The Battle to Stop Smoking Begins With You

Is Stop-Smoking Drug A Suicide Risk?

2008-04-28T07:01:00.001-07:00

The FDA is investigating about 100 cases of smokers who had suicidal thoughts after taking Chantix.

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Does a Nicotine Fix Help Smokers With Depression or Anxiety?

2008-04-22T19:27:00.001-07:00

Many people use the effects that nicotine can deliver to self medicate for depression and anxiety. It has been shown that the nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes can help to improve the mood of a person and also to lessen the effects of anxiety.

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Why Use Hypnosis to Quit Smoking Over Any Other Popular Method

2008-04-22T10:44:00.001-07:00

When you quit smoking with hypnosis, you are using a method that is natural and chemical free. It makes sense that if you are trying to get off cigarettes for health reasons, you would want to go with a complete detox.

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Do Nicotine Patches Really Work?

2008-04-22T10:43:00.001-07:00

People get very good results with nicotine patches and they are responsible for helping many people to break the habit.

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Medical Experts And Ex-smokers Launched Free Support Network

2008-04-01T23:38:00.001-07:00

Support network is helping smokers re-learn life without smoking. The free program, called EX, wants to make current smokers ex-smokers by utilizing a plan that was created by medical experts and tested by real smokers.

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Universal Law Can Crush Out Cravings For Cigarettes

2008-03-31T10:53:00.001-07:00

The laws of the Universe can help you crush out cravings for cigarettes or chewing tobacco! In particular, the "Law of equal exchange." That's right, you can learn the universal laws that can help you to kick the smoking or chewing habit!

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Weight Gain Problems When Quitting Smoking

2008-03-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

One of the concerns that many people have when quitting smoking is the possibility of gaining weight.

It is actually one of the reasons why many people refuse to quit and why others will start smoking again when they see that they are starting to gain unwanted pounds.

Most people will notice some weight gain when they quit smoking and on average the increase in weight will be approximately five pounds.

There are however many ways to make sure that you won't put on weight and these are healthy lifestyle choices such as the correct food and good exercise.

Considering the major benefits you will be making to your health both now and in the future by quitting smoking you might as well go all the way and boost your fitness levels too.

The advantages of stopping smoking certainly outweigh any of the disadvantages of adding a few pounds of bodyweight.

Smoking does help people to keep their weight down and some fashion models smoke cigarettes because the nicotine in them speeds up the metabolism and that helps to burn fat due to the increased demand for energy. By burning more calories to supply the energy demands it is easier to remain thinner.

In addition to speeding up the metabolism nicotine acts like a stimulant and that can help to suppress the appetite.

A third way that nicotine helps people to stay thinner is because it causes the food to stay in the stomach longer and reduce the feelings of hunger.

So you will need to make some lifestyle changes to retain your current weight once you stop smoking. The easiest and most obvious step to take is to make sure that you are drinking enough water throughout the day. This will help you to remain hydrated and it will also give you a fuller feeling in your stomach that will reduce the amount of hunger pangs you get.

This will stop you from eating excessively and it will also help to boost your energy levels which will make it easier for you to do some form of exercise that will help to boost your metabolism in much the same manner as the nicotine has done but without the negative effects on your health.

This is not to say that you will gain weight when you quit smoking as a good percentage of people will actually lose weight. Just monitor your weight and no matter which direction it goes in you will always be better off from quitting even if you do gain a few pounds. More...

Motivation Is The Key To Success

2008-03-07T05:17:00.000-08:00

No matter what type of program you use to kick the smoking habit is isn't going to happen unless you have the motivation to succeed. A larger portion of the people who try to quit smoking do so because they know it is bad for their health but they really don't have the right mindset to succeed.

They really don't want to stop because the addiction makes them feel good and almost everyone knows that quitting smoking is not something that is easy to do. People will always seek pleasure and avoid pain and all quitting offers initially is more pain than pleasure. If only those same people could understand the potential for pain that they will suffer if they continue to smoke and get the health problems such as lung cancer that are associated with smoking.

The chance of successfully quitting smoking is considerably more if you have the desire to quit and the motivation to do so. Before you even consider starting a program to stop smoking you should be concentrating on getting your plan in place and getting motivated to start and follow through. If you aren't ready to do that then it is probably better to delay for a very short while until you really are ready as then you will have a chance of success.

