A Guide For All Smokers Who Want To Quit Smoking

Stop smoking: Is it really worth it to stop smoking?

2008-06-12T22:00:00.000+08:00

You have been thinking that it’s time to quit smoking. But maybe you’ve been thinking that its time to quit smoking ever since you started and you are still smoking. You know that the health benefits of quitting are incredible. Still, you are smoking a cigarette or thinking of smoking one right now. Have you examined your reasons for not quitting? Maybe you think you can’t handle the withdrawal symptoms.

Try looking at it this way: Smoking cigarettes is like pointing a gun at your head. The gun won’t go off until ten or twenty years have passed. The thing is that the gun will go off eventually. How many years have you been smoking? Five, ten, fifteen, twenty, forty? However long it’s been, the time to quit smoking is now. Really, it was yesterday, but now will have to do. Put that gun down. Stop embarrassing yourself in public. When nonsmokers see someone smoking, they make judgments about it. Stop giving them a reason to judge you.

Not only is there an increasing social stigma attached to smokers, but the health benefits of quitting are endless. Do it now. Don’t keep putting it off. You know that your body can’t handle smoking without taxing years off of your life. If the financial cost hasn’t caused you to stop smoking, then quit for the sake of the health benefits from quitting.

No one thinks that it is easy to stop smoking, but it is worth it to quit smoking and quit committing slow and painful suicide.

• If you stop smoking, you will also eliminate over four thousand different poisonous chemicals from your body.

• If you quit smoking, you will be able to eat comfortably in any restaurant whether they allow smoking or not. You will also not have to wait for a seat in the smoking section if the state or country you are in allows for smoking in public eateries.

• If you stop smoking, you will be able to save a percentage of your income. You can put the money that you have been spending on smoking into a jar or a savings account. At the end of a year, you will probably have enough money to make a very nice purchase or go on vacation.

• If you quit smoking, you will not repel nonsmokers who see you smoking or smell the smoke on your clothes and skin. Smoking is such a stigmatized habit now that you will surely see a difference in the way that the world interacts with you if you stop smoking.

• If you’ve been smoking for many years, imagine what you have been missing out on in fragrances and foods. Maybe you don’t really know what different spices taste like because your taste buds and sense of smell are overloaded with the many different poisons that are in tobacco products. If you stop smoking, you will find out what fragrances you have been missing out on.

The health benefits of quitting are important. The social and financial benefits are also important. Quitting is important, but it is not easy. You will not only face the psychological struggle when you quit smoking. You will also face some physical challenges. Some of these common physical and psychological challenges are listed below.

• When you stop smoking, you might find yourself feeling depressed.

• When you quit smoking, you might find that you are struggling with insomnia or changes in your sleep patterns.

• You might find that you are cranky, frustrated or irritable when you stop smoking.

• You might find that your appetite is greatly increased, and this could lead to some weight gain when you quit smoking.

If you really think that you cannot handle the physical and psychological challenges, there are various methods that people have found to be very helpful when it was time to quit smoking. Research a bit on the new and powerful methods to stop smoking.

Sig Kabai researches the best ways to stop smoking. He has found a powerful and effective way to stop smoking that is stress free and easy to implement. For more information visit: http://endthehabitnow.com

Title: Using Laser Beams to Stop Smoking

2008-03-15T21:54:00.001+08:00

To start smoking, you require the help of only one thing- a lighter or a matchstick. You can do it even without that. A fellow smoker with the burning stub will come to your help. Only when the issue of stop smoking gets priority over all others, for obvious reasons, there are several methods to assist you—or to confuse you.

Today's so called successful methods become tomorrow's failure method. Using laser treatment to quit smoking is considered to be one of the most effective smoking cessation methods. This method was introduced to the public only in the recent years and is considered to be a modern and innovative method for quitting smoking. It is trusted method because laser method is used in many other medical branches for various other types of treatment with success. But laser treatment is costly.

The principle involved in laser treatment is simple and scientific. Certain nerve centers can encourage changes in the body. Acupuncture, reflexology, use the very same principle in treating the patients. If pressure is applied on those points, you get the desired results.

Stop smoking laser treatment means the same. Those relevant points in your body are treated with low intensity laser beams. The smoking cessation in you has begun. You feel relaxed, as far as smoking cravings are concerned. The thing that is most liked about this laser treatment is that the results are announced immediately after the examination. This is your first lesson in smoking cessation. Don't you take it as the final guarantee.

Nicotine is such a powerful agent, that you can not confront and defeat it by laser therapy alone. Your psychological aspects of addiction are more intense than the physiological aspects. Laser deals with the physical aspects. One excellent virtue about the laser therapy is that it has no side effects. This is a great assurance. In this modern medical treatment, you are sometimes more worried about the side effects than the original disease itself.

So, you accept the laser treatment therapy, in your efforts to stop smoking. But, before that, you need to know some relevant information.

The treatment is very costly. Be prepared for it. Sometimes, you don't get good results. So club this treatment, along with other types of treatments.

Finally, let your strong will power to quit smoking remain strong. That is the real laser beam!

To get more information on quit smoking, stop smoking medication and quit smoking benefits visit http://www.stop-smoking-updates.com/quitsmoking/

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Title: Pregnancy and Smoking and First Trimester Dangers

2008-03-10T18:20:00.000+08:00

Did you know that if women quit smoking when they were pregnant that infant deaths could be reduced by up to 10 percent? Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester are not words that go together. The good news is that no can report that a woman who has smoked prior to her pregnancy is putting her baby at risk. However, smoking during pregnancy is very hazardous to an unborn baby.

Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester have been linked to 100,000+ miscarriages and 5,500+ infant deaths per year. Smoking also puts an expectant mother at risk for complications such as vaginal bleeding, premature rupture of the membranes, early delivery and more. Evidence is showing that a pregnant mother who smokes may have a baby who has a low birth weight. Low birth weight and being born too small is a major cause of infant illness and perinatal death.

If you are pregnant and a smoker you should know that the best time to quit is during the first trimester. Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester are not words that go together. Here are some tips that will help you get started on breaking the smoking habit.

Find out what motivates you to smoke. Is it the stimulation? Maybe you do it to relax? Do you use smoking as a way to relieve tension and stress? Maybe you smoke simply out of habit? Are you even aware of when you light up a cigarette or do you find yourself smoking out of habit? If you are able to find out what motivates you to smoke you can find a substitute to replace the smoking.

Find something that will motivate you to quit smoking. This is very easy for a pregnant woman. Your motivation is to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Find a method that will help you to quit smoking. Talk with your OB/GYN and find a way that you can quit together. Many expectant mothers chose to quit smoking cold turkey. Others wean themselves off of cigarettes during the first trimester simply because smoking makes them feel ill.

If you like smoking because it keeps your hands busy, try to do something else with your hands. You can suck on a lollipop, play with a pencil, knit, play a musical instrument, paint your fingernails and more.

If you smoke for the oral gratification, find something to replace it. This can include chewing on gum, veggies, popcorn, or simply placing a toothpick in your mouth.

If you smoke because it stimulates you, why not walk instead? Walking can give you an energy boost and help clear your head when you are feeling tired.

If you simply smoke because it is a habit, try to develop a new habit to take its place. Every time you feel like smoking you can go brush your teeth or go to a certain area in your home to relax and listen to music. If you smoke in certain situations or when you eat or drink certain foods, avoid those situations, foods and drinks for a while.

Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester are simply words that do not fit together. Not only do they sound strange on paper, but they are dangerous words to put together in life. Remember, if you can get past the first few days of withdrawal they will be worth it. Not only will your baby be healthier, but you will be healthier.

Shalene Chamings

Why Women’s Health May Benefit More

2008-03-04T20:18:00.001+08:00

There are a lot of reasons to quit smoking. We all know the life threatening reasons, but we don’t necessarily understand the the full impact that smoking has on our bodies and minds, and possibly even on others around us.

Women especially are susceptible to some of the more hidden dangers of smoking, and may actually benefit in different ways than men when it comes to smoking cessation.

For example, many women probably do not even know this, but lung cancer is now killing more women every year than breast cancer. That’s right, lung cancer is actually more deadly to a woman than breast cancer, which is by far more talked about in women’s health than lung cancer.

Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer since nearly 90% of all cases are traced directly to smoking, so it’s important that women really understand the health benefits of quitting smoking.

There are actually a lot more health issues that a woman needs to think about if she is a smoker as well. For example, most contraceptive pills carry warnings on them that the patient should not take the contraceptive birth control pill if she is a smoker.

Her risk of developing heart problems is greatly increased if she is smoking while on the pill, since smoking increases blood pressure, and the pill is known to also increase blood pressure. This creates a double hazard for heart issues.

Another concern may be for a woman’s children. Children many times can develop asthma and other types of breathing problems if the child is exposed to cigarette smoke at a young age. This is also a concern for men, since they are not exempt from this rule either!

There are also a myriad of other health problems, inconveniences and even just “cosmetic” reasons that a woman may want to consider smoking cessation in order that she may be her “best self”.

These don’t necessarily fall into the category of life threatening or imminent dangers, but they certainly can affect your quality of life, as well as your appearance, which is held in high regard in today’s aesthetically concerned society. These additional health and well being benefits to smoking cessation are as follows :

1.) Your skin is greatly affected by smoking, and not in a good way as you can probably imagine. As we age, our skin cell turnover tends to slow down. Smoking actually speeds the process of this slower turnover up, making us essentially age faster.

Add to this the fact that smoking essentially robs our body of oxygen and creates more free radicals, which are skin’s number one enemy and aging’s number one comrade, and you have a recipe for accelerated aging, and sagging, colorless skin.

Most women see a marked improvement in the tone, clarity and firmness of their skin just a few weeks after they quit smoking, especially if they were a heavy smoker.

2.) Your teeth and mouth will thank you. Smoking not only gives you bad breath, but it also turns your teeth yellow, or sometimes even brown from nicotine residue and tabacco staining.

3.) Quitting smoking can greatly help with your mental state. What do I mean? I mean that smoking may seem at first like it is a relaxant, since it tends to immediately feel like it is relieving tension and anxiety once the cigarette is in your mouth and you begin to inhale. Contrary to this belief that cigarettes "calm" you, studies have shown that in the long run smoking actually increases anxiety.

We all know that depression and anxiety tend to go hand in hand, so quitting smoking may also greatly benefit a woman’s psyche.

