I’m Sammi; a spunky 16 year old girl who’s been through a lot but still manages to keep a smile shining on my face. I smoke cigarettes, and, unfortunately, I’m addicted. It’s been only about a year now since I’ve started smoking, but dang, that nagging nicotine sure knows how to keep a hold tight on you. Read more
We have seen a big boom in smoking cessation products over the last few years. There has been the patches of course, prescriptions and the controversy that surrounded the e-cigarettes that are now on the market. While smoking a person has less energy, a more negative outlook on life and are less happy with themselves as they would be other wise. Being in a lower frame of mine we could be more apt to eat and drink things that aren’t good for us. On the other hand, after quitting a person feels more energetic, more apt to get out and get more accomplished and are less apt to eat and drinks things that aren’t good for us. Read more
It is a fact that many teens start smoking because they think it looks cool and makes them appear sophisticated. However, these teens don’t realize that smoking has more disadvantages than benefits. If your teen has already been smoking for some time, it may be rather difficult to get him to stop.
One way to convince your teen to stop smoking is to show him pictures of smokers who have developed cancer due to the vice. There is nothing more disgusting than seeing a person with oral cancer in the terminal stage. For many teens who think that smoking makes them look good, coming down with cancer is the last thing they consider. This alone may convince your teen to stop smoking.
Another way to convince your teen to stop smoking is to reduce his school allowance. Limit the money he can get from you to what he would need to pay for lunch and for commuting to and from school. He will find that he has to make a choice between being able to pay for lunch and a bus ride and being able to buy his smokes. Of course, at the start he will probably want to keep smoking – until his stomach convinces him that he also needs to eat.
Be prepared for your teen to try everything possible to get more money from you for smoking. It is up to you to block his strategies so that he will realize you are dead serious about not giving money for his vice. If he realizes he can’t get money from you for smokes, he may feel the urge to smoke so much that he may steal the money instead. Warn him in advance that if he does that you will end his allowances for good.
Some of you have smoked for many years, are smoking several packs a day and it is not easy to just up and quit. Perhaps you have even agonized over how to do it. It's time but its so hard.
Have you thought about changing the way in which you get nicotine into your body? Maybe changing cigarettes to smokeless or chewing tobacco? In an article on mayoclinic.com ("Chewing Tobacco Not a Safe Alternative to Cigarettes")it stated that chewing tobacco has at least 30 cancer-causing chemicals in it and is just as dangerous as cigarettes.
On cancernews.com it explains that cigars have more cancer-causing nitrosamines. This only makes sense since toxins are produced at a higher level due in part to the slower smoking time. And this type of smoking causes oral cancer.
Electronic cigarettes are the newest on the market. They get nicotine to your blood and lungs without burning tobacco and adding all the harmful toxins that tobacco smoke adds to the air. It is just a better nicotine inhaler and may be a little better than the toxic tobacco smoke.
The truth is that there is no safe tobacco product.
Examine your need for a cigarette. You may say you enjoy it but the majority of you are using this addiction to stuff away feelings. Do you find yourself smoking during an emotional or stressful situation? Making smokingt helps you get through a rough day. But why? Think about the times during the day that you smoke. Kids are loud and not behaving, work is stressful, traffic makes you nervous, or relationship problems and the list goes on and on. Or perhaps its instead of doing something you know needs to get done. Are you suppressing your emotions by smoking? Smoking a cigarette instead of eating and using it to suppress hunger?
When you feel the need of a cigarette try asking yourself if you might be hungry, tired, lonely or even angry. What do I really need instead of a cigarette?
Do you think you are ready to pick a date and stop the smoking addiction that has plagued you? The best results come when you pick a date to start becoming smoke free. On that date you start using the nicotine replacement of your choice. Of course just trying to go from two packs a day to half of one in one day is ridiculous so going cold turkey onto the replacement seems the best way to go. And, remember, each time you do something else instead of smoking you are helping your self to quit.
Getting support from your doctor and family is very important in becoming smoke free. Your medical doctor can give you options and information on what nicotine replacement product might be best for you.
There are several Nicotine Replacement Therapy(or NRT) products on the market. Over the counter there are patches, gum and lozenges. There are sprays and inhalers by prescription. Two tablet prescription types are Chantix and Wellbutrin. Chantix is said to cause suicidal thoughts in some users and Wellbutrin also helps with depression.
Smoking is not an easy thing to stop. It may take you a while and even a few stops and starts. Be easy on yourself. Finding the reasons for smoking will help you become smoke free.
For more information visit the sites below:
Smokefree.gov
NCI's Smoking Quitline at 1–877–448–7848
After figuring out what your triggers are and working to change your routine (as discussed in my blog entitled “Triggers”), you are ready to set a date for the big day, the day when you conciously back away from smoking.
It is a good idea to either talk to your medical doctor or call a help line (one is listed below). There are some products on the market to help with the nicotine withdrawal such as gum, patches, lozenges and even some prescription medications such as Varenicline (or Chantix) and Bupropion (brand names Wellbutrin and Zyban), that help with the cravings. A doctor can advise you as to whether you might need to start one of these products before stopping actual cigarettes. This is a very important aspect of quitting and these aids are good idea to decide on before the day comes.
You aren’t going to just never have another cigarette. Cutting down or edging off is a little more the point here. Your awareness of your smoking triggers, and what you have done to change those most vulnerable moments, will help you to cut down and finally quit.
Water pipe smoking (vaping and e-cigs) still deliver the nicotine, but not as toxic as a cigarette.
A lot of people feel that cold turkey is the way to go about quitting. But only about 3.5% of those stopping cold turkey actually stop for good.
Remember that addictive behavior comes from our reactions to certain situations. Usually, it is an emotional stresser that brings on the addictive behavior. This is where changing the rituals we go through comes in. For example: If you smoke when you get in the car and drive at a certain time during the day, then you need to find something else to do at this time.
Don’t forget to ask for support from family and friends. Not being around people that smoke will be very helpful and is something to think about.
Call the NCI (National Cancer Institute) Smoking Quitline at: 1-877-448-7848 Monday through Friday 8am to 8pm eastern time, or visit www.smokefree.gov for help if you need it.
I hope this blog is of help to you and that you read the others I have written on this subject. Thank you for your votes and comments.