Set a specific date when you will start and let others know that is what you are doing so you can also get some support structure in place before you start. It might even be worthwhile to tell friends and family that you might be a little bit grumpy around that time and you can apologize in advance and ask them to understand it is something that is very difficult to do.

By setting a specific date and creating your plan of action you are affirming in your mind the course that you will follow. Even powerful mind techniques like hypnosis that have proven to be highly effective at stopping people from smoking will have little chance of success if you don't want to stop.

You have to have the desire and the motivation. With those two you will have a very powerful force against the evil of tobacco smoking. More...

A Quit Smoking Plan For You That Will Work

2008-02-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

Quitting smoking is just like anything else that you would like to succeed at in life. You need a plan to follow and you need to do some planning beforehand to ensure than you can manage and succeed with the plan. This involves making the process of not having a smoke easier to follow.

Obviously one of the first steps that you will need to take is to remove all possibilities of having access to cigarettes from the day you start your program. You need to get rid of all the cigarettes you have in your possession.

Many people like to retain one pack of cigarettes as something to fall back on 'just in case they need one' but this is setting yourself up for failure before you start. There needs to be no thoughts in your mind that you will even need another cigarette.

You should have also worked out what causes you to want to have a cigarette and be ready to avoid such circumstances or the possibility of such emotions when you start your process to stop smoking.

Avoid anything that will make you feel like having a cigarette and make arrangements to do things that will keep you occupied and help you to keep your mind off the cravings that are bound to happen. Do things that will change your regular routines as this will help to break the habits that cause you to smoke.

Arrange to be with people who can offer you support and try to avoid those who are smokers as this can lead to unnecessary temptation. In the initial stages of your program you won't want these temptations and socializing with certain people will need to be postponed until you are in a position where you can handle having them around without feeling the need to have a cigarette of your own.

Anything that you can do to make your life easier during this period will help you to get the results that you are after and ensure that you will be able to finally quit for good. Read more here...

Vitamin Supplements And Smoking Cessation

2008-01-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

The chemicals that are in the smoke you inhale from cigarettes attack various vitamins to the extent that they cause the problems that are associated with smoking such as lung cancer.

Vitamin A in particular is one of the vitamins that are destroyed by cigarette smoke and studies have shown that people who have reduced levels of vitamin A are more susceptible to lung cancer.

Similar studies have also shown that increasing the dosage of Vitamin A in people who had been smoking for years increased their chance of survival by repairing some of the damage that the smoking had done.

Vitamin C is another vitamin that helps to block the cancer causing substances from cigarettes but it is not sufficient to take high levels of vitamins A and C to counter the effects of smoking.

The damage that smoking does is far greater than any vitamin supplementation can counter but it certainly does help to slow the rate of decline in health.

When you quit smoking it is a good decision to include additional supplementation of vitamins in moderate amounts to help increase the rate of repair to your lungs and other organs of the body.

It is difficult for most people to maintain a balanced diet and supplementation helps to restore some of the balance. Due to the damage that smoking will have done these supplements are necessary to restore health. Fortunately with cessation of smoking you will have the extra funds available to pay for the supplements.

Antioxidants will help to restore some of the levels of health that were experienced prior to smoking as they have properties that prevent the cancer causing problems brought about by nicotine.

There are many different products available through health stores such as Green tea, grape seed extract and so on offering reasonable levels of antioxidants that are well worth considering. To read more visit our website at; http://quitsmokingresources.com

What Does A Cigarette Contain?

2008-01-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

Smokers are surprised when they first learn that there are over four thousand different chemicals in a cigarette. Many of these chemicals have been directly linked to causing cancer.

Within the four major manufacturers of cigarettes there is considerable research to deliver a product that serves the purpose of tasting and smelling good to the consumer and more importantly having sufficient of the necessary ingredients to remain addictive to it.

As that addiction to cigarettes comes mainly from the nicotine, the manufacturers do all they can to ensure that the smoker's brain gets the biggest dose of nicotine possible.
Would you believe that they use ammonia in the filters of their cigarettes as this allows more nicotine to pass through the filter and the more nicotine that can pass through the more addictive the cigarette will be?

The odds are stacked against the smoker when they gamble with their health by puffing on a cigarette and that is precisely what the manufacturers are aiming for and by all accounts winning. Their marketing is all targeted at getting people to start smoking because they know that once a person starts they are likely to become addicted and have difficulty stopping if they ever can.