4.) No more coughing, weezing, and possibly even a reduction in allergies. If you quit smoking, chances are you will breathe a lot easier.

It takes a lot less time for your lungs to heal than you think. Studies have shown that even the most blackened smoker’s lungs have made full recoveries within just a few months after they have quit smoking.

Copyright 2006 Danna Schneider

Danna Schneider is the founder of http://www.herbal-therapeutics.com , where several natural remedies, including smoking cessation aids can be found. She also co-manages http://www.spoozer.com a men's online magazine .

Title: How to Commit to Quit Smoking

2008-01-03T00:42:00.000+08:00

By Willy Krahn
I want to quit smoking - I know I should quit smoking, but do I feel I MUST quit smoking? I love smoking! I also know I’ll be miserable without my cigarettes. They’ve become a part of me, and I almost can’t bear the thought of giving them up...yet I know I have to...

Does this sound familiar? Does your mind bounce back and forth on the issue of quitting smoking? Do you think you should quit smoking and yet you find it impossible to go more than a short time before you’re smoking again? Does smoking make you feel weak? Powerless? Do you wonder if you'll ever succeed at cessation?

You’re not alone.

Nicotine addiction is powerful. Smoking cessation involves a lot of work for most people - it’s not handed to us on a silver platter.

It is doable, however, and the good news is that thousands of people quit smoking successfully every year. Many of them thought at one time or another that they couldn’t do it, yet they have...

So, how did they do it? How did they turn a feeling of should into the certainty of must? How did they make their dreams of quitting permanently a reality?

While there is no magic bullet that makes quitting easy and pain free, there are steps you can take to create the commitment you‘ll need to boot cigarettes out of your life for good.

“If you want to change your life, change your mind.”

Positive thinking is great, but positive thinking alone isn’t usually enough to help a person make permanent changes to their life. If, however, you can find a way to alter the meaning of the thing you’re trying to change; if the associations you have to smoking and quitting smoking change in a way that helps you, then you’ve got a good shot at success.

The path to commitment involves changing how you feel about quitting. Intellectually, you can rationalize that you need to quit smoking until you’re blue in the face, but until your emotions engage, and you begin to feel better about quitting than you do about smoking, you’re not going to get anywhere.

We can help if you are serious

Visit us at Time To Quit Smoking.

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Title: What Are The Risks Of Erectile Dysfunction? There Are many And Smoking Is One Of Them!

2008-01-02T12:38:00.000+08:00

By Charles Greg
The term erectile dysfunction signifies penile dysfunction which is again the inability of the penis to set off erections required for necessary physical intercourse. Poor flow of blood to the penis results in erectile dysfunction and a range of physiological and psychological causes are responsible for male impotency which is another name for erectile dysfunction.

It is well known that erectile dysfunction can be caused by psychological factors like depression, stress, nervousness about sex and other physiological factors like diabetes and spinal cord injuries. But along with the aforementioned causes if I say that cigarette smoking is another factor that may lead you to erectile dysfunction, it might appear utterly striking to you? Not only are you, my dear friend, most of the smoking addicted guys all over the world are not aware of the supreme hazards like erectile dysfunction, that cigarette smoking can lead you to.

What I particularly mean to say is that sexual fulfillment in life is dear to all and no guy with his reasoning conscience of mind will place himself at a position which would further make him unable to embark on a sexual joyride with his wife. If a smoker by any means comes to know the relationship between erectile dysfunction and smoking then before putting the cigarette to his lips the next time, he would think twice and not in any case put himself at the risk of erectile dysfunction.

Does all these musings on health and hygiene make sense to you? If not then you are free to search the internet and confirm on the facts. Or the best thing would be to consult your physician on the details on cigarette smoking, its harms as well as consequences. You would definitely find your physician mentioning smoking of cigarettes and other tobacco substances as one among the prominent factors responsible for the mushrooming of the dreaded malady erectile dysfunction all over the world.

Don’t you want to move on with life without falling in the clutch of erectile dysfunction? If yes, then from now on make a pledge that you won’t smoke anymore. You can just write down the vow “I won’t smoke” on a piece of paper and pin it on the wall so that the next time when you feel cravings for your favorite piece of cigarette the content on the piece of paper would help you all the more to abstain from cigarette smoking and other tobacco containing substances.

The writer addresses issues on the causes, consequences of smoking and the anti-smoking drug Chantix. For more tidbits on these matters visit the site http://www.chantixhome.com

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Title: Quit Smoking Fear

2008-01-01T18:58:00.000+08:00

By Jason D

If you have thought about quitting smoking you most likely have looked at the benefits and effects of quitting smoking. They well out weigh the benefits of continuing to smoke. So why is that people have such a hard time quitting smoking? Could it be fear of not being able to smoke?

Think back to a time where you tried to quit smoking before. Or if you like tell yourself that your next cigarette is going to be your last. How do you feel? Are you excited or are you totally freaking out, increased heart rate, worry, feeling anxious, or can’t sit still. Could it be that fear is a factor that makes quitting smoking so difficult? All these years smoking cigarettes have been used like a crutch. Smoking would get us through some difficult times. The things we have done to convince ourselves that smoking is what we need to do to feel good or get through difficult times.

These are all lies! Do you remember the first time you had a cigarette? Did it bring you any pleasure at all? My recollection was that it hurt my throat and lungs. It made me cough and it made my stomach queasy. I don’t recall much pleasure my first few times I smoked. My first mistake was having the belief that smoking was the cool thing to do. Boy, was that stupid.

Beliefs can be powerful influences on our lives. Once something becomes a belief it takes work to change that belief, even if it is wrong. Changing a belief can result in a fearful reaction that makes changing the belief even more difficult. Over the years smokers have formulated additional beliefs to how smoking helps them in their daily lives and in handling different types of stress and stimuli. They are not necessarily wrong beliefs but they aren’t very healthy beliefs. There is evidence to show that smoking and the chemicals in cigarettes can provide the body with a pleasurable experience.

Logically, is it true that smoking is the only or best way to deal with the events we deal with? “Smoking helps me when I am angry.” Sure, smoking may help you when you are angry but you still have to deal with the situation, what ever it may be. And there are many other ways to deal with anger that are much less damaging to the body. This concept goes along with every reason why we smoke. There is no belief that can’t be changed when it comes to quitting smoking. The fear you feel when you think about quitting smoking can prevent you from ever stopping. Confront the fear head on, it is a lie. Quitting smoking is the best thing that you can do for yourself and your family. The majority of the battle to quit smoking is mental. Change your beliefs to healthier positive beliefs. Live them and give up smoking for good. The only belief that you should have about smoking is that it will kill you and you don’t need it. Because it will and you don’t.

Visit Jason D's website for additional information on the Health Effects of Smoking and Quit Smoking Tips.

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Title: Smoking During Pregnancy

2007-12-31T00:35:00.000+08:00

By Willy Krahn

Women who smoke during pregnancy are much more likely to experience the nightmare of having a stillborn baby, to suffer a miscarriage, or to deliver a low birth-weight baby. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (or SIDS, for short), condition in which an apparently healthy baby dies unexpectedly during sleep, occurs twice as often in children born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy.

Cigarette smoking can increase the risk of a wide variety of pregnancy complications including premature rupture of membranes, vaginal bleeding and premature placental detachment- just to name a few. Smoking interferes with your absorption of vitamins B and C and folic acid. Lack of folic acid can result in neural tube defects.

The thousands of chemicals in cigarette smoke (including secondhand smoke) such as carbon monoxide and nicotine, are toxins that move through your bloodstream and harm your developing baby. When you smoke, your baby is confined in a smoke-filled womb and this reduces the flow of oxygen to your baby. The nicotine can cause your baby's heart rate to increase (as well as yours) and can decrease your baby's supply of nutrients because of your increased blood pressure and blood vessel constriction.

Smoking in the First Trimester

For some women, quitting will never be easier than in early pregnancy when they develop a sudden distaste for cigarettes. If you stop smoking now, you can decrease your chances of miscarrying and it may also lessen the likeliness of affecting your baby's development. It is best to stop smoking before you become pregnant, but stopping now is a very smart choice and your odds of having a healthy baby are good.

Smoking in the Second Trimester

If you quit smoking now, you can decrease your chances of developing such complications as placenta previa going into pre-term labor and even stillbirth. If you tried to quit smoking in your first trimester, but didn't succeed- at least for the sake of your baby- cut down on how many cigarettes you smoke each day. Every cigarette you don't smoke is going to help your baby.

Smoking in the Third Trimester

It is not too late to quit smoking. If you stop now, you can still improve your chances of delivering a healthy, full-term, normal birth-weight baby. Decreased birth-weight is directly related to the number of cigarettes you smoke. There is a direct relationship between smoking and impaired fetal growth. By quitting now, you can also better your odds of not loosing your baby to SIDS. Sooner is better, but quitting even in the last month can help preserve oxygen flow to your baby during delivery.

For more information and support please visit Time To Quit Smoking

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Title: 4 Reasons You "Must" Stop Smoking Now

2007-12-30T00:23:00.000+08:00

By Alexis Young

Reason number 1: Nicotine is a deadly poison

Nicotine is the addictive agent used in cigarettes. It is one of the most virulent and deadly poisons known, in fact it is more deadly than strychnine. The does in 1 cigarette is certainly not enough to kill you outright but its said that if you were to consume the volume of nicotine in 2 cigarettes at once it could very well kill you outright.

In addition to nicotine there are many other harmful agents in tobacco smoke. They are so numerous in fact that there are entirely too many to list in this short article.

Reason number 2: Money

Have you ever stopped and figured up how much it costs you to smoke those cigarettes? If you buy your cigarettes 1 pack at a time you might not stop to consider how much its costing you over the course of a month or year because the amount is small at the time of purchase. Lets say you pay $4 per pack for your cigarettes and you smoke 2 packs a day. That’s 60 packs of cigarettes per month or $240! And over the course of 12 months that would add up to $2880!! Any ideas what you might do with an extra $2880 dollars? I know I could.

Reason number 3: Health

Well the bad news is that smoking increases your risk of getting cancer, and we are not just talking about lung cancer. Smoking is also linked to cancer of the kidneys, esophagus, laryns, bladder and stomach. Its said that men who smoke are 23 times, and women who smoke are 13 times more likely to get cancer that men and women who don’t smoke.

