Smoking Cessation

Smoking is responsible for approximately 5 million deaths every year. A greater cause of death and disability than any other single disease, smoking damages your health, which is why stop smoking aids (smoking cessation treatments) are recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Cigarettes contain tobacco, a substance known to cause over 25 different diseases and health problems. However, the possibilities of long-term illnesses can be reduced when stop smoking aids are used. Lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease, can all be contracted through smoking. You are strongly advised to quit smoking before it’s too late to prevent any serious damage to your health.

You can consult your doctor or physician to learn more about the range of stop smoking treatments available. With quit smoking (smoking cessation) treatments, you can live smoke free and healthy.

Nicotine

Nicotine, an element of tobacco smoke, is one of the most addictive substances that exists. When tobacco is smoked, most of the nicotine is pyrolyzed; however, a dose sufficient to cause mild somatic dependency and mild to strong psychological dependency remains. According to studies by Henningfield and Benowitz, nicotine is more addictive than caffeine but of a lesser potential for somatic dependency than ethanol, cocaine and heroin. A study by Perrine concludes nicotine's potential for psychological dependency exceeds all other studied drugs even ethanol, an extremely physically addictive substance with a severe withdrawal that can be fatal. Many smokers use nicotine compulsively.

Giving Up

It can be difficult to quit smoking due to the withdrawal symptoms which can include insomnia, irritability, anxiety, decreased heart rate, weight gain, and nicotine cravings. The relapse rate for quitters is high: about 60% relapse in three months. Also, nicotine users sometimes don’t want to quit smoking because they do not see any short-term damages it may cause.

There are however, a few ways of quitting smoking:

Cold Turkey

This is where you set a date, and just stop using will power alone. Although a lot of people have proved that it can work, not everyone can cope with the loss of nicotine in the blood.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

This is done via Patches and Chewing gum that contains Nicotine. The idea is that you will not crave cigarettes because your system is getting the nicotine that it wants. The method has proven to be quite successful, and works for many people - although a lot of people find that stopping the patches or gum often gets them craving again.

Zyban

This is a prescription treatment that came out ten years ago. Originally for depression, it showed the dynamics in helping people to stop smoking. Although successful, this drug has been highly controversial because its anti-depressive effects and has proved addictive.

Champix

Champix this is a new drug approved in the UK in the latter part of 2006. Made by Pfizer, the drug works differently to Zyban and is much more effective, yet without the controversy of Zyban. Click here for more information on this drug.