In addition to the chemicals that the cigarette manufacturers add to their products the tobacco has already been exposed to numerous insecticides and pesticides that will in some quantities find their way into the body of the smoker.

These are things that most smokers will never consider when they are having a smoke and the majority would never have believed that such lengths have been taken to ensure the addiction is sufficient to create a customer for life for something that will in many cases eventually take their life.

How do you feel about the fact that someone else has this sort of control over your life? It's enough to make anyone want to stop smoking isn't it? Read more HERE.

Getting Support To Help You Quit

2008-01-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

The support of your friends and family can have a huge bearing on your ability to finally quit the smoking habit. There will most certainly be times during the process of giving up smoking when you will get the urge to have a cigarette or feel that the pain of giving up is too difficult and the support of others will help you to get through those rough times. The support of others can very well influence your chances of success.

There are many quit smoking support groups and centers throughout the country and these can make the difference between success and failure. In addition to offering the social support that can help you to achieve your goals. They will have extensive information that can help with the decisions you make towards quitting smoking.

You will also be meeting with other people in a similar situation like yours and this will help with the understanding of the problems that you will be faced with while trying to give up smoking.
Most of these support groups will offer structured programs that can be followed and they will usually have specific starting times when each individual group will stop smoking together and work towards permanently quitting the habit.

By working with a team of others the results and chances of success have been shown to increase quite considerably. Joining a group also sets a specific starting point in your program and when you feel you might consider giving up you will have the support of others and the predetermined meeting times that help to add some structure to your program and an incentive to continue.

The best of the support groups understand the problems that people have when trying to quit smoking and no matter what problems you might be having they will be able to help. Support groups are also ideal for people who don't have friends and family to offer them the support that they sometimes need.

Other Stop Smoking Aids

2008-01-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

There are a large variety of stop smoking aids available for smokers. Apart from those that are popularly advertised and some of them can be more effective than the patches and products that most people resort to first when trying to stop.

Just as there is a lot of money to be made through the sale of cigarettes there is also a lot of money to be made from the sale of quit smoking products such as nicotine patches, pills and gums to help people stop smoking.

There have been many scientific studies that have shown the benefits of such quit smoking products but similar amounts of money haven't been spent on research to prove the effectiveness of alternative methods such as acupuncture, aromatherapy, hypnosis and various herbal or natural homeopathic remedies.

There have been however a lot of surveys and polls done that can show success rates that people have had using these methods. While none of these methods can make you quit without you willing to quit, but they can certainly help you do it.

Even hypnosis which is widely regarded as one of the best of the alternative methods of smoking cessation can't make you quit. It can help you IF you have decided that you want to quit.

Hypnosis can help where there are issues of willpower that have been stopping a person from quitting but unfortunately there is still the problem of the addictive nature of smoking that needs to be addressed.

Acupuncture is another method that has helped a lot of people quit smoking and it does so by helping to release endorphins that counter the negative effects that withdrawal has on a person. Acupuncture is usually used in combination with other methods of quitting smoking and most of these 'alternative' methods are best when used as an added support for other methods such as pills, patches and gums.

Aromatherapy, Meditation, Imagery - These are other forms of help for the person seeking to stop smoking but more often than not they are only effective when used in combination with other quit smoking products. There are also various herbal or natural homeopathic remedies that have proven to be effective. For a great all natural homeopathic quit smoking program please click HERE!

Do Nicotine Patches Really Work?

2008-01-07T08:25:00.000-08:00

There are many different types of nicotine patches that you can find today on the market and they all have very similar results. They work by releasing a specific amount of nicotine that is absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream. The brain receives the message that it is getting the nicotine that the body is craving.

These patches that come in a variety of strengths and the patch that you will start using will be determined by the number of cigarettes you would smoke during the course of a normal day.

The nicotine is released at all times when the patch is worn, some people might need to remove the patch at night as they will not be used to receiving a supply of nicotine to the body during the hours that they would be sleeping.

Normally there are very few side effects, though some people can experience headaches and nausea when they first start wearing these patches. Others might get an upset stomach and possibly even dizziness as this is usually due to either a dose that is too high or the fact that the reduction of nicotine can cause some withdrawal symptoms.

The biggest problem that most people will have is skin irritations from where the patch is worn particularly if they have sensitive or allergic type skin. In the past patches were only available by prescription but now they can be purchased over the counter (OTC) just about everywhere.