If you stop smoking right now your body starts feeling the benefits of quitting within as little as 20 minutes.

Reason number 4: Social

With all the new smoking bans being put in place its certainly not getting any easier to smoke in public places. Smoking is also not acceptable to many people because of secondary smoke and or the smell associated with smoking. Since you smoke your are often times oblivious to the offensive smell of cigarette smoke.

There are many good reasons to stop smoking, so don’t put it off. Improve your health social, and financial status by making it your goal to stop today.

Alexis Young writes on many health related issues. If you want more information please visit my website and learn about the many different treatments available to help you stop smoking today. http://stopsmokingtreatments.blogspot.com/

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Title: Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms – Cope With Them and Quit For Good!

2007-12-29T04:20:00.000+08:00

By Sacha Tarkovsky

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms are one of the major challenges for anyone who wants to give up smoking. If you can cope with them your chances of quitting go up dramatically.

Let’s look at the best ways of coping with nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

The most popular method to give up smoking is simply by giving up and not using any nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and is referred to as "smoking cold turkey" however this causes a sharp shock to the system and nicotine withdrawal symptoms include:

Feeling stressed, anxious, nauseous and generally irritable.

This is the most popular method but is one that most people fail at and there is really no reason to do it.

People do it because they assume nicotine is the cause of death or disease, but this is not so.

Nicotine only provides the addictive nature of smoking and is not a killer (that is some of the other 4,000 odd chemicals consumed in smoking many of them poisons) so, you can take NRT and not suffer nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

NRT Products include:

Gum, patches, puffers and inhalers.

The one you like is very much down to personal choice, however all provide a measured dose of nicotine to help you cope with nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

Other smoking alternatives include:

The drug Zyban and a new product - Nicotine water.

The latter is convenient (unlike chewing gum) and all people like and have to drink water (unlike patches you don’t need to put them on) you simply take sips of water whenever you feel the need.

All the above will help you get over nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cope with the craving.

A great way to stop smoking is to cut down first, reducing the amount you smoke each week by 10 or 20% and if you get a craving then you can use the above products.

By cutting down first, you are proving to yourself that you can do without cigarettes for periods of time.

This is a great confidence boost for people when they come to finally give up.

If you use NRT or other smoking alternatives, your chances of giving up for good are double compared with if you go cold turkey.

You don’t put yourself through the trauma – it's safe to take nicotine outside of cigarettes.

Finally

Not only is it safe to take nicotine outside of cigarettes, it’s actually good for you.

Recent medical research shows that it helps attention, memory and gives a felling of well being.

This will see a lot of new supplements hit the market to treat a number of conditions from depression to obesity.

We already have mentioned nicotine water earlier which is the first pure organic supplement and many more are expected to follow, not just to cope with nicotine withdrawal symptoms but to provide health benefits.

NEW ORGANIC NICOTINE DRINK

For more facts on this new pure organic nicotine drink and more on nicotine visit our website for more info and special offers at http://www.smokefreechoice.com

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Title: Quit smoking by cutting down

2006-10-13T01:35:00.000+08:00

by Ciaran J Newman FIITD

Giving up smoking by cutting down - a gradual reduction
method.

GRM (Gradual Reduction Method) is an alternative to NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) and other drug-based smoking cessation methods. With NRT, the smoker stops abruptly, using medication in the form of patches, gums, inhalers or tablets to continue the supply of nicotine for up to 3 months to help overcome nicotine addiction. Another drug-based treatment, only available on prescription, is the anti-depressant bupropion ('Zyban'); a low dose in the last two weeks before quitting rises to full strength, taken for about 3 months after quitting. Research shows that both NRT and bupropion create extra problems for smokers: they have their own side-effects and, for the majority of smokers, do not deliver the hoped-for results.

The problem for most smokers, particularly those who have previously tried to stop, is that they know that abruptly stopping is going to be a painful and difficult experience, demanding significant willpower and resilience and would prefer to use a gradual reduction method(1).

Gradual reduction is an effective procedure(2). See www.quitsmokinghowtoquit.com. Moderate-to-heavy smokers who reduce their consumption prior to their quit date are more likely to stop smoking; even those who continue to smoke consume on average 11.4 fewer cigarettes per day(3). Among relapsers, those who stop abruptly tend to return to their previous smoking levels while the gradual reducers relapse to significantly below their original levels(4).

The GRM options available to date include:

Self-control - (i) Gradual reduction in the number of cigarettes daily ('cigarette tapering'), using techniques such as reducing the number of cigarettes in their pack at the start of the day, increasing the time gaps between smoking, smoking less and less of each cigarette.

(ii) 'Nicotine fading' by switching to brands yielding less nicotine. However, such brand switching leads to smoking more cigarettes and taking larger and more frequent puffs(5). Most smoking cessation professionals do not recommend self-control approaches as success rates are poor compared to therapist-paced target-setting(6).

Plastic filter systems - A nicotine fading method, using three or four different filters to trap different amounts of tar and nicotine. However, the (unfashionable) use of plastic cigarette holders, coupled to the need to dismantle and clean out the filter after every five cigarettes, makes them unattractive. Smokers using these methods also tend to compensate for the reduced nicotine by smoking more cigarettes or taking longer and deeper puffs(7).

Computer monitoring - Hand-held or wristwatch devices instructing smokers when to smoke, gradually reducing consumption (cigarette tapering); these techniques can improve a smoker's chance of giving up(8). Possible downsides are that smokers can be required to smoke when they do not actually want to, and some are uncomfortable handing control to a machine. They can be fairly expensive and are not widely available.

Aerating devices - These introduce air into the smoke stream, either by punching holes into the side of the cigarette or via plastic filters (nicotine fading). Smokers tend to compensate for the diluted smoke by taking deeper puffs(9); this has been shown to cause a particular type of lung cancer, also found in smokers who have switched to 'low tar' or 'light' brands. Smokers also tend to cover up the ventilation holes in order to 'taste' their cigarette.

The previous implementations of GRM have each had their particular problems, so there has been hardly any GRM available via mainstream smoking cessation routes. However, after ten years research and development, NicoBloc is now available, heralding a new era in the provision of support for those who want to give up cigarettes in a gradual and controlled manner.

NicoBloc - NicoBloc is a safe, natural product made from a food-grade composition (FDA approved) and can be used by all smokers including those with medical conditions or women in pregnancy. NicoBloc fluid soaks into the cigarette filter to trap tar and nicotine; it is typically used over a six-week period, achieving gentle weaning off nicotine addiction. www.quit2day.com

The smoker applies one drop of NicoBloc (which blocks up to 33% of tar and nicotine) to each cigarette in week one, two drops in week two and, from week three onwards, three drops, blocking up to 99% of tar and nicotine(10).

NicoBloc users do not compensate for reduced nicotine intake by smoking more cigarettes(11), and NicoBloc use is not associated with increased craving or other withdrawal symptoms, nor does it sufficiently affect the taste or smoking experience to deter users(12).

The NicoBloc method also contains subtle behaviour modification. The action of applying NicoBloc to each cigarette before it is smoked breaks the pack-to-mouth routine. Also, as smokers are required to progressively undertake more 'work' in order to receive less 'reward', they tend to opt not to smoke their least favourite or the more inconvenient cigarettes, e.g. when driving.

When NicoBloc was used in the workplace 'Rosen Stop Smoking Programme' field trials (800 smokers over a 2-year period in 88 different UK and Irish companies), the results showed that 6 weeks was a comfortable period for gradual reduction with 60% of participants completing the Programme and stopping smoking without significant withdrawal symptoms. This Programme also generated the cigarette tapering target-setting algorithms embodied in the printed NicoBloc materials and within the interactive facility at www.nicobloc.com.

In a small study (which did not include NicoBloc), five different combinations of various quitting strategies were tested; the most effective involved a combination of nicotine fading and cigarette tapering; 12 months later, 57% were still non-smokers(13).

NicoBloc combines, in one simple, user-friendly process, nicotine fading and cigarette tapering together with target-setting and behaviour modification.

The NicoBloc retail pack contains an illustrated instruction booklet with a free CD or video and website support. Also included is a voucher for a nicotine test kit that can show, with a simple urine test, the presence or absence of nicotine in the smoker's body. This is usually used at the end of the programme to provide confirmation to the smoker that they are clear of nicotine.

NicoBloc is readily available over the counter in pharmacies or on the web (www.quit smokinghowtoquit.com) and comes in a convenient sized pack that provides a typical 20-a-day smoker with 2 weeks' supply.

References 1. Hazelden Foundation (1998). Heading off a nation of teenage smokers. New York Times, 17/11/98.

2. Flaxman, J. (1978) Quitting smoking now or later: Gradual, abrupt, immediate and delayed quitting. Behavior Therapy, 9, 260-270.

3. Farkas, A.J. (1999) When does cigarette fading increase the likelihood of future cessation? Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 21, 71-76.

4. Gunther, V., Gritsch, S. & Meise, U. (1992) Smoking cessation - gradual or sudden stopping? Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 29, 231-236.

5. Zacny, J.P. & Stitzer, M.L. (1998) Cigarette brand-switching: Effects on smoke exposure and smoking behavior. Journal of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, 246, 619-627.

6. Hill, A.A. (1982) Target-setting self-control for smoking. Psychological Reports, 50, 68-70.

7. Henningfield, J.E, & Griffiths, R.R. (1980) Effects of ventilated cigarette holders on cigarette smoking by humans. Psychopharmacology (Berlin) 68, 115-119.

8. Cinciripini, P.M., Lapitsky, L., Seay, S., Wallfisch, A., Kitchens, K. & Van Vunakis, H. (1995) The effects of smoking schedules on cessation outcome: Can we improve on common methods of gradual and abrupt nicotine withdrawal. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol., 63, 388-399.

9. Stitzer, M.L., Brigham, J. & Felch, L.J. (1992) Phase-out filter perforation: Effects on human tobacco smoke exposure. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, 41, 749-754.

10. Stillwell & Gladding Testing Laboratories. (April 19, 1993) Cigarette smoking tests using Accudrop (=NicoBloc) filter solution.

11. Pickworth, W.B., Fant, R.V., Nelson, R.A. & Henningfield, J.E. (1998) Effects of cigarette smoking through a partially occluded filter. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, 60, 817-821.

