Quit Smoking

The Dangers of False “Smoke-Safe” Solutions

Sunday, September 17th, 2006

The tobacco companies have brought out several cigarettes they’d like us to believe are safer than regular cigarettes. A product called Eclipse burns a piece of charcoal. The smoke from the charcoal passes over beads with nicotine extract on them.

Talk with Your Doctor Before You Officially Quit Smoking

Saturday, September 16th, 2006

Before you start your countdown to quit-smoking day, do consider making an appointment with your doctor to discuss your plans.

Why Having a Relapse After You Quit Smoking Is a Good Thing!

Friday, September 15th, 2006

It may seem too soon to discuss the concept of relapse since you may not have even begun your quit attempt as yet. But it’s important to discuss relapse now because, chances are, you’ve experienced a return to smoking after a quit attempt in the past. Before you go forward now, you need to deal with the feelings of frustration and failure you felt the last time you relapsed.

Turning to Family & Friends After Having a Smoking Relapse

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

Just as athletes rely on their team members and encourage each other, don’t forget that you have a team, too. Now that the going’s gotten rough with your decision to quit smoking, it’s time to call on your team - the family and friends who will cooperate and encourage you in your “big game.”

Safeguarding Against Temptations to Smoke

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

In order to stay on your course of becoming a nonsmoker, you’ll have to keep vigilant and guard against the temptations that could cause you to slip up.

Helping Your Child Overcome the Peer Pressure to Smoke

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

One of the most common reasons kids smoke is to fit in with their friends. If the group they hang out with smokes, they’ll probably feel pressured to try a few cigarettes.

Cigars: Are They Just as Dangerous as Cigarettes?

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

Many people who smoke cigars are surprised to find out that they are addictive. But when you consider the fact that a typical cigar contains as much nicotine as at least three or four cigarettes, it’s not a surprise any longer.

Smoking: Breaking the Habit

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

It is often said that cigarette smoking is the single most important modifiable risk factor for illness and the greatest single cause of preventable premature deaths in the United States. What exactly can be expected when smokers “modify” their behavior?

Are You Smoking for Mental Needs?

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

About 20 to 50 percent of cigarettes are smoked for an explicit, expressed need. Smokers come to rely on cigarettes to hone their performance.

Nicotine Replacement Therapies: Nasal Sprays & Inhalers

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

Nicotine Nasal Spray
Nicotine nasal spray became available by prescription in March 1996. It comes in a pump bottle and is sprayed into the nose, one time in each nostril. If you decide to use the spray, it’s important not to inhale while spraying because you want the nicotine to attach to the nasal lining. Once […]

Nicotine Replacement Therapies

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

Although it may seem unbelievable, the first pharmacological agent approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in smoking cessation therapy was nicotine.

Nicotine Anonymous: The Pros & Cons of the 12-Step Program

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

The following Are the Twelve Steps of Nicotine Anonymous:
1. We admitted that we were powerless over nicotine - that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as […]

Nicotine Anonymous: A Free Program for People Addicted to Nicotine

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

Nicotine Anonymous is sort of a cousin program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Many people who have become addicted to alcohol have successfully quit by using the 12-step program that’s part of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Basic Information About Nicotine Patches

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

The nicotine patch is applied to your skin. Over a prolonged period of time, the nicotine dissolves right through the skin and enters the body. Nicotine from the patch replaces some of the nicotine you were getting from cigarettes.

Substituting Caffeine for Nicotine?

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

Since nicotine is a central nervous system stimulant, you may be wondering if you could substitute caffeine for nicotine.

Your First Day of Quitting Smoking

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

Here are 3 strategies to help you on your first day of quitting smoking.

Using Meditation to Help Keep You in “Non-Smoker Status”

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

Keeping your mind strong and supple will help you maintain a nonsmoker status and reduce your stress during the battle to quit. Meditation can help you summon your mind’s healing energy, and retrieve your mind from a war zone and place it in a neutral zone.

