Ways to Stop Smoking

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Quitting smoking is important for your health and for the health of those around you. It is also an expensive habit! Deciding to quit smoking is much easier than actually quitting, however. There are several ways you can try to quit smoking including medication, patches, gum and going cold turkey.

If you’ve decided to quit smoking, talk to your doctor. Several different brands of prescription medication can help you get over the addiction, craving and withdrawals. Not all of these, however, are covered by insurance and they can be quite costly. You can find a local doctor through Canada 411.

Nicotine patches work to replace the body’s need for nicotine through a slow release patch instead of a cigarette. Quitting smoking is only one part chemical addiction. The other half of the addiction is the actual physical process of smoking. These patches won’t help you overcome the physical act of smoking, but they can help to wean you off of the chemical addiction.

Nicotine gum is another option to help you quit smoking. These unpleasant tasting gums give your body a low dose of nicotine to replace that which you’re craving. You’re also giving yourself something to do other than physically smoking.

Quitting smoking cold turkey works great for some and is a terrible ordeal for others. If you have the willpower to forcefully deny yourself both the chemical and physical addiction of smoking, that’s great, but you’re in the minority.

Quitting smoking isn’t easy, and many people quit smoking only to start again later. It may take quitting many times before you actually succeed for good.

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Family Fun on a Camping Trip

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Many families enjoy taking vacations together, but when the budget is limited, expensive hotel rooms and dining out may not be a possibility. Camping is a great way to spend time together while enjoying the beauty of the outdoors.

Parents can first do some research to find nearby campgrounds. These will often provide primitive restrooms and running water, so for those who prefer not to be completely at one with nature, it can be an easier transition. Deciding what food to serve during the trip can be tough, but selecting things that are easy to transport and keep well in different temperatures will preserve the meals longer.

Choosing activities to do together will ensure that all members of the family will have an enjoyable experience. Older children and adults may enjoy playing games in the woods, while younger children often prefer playing with parents near the campsite. Campfires with roasted marshmallows is a very enjoyable camping activity, and families can tell stories, talk, and reminisce will sitting around the fire. Hiking and backpacking on the nearby trails is a fun way to see the sights, learn more about nature, and spend time together.

Using safety and precautions at all times against fire hazards and wildlife is necessary to keep everyone safe during the trip. If any problems arise, there are usually park rangers or campground managers nearby who can help answer any questions.

Camping is a fun way bond with family members and see the sights of nature. It is also a more cost-effective way to take a vacation together.

Filed Under: Addiction, Anti-Smoking Tagged With: , ,

Electronic Cigarettes Could Help You Quit Smoking

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If you or someone you know is a smoker, you may have heard by now about electronic cigarettes — small cigarette-shaped devices that create nicotine-filled vapor for you to inhale instead of smoke, simulating the smoking experience.

 

There are a number of benefits that come with using an electronic cigarette:

  • No smoke: Nicotine is carried to your lungs on water vapor.
  • No secondhand smoke: The vapor smells very little and doesn’t leave residue on anything.
  • No ash: Electronic cigarettes don’t burn, so they don’t drop ask anywhere.
  • No fire hazards: Electronic cigarettes only heat when you are inhaling on them.
  • No bad breath: Electronic cigarettes don’t stink like regular tobacco cigarettes.
  • No coughing: The phlegm buildup that leads to coughing and hacking in serious smokers is caused by the smoke, not the nicotine.
  • No extravagent prices: One electronic cigarette cartridge is equal to a pack of cigarettes.

While they are not officially marketed as smoking cessation devices, electronic cigarettes have several beneficial traits that can help someone quit smoking if they so please:

  • Selectable nicotine levels: Gradually use cartridges with less and less nicotine to wean yourself off of the addiction to it.
  • Safer than smoke: Smoke dries out your lungs — the water vapor in electronic cigarettes might actually moisturize them.
  • Easy to switch to: Because electronic cigarettes simulate the look, feel and taste of smoking tobacco cigarettes, you get the same hand to mouth habits that you’ve become accustomed to, and even the feel of inhaling hot vapor.

Try switching from tobacco cigerattes to electronic cigarettes, and you’ll be a big step closer to switching to no cigarettes at all.

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Quitting Smoking with the Patch

Quitting smoking with the patch can be relatively easy — but at times, very difficult.  Many state or city governments are now providing patches for free or for little cost, they are available in generic brands and they are available in any drug store, over the counter, with no prescription.  Talking to your doctor, however, may be a good idea to set up a plan for quitting smoking and seeking his or her guidance on the subject at hand.

Once you receive your patches, make sure to follow the guidelines as much as possible.  You should start out on the highest dose possible, so it resembles your current cigarette intake.  There can be many issues that arise from the oral fixation of smoking, and with the patches, you can have a tough time getting over that right away.  However, you can try to suck on a lollipop or use straws when you drink to wean yourself off of this very easily.  If you still need that oral aspect of getting nicotine, you may want to try an e cigarette instead of patches at first.