12. Gariti, P. & Alterman, A. (1997) Testing a smoking cessation aid. College on Problems of Drug Dependence. 59th Annual Meeting. Nashville TN June 1997. In: L.S. Harris (ed), Problems of Drug Dependence. NIDA Research monograph 178. p.158.

13. Becona, E. & Garcia, M.P. (1993) Nicotine fading and smokeholding methods to smoking cessation. Psychological Reports, 73, 779-786.

About the author:

Ciaran J Newman is a past Chairperson and Fellow of the Irish Institute of Training & Development. He has lectured extensively on the subject of Goal Setting and Behaviour Modification. www.arkomax.com

Can You Really Stop Smoking?

2006-10-11T01:11:00.000+08:00

by VMT Singuillo

When man discovered and adapted the practice of smoking, many cigarette and tobacco companies have made a big business out of it. However, the ill effects of smoking have created a negative impact on man's health.

Despite of man's increasing knowledge about the ill effects of smoking, there are still millions of people in many different countries that still actively practice smoking and promote the smoking industry business.

Yes, many now know that smoking can cause lung cancer, emphysema, and many other deadly disease, many people are still keeping their eyes shut and are trying to ignore all the necessary precautions and warnings. In the US, cigarette packs are printed with health warnings about smoking. Active business advertisements on smoking have been banned in the US.

In recent years, law suits against cigarette companies have been filed. Some cigarette companies have lost millions of dollars. Today, some of these cigarette companies now take an active part in discouraging smoking.

But can people really stop smoking? Should we blame the cigarette companies? Or, can humans be blamed too for their own irresponsible decisions about smoking?

Today, we know that nicotine plays an addicting component in cigarette smoke. Thus many anti-smoking medications have also evolved. Yet, after taking such medications, there are still some people who just would like to try to smoke again. Is it because of peer pressure?

Today, many health programs have also been formulated such as the Fresh Start, and many other anti-smoking programs. With all the anti-smoking programs and the anti-smoking medications that are all availabe, if one just can't quit smoking, it is because such
individual probably just does not have the discipline and determination to quit.

If you are such an individual, remember you are not just hurting yourself. You are also hurting the innocent ones who are around you.

About the author:
VMT Singuillo is a licensed physician in the Philippines. He has also written articles on non-health subjects such as cheap hotel reservations, grandfather clocks, cheap hotels and cheap motels, and more.

Title: A Little Known Fact When Quitting Smoking And How To Stay Quit

2006-10-10T02:42:00.000+08:00

by Tony James

Have you ever gotten yourself in a situation where you have quitted smoking for perhaps 1, 2 or 3

weeks, sometimes even months or years only to find yourself crawling back to square one as it if it was a snake and ladder board game?

You find yourself picking up the cigarette and lighting it away again? I have to admit. I did. That is because I was lacking of something, of which I had to learn the hard way. And maybe this is perhaps why I am sharing my experience with you so you could avoid this mistake in the future.

I'm sure you would know that most of time, smokers use the excuse of "releasing stress" to smoke. For some reason, this"release stress" has become a reality which in fact is not. The only reason you feel relaxed are due to the soothing of the nicotine addiction.

The fact is....

You do not need cigarettes in your life!

The problem:

Many have associated cigarettes can actually release stress that it became the truth. So after awhile, when a person which is going through the process on quitting smoking is incapable of handling stress,guess what he turns to? Cigarettes!

The solution for this is, not only must you quit smoking, you must also:

Find The Alternatives For Relaxation And To Release Stress!

When you have established this simple concept, you are more capable of handling stress from other methods rather than turning back to the dark side of the road.

Among the ways for alternatives for relaxation and releasing stress are:

* Exercise
Somehow people get turn off this word alone. By nature, did you know that our human body needs exercise regularly at least twicea week? But somehow in this modernize world, exercise is deemed uncommon. My personal favorite is swimming. It really relaxes meto the full potential and enables me to get a good night sleep without disturbance.

* Meditation
Meditation techniques such as Tai Chi and Yoga has been provenfor hundreds of years to have positive effect and to boost one's energy

* Take A Hot Bath
Pamper yourself by taking a hot bath with light music at thebackground at dim lights.

* Reading
A good way to "escape from reality" for a moment and toentertain yourself.

* Listen To Comedies
Have you not known by now that laughter is the best medicine?

* Massage And Spa
Splendid way of relaxing and releasing decades of stress accumulated.

I'm sure you get the picture by now. Whatever it is, make sure you have an alternative to relax and release stress instead of finding "the" excuse of turning back to cigarettes. It may sound simple, but very effective. Try it and you'll be surprised how all those can help you on the journey to be smoke-free forever.

About the author:

Tony James is an ex-smoker for 15 years and is currently helping smokers to quit smoking with ease without the discomfort ofcravings or withdrawal symptoms.

Discover an easy, proven and tested way that you can quit smoking in 1 week without the discomfort of cravings or withdrawal symptoms.

Click here to find out how http://www.easyquitsmokingsecrets.com

Title: How To Quit Smoking Cold Turkey For Good

2006-10-09T01:04:00.000+08:00

by Marc Lindsay

When you think of quitting cold turkey style do you think its going to be hard? Well actually it's not as bad as you think. Most smoker who quit smoking the cold turkey way have a better chance of quitting for good. There's no easy way to quit and there is no other way to quit. Smoking less doesn't mean you've quit smoking and that's why other methods or quitting doesn't really work.

To really quit smoking cold turkey you will have to give it up all together and if means not hanging out with your friends on a Saturday night at the club then don't The worse thing you can do is quit for a month then go out to a club see everyone smoking and get tempted to go back. Once you go back it gets harder and
harder to stop. Each time you quit then go back, quitting the next time around isn't the same because you know that its there and you can always go back to it.

However lucky for you there are many methods you can quit smoking cold turkey. The first cold turkey method is to quit and just eat or munch on things when you feel the need. And you can also pick up a new hobby like painting or figure painting to kill time and stop you from thinking of smoking.

The next quit smoking cold turkey way is self hypnosis which is by listening to recordings that help to reprogram you mind while you sleep. It's a very popular method right now and it works really well. The cold turkey way is a lot better if you also have a hobby on the side.

The next cold turkey way is the nicotine patches which you use while you sleep and while at work or out. This cold turkey method is highly effective especially when your body starts craving for nicotine.

For optimal results you should combine all these quit smoking cold turkey methods together and you'll notice the real difference when quitting. Last but not least another popular quit smoking method is to see therapy or a quit smoking support group. Speaking with other smoking addicts who are quitting just like you can help you feel that you're not alone. You can also speak with people who've already quit and are there for your moral support.

Support groups will benefit you in the long term because if you're thinking of smoking again in about 6 months visit your quit smoking support group and they'll be able to advise you. So quit smoking the cold turkey way is the most effective method and you can try doing it today or tomorrow it's really up to you.

About the author:
Quit Smoking Cold
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Smoking product reviews so you know you are only teaching
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Title: Quit Smoking Right Now MP3 Course - Can You Really Quit Cigarettes in a Few Hours?

2006-08-11T16:33:00.000+08:00

Author: Jonty Smith

Article:
One of the most popular quit smoking products on the market right now is QuitSmokingRightNow. It makes the rather large promise of helping you quit cigarettes immediately, and provides a money-back guarantee to back it up. So I decided to check out the course for myself. As a former 40-a-day smoker, I know a thing or two about tobacco addiction…

So what does the course contain?

The full QuitSmokingRightNow course provides a wealth of resources, exclusively in MP3 and PDF formats. This means you can literally download the audio direct to your computer and, if you wish, you can burn it onto CD to listen to in the car, or even your iPod. The PDF files provide transcripts and reading material, including success stories of people who have managed to quit.

How does the course work?

The creator of the product, Rick Beneteau, recommends that you pick a day to be "D-Day". This will be the final day you smoke, and Beneteau lists several things you must do on D-Day to start the program successfully. To some people, the idea of a D-Day may be exciting, and to other sit may be scary. If the thought of it scares you, then perhaps you should think twice before investing in a course such as this - it really is for those who want a smoke-free life.

The following day, you will wake up a non-smoker and listen to the course in full. All the MP3 files should be listened to in relative peace, and in a particular order. Beneteau encourages you to take a day off work in order to do this course in a single day, with the rather wonderful idea that you can triumphantly return to the office the following day as a proud-and-loud non-smoker.

What do the MP3 files talk about?

The MP3 files are to be heard in a very particular order, which has been specially structured to gradually ease you into understanding smoking to be the repellent habit that it is. The MP3 files provide a combination of changing thinking patterns, self-help, history of tobacco, challenging questions and even an audio for affirmations.

You can see the pattern here. The MP3 course is structured as to have a semi-hypnotic effect on you. Many former smokers who have successfully quit the habit have acknowledged that the addiction is 90% psychological; after all, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence available to suggest that many smokers managed to quit the habit easily "when they put their mind to it". Unlike hard drugs, such as heroin, the physical withdrawal symptoms are nowhere near as severe.

The audio collection in QuitSmokingRightNow is completely designed to change the way you think about cigarettes. Ultimately you should be left with absolutely no desire to pick up one of the white sticks ever again.

Am I going to have to make any changes?

No. The authors of the course stipulate that you should maintain your old habits and routine. It is important to stay as close to your "smoking self" as you can without the actual smoking.

The one exception to this is a slight alteration to your daily diet. Although this doesn't reflect the amount of food you can eat, it does mean changing what you actually eat. The idea behind this is twofold: firstly, it cuts off any old associations with taste and tobacco, and secondly it will help you maintain a healthy weight instead of piling on the pounds - a considerable worry for many smokers.

My Conclusion

The fact is that millions of people have stopped smoking all over the world, and many different methods have been used to accomplish this. The question is which method is suitable for you.

If you don't like the idea of chewing nicotine gum and craving cigarettes in a daily battle of willpower for years to come, then I'd highly recommend this course. The only question that remains is whether or not you're ready to quit…

Jonty Smith packed in his 40-a-day habit earlier this year. If you would like to find out more about Quit Smoking Right Now, you can visit

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Title: Farmers Growing more Tobacco for Chewing as Smokers Quit (News)

2006-08-03T14:28:00.000+08:00

ROSE FRENCH
Associated Press
BUMPUS MILLS, Tenn. - Like other tobacco farmers in Tennessee, Charlie Hancock used to grow mostly burley tobacco, a leaf used in the blend of American cigarettes.