They can be quite expensive but this needs to be compared with the cost of cigarettes and also the ongoing expense of continuing to smoke both in the purchase of the cigarettes and the health expenditure than generally follows those who smoke cigarettes.

People get very good results with nicotine patches and they are responsible for helping many people to break the habit. Even with the help of the patches you still need to be "ready to quit" as that will determine your ultimate success or failure.

One word of caution is to never smoke when wearing a nicotine patch as the combination of the two sources of nicotine could cause the levels to reach a danger point in your body. Read more here...

Smokeless Tobacco And Its Problems

2008-01-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

Some people are of the mistaken belief that chewing tobacco will help them to stay healthier than if they were to smoke cigarettes.

While certain problems relating to breathing difficulties that are associated with smoking cigarettes such as emphysema might not be prevalent with people who chew tobacco there are enough other health problems caused by chewing tobacco to warn anyone off this habit.

Surely the increased incidence of mouth cancer, receding gums, bad breath and teeth discoloration will discourage anyone from starting this habit.

If that is not enough then they might like to consider what it would be like to have cancer of the lips, throat and tongue. These are all health problems that are associated with chewing tobacco.

Smokeless tobacco is as addictive as smoking as it is made from the same tobacco plants and contains the very same toxins that create the addiction to cigarettes.People who stop chewing tobacco get the same withdrawal symptoms as those who quit smoking.

People who chew tobacco do so for the same reasons that others smoke cigarettes. It can be comforting, make them feel good or relaxed. It can even taste good with the sugar and flavors that the manufacturers add.

Some people even think that smokeless tobacco helps them to perform better both physically and mentally. This hasn't been proven in scientific studies and is a misconception that some people have.

What is of more concern to anyone who is considering smokeless tobacco or is trying to break the habit is the fact that over half of the people that use smokeless tobacco will eventually suffer from Leukoplakia.

Leukoplakia is the condition that is a precursor to mouth cancer and appears as a white sore or plaque in the mouth. This is often mistaken for a callus and is common for people who chew tobacco so while they might not get lung cancer there is always the problem of cancer no matter what form of tobacco use.

The least of the problems you can expect is gum disease and all the associated problems that brings with it. Read more HERE.

You Will Gain Health Benefits At Any Age

2008-01-01T10:15:00.000-08:00

Some smokers will often use the excuse that they are too old to stop smoking and assume that because they have been smoking for some time, it seems pointless to stop in their later years. What they don't realize is that their body will start repairing the damage that has been done from long term smoking as soon as thirty minutes after their last smoke.

Yes your health will begin to start improving that soon. Within that time your blood pressure will begin to lower as well as your pulse. The increased blood pressure that is caused by smoking is one of the reasons why those who smoke are more susceptible to have heart disease.

Within approximately eight hours after you stopped smoking the levels of carbon monoxide that are present in the blood will drop and there will be increased levels of oxygen. This will help to improve all aspects of your health as the bloods ability to transport oxygen to the organs of the body is crucial for a better health.

Things continue to get better as the time from the last cigarette grows and after the first day there is a reduction in the possibility of getting a heart attack. So if you have just had a cigarette and don't have another one for the next day you have increased your chance of survival considerably.

Within two days you will begin to regain some of your sense of taste that you probably didn't even realize you had lost. Food will taste and smell better and your sense of smell with all things like flowers will begin to improve noticeably.

Three days later and you will be having less difficulty breathing as the bronchial tubes will have relaxed. As your breathing becomes more relaxed, so does your whole body and your outlook on life. Stress levels will be lower and the chance of having anxiety problems will also diminish.

Many people will smoke in times of stress and when they are feeling anxious, yet refraining from smoking for such a short period can also bring similar aspects of well being with the improvements that you will enjoy to your health.

Over the next three months breathing will continue to improve and along with that there will be an increase in energy levels and exercising will become easier.

After the first year of ceasing smoking there will be 50% less chance of heart disease and four years or so later the chance of lung cancer will have also decreased by 50% or more.

The good news is that after 10 years or so your health will more than likely be back to that of someone who had never smoked and the pre-cancerous cells will have been replaced. Read more...

Breaking The Smoking Habit

2007-12-28T10:07:00.000-08:00

How do you break any habit?