Slowly, after a couple of weeks or until you feel confident with taking the highest nicotine possible through the patches, you can start to lower your dosage, slowly at first.  Getting over smoking the physical cigarette is the toughest challenge, lowering the nicotine may just be easy!  Of course, there are many other things in the cigarette other than nicotine, like chemicals and toxins, so your body is getting over those as well — so don’t be alarmed at the shock your body has experienced in the past few weeks.

Eventually, you can wean yourself completely off nicotine patched, but still keep some lying around in case of emergency.  Try to stay out of stressful situations when you may be craving a cigarette and you can eventually be smoke free in no time!

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Never Smoke, No Problem

While many fight smoking addictions every day, one of the best tools of prevention can be not smoking at all in your life and thus never having to fight such a horrible and crippling addiction.  There are many methods that you can use to resist smoking in your life.

First, just say no.  If anyone offers you a cigarette, you have the right to refuse, which can be pretty easy if you keep your mind focused on using that as an answer.  Even though cigarettes are valuable in modern times, due to high taxes, you must not let their value impede your judgement on the health risks.  Even if a friend offers you a cigarette, just say no to them, and go on your way without it.

Secondly, stay away from second hand smoke.  If you are around second hand smoke a lot, you may even experience withdrawal when not around it for a period of time and you may feel the need to even take up smoking yourself to get that “high” that you would otherwise experience.  Second hand smoke can be just as deadly as regular smoke so please stay away from it as much as possible.

Third, the media brings to the attention of many that cigarette smoking is cool and a fad, but really, it should be avoided like the plague.  While you may “look cool,” you may be getting cancer, throat disease, wrinkles, addiction and more.  The media has banned a lot of cigarette smoking from taking place on television, as it hasn’t in the past, but it can still be seen in movies and films, so be wary that it is not always “cool” to possibly get a deadly disease from smoking cigarettes.

Forth, don’t lose your inhibitions.  Many socially smoke when drinking, but even when intoxicated, rembember to just say no — keep it drilled into your memory so you always remember no matter what.

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Patterns of Tobacco use Among Racial Ethnic Groups

The CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health has completed reports on the different patterns of tobacco use among different population groups. Although the reports and research indicates some significant patterns, additional research is needed to determine what contributes to the patterns.

According to recent Surgeon General’s reports African Americans currently suffer the most from illnesses and health effects as a result of smoking. Additionally, Native Americans have the highest use of tobacco. Other patterns include results that indicate that Asian American and Hispanic women are the populations with the lowest percentage of tobacco use.

Despite knowledge of the patterns, researchers have discovered certain factors that contribute to the patterns of tobacco use and ultimately to the numbers of the individuals who suffer from or die from diseases. What the reports have found is that no single factor causes the patterns but rather a complex combination occurs.

The factors identified as affecting patterns of tobacco use in racial and ethnic groups include cultural characteristics, stress, biological elements, acculturations, socioeconomic status, price of tobacco, identifying targets, and the communities ability to implement educational and preventative programs. Research has indicated that these factors interconnect and intertwine to create circumstances that increase the use of tobacco in some populations.

Research has also indicated that as tobacco use increases, risk factors, percentages of contracting illnesses related to smoking, and possibilities of death as a result of smoking related disease also increase. Therefore, the Surgeon General’s report suggests that further research is needed to understand how factors connect and interact to increase tobacco use and beginning tobacco use.

Moreover, by understanding this, researchers, and federal state and local prevention programs can begin to develop even more successful resources and strategies to help individuals quit smoking or prevent the start of tobacco use. The more that is known about what causes people to begin using tobacco or increase their tobacco use, the more that can be done to prevent this pattern.

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National Tobacco Control Program

The CDC has an Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) which has implemented a program called the National Tobacco Control Program. This program provides guidelines, funding, and proven practices to help implement local and state programs targeted on reducing smoking in adults and prevention in youths.

OSH has established several documents which outline guidelines, goals, information targeted populations, and implementation of local programs that are used by all funded agencies. These practices are outlined in several documents, which cover implementation of state programs, local and community based programs, youth prevention programs, educational intervention programs, and communication programs.

Additionally, the National Tobacco Control Program has four main goals and four main components of the program. The four main goals of the program are to reduce and alleviate second hand smoke exposure, promote the choice for individuals to quit, prevention of smoking in youth, and to identify and address issues and problems in certain population groups that encourage smoking or prevent access to resources for quitting or illnesses caused by smoking.

The four main components of the program address several areas such as prevention, marketing, policies and regulations, and evaluation. The components are specifically intervention programs for communities and specific populations as well as counter-marketing efforts, initiating program policies and regulations, and finally monitoring and evaluating achievement and progress.

