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Quit Smoking Information

Smoking is not only detrimental to your health, it is also unhealthy for those around you. If you are considering quitting, or have already decided to quit, you are on the first step to recovery. After many years, doctors and scientists have uncovered the effects of smoking.

  1. Ingredients of Cigarettes

    • If you are having trouble quitting, one of the key factors is to remember what you take into your body each time you inhale a cigarette. There are more than 3,500 chemicals in cigarettes, including pesticides, rat poison and arsenic. Cigarette companies have tried to make smoking appear healthier by putting plastic filters on the ends of cigarettes. Unfortunately, they only take away a small part of the chemicals that enter your body.

    The First Step

    • The first step in quitting is to plan. Most people who quit abruptly have a difficult time or fail, while those who choose a date to quit smoking and stick to it are usually more successful. It is also important that you remove any signs of smoking from your home or the areas you smoke the most. This includes cigarettes, ashtrays and cigarette lighters.

    Available Help

    • Different types of help are available for those who wish to quit smoking. Some people follow a step guide, while others choose more extreme methods such as prescribed medication.

    Hotlines

    • For those who live in the United States, the Quit Smoking Hotline is available to help you quit smoking. By simply dialing (800) QUIT-NOW, you can receive tips on quitting smoking, or support when you are craving the nicotine.

    Step Guides

    • Many people find step guides to quitting extremely helpful. These step guides include getting rid of any reminders of smoking, managing your withdrawal symptoms and finding methods to help with nicotine cravings. If you are planning on quitting, you should contact your doctor to see what methods are available to help you. If you wish to quit without the support of a doctor, you can make your own step guide to quitting. As long as you stick to whatever method you choose, you will be successful.

    Medications

    • There are medications available to help you quit smoking. Some of the medications are by prescription only, such as Varenicline and Bupropion, both of which are pills. They work by helping to manage your nicotine cravings, but they do not stop them completely. Other methods of medication include nicotine patches, nicotine gum, nasal spray, nicotine inhalers and nicotine lozenges.

    Benefits of Quitting

    • There are many short- and long-term benefits of quitting smoking, some of which you may notice in less than a week. Not only will you be able to breathe more easily, you will decrease your chance for fatal complications. Some of the short-term effects of quitting are normal blood pressure and pulse, normal carbon monoxide levels in the blood, normal blood oxygen level, increased senses of smell and taste, regrowth of nerve endings and a reduced risk of heart attack. The long-term benefits include a reduced risk for lung cancer, better blood circulation, and the risk of fatal illnesses caused by cancer will be the same as if you never smoked.

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