The first step is to accept that you have a habit and then look at the reasons why you have that habit. When you know the reasons you can then think of better ways to deal with those reasons.
The reason why you started smoking might not be the reason why you continue to smoke so you will need to look at your current situation and look at the things that make you want to smoke.

Most of the people who take up smoking do so to be accepted by others. After smoking for a while on a regular basis and with the added evil of the addictive nature of nicotine the original reason might have little bearing on the reason why you continue to smoke.

It might be that you now find some comfort in having a smoke or it makes you feel great when you have a smoke. The next time you pick up a cigarette to smoke think about the things that made you want to light up
.
* Was it something bad or unfortunate that happened?

* Was it something that someone else said or did?

* Did you get upset or angry and feel the need for a smoke?

You need to be honest and answer the questions before you can break the habit. Smoking is a habit and you can't hope to quit if you don't know what the reason(s) that created that habit is.
It is no use simply saying that smoking is the habit as there are almost always triggers that stimulate the need for the next cigarette.

One of the best ways to break the habit is to hold back from smoking when you are faced with the situations or emotions that would normally cause you to smoke. Even if you delay the reaction to these events initially and wait a few minutes before having the smoke you will be going some way to breaking the habit.

You will begin to gain back some of the control in your life that you lose each time you feel the need to smoke. By separating the action of smoking from the event that usually causes the desire to smoke will help you break your smoking habit. More...

What Has And Has Not Worked For You?

2007-12-26T16:25:00.000-08:00

If you have made some attempts to quit smoking in the past then this information will help you the next time you try to quit. The fact that the previous attempts didn't work shouldn't be considered as a failure, it's that one success that will really count.

You can learn from those attempts of trying to quit smoking and not make the same mistakes again or use the same aproach. Different techniques and products have varying success rates for each individual.

Even some methods that you might have tried and failed with at previous times, could work if you have addressed the main factors that cause the addiction and know the habits that are causing you to continue smoking.

A different mindset can make all the difference as many people will attempt to quit when they either don't believe they will or subconsciously just aren't ready for it yet.

Unless you believe that you will follow through with your actions toward quitting or it will be almost impossible to do so as you will not only be fighting against an addiction that has been caused by the nicotine but you will also be trying to do something against your own beliefs.

Statistics and surveys have shown that the majority of people who quit smoking have made several attempts before finally and successfully quitting the habit so any attempts that you have already made that have been unsuccessful can be regarded as the ones that you had to get out of the way before you finally kicked the smoking habit.

Give yourself a compelling reason why you want to quit. This will be all the more powerful if you are quitting for yourself rather than to please someone else although quitting smoking to enhance the health of your children or other family members around you can be a great incentive.

You could be adding years to their life and improving their health along with your own as secondhand smoke can cause all the problems that are to be expected with a smoker's health. So quit now for your own good and for the health of others around you that you love.

Have You Become Addicted To Smoking?

2007-12-24T08:52:00.000-08:00

Most people would not admit that they are addicted to smoking but acceptance of this addiction can help many smokers quit their habit sooner rather than later. You see there are three main components to the smoking addiction and the first one of these is the habit.

Humans are very habitual beings and once we do something over and over again that we like, it becomes a habit and habits are very difficult to break. A habit will usually have a strong physical and psychological component and these are the other two components that make up the addiction of smoking.

You might say that you can give up smoking, but have you ever tried and if you have did it work or are you still smoking?The reason that these questions need to be asked is because most people who have tried to quit smoking will assume that they are a failure if they returned to the habit once again.

Don't blame yourself for the situation as this can cause some people to give up trying where the real problem lies in the cigarettes and not the person or their strength and willpower.
The fact that nicotine is so addictive is the real reason and even those people with incredible will power can struggle to stop smoking. You need to be ready to quit smoking and you need to believe that you want to stop and can stop.

You need to look for alternative methods for getting the same pleasure or enjoyment that the cigarettes are giving you and you need to understand that smoking is a habit and only by addressing the habit and the emotions and situations that trigger the habit will you be able to finally quit smoking.

People who haven't smoked usually can't understand why someone who wants to stop hasn't done so and continues to spend money on something that they no longer enjoy and would like to stop. Best advice here is not to keep putting it off, do something about it and do it today. Make that first and hardest step towards quitting the habit.