Through this program, several states and communities have established and implemented effective programs of their own. The programs all center on the same main components and goals. All programs are designed to improve education on the harmful effects of smoking, educate the public, and focus on prevention, and resources and tools to encourage individuals to quit smoking, improving their health and overall quality of life. This national program shows an initiative to improve overall health in those who do smoke and educate the public on the harmful effects of this habit.

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Believing and understanding the statistics of the harmful effects of smoking

Why do many people choose to ignore the warning and statistics on the harmful effects of smoking? Some may not believe the information on links between smoking and other diseases.

When the surgeon general’s office considers the link between smoking and a possible disease, the office requires significant, reliable, and valid research before officially linking smoking to a particular disease. Over the years, multiple other diseases as well as overwhelming evidence have been established that back initial conclusions that began in 1964.

When considering if a disease is linked to smoking, several criteria are considered such as the reliability and validity of the results of the study, the relationship between the occurrence of the disease and the amount an individual smokes, if smoking occurs before or after the appearance of the disease, and if the risk of the disease onset decreases after an individual quits smoking.

Once the research and evidence is reviewed with the criteria, the surgeon general’s office will place it into one of four categories. If the evidence is significant then the disease is considered to be caused by smoking. If the evidence only suggests a link but is not significant enough, then the disease is considered as may be caused by smoking. If the evidence is inconclusive then it is said that additional research is needed. Finally, if the evidence suggests no link between the disease and smoking then the disease is considered as not being caused by smoking.

Given the criteria used to review research, consumers can feel confident in the conclusions of the surgeon general’s office. Additionally, the surgeon general’s office does provide information in their annual report that provides an interactive database that provides information and articles on current research on the harmful effects of smoking. For those who wish to know or obtain detailed information on the harmful effects of smoking they can access this database and review the research articles.

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The negative consequences of smoking in the workplace

Although many individuals who do smoke, no longer do so in indoor settings, they still smoke at the work environment. Smoking at your place of employment can have negative or unintended consequences. Research has proven that smokers demonstrate below average work performance and productivity throughout the work day. Smoke breaks decrease the amount of time an employee can spend on work related projects.

Additionally, people who smoke have a tendency to be sick more often resulting in more sick days used by smokers than by non-smokers. This decreases productivity and job performances. Despite the arguments that smokers will present as to why they take smoke breaks while on the clock, their productivity at work is on a downfall regardless of the profession.

As of recent, employers are finding new ways to get their employees to break the habit of smoking. New ways include the offering or implementation of smoking cessation classes that are solely funded by the employer’s corporate office as well as limiting the time that smokers utilize to take a cigarette break during working hours.

However, despite the simplicity of the employers expressing how easy it is for their employees to quit smoking and attend cessation classes, there is still difficulty in getting employees to take the bait and reap the benefits. Some employees feel that it is their natural right to smoke when they want when at work, however do not see the set-backs that it is bringing to the business that they are employed at.

Overall, smoking in the working environment has several negative affects including reduced performance and productivity, while exposing colleagues to second hand smoke exposure. While some work places are implementing incentive programs additional resources might be necessary to aid those individuals who lack the drive or motivation to quit smoking. Employers can refer to local community resources and advisors who develop and implement cessation classes to find other resources for their employees.

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The impact of teen smoking

Teenagers who pick up the habit of smoking are likely to do so because it makes them feel older, a part of the “in crowd”, as well as a way of obtaining attention from society and their peer group. Regardless of the reasoning behind teenage smoking, it has come to light through several studies that those who begin smoking in the adolescent years are susceptible to becoming chain smokers.

Typically, teenagers feel the necessity to uphold an image of someone important or even dangerous amongst their peer group. Through the act of smoking, teenagers have the opportunity to fulfill their need to be viewed as either “Johnny Dangerous” or “Sally So-Cool” status. Nonetheless, good attention or bad attention, teenage smoking does not have a positive side effect that is being sought out.

Nicotine has been determined as the number one gateway drug that leads to other substance abuse issues. Substance abuse issues such as alcohol, marijuana, and other non-controlled narcotic substances. Nicotine acts as a stimulant causing individuals to have what is known as cravings. Also, through the introduction of nicotine to a teenager, it presents them with the ability to obtain a substance without the negative implications of getting into trouble with local law enforcement as it would if they were to procure illegal substances.

Teenage smoking does not only affect the individuals physically, but also socially and academically. Teenagers that continue to smoke after their first attempt are more likely to demonstrate significant changes in their academics in high school. This includes lower grade point averages, not showing up for classes as well as lower performance in athletics. As for the social aspect, teenage smokers have a tendency to show isolation from others, feel the need to have a job in order to support their newly acquired habit, and begin to experiment with alcohol as well as other forms of drugs.

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