How to Deal with the Psychological Dependency of Smoking

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

Although all forms of dependency on cigarettes have a certain chemical basis, unless you are a heavy smoker (pack a day or more) the chemical basis is not likely to be particularly strong.

How Smoking Affects Your Emotions

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

Nicotine is one of the fastest-acting drugs known to man. When a smoker inhales tobacco smoke, the nicotine is absorbed into the bloodstream and the effects are felt almost immediately.

Common Frustrations Felt When It Comes to Quitting Smoking (Part 2)

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

The tiny, hair-like structures in your lungs, called cilia, finally get a chance to begin sweeping out the tobacco debris that has accumulated over the years. Until now, the tar in your cigarettes had immobilized them, but now that they are free again, they sweep out the tar causing you to cough more than usual.

Common Frustrations Felt When It Comes to Quitting Smoking (Part 1)

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

If you used to take a break to smoke, you probably felt justified in doing so because you were actually “doing something” when you left your post for that 5 or 10 minutes.

Tapering off Your Cigarettes

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

After you have tapered off of your cigarette smoking for at least a week, the thought that you are about to break free and can never have another cigarette can be daunting.

Don’t Let Your Guard down Just Because You’ve Stopped Smoking for a While

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

After you have successfully stopped smoking for a while, you may feel quitting has been easier than you expected. Not that it’s been easy altogether, but it still has not been as hard as you feared.

Psychological Recovery Stages of Quitting Smoking: Part 3 (Bargaining, Acceptance)

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

Many smokers are only slightly bothered by physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, but experience a lot more trouble with the psychological symptoms of recovery. Getting over the psychological loss can be very complex.

Psychological Recovery Stages of Quitting Smoking: Part 2 (Anger, Depression)

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

Many smokers are only slightly bothered by physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, but experience a lot more trouble with the psychological symptoms of recovery. Getting over the psychological loss can be very complex.

Psychological Recovery Stages of Quitting Smoking: Part 1 (Denial)

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

Many smokers are only slightly bothered by physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, but experience a lot more trouble with the psychological symptoms of recovery. Getting over the psychological loss can be very complex.

Tips to Help You Cope When Quitting the Smoking Habit

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

Unless you are completely confident that the presence and sight of a cigarette will not provide a stimulus to smoke, you should get rid of all smoking paraphernalia, at least temporarily. Throw away or give away all cigarettes, ashtrays, cigarette lighters, and matches in your home and workplace.

5 Steps to Managing Weight-Gain for the Ex-Smoker

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

What if you have just recently quit smoking, still crave cigarettes, and to top it off, find that you are gaining weight? If you have just recently quit and are still fighting the urge to resume smoking, it’s best to move gradually into a weight-management program.

Using Rewards as a Smoke-Free Motivator

Monday, September 11th, 2006

As human beings, many of our decisions in life are guided by what is known as the pleasure principle. In other words, if it feels good, we are likely to continue doing it; if it feels bad (physically or mentally), we are less likely to keep doing it or to try it again. So in order to quit smoking successfully, it’s important to make the process of quitting, and life thereafter, as positive and pleasurable as possible.

The Nasty Truth About Cigarettes

Monday, September 11th, 2006

More than 700 chemical additives are found in cigarettes. Some of them are classified as toxic and are not allowed in food. Once lit, a cigarette reaches a temperature of nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to Use Nicotine Gum

Monday, September 11th, 2006

When you use nicotine gum, chewing a piece every hour or whenever you have the urge to smoke, you tend to mimic the cyclic rise and fall of nicotine in your system that occurs when you smoke cigarettes.

Exercising Can Help Keep You Smoke-Free

Monday, September 11th, 2006

The most important strategy in remaining free from smoking is to put an exercise component into your life.

Smokeless Tobacco Is Just as Dangerous as Smoking Cigarettes

Monday, September 11th, 2006

Many people seem to think that chewing tobacco and snuff are safe substitutes for cigarettes. But the truth is that they are not safe.