It is not you that is stopping you from quitting. It is what the nicotine has done to you that has made it so difficult to quit your well established smoking habit. Don not blame yourself for being so difficult to quit smoking. Instead focus your attention on the habits that have been created and when these are addressed you will be one step closer to quitting smoking for your own good and for the health of others around you.

Triggers Of The Smoking Habit

2007-12-20T07:05:00.000-08:00

Many people who smoke cigarettes have 'triggers' that make them want to smoke. There can be a variety of reasons why people will reach for a smoke in certain situations and when they are feeling emotional.

If you can identify what these emotions or events are, that are causing these triggers then that will be one of the first and probably the best step towards quitting the smoking habit.

It could be that you feel like smoking when you are feeling down or depressed. This is a very common trigger as smoking can act as a somewhat comforting element in a person's life. Many people smoke just because they feel shy or self conscious and smoking gives them something to do to take their mind off their anxiety problem or being nervous.

Other people will feel like lighting up when they are angry, stressed or depressed about something as this will help them to calm down and manage their situation better.

Most smokers will feel like smoking when they are socializing, partying and drinking and often this is one of the hardest aspects of life to deal with for those who are trying to quit smoking. Virtually any emotion can be a trigger for someone to feel like smoking and it is necessary to determine what your emotional triggers are if any.

It might be that you don't have any problems relating to emotional triggers but rather situations that are making you to feel like lighting up for a cigarette. You might feel like smoking when you are listening to music, driving your car or watching the television. Some people like to have a cigarette right after a meal or when they are consuming alcohol.

Many people feel like they need a smoke to help them start their day or at the end of the day to help them unwind. Once again you need to look at those things that trigger your desire to have a cigarette and look at an alternative solution that will help you cope with the situation without the need for a smoke.

If one alternative doesn't work for you then try another and keep trying until you find something that satisfies that burning desire for a cigarette without actually smoking one. Sooner or later you will find something that can give you enough satisfaction to not need the cigarette each time such an emotion or situation arises.

The Reasons Why People Smoke

2007-12-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

There are various reasons why people start smoking initially, but more often than not it is because of the image that is created in their minds through the use of the clever advertising campaigns of the tobacco companies. Most people start smoking with their first cigarettes from older friends or family.

Part of the reason they smoke is to be a part of the crowd that they admire or people they aspire to emulate. It is about image more than anything else, as most smokers would agree that the first cigarette was certainly unpleasant. If food tasted that bad we would surely never eat it again.

The majority of people find that smoking tastes bad and makes them feel bad and it is only after they get accustomed to the taste as those feelings disappear. By that time they can not or would not give up due to their smoking addiction and a new problem presents itself.

Statistics also show that the majority of people who smoke wished they had never started and if they could turn back the time they would certainly never be starting smoking again. It is only the addictive nature of tobacco that makes so many people continue to smoke long after they realize the way it is affecting their health as well as their lifestyle.

Throughout the years the tobacco companies have marketed their products well and the images of celebrities, musicians and other stars smoking have had a major influence on people's decisions to start the smoking habit.

If something is seen to be cool or fashionable then there will be many people who will do it simply to be accepted by their peers. Fortunately as more and more people see the dangers that smoking may cause to their health and longevity it is becoming a more unacceptable practice and not seen as fashionable in many areas of society.

The Health Risks Of Smoking

2007-12-17T10:35:00.000-08:00

Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the country and is the biggest cause of disease and death in most western countries. It is the leading cause of many different forms of cancer and also heart disease as well as stroke. Virtually every organ in the body is harmed by smoking and this is due to the thousands (yes you were reading that right, thousands) of chemicals that are present in tobacco smoke.

Many of those chemicals have been shown to cause cancer and various other health problems that are caused or made worse due to smoking. Illnesses that relate to breathing such as emphysema and bronchitis are caused or worsened by smoking.

Emphysema is where the cigarette smoke causes the air sacs in the lungs to become damaged and this makes it difficult for the oxygen to get transported to the bloodstream.

Obviously with a reduction in the circulation of oxygen throughout the body it will deteriorate at an increased rate. In addition to this damage to the air sacs in the lungs the airways can become inflamed from cigarette smoke causing chronic bronchitis.

When the combination of these two illnesses strike a person at the same time, it can be an extremely unpleasant situation where the shortage of breath becomes increasingly difficult and ultimately may be sometimes resulting in early death.

