers that smoke have high possibilities to have children with asthma, especially if they smoke during the pregnancy. And they also have bigger risk of having smoking children, and children with sudden death, otitis, colds and bronchitis.

METHODS TO STOP SMOKING

There are many methods to stop smoking, and among the better known ones I can mention

the acupuncture

the magneto therapy

the hypnosis

the mind control

To which should be added the necessary psychological support to face the abstinence syndrome.

And that can be carried out with:

Psychotherapy

Relaxation and Mind Control

Help to the smoker phone lines

Family Support

Friends

Programs to stop to smoke

And possibly a therapy will be needed for the substitution of the nicotine with nicotine substitutes like:

Nicotine chewing gums (they can be bought without recipe)

Nicotine Patches (they can be bought without recipe)

Nicotine Pills (they can be bought without recipe)

Aerosols (recipe is required)

Inhalers (recipe is required)

When is it the best moment to begin a nicotine substitution therapy?

The best moment to begin a nicotine substitution therapy, is when you begin to stop smoking.

What nicotine substitute is better?

The statistic gathered so far don't indicate that anyone is better than the other ones, the substitute that you must choose depends on your choice and habits, but it is important to highlight that all present some kind of inconveniences, reason why even when you choose one of those that don't require recipe, it is always advisable to consult a doctor, who might even prescribe you some antidepressant, besides the nicotine substitute.

But repeating what I already said before, to be able to stop smoking, it is necessary to have knowledge about what the tobacco addiction implies (this web page has been written for it), and it is also needed help and an appropriate motivation.

My CD #7: "Deja de Fumar" can help you with both things.

If you decide to stop smoking it is good that you remember what Mark Twain said:

"To stop to smoke is easy, I have already done it a thousand times"

For that reason, if you want to stop to smoke and you don't want to go through Mark´s experience, you should know that a sudden and strong desire to smoke, can be presented months or years after having abandoned the bad habit, and to be able to overcome it without falling again in the claws of the nicotine, you need to know that:

Just as it happens to an alcoholic that can not take neither a single glass of alcohol without relapsing, you can not smoke neither a single cigarette without running the risk of falling again in the bad habit. And you can not even practice a single inhalation without putting in danger all that you have gotten

Review the reasons that have taken you to leave that bad habit, and the benefits that you have found for you and your family, and continue enjoying the pleasant sensation of knowing that you are a man that has conquered itself.

Written by Dr. Roberto A. Bonomi

You will find all that you need to know about, self help, stress control, weight control, stop smoking, mind control, relax, motivation and meditation with subliminal messages at Dr. Bonomi's web site: http://www.drbonomi.com

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Smoking Cessation: An Opportunity For Commercial Improvement

Impact Of Smoking On The Business
When we consider the impact of smoking on a business we need to consider three key areas of profitability, health of all employees and other people who visit our premises and company image.

Profitability is a major concern for all organisations that employ smokers:

• 34 million working days are lost to British industry each year due to smoking related sick leave. After all, there are over 50 diseases associated with smoking, so the habit provides a lot of opportunities for sick leave. The cost to the employer is not just on sick pay but also lost productivity and output.
• Professor Konrad Jamrozik of Imperial College London has estimated that exposure to second hand smoke in the workplace causes around 617 premature deaths in the UK each year.
• A Canadian study (Health Canada, Smoking and the bottom line, Canada, 1997) showed that the average annual reduction in productivity per employee who smokes is £1,085, increased absenteeism costs £115, additional insurance £37, and smoking areas cost £42 (figures that have significantly inflated over the last 10 years).

The cost of supporting a smoking environment is significant and many companies fail to realise how this impacts the bottom line:

• Smoking breaks cause interruptions to work flow and can account for one lost day per week.
• Smokers introduce additional costs for cleaning and redecorating.
• Cost of space for smoking rooms if used.
• Special ventilation is required if smoking rooms are used.
• Increased premiums for health and fire insurance with up to 14% of medical costs related to smoking.
• Increased litigation risks.

Proposals are in place to prohibit smoking in most workplaces in England during 2007. However, Scotland and Ireland have already banned smoking in all indoor workplaces.

Impact Of Smoking On Employees

A staggering 13 million adults still smoke in the UK and whilst the overall trends show the number of smokers are declining, there is a large incidence of smoking amongst younger people. Unfortunately 1 in 2 of these smokers will die of smoking related illnesses.

Staff morale amongst non-smokers is an issue as they consider they receive fewer breaks and have to cover for the time lost by smokers. This often causes resentment towards smoker colleagues. 86% of all employees and interestingly 73% of smokers believe that smoking should be restricted at work (Lader D. and Meltzer H. Smoking related behavior and attitudes. Office for National Statistics 2001).

Smoking affects employees on several levels as summarised below, any one of which can impact their performance at work.

Health deteriorates

• Heart attack risk increases threefold.
• Risk of heart disease increases by 70%.
• Cause 90% of lung cancers.
• Responsible for a proliferation of other cancers.
• Risk of type 2 diabetes increases by 2 to 3 times.
• Cause 1 in 3 deaths by 2020.
• Cause 13 deaths / hour in the UK.

Reduces sexual performance

• Reduced stamina.
• Risk of impotence in men increased by 50% (30 - 50 years of age).
• Fertility reduced to 72% in women (compared to non smokers).
• Pregnant women pass effects to unborn children.

Changes appearance

• Premature wrinkles around eyes and mouth.
• Skin becomes dry due to reduced blood circulation.
• Fingers become tobacco stained.
• Teeth become stained brown and increased risk of gum disease.
• Smell of tobacco on clothes, car, house and office.