But Hancock says he can hardly make a profit on burley anymore, so he switched to growing more acres of dark-fired tobacco, a different kind of leaf used for chewing and smokeless tobacco.

"It's (dark-fired) keeping most of the farmers in this area on the farm," said Hancock, who harvested 17 acres of burley last year, but now has only seven. He grew nearly 28 acres of dark-fired this year on his farm about 65 miles northwest of Nashville.

The American market for burley continues to shrink as health warnings and anti-smoking laws persuade more people to quit smoking, so farmers like Hancock are shifting to the more profitable, dark-fired plant.

It's still a small market compared to burley, but the market for chewing and spitting has been growing in recent years. Major cigarette companies are getting into the smokeless tobacco market for the first time.

"I hate to see the burley kind of leave in a sense because it's been so good to us," Hancock said. "But I guess it's the right time."

Sales of moist snuff products - known as smokeless tobacco, or "dip" - have been growing 4 percent to 5 percent annually for the past five years, and dark-fired tobacco production has increased over that same period.

Last year farmers produced an estimated 37 million pounds of dark-fired tobacco, a 3 percent increase over the previous season, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Most of it is grown in western Kentucky, northwest and middle Tennessee and southern Virginia.

Americans have been smoking fewer cigarettes over the past two decades. Last year, smoking was down 3 percent over 2004, and tobacco leaf production was 27 percent lower, the USDA reports.

But some of those former smokers have become spitters.

The nation's No. 2 cigarette maker, Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Reynolds American Inc., got into the smokeless market earlier this year by purchasing Conwood, a private company that makes Kodiak snuff and Levi Garrett chewing tobacco.

"It makes great sense for us," Reynolds American spokeswoman Maura Payne said. "The U.S. cigarette industry is in decline. That's in part what made us interested in entering another tobacco category."

Smokeless tobacco users take a pinch of the shredded tobacco leaf, tuck it between their lower lip and gums and spit out the juice.

But Reynolds American has also recently started selling a "spitless" tobacco called Camel Snus in at least two markets.

"We're encouraged and it is tending to skew more toward smokers versus snuff users," Dianne Neal, Reynolds' chief financial officer, said this week during a conference call with analysts.

The nation's largest cigarette company, Philip Morris USA, has also said it will test a smokeless, spitless tobacco product called Taboka.

The two products are similar and come in small pouches, which users put into their cheek but don't spit or chew. Taboka will be sold in 12-pouch containers, which are expected to cost about the same as a pack of cigarettes.

Philip Morris has said Taboka is designed for adult smokers who are interested in smokeless tobacco alternatives, but not necessarily the "chewing, dipping and spitting" products now on store shelves.

Bronson Frick, associate director of Americans for Non-Smokers Rights, said part of the decrease in smoking - and increase in chewing - has to do with public smoking bans. More than three dozen communities and states have already passed anti-smoking laws, he said.

"There's a huge mountain of evidence about the dangers of second-hand smoke," Frick said. "The public has greater awareness of those health risks and lawmakers are responding to the concerns of constituents. What we're seeing with the smokeless tobacco is an industry that is determined to keep its customer addicted to nicotine in any form."

Even the Legislature in North Carolina, the nation's top tobacco-producing state, voted this year to ban smoking in the General Assembly buildings. Lawmakers chiefly cited the need to preserve the health of the tens of thousands of school children that visit the Legislature each year.

Farmers significantly cut back growing burley tobacco after Congress passed the $10.1 billion tobacco buyout in 2004, ending the industry's Depression-era production and price controls and replacing them with a free-market system.

"Cigarette companies can get the burley cheaper from other countries in Africa and South America," Hancock said. "We're having to compete on global markets, but we're having to pay U.S. prices for our inputs."

Burley and flue-cured tobacco, which are both used to make cigarettes, still account for the vast majority of tobacco production in the U.S., though dark air-cured and dark-fired tobacco have seen the biggest growth in recent years, said Tom Capehart, a senior economist with the USDA economic research service.

Dark air-cured tobacco is similar to the dark-fired, except that air - not fire - is used to cure the plant.

"Right now were seeing an upswing," Capehart said. "It's not a huge increase but between 2004 and 05 it went up about up about 1 percent for the dark air-cured and 2 percent for the dark-fired.

"Were seeing a continued drop in 2006 for the burley," said Capehart, noting that about 160 million pounds of burley were expected to be produced this year, compared to 195 million pounds in 2005.

"The big tobacco companies are going to be moving into this area (smokeless tobacco). It's a natural place for them to expand because the other side of the market is declining."

Hancock says it pays more to grow dark-fired, though curing the plant is more expensive than burley.

"Tobacco is still the most profitable crop on a per-acre basis," said Hancock, who last year got about $1.60 a pound for burley and $2.40 a pound for dark-fired. Last year, he made a gross profit of $3,200 per acre for burley and $8,000 per acre for dark-fired tobacco.

"I barely made a profit off burley last year," he said. "There's not enough profit there to cause a person to want to expand. It boils down to the price the company's willing to pay us."

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Title: 5 Killer Tips to Help You Stop Smoking

2006-07-25T14:37:00.000+08:00

Author: Jonty Smith

Article:
As the tagline for a famous supermarket goes, “Every little helps”. This is especially true when it comes to building motivation in order to accomplish a task. The more tactics and tricks we have, the more focused our mind can become. If you’re thinking about packing in the cigarettes, then these little stop smoking tips will help you:

1. Get a pen and paper, head to the local bar and buy yourself a drink. Then sit down and start brainstorming all the material possessions you would like to own. Perhaps a new brand name watch, or a LCD television, or a tailored jacket, or some bottles of fragrance. Just make a big list. If you smoke a pack a day, you’re effectively spending $3000 a year - imagine how many of the products from your list you could buy.

2. If you quit smoking, start putting away the cash equivalent of a packet of cigarettes in your drawer each day. If you’re living in New York, you may well find yourself with $240 or more by the end of the month.

3. Fantasise about all the fitness tasks you could accomplish if you packed in smoking. Perhaps you could run a marathon, go kayaking, take up martial arts, climbing or take up a team sport. Think about the knock-on effects of this, namely the new friends you would make.

4. Write down all the reasons why you continue to smoke. Perhaps these reasons may include “For social purposes”, or “Because it helps my anxiety”. Then start to truly assess each reason as honestly as possible and ask yourself whether you are really any better off than when you were a non-smoker.

5. Decide not to smoke for half a day. Assuming you wake up at 7am, don’t smoke until 3pm. You only need to do this once. See how much more energetic and lively you feel before you light up again.

These are simple stop smoking tips which anyone can apply. There is nothing to lose by trying them, in fact I would recommend that you continue to smoke as you apply the tips (bar the conditions for stop smoking tip number 5).

Making small changes like these is just like taking a fresh angle on your life. See how it works out for you and, most importantly, see if the vision of a non-smoking future actually appeals to you or not.

About the author:
Jonty Smith is a former smoker based in the U.K.
After 10 years of smoking two packs a day, Jonty finally managed to quit in 2006. His story of how he managed to beat the habit is available for free reading at http://www.how-i-stopped-smoking.com

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Title: Smoking Accounts For Health Gap (BBC News)

2006-07-15T21:08:00.000+08:00

(BBC News) July 14, 2006 - Smoking is to blame for half of the difference in male death rates between men in the top and bottom social classes, say international researchers.

In England, Wales, the US, Canada and Poland, men of lower social class, income or education have a two-fold increased risk of dying earlier.

More than half of this involved differences in smoking-related death risk, they found.
Experts said the Lancet study showed the impact stopping smoking could have.

Health Gap

Professor Sir Richard Peto, co-author from the University of Oxford, said: "Widespread cessation of smoking could eventually halve the absolute differences between these social strata in the risk of premature death."

Focusing on smoking cessation might be a quicker and simpler fix than tackling other causes of social inequalities.

Michael Marmot, from the International Institute for Society and Health at University College London, said: "The conclusion might be to forget social conditions, neighbourhood deprivation, employment conditions, early childhood and subsequent adult disease, just focus on getting the smoking rates down in people of low status."

Cancer Research UK's medical director Professor John Toy said: "All men who smoke play Russian roulette with their lives but the odds are heavily stacked against those in lower income groups as they are much more likely to smoke.

"This study, part-funded by Cancer Research UK, shows that social inequality in death rates demands attention, concentrating on ways to help less privileged people to stop smoking."

Sir Richard and colleagues estimated the number of deaths among men aged 35-69 that could be attributed to smoking and those not attributed to smoking in three social bands in four countries using mortality data from 1996.

They found on average a 19% difference between the highest and lowest social strata in the risk of dying in each country and about half of the difference was due to the risk of being killed by smoking.

Ian Wilmore, of Action on Smoking and Health, said: "Smoking is the number one contributor to health inequalities because it accounts for at least half of the difference in life expectancy between the social classes.

"If you are a man in social class E, the poorest social group, your chance of surviving until the age of 70 is about one in two. If you are a man in social class A, the highest group, your chance is about two in three.

"Encouraging people to quit is the number one public health intervention that will help to deal with health inequalities. That is why comprehensive smoke-free legislation is needed."

A spokesman for the British Heart Foundation, said: "We know there are black spots of heart disease in deprived areas, and it's increasingly clear that smoking is a major cause of these variations.

"We're supporting projects to encourage smokers to quit right across the country.

"We will continue to call on the government to offer tailored smoking cessation services to give smokers the best possible chance to quit."

This article was taken from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5176822.stm

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Title: Announcement

2006-07-12T16:56:00.000+08:00

This announcement is brought to you by the Management of Quit Smoking Support.

For these past two months, we have been busy with some upgrading work from behind the scene so that we could serve you better. Now, not only will you be getting much more quality contents on ways and tips on how to quit smoking, but you will also be getting the freshest and the latest news concerning quit smoking.

Remember, this knowledge is FREE. We suggest that you bookmark or link back this page and continue to be updated with our weekly articles. In addition, we would also like you to get our FREE EBOOK by clicking on the "FREE EBOOK" button on the left sidebar of this page, so that we can automatically include you in as an Exclusive Member to our Quit Smoking Support Group.

As an Exclusive Member, we will give you private access to our best products on quit smoking found in the market today. And if are serious about giving up smoking, do not delay any longer. Do it TODAY! Subscribe to our mailing list now to become our Exclusive Member for FREE by clicking on the "FREE EBOOK" button. Hurry! Don't procrastinate!