Smoking also increases the problem of having high blood pressure and along with that smokers are at more risk of having a heart attack than those people who don't smoke. The deterioration of the ability to breathe freely stops smokers from participating in sports at higher levels and ultimately this reduction in the ability to exercise results in poor health and for many people the sedentary life that they will tend to lead causes many more related health problems.

Each day of smoking is another step in the wrong direction where many parts of the body including the major organs are exposed to danger that can ultimately lead to health problems or often times death.

Understanding Nicotine Addiction

2007-12-15T22:11:00.000-08:00

Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs in the world, so it is no wonder that smoking is such a difficult habit to break. In fact it is at least as addictive as such hard drugs as cocaine or heroin. Once a person has been smoking for a period of time, it takes a lot more than just willpower or the cold turkey method to stop smoking because of the addictive nature of tobacco.

Most smokers would never consider taking drugs to help them quit smoking, but the fact that they are smoking creates a situation where the addictive nature of nicotine can create many different health conditions and the smoker has extreme difficulty stopping even when the health problems become life threatening.

Nicotine is so powerful that it can kill you if a small amount of pure nicotine is placed on your skin. Fortunately the amount in cigarettes is nowhere near that strong but it is enough to get you addicted and that is how the cigarette companies get you coming back for more even when you know it is killing you and even if you are desperately looking for ways to stop.

When you are smoking and inhaling it in, the nicotine travels directly to your brain in a matter of seconds and once there it stimulates the brain to make you feel good. It causes the release of dopamine which will help to improve your mood and this is one of the reasons why people who are stressed, sad or depressed often seek comfort in the form of a cigarette.

After a while your body will become tolerant to the nicotine and require more and more to get you feel the same affect. This leads to a stronger and stronger addiction to smoking where people can smoke up to several packs a day.

Beside the obvious expense of having to pay for so many packs of cigarettes each week there are additional loads placed on a persons health from the damage that all the smoking is doing, yet the addiction grows stronger and it becomes even harder to quit.
Every day that you postpone quitting the smoking habit, you are making it harder to give up and that is precisely what the tobacco companies want.

The Battle To Stop Smoking Begins With You

2007-10-02T05:38:00.000-07:00

Giving up smoking is not easy... Smoking becomes a psychological, emotional and a physical addiction and your behavior has been conditioned to follow a routine that is reinforced into a habit. You know that smoking is bad for you, even potentially lethal to your health, but you continue to smoke. Summoning the will power to quit smoking is one of the most challenging tasks that many adults will face. Cigarettes are easily accessible and socially accepted, and that it can be hard to stay away from them.

With other forms of chemical dependency addicts must remove themselves completely from the culture that supports their habit. When you can buy your drug of choice at the local supermarket though, this becomes a much greater challenge. Though there are stories of folks who were able to simply walk away, the more common tale is one of struggle and repeated failure.

Perhaps the most important thing that you can do if you have decided that you want to stop smoking is to enlist the help of a friend or family member to hold you accountable. Having someone there to provide encouragement along the way will be more valuable than any stop smoking product that you can buy.

It is important to remember that smoking can be just as much an emotional addiction as it is physical. While different sides of the medical community try to argue either side, it is probably safe to conclude that both factors come into play. That is why you need to ensure that you'll have great support around you to compliment the consumer products that you have chosen to help you quit smoking.

There are, of course, a number of consumer products on the market to help you stop smoking. Everything from chewing gum, arm patches, and hypnotic sessions claim to have the ability to curb your cravings for the next cigarette.

Some smokers have found these products to be helpful in varying degrees, but it is important to remember that they are only tools. The ultimate decision to quit must still come from inside of you.

For many smokers, the will power to quit smoking is driven more by a concern for other people in their lives than by concern for themselves. New parents decide that they don't want their kids to grow up exposed to second hand smoke and grandparents decide that they want their grandkids to know them on into adulthood. These family ties are strong motivators and have been the key to success for many adults who have quit smoking.

In the battle to quit smoking, the responsibility ultimately land on you. While you can utilize the best products available and surround yourself with a strong network of support, none of that will help if you haven't made a commitment to yourself to stop smoking.

Take the first step. Decide that you won't be a slave to addiction and that you will do what ever it takes to improve the quality of your life, and in turn, the quality of life for your loved ones.

For a proven resource that has helped over one million smokers quit since 1986 and can potentially help you quit your smoking habit, please click HERE.