How Smoking Directly Destroys Vitamin A & C in Your Body

Monday, September 11th, 2006

When it comes to the dangers of smoking and applying the will to quit, you can’t leave out a discussion of vitamin and mineral supplements. Vitamins are essential to life, and they can make or break a person’s health. Unfortunately, a cigarette is not a vitamin’s best friend.

Congratulations on Your Final “Quit Smoking” Day!

Monday, September 11th, 2006

Your Quit Day is one of the most important days of your life, you’ve gotten ready to quit.

A Question for Smokers: Would You Drink Ammonia?

Monday, September 11th, 2006

This is scary: Did you know that there are chemicals added to cigarettes which increase the speed at which nicotine reaches your brain?

Young Women Smoking for All the Wrong Reasons

Monday, September 11th, 2006

Nicotine dependency is the most common form of drug addiction and causes more deaths and disease than all other addictions combined.

The Truth About Cigarette Filters: They Don’t Really Work!

Monday, September 11th, 2006

The filter of a cigarette is actually a very complicated structure that is made up of four parts. Basically, it consists of fibers bound together by glue, but there are also chemical additives that enhance the taste and speed up the rate at which nicotine is delivered to your brain.

Smoking and Depression

Monday, September 11th, 2006

Today little information suggests that nicotine use directly causes depression. Most evidence indicates that it is nicotine withdrawal that provokes depression.

A Scary Look Inside the Body of a Smoker (Part 2)

Monday, September 11th, 2006

Let’s take a look at what happens inside your body each time you light up. Think about how quickly tobacco smoke can produce harmful effects.

A Scary Look Inside the Body of a Smoker (Part 1)

Monday, September 11th, 2006

Let’s take a look at what happens inside your body each time you light up. Think about how quickly tobacco smoke can produce harmful effects.

A Non-Nicotine Pill Designed to Help You Quit Smoking

Monday, September 11th, 2006

Even as you are reading this article, new medications are emerging to help smokers quit. In fact, there is a new prescription pill that’s designed to do just that.

Hypnosis: Common Questions People Have When Using Hypnosis to Quit Smoking

Saturday, September 9th, 2006

How Does Hypnosis Work? Agreed suggestions are placed into your subconscious mind to help you to overcome problems.

Pay Attention to the Dangers of Second-Hand Smoke!

Saturday, September 9th, 2006

Even people who don’t smoke are often exposed to other people who smoke. Inhaling someone else’s cigarette smoke is called passive smoking or involuntary smoking. It is a proven health hazard to nonsmokers, and it’s not easy to avoid, because about one in four people smoke.

The Connection Between Smoking & Stress

Saturday, September 9th, 2006

Smoking often seems like one of the best ways of handling stressful situations. For example, when you smoke, you may physically remove yourself from a stressful situation by going into another room or even outside the home or office.

Hypnosis: The Pros & Cons of Using Hypnosis to Help Quit Smoking

Saturday, September 9th, 2006

When people talk about quitting smoking, they frequently mention hypnosis. In fact, hypnosis is one of the methods most frequently used by individuals wanting to quit smoking. Some people who have quit swear by this method, while many others feel as though they wasted their time and money.

True Benefits of Quitting Smoking

Saturday, September 9th, 2006

When you take that last puff of a cigarette and are on your way to total freedom, there are many benefits that you will enjoy.

Why People Who Quit Smoking Eat More Food

Saturday, September 9th, 2006

There are at least three reasons why quitters report an increase in appetite after quitting, with a particular increase in their desire for sweets.

Have You Ever Wondered Why You Gain Weight After Quitting Smoking?

Saturday, September 9th, 2006

Unfortunately, cigarette smoking really is an aid to weight management. Here is how it works and why it is so effective: Nicotine can reduce your desire to eat by directly affecting the activity of serotonin and dopamine, which are substances that control neural transmission in areas of your brain that turn your appetite on and off.

Scary Statistics of Smokers

Saturday, September 9th, 2006

A growing number of studies have linked smoking with poor mental health. Several of these have shown that patients with major depression are more likely to smoke than are members of the general population. These studies also reveal the influence of major depression on smoking cessation.