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Title: Staying Smoke-Free

2006-05-15T17:37:00.000+08:00

Author: Megan Carter

Article:
Quitting smoking is easy, but what about staying quit? Mark Twain's oft used words, "It's easy to quit smoking, I've done it many times," are a flippant but poor cover-up for the guilt and suffering many smokers go through in their efforts to stay permanently smoke-free.

There's a lot of good material available in the stop smoking market, but how to stay quit and stay sane can loom as a challenge. As the days pass and maybe turn into weeks, months and even years, there's often a yawning gap that smokers previously filled with all the rituals of smoking.

A good solid method for beating nicotine addiction will teach long term strategies for successfully coping. It should teach smokers how to unlearn the habit they have programmed into their brain. It will show ways to toss out the desire for smoking, rather than just toss out the smokes. Otherwise, one little trip-up or a too high stress level, and the person is back to their old way of coping, back to their familiar comforting habit again, back to smoking.

But even with the best of stop smoking programs or methods, whereby a smoker quits and feels safely on track with their future, the road to staying smoke-free can be made more comfortable and fun if follow-up strategies are used and extra quit smoking tips are used. Actively preparing and taking on board ways to fill up that gap left from smoking, can really get an ex-smoker excited about their new life and the possibilities ahead of them.

So what can smokers replace their old smoking habit with? Firstly they can occupy their hands with whatever interests them, be it knitting, puzzles, a stress ball or dozens of other gizmos and creative crafts. The important point is to make sure this is handy to grab when needed.

Simple substitutes work. Use them - for example, common cinnamon sticks that can be bought at a supermarket or health shop are great to suck on. Not only is cinnamon heart healthy, a cinnamon stick is hollow and is a similar size to a ciggie - go suck on that tip! That's just a quickie, and there are many other clever ideas.

What about stress? Nothing beats relaxation exercises or learning to meditate to cope with stress, plus exercise is a winner too. Combine the two and learn Tai Chi or yoga.

How to cope with other smokers, old situations? Easy - keep out of the way or lead the way and watch other smokers be envious of you having a healthy snack instead of them puffing and coughing; and for old situations, here again plan ahead and have alternatives - such as what to say, where to go, what to do.

You're talking about your life here, and that's more important than other people.
Doing a bit of research and contemplation about a new hobby to take up, can reward you with confidence as your skill increases, plus the opportunity to meet new people outside of your old smoking sphere.

Nearly all former smokers have used at least one or two tricks they had up their sleeve which personally worked well for them.

There are some fascinating stories using amazing innovation and imagination that some people had utilized to find the best way for each one of them that often proved a personal life-saver.
For those side-swiping instant cravings, most recent ex-smokers have been told to drink water and breathe deeply. Yes, these are good, but there's a mountain of other fun and effective strategies, plus longer term good habits to get into... and remember the key to staying smoke-free... plan ahead andbe prepared.

About the author:
Megan Carter, the author of this article also wrote 101Terrific Extra Quit Smoking Tips, which can be found at http://www.quitguide.com
This comprehensive website hasinformation on all aspects of quitting smoking.

Title: Quit Smoking Now

2006-05-10T13:56:00.000+08:00

Author: Gloria Ruffell

Article:
Lower your Health Insurance and Life Insurance premiums. Tobacco is an Herb for Healing not Killing. This Herbal Formula is most effective and confidentially yours.

The reality of it all, is that you need that extra -power- to Quit Smoking. Motivation, drive, willpower, stress, over-eating and weight gain. Its all part of it, and at times, overwhelming. Do it yourself for long term results. You will have the simple tools at your fingertips instead of a Doogin. Live longer, be Healthier and Happier.

Tobacco is a Natural Herb that has been used over the centuries for the purpose of Healing. Not to be confused with Devils Tobacco Lobelia siphilitica, that when smoked, the toxic leaves cause a hallucinogenic intoxicant effect.

There are over a thousand chemicals that Tobacco Companies put into the processing of the Tobacco you smoke. I don't want to discourage you by listing them here after all; the point is to Quit Smoking. However, have you considered the thousands of dollars Tobacco Companies spend in Insurance to provide you with a luxury? Supply yourself with your own Insurance benefit by Quitting Smoking.

Tobacco not only has a Natural ability for Healing, it also has a Natural ability to be Addictive when consumed internally. Thus, it causes the consumer to want to keep consuming. That's why Insurance Companies love Tobacco Companies. Of course, not to mention, the hundreds of Addictive additives used in todays current commercial Tobacco products.

If you are worried about gaining weight when you Quit Smoking or in the process thereof, use the 12 Herbs for Safe Weight Loss: Natural Cleanser. It is a Blood Purifier and will help you supplement the elimination of the harsh effects of smoking.

Here is an Herbal Combination that you can make in the privacy of your own home to Quit Smoking and nobody even needs to know you are using it. This Formula will curb your desire for Tobacco and Nicotine and will get you on the track to Quit Smoking Now. Why? Because your own determination will be the benefactor of your own success.

Tincture

Hops: Is a tonic to the system. Will relax the body when nervous disorders are present due to withdraw. Will relieve headache, nightmares, night sweats and depression. Contains Lupulin which is a sedative and hypnotic drug.

Skullcap: Is used as a sleep aid, good for alcoholism, smoking, insomnia, headache and paralysis.

Slippery Elm: Used as a pabulum for babies. Its used for cancer, colitits, mucous membranes, burns, bronchitis, lungs, inflammation, hemorrhage, fractures, flu, constipation, eczema,
hoarseness, smoking.

Valerian: Used for pain, insomnia, fever, shock, lumbago, colds, headache, smoking, ulcers and wounds.

Black Cohosh: Good for headaches due to withdraw and nervous disorder. Aids the lungs and increases circulation. Helps curb the appetite for smoking.

Cayenne: Is good for the entire circulatory system. It regulates the heart and blood pressure. When used with other herbs it acts as a catalyst and increases the effectiveness of the other herbs. Contains: Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Sulfur.

Ladys Slipper: Similar to Valerian Root. Used to check hysteria. Smoking desire is depreciated by its use.

Lobelia: Contains Lobeline which is an alkaloid and is the only active ingredient. Lobeline has a cross tolerance to nicotine. The need for nicotine is greatly depreciated.

Mistletoe: Used as a nervine and antispasmodic. Will check convulsions, blood pressure, asthma and alike. Contains: Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, and Sodium.

Wood Betony: Good for nervous disorders, migraine headaches, dizziness, gout, digestive disorders, convulsions, kidneys, heart, stomach, liver, heartburn, cough, bronchitis, decreases
perspiration and pain.

Mix in equal parts 1/4th cup each. Put in a mason jar. Fill about an inch from the top with 100% Everclear alcohol or Glycerin. Seal tightly. Let sit for 14 days shaking the jar periodically to agitate the Herbs. Decant off into another glass container and fill a small Tincture jar with a dripper top. Take it with you when you go out or feel you need that extra boost of courage. 15 drops in your drink or 1-2 drops on your tongue will do. Has a high content of vitamin C.

Use 1 teaspoon 3 times a day. Put it in your juice or water or take straight. The special blend of Herbs creates a psychological affect on the brain that tells you --I don't want a smoke right now-- You will notice that when you light up a smoke it will almost make you sick to your stomach. Go ahead, take a puff and see how you feel afterward.

Additional Beneficial Herbs, Apparatuses and Ideas

Catnip: Soothing and relaxing to the system as it relieves tension, nervous disorders and nightmares. Used to stop vomiting and diarrhea. Reduces water retention and helps curb the
appetite for smoking.

Echinacea: One of the best cleansers for the Lymphatic System. Drink warm will cleanse the stomach from morbid matter due to smoking. Will also reduce the desire for smoking. Take 1 capsule 3 times a day for 10 days. Rest 7 days. Repeat if desired.

Peppermint: A mild sedative when taken warm before going to bed. Helps restore digestion problems caused by smoking. A strong warm cup acts as a stimulant. Use in the mornings in
place of coffee.

A good tool to use to increase the effectiveness and strength of your lungs is a breathalyzer. Use as directed. Initially, they were marketed for swimmers, to increase the strength of their lungs.

When using a breathalyzer, nebulizer or any type of breathing apparatus, you may experience a cold effect in the bronchial region. This is due to the actual proper and/or increase of use of the bronchial system. The mucous will decrease as you increase the use of the breathing apparatus.

To relieve mucous, use the steam bath method. Drape a towel over your head and leaning over steam. Breathe as deeply as you can. Spit out any accumulated mucous. You may want to consider treating yourself to a Mucousless Diet for about a week. You'll know when the time is right for it.

To help flush out and dry up the mucous make a Saline Solution. This solution is excellent for any type of ailment where mucous is present.

Using a large stainless steel or glass bowl, add approximately one heaping Tablespoon of Salt to half gallon warm Water. Mix until dissolved. Put the bowel to the side of the sink and hang your head over. Plug one nostril with one hand and cup a large amount of water in the palm of the other. Sniff the Saline Solution up the nose. Do the other nostril the same way. Repeat. This will flush out the mucous through the nose and out the mouth. Sound gross? Fine, suffer then. Don't knock it until you try it.

Drinking copious quantities of water will flush the system. Eat Parsley. Yep, the fresher the better. It is a breath freshener and aids the kidneys when flushing the system.

Eat Licorice. Black or Red makes no difference. Licorice has a -calming the nerves- affect, helps lower Cholesterol and is non-fattening.

Your success in Quitting Smoking using this Herbal Combination will show its Benefits immediately with long term results. Keep it with you anytime you experience dreams of smoking and when the smell lures your senses. A couple drops under your tongue will prove helpful. Your Pocketbook, Insurance Rates, Longevity of your Clothes and Furniture, Hair, Face, Skin and Taste buds will all thank you for it. Enjoy a Healthy Lifestyle by making Healthy Choices.

About the author:
Gloria Ruffell grew up learning about the benefits of Herbs and applying them in everyday use.
She's trained in Master Herbalist Classes by reputable Professors. There is much that Herbs can provide for a Healthy and Happy Life.

Title: Smoking And Surgery Don't Mix

2006-05-04T15:30:00.000+08:00

Author: Max Taylor

Article:
Are you a smoker who is scheduled to have surgery? No matter what kind of surgery you are having, your health will suffer if you decide to smoke for several weeks before and after your surgery. As difficult as it is, if you are going to have surgery, you should seriously consider quitting for your health.

