Why is it so hard to quit smoking and give up cigarettes?

Smoking cessation is tough because simply cigarettes are addictive. Nicotine is the addictive substance that is naturally found in tobacco. Statistically, studies have shown that nicotine is just as addictive as cocaine or heroin. In addition to the physical symptoms of addiction, smokers also become emotionally and psychologically addicted and dependent on cigarettes and smoking.

When smokers inhale the smoke of cigarettes, the nicotine enters the bloodstream deep within the lungs. From the blood, nicotine travels to all different parts of the body where it has profound effects. Nicotine interferes with nerve cell conduction and causes a pleasant sensation, causing smokers to want to smoke more cigarettes. After a while, the body also desensitizes and becomes more tolerant to nicotine, forcing the smoker to increase the number of cigarettes per day in order to achieve the same effects. These are all effects symptomatic of an addictive substance not unlike illicit drugs.

When a smoker starts the process of quitting smoking or smoking cessation, the lack of nicotine causes withdrawal symptoms in the body which pushes the smoker back to smoking again. These nicotine withdrawal symptoms are both psychological and physical. Withdrawal symptoms from stopping cigarettes or greatly reducing the number of cigarettes smoked include dizziness, depression, anxiety, irritability, anger, impatience, frustration, lack of concentration, sleep disturbances, tiredness, headaches