Suppresses appetites

• Taste buds suppressed leading to unbalanced diets.

Damages children

• Children are three times more likely to smoke if their parents smoke.

Impairs decision making

• Reliance on the temporary calming effects of smoking to avoid issues and reduce stress.

Corporate Benefits Of No Smoking

Any organisation that introduces a support programme for smokers as well as initiating a no smoking policy, is likely to experience significant gains in productivity and workplace attendance. These gains far outweigh the costs of any smoking cessation programme and include:

• Reduced employee sick days due to heart disease, lung cancer, aggravation of asthma, decreased coughing, and reduction of respiratory complaints.
• The supportive attitude to employee welfare stimulates reciprocal positive attitudes from employees and this helps smoker morale.
• 71% of smokers want to quit (Lader D. and Meltzer H. Smoking related behavior and attitudes. Office for National Statistics 2001) and this goal is easier for them if their employer creates a smoke free environment and particularly if the employer introduces a smoke cessation programme.
• Recognition amongst non-smokers that they will also benefit from elimination of passive smoking and seeing increased productivity from the new non-smoking colleagues improves the moral of non-smokers.
• Creates the corporate image of a caring organisation and this opens doors with environmentally concerned customers.
• Improved company image (both internally and externally) and possible incremental business from organisations that are environmentally aware.
• Reduced risk of future legislation and we say future as the law concerning smoking in companies is not exactly crystal clear but that will change.

Employee Benefits Of Stopping Smoking

The most common reasons given for the lifestyle change to stop smoking are:- 

• Improved health and wellbeing.
• Improved prospects of a long life.
• Improved physical appearance.
• Improved job prospects.
• Improved chances of a new relationship or marriage.
• Improved chances of becoming pregnant.
• Improved sex drive and performance.
• Improved job / career prospects.
• Compliance with no smoking regulations.
• Setting a good example to children.
• Being more socially responsible.

Introducing A Smoking Cessation Policy

Smoking policies (according to ASH) are not about whether or not people smoke, but about when and where they smoke and whether their smoke affects others. Smoking in the workplace needs to be tackled like any other management challenge. Any smoking policy requires clear guidelines for all parties involved and we suggest a 5-stage process to establish this:

Employee Feedback - Pre Stage

Carrying out an internal survey amongst employees to clearly establish attitudes and opinions of both smokers and non-smokers, together with opinions (if applicable) of unions, customers and suppliers. This survey provides a benchmark to assess the scale of the opportunities to be gained from the introduction of any smoking policy and treatment programme and also provides a yardstick against which to measure the future gains. A second analysis should establish the hard employee facts such as sick days for both smokers and non smokers.

Establish Dialogue With Employees

The survey is the starting point and the findings from this and the proposed course of action should be discussed with employees in order to ensure recommendations meet the needs of both the company and the employees. It is normal to set up a working party with representatives of both smoker and non-smoker employees. In establishing the policy framework it has to be remembered that we need to comply with Section 49 of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978, which specifies that 12 weeks notice is required of changes to working conditions.

It is also worth noting that restrictions on smoking do not relate to a factor inherent to a person, such as age, gender, colour or social class, but to a voluntary activity. In this respect it is wrong to claim that they are discriminatory.

Finalise The Policy

Any smoking policy is likely to go through a few iterations before it is acceptable to all parties. This time is well spent if later problems are to be avoided. The policy will be designed to comply with Section 2(2)(e) of the Health and Safety at Work ETC Act 1974 and will detail:

• General principals of the policy.
• Common area where smoking is not permitted.
• Work areas where smoking is not permitted.
• Any use of designated smoking rooms.
• Smoking in company vehicles.
• Unions / Health & Safety representatives.
• Staff information.
• Restrictions applied to visitors and temporary staff.
• Adequate signage.
• Recruitment policies.
• Treatment programme to help smokers end smoking.
• Enforcement of smoking policy.
• Policy amendments.

Initiate The Policy And Communicate

Any policy should ideally go through two stages. Firstly a restriction on smoking, together with the introduction of a smoker programme to help them stop smoking and followed by a company wide smoking ban.

Companies should use their normal methods of communication to ensure the policy is clearly visible to all employees and visitors.

Employee Feedback - Post Stage

It is beneficial to repeat the employee smoker survey 6 to 9 months after any change in policy and the commencement of company stop smoking treatments. This will enable organisations to measure the return on their investment, establish reduction in sick days and measure improvements in employee productivity and attitudes. It is also beneficial PR to use the findings to communicate the environmentally friendly policy and caring attitude towards employees and visitors.

Support and Treatment

The introduction of any new smoking policy, should be accompanied by advice and support to enable smokers to quit, should they choose to do so. Simply ordering employees to stop smoking is short sighted, as their habit is driven by their addiction to nicotine, one of the most addictive substances known and more addictive than drugs such as cocaine.

There are many different methods and products on the market to help smokers to end their habit. The most popular are nicotine replacement therapies or using smokers helpline and counselling. However, the quickest and most beneficial solution appears to be the treatments that cancel out the electromagnetic charge of nicotine in the body. These treatments have success rates in excess of 85%, generally eliminate nicotine addiction within 24 hours and have virtually no withdrawal problems. This provides for a rapid ROI.

David Bacon MBA, BSc, MMRS, is a partner in Energy Medicine a UK energetic medicine (bioresonance) business that has been helping people with allergies since 2000.

Energy Medicine was established in Hemel Hempstead in 2000. The company uses sensitive micro-electronic equipment to identify and treat allergies / intolerances and to help clients to stop smoking.

Further information concerning smoking treatments can be found by contacting [http://www.ENDsmoking.co.uk] or by email to enquiries@energymedic.co.uk

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