Smoking and Surgery: What Can Go Wrong?

There are a number of complications, risks, and potential infections that can develop as a result of smoking pre- or post-surgery. What exactly can go wrong?

Here's a run-down on the most common and serious complications that can arise as a result of smoking pre- or post-surgery:

Wound Infection. One of the most common complications that can occur if you smoke is wound infection. Smoking, in effect, steals oxygen from cells that are in the process of healing. Smoking is a risk factor for wound infection in almost any kind of surgery. Researchers have found that smokers continue smoking before surgery are at a much higher risk of developing wounds that do not heal properly.

Cardiopulmonary complications. Tobacco smoke is very hard on the heart, lungs, and the entire immune system. If you are scheduled for any type of heart surgery, it is imperative that you quit smoking for at least six weeks before your surgery.

Vasoconstriction. Vasoconstriction refers to the shrinking of the small blood vessels. Many heavy smokers are apt to experience vasoconstriction because smoking steals available oxygen from cells. When this happens, the small blood vessels shrink and the amount of hemoglobin that is needed to move oxygen from one part of the body to another. Smoking also interferes with other chemicals that let the body release enough oxygen to the cells.

Post-surgery complications are greater for smokers. Scientists at Bispebjerg University Hospital in Denmark found that patients who quit smoking before surgery were significantly less likely to develop complications post-surgery. The researchers found that, on average, patients who quit smoking pre-surgery were kept in the hospital two days less than those who kept smoking before their surgery.

Remember, you should strive to come to surgery with a body that is at its healthiest. The trauma of surgery is hard on your body. Smoking will only make it harder for your body to heal. In some cases, surgeons may even elect not to treat a patient ifthey are smokers.

Smoking Cessation for Surgery.

If you're a smoker, the best thing you can do for your body prepare for surgery is to quit altogether, or at least reduce dramatically the number of cigarettes you smoke each day. Research centre suggests that smokers stop smoking at least six to eight weeks prior to surgery. Unfortunately, many of the smoking cessation products that would normally be available to smokers are not recommended for those heading into surgery. Nicotine gum and nicotine patches are not advised for surgery patients.

The nicotine in the gum acts similarly as cigarette nicotine, interfering with the healing process in much the same manner. Nicotine patches are also dangerous because the flow of nicotine can interfere with the flow of blood.

Many hospitals and clinics offer smoking cessation clinics that help surgery patients stop smoking before their scheduled surgery. Here are a few general guidelines on smoking cessation for surgery:

Stop immediately. If you are scheduled for upcoming surgery, you don't have time to wean yourself off cigarettes. Most doctors advise that you stop smoking as soon as you are told about your surgery. For many people, the health scare is enough to throw the cigarettes out!

Read up on your surgery. Take the time to learn about your surgery. This will help you stay focused on your health, and the importance of keeping your body in good shape for the surgery. While you don't have to go into detail, become familiar with the procedure.

Speak to your physician about smoking cessation aids you can use. Many times, surgery patients are unable to use such smoking cessation aids as nicotine gum and the nicotine patch. Find out what options are available for your specific case.

Quit together. Find someone to quit with you. Making the commitment to quit with someone else will help keep you focused on staying cigarette-free. Also, you should strive to maintain a smoke-free household during your recovery. Some doctor's recommend that all household smokers quit or dramatically reduce smoking during the patient's recovery period.

About the author:
Max Taylor's website, http://quit-smoking.mega-advice.com/ specializes in Stop Smoking tips, products, and articles.
For more information visit his site: Stop Smoking

Title: Quit Smoking - For Your Health's Sake

2006-04-28T22:19:00.000+08:00

Author: John Mac

Article:
In the US it is estimated that 30% of the 570,000 cancer deaths in 2005 were caused by smoking. In the UK smoking kills approx. 114,000 per year or 300 per day which equates to 20% of deaths. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the US , UK & Australia. Approx. 45.4 million Americans are addicted to tobacco, 1 in 4 adults & 1 in 5 teens are smokers.

In the UK smoking causes 80% of all lung cancers & 80% of all deaths from bronchitis & emphysema. 17% of deaths by heart disease are due to smoking & 17% of cancer deaths are related to smoking. In Australia 20% of all deaths & 80% of lung cancers are caused by smoking.

Smokers who smoke between 1 & 14 cigarettes a day are 8 times more likely to die from lung cancer. Smokers who smoke 25 or more a day are 25 times more likely to die from lung cancer. 1 in 2 lifetime smokers will die from their habit & half of these in middle age.

If you are not convinced to quit smoking by the statistics above then maybe if you knew how your smoking affected others, including your children, you might just change your mind.

Approx 4000 deaths per year from heart disease in the US are due to secondary or passive smoking. Approx 3000 lung cancer deaths are caused by passive smoking.

Children of smokers are at increased risk from asthma attacks, sudden infant death syndrome & middle ear infections. Pregnant women exposed to smoking are likely to have babies with lower weights. Children exposed to smoking are more likely to suffer from respiratory infections and have slower developing lungs.

More than 17,000 children under the age of five are admitted to hospital in the UK every year due to the effects of passive smoking. So even if you can't give up for yourself, how about for those around you AND especially your children.

Giving up smoking is on of the most beneficial things you can do. Unfortunately the insidious nature of nicotine addiction makes giving up smoking one of the most difficult things you can do. In fact in the UK the Royal College of Physicians concluded in a report that nicotine addiction is as addictive as drugs such as heroin & cocaine.

However there is some good news, 46 Million Americans are former smokers.

About the author:
John Mac is the owner of fitnessdiethealth.com
a website aimed at people looking to improve their fitness diet & health

Title: Cigarette Smoking And Weight Loss

2006-04-25T21:30:00.000+08:00

Author: Patricia Zelkovsky

Article:
Most people realize that cigarette smoking accelerates weight loss particularly in the elderly. But did you know that prolonged cigarette smoking could also cause weight gain.

This is because there is a substantial amount of sugar in each cigarette that you smoke. Each time you take a puff, the sugar in the cigarette is sped immediately into your blood stream causing insulin spikes and the metabolism to work more slowly. This is why cigarettes are a contributing factor to causing diabetes. It may take days or decades for you to experience the kind of weight gain associated with insulin resistant reactions to cigarettes; it all depends on your physiology and your family history. However if you can't seem to lose that last twenty pounds and are smoking like a chimney, those cigarettes you are smoking might be the culprit.

Tobacco in itself is an adaptogen meaning that it can cause either weight gain or weight loss. Embracing the idea that cigarettes directly cause you to shed pounds is fool hardy. It is more likely that the cigarette displaces food cravings that are caused by emotional issues. Instead of reaching for a bag of chips every time you feel stressed, lonely, frustrated or angry you are simply reaching for a smoke instead.

Perhaps the biggest issues to do with weight and cigarette smoking is the fact that most people pack on an average of twenty pounds once they quit. This is a huge deterrent for many people when it comes to making the decision to quit and a huge motivator for young women who start smoking in order to stay svelte.

Quitting smoking can cause a huge shift in metabolism once your body realizes that the adaptogen tobacco is no longer running the show. Deprived of its favorite addictive substance the body goes into panic mode and starts conserving fat to react to the scarcity of nicotine. It is highly possible that the body perceives cigarettes and the sugar that they contain as a necessary source of food.

Another reason for weight gain after quitting cigarettes is purely emotional. Most cigarette smokers have an oral fixation,which is why they always have a cigarette in their mouth.Without having the cigarettes around to take care of this oral fixation, the individual will start to appease their desire to always have something in their mouth by snacking. Many cigarette smokers will also reach for candies which mimic the sugar hit of taking a draw on a cigarette and provide their body with a similar sugary spike in their blood sugar. Of course this is not good for your pancreas or your waistline.

Unfortunately there is no one simple magical cure for dealing with the problem of gaining weight after quitting smoking. The key is to stay as active as possible, avoid sweets and avoide motionally charged or stressful situations that might have you reaching for a cigarette or a snack substitute. Drinking cups of strong black coffee is also supposed to help cut the severity of these kinds of cravings and help you save both your lungs and your waistline.

About the author:
Weight Loss & Health Articles & Information

Title: Ways That You Can Avoid The Triggers Of Cravings When You Are Quitting Smoking

2006-04-21T20:48:00.000+08:00

Author: Tony James

Article:

Another cigarette goes off the box... before he knew it, Dan was puffing away another cigarette. Dan used to say "But you don't understand... my work just gets to me, I need something for my stress! People are smoking in front of me, quitting smoking it's not as easy you think it is, but somehow I'll quit later when my job stabilizes".

You see Dan is just like another smoker, with a weak faith and commitment to quit smoking. Many smokers seem to face this problem. If you're trying to quit smoking, I'm sure you've came across this path at least once in your life again. The stress is just too much that you need to keep smoking.

Then one day, when you decided to really quit smoking, your peers are smoking in front of you, or that you happened to be at a wrong place at the wrong time where there are others smoking.Second hand smoke starts crawling into your lungs, the nicotine in your body wakes itself up alerting you of the addiction you wish you didn't have.

I guess it doesn't take a genius to figure out what's next. You may be probably already lightning up a cigarette to "soothe" the addiction to avoid the irritation. You see these are "triggers" which will be responsible for your failure for quitting smoking.

If you only knew that...

Triggers Of Cravings And Urges Are Avoidable If You TakePrecaution!

Here are some ways which you may avoid the cravings in the process of quitting smoking:

* Excuse yourself from the crowd
If you're caught with your peers in the middle of them smoking,excuse yourself for awhile... I used to using the excuse of going to the washroom a lot, until I joked with my friends thatI have a bladder problem. After that, take 10 deep breaths slowly and relax until you're ready enough.

* Avoid places which allows smoking
Distance yourself away from smoking places such as bars. Instead spend more time in places where smoking is prohibited such as the museums, theaters, churches, libraries, etc

* Do not drink coffee or tea
Drinking Coffee or Tea tends to arouse and enhances the cravings for nicotine almost immediately. Avoid them if you're on a plan to quit smoking.

* Exercise
People seemed to discard this away almost immediately at the sight of the word "Exercise". Most people would think that they're too tired to exercise, or whatever excuse they can give because their plain lazy.

In fact; most successful people in the world never told you that exercise is partially responsible for their success. This is because exercise is not suppose to drain your energy, on the contrary, exercise suppose to boost your energy. With better energy, you will be more equipped to quit smoking.

Too many smokers failed to quit smoking most of the time due to the addiction and irritation or withdrawal symptoms. Thus, they must learn how to overcome this.

About the author:

Tony James is an ex-smoker for 15 years and is currently helping smokers to quit smoking with ease without the discomfort of cravings or withdrawal symptoms.
Discover an easy, proven and tested way that you can quit smoking in 1 week without the discomfort of cravings orwithdrawal symptoms.
Click here to find out how => http://www.easyquitsmokingsecrets.com

Title: Find Out Why You Feel The Withdrawal Symptoms When You Are Trying To Quit Smoking

2006-04-15T03:14:00.000+08:00

Author: Tony James

Article:
"No problem, I could quit anytime I want to". That is the case for many smokers who believe they can quit anytime they want to as though they believe they had a magic switch to turn the nicotine off.

But when you ask them why they are not quitting, it would as if of a sudden, they're mind starts to get creative and could punch out 101 excuses. Sounds familiar right? The reality is

Smokers Are Addicted And Need Preparation Before Quitting!

This is because nicotine and chemicals when introduced into our body greatly affect our biological system. Smokers need preparation for quitting are because of the withdrawal symptoms.

Nicotine is a stimulant drug of which its effects where bothsimulation and relaxation may be felt. You see when we smoke, our body gets used to a certain alteration of conditions in our body. The brain gets used to these certain alternation very quickly even before we can notice it.

Now, there's a new balance in the brain due to those alterations. When the timely dose of nicotine or whatever chemicals as a result of smoking is not channeled towards the brain, the brain gets upset. Hence we feel uncomfortable with different people enduring different symptoms.

Some of the withdrawal symptoms include:

* Cravings to smoke
* Irritation
* Anger
* Insomnia
* Dry mouth
* Anxiety
* Fatigue
* Inability to Concentrate
* Headache
* Cough
* Sore tongue and/or gums
* Sleep Disturbances
* Sore throat
* Constipation, gas, stomach pain
* Tightness in the chest

Some ways that could help you with the withdrawal symptoms are:

* Wait
When it is time for you to smoke again, just wait a little while before you decide whether you want to smoke again just for about 3 to 5 minutes time. During this time of waiting, take 10 deep breaths slowly, relax yourself, also relaxing your shoulders.

* Drink Plenty Of Water
This is to help you fight off the cravings

* Become A Part Of A Community
Discuss with someone your feelings about quitting smoking. The easiest way to do that online is through forums. Exchange ideas, opinions and solutions. You'll be surprised the insights you'll gain through this experience.

* Exercise
I cannot emphasize how important this is, exercise is suppose to boost up your energy so that you have better preparation to fight the cravings.

* Get sufficient sleep
An excerpt from "Sleep: Essential for Optimal Health" by Drs. Robert Goldman and Ronald Klatz.

"Don't slight sleep. It's when you're tired that you tend to overwork. When you're rested you can finish the work without strain and still have energy and time left over for the rest of your life. Research shows that workers who get less than six hours of sleep a night are prone to costly accidents, poor concentration and poor performance. Without sleep depression, anxiety and anger increase.

The quality of sleep is just as important as number of hours. If you have trouble sleeping, try going to bed earlier, before 10:00. This usually creates a deeper sleep. Prepare for deep sleep by avoiding TV and computers in the evening."

So when you get more rest, the likelihood for the need for cigarette is reduced.

* Relaxation
Perform some night rituals such as reading a book before you goto bed or meditation to help you and your body to relax.

About the author:
Tony James is an ex-smoker for 15 years and is currently helping smokers to quit smoking with ease without the discomfort of cravings or withdrawal symptoms.
Discover an easy, proven and tested way that you can quit smoking in 1 week without the discomfort of cravings or withdrawal symptoms.
Click here to find out how => http://www.easyquitsmokingsecrets.com

Title: Discover Why Most People Fail To Quit Smoking And How To Overcome It

2006-04-03T21:29:00.000+08:00

Author: Tony James

Article:
Occasionally, you would hear the same old stories, on how people would just quit for 1, 2 or 3 weeks/months even years, and then return to the old habit. Not only that, they will come back and smoke even more and more. It is as if they are smoking with a vengeance!

Because they had to "cover" back the loss of cigarettes intake while they were taking a break when they were trying to quit. It may seemed funny or weird to you but this is true. It happens so often I'm sure you came across this situation at least once in your life before.

Did you know that according to statistics, only 10% or even less of those who tried to quit smoking only succeeded? Yes,even so, of those who quitted smoking, are not guaranteed to stop forever.

So why did those people and so many of them fail? They were lacking a very important aspect. You see my friend, they were lacking of A STRONG Purpose To Quit Smoking!

This may seem over simplified at first, but this is crucial in the preparation of quitting smoking. Not only do you need a purpose, you must have a purpose so strong that it almost certainly becomes a conviction for you to quit smoking. I'm sure you heard somewhere before that why is more important than how.

Without a purpose, regardless of whether you can quit smoking,you may pick in up in the future.
Here's how you should create a strong purpose to quit smoking:
1) Pick up a paper and write down how smoking has affected you in the past.
2) Next write down of how smoking is affecting you presently.
3) Followed by how smoking will 100% definitely affect you in the future.

You may relate any issues relating to this matter. Perhaps your family, love ones, relatives, job, career, health, performance,your time and money. You may relate how smoking has affected all those areas in your life.

The second reason why people fail to quit smoking is that many people do not know how to cope with the withdrawal symptoms. In the process of quitting smoking, many suffer from various symptoms such as anxiety, frustration and irritation.
Soon one may lose concentration and would be utterly "paralyzed" because of the addiction.

About the author:
Tony James is an ex-smoker for 15 years and is currently helping smokers to quit smoking with ease without the discomfort of cravings or withdrawal symptoms.
Discover an easy, proven and tested way that you can quitsmoking in 1 week without the discomfort of cravings orwithdrawal symptoms.
Click here to find out how => http://www.easyquitsmokingsecrets.com

Title: Smoking Is Injurious To Health

2006-04-01T18:27:00.000+08:00

Author: Kapil Sachdeva

Article:
You all know the harmful effects of smoking on our health, environment and others. Smoking is harmful for each and every organ of the body. In simple words, we can say that smokers are near death stage. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug found in tobacco. The intake of this drug stops your body growth and results in causing various diseases.

Smoking results in causing ulcer, stroke, mouth and throat cancer, larynx cancer, various heart diseases, pulmonary disease, bladder and cervical cancer. So, it becomes very important to give up this bad habit. Quitting this bad habit will reduce your risks for diseases and improve your health.

Leaving smoking habits is not an easy job but it can be done. The choice is yours that how you want to quit, what kind of help you need, which option you want to choose and where to go for
help. After 2-3 trials, you can successfully quit from this habit. Every time you try to quit, you came to know the favorable and unfavorable situations. Firstly you have to make-up your mind and change your nearby environment. Throw all cigarettes and ashtrays from your workplace, car and home. Your family, friends can also help you to achieve this. Don't allow anyone to smoke around you. You can also take advice from your health care provider. Keep yourself busy and take proper rest. There are many medication programs that help you in quitting and diminishing your urge to smoke.

Leaving this habit results into proper development of your body, lessens the risk of developing diseases, increases your learning and working capacity and halves the risk of dying. You will find
the following symptoms that may exist for few days after leaving your smoking habit: faintness, depression tetchiness, trouble while sleeping, agitation, headache and sleepiness.

About the author:
Author presents a website on quit smoking http://www.quitsmokingtipsonline.info

This website provides information about different ways to quit smoke, benefits of
quitting smoke and symptoms that arise after leaving this habit.
You can visit his site http://www.quickhealthguide.com

Title: Why Do You Really Smoke?

2006-03-28T12:57:00.000+08:00

Author: Aaron Walker

Article:
Smoking. A habit that we started when we were kids because we thought it was cool. The same habit that then haunts us for the rest of our lives. We spend every day from that first puff of choking, foul tasting smoke regretting that first cigarette. How many of you smokers, knowing what you know now, would have smoked that first cigarette? None of you right? I thought so. I smoked my first cigarette when I was 13. One of the saddest choices I've ever made.

So why do we smoke if we know that we never wanted to smoke in the first place? The answer is simple really - habit and association.

Let's look at association first. When we were kids or teenagers we smoked because we saw our parents, older kids and maybe some movie stars smoking. We associated smoking with being grown up, famous or desirable. That's how it was portrayed. The dying hero always asked for a cigarette in his last moments. Our parents always smoked a cigarette to relax or when they were under pressure. We watched older kids who smoked and somehow, amazingly really, looked cool blowing smoke out through their nose.

When we were younger we all wanted to grow up quickly and smoking was seen as a quick path to that goal. We'd look more grown up, a bit cooler and maybe even be able to relax a bit more by smoking. Now that you're sitting there reading this does it make more sense that you started smoking? Shocked? It's always strange when we see the real reasons behind our first cigarette.
Can that association be broken? Of course. Hypnosis can help as can neuro linguistic programming (NLP). Sometimes this reassociation can come from inside us when we realize just how uncool and incredibly unhealthy smoking actually is.

Now let's discuss habit. We smoke out of habit more than any other reason. Ask most smokers why they actually smoke. Ask them for the real 'Why' behind their smoking. You'll find that most of them smoke out of habit. The habit might be that they smoke when they're bored. Or the habit might be that they smoke when they feel stressed. Or another habit (I was guilty of this) is that they smoke when they can't sleep. Regardless of the reasoning behind the smoking it's still habitual.

Can habits be broken? Of course they can. Dogs can be house trained. Kids can be 'trained' to not bite their finger nails.Smoking is the same type of habit. So how can you break the habit? The easiest step is to realize that smoking is 90% psychological and about 10% physical. You may disagree with this but how else I can quit smoking cold turkey and not feel any of the withdrawal symptoms and cravings I used to? Simple. I accepted the reality that smoking is a psychological pursuit more than a physical addiction.

If I can break these associations and habits I'm confident that you can too.

About the author:

This article was provided courtesy of QuittersGuide.com a blog dedicated to those who want to quit smoking. http://www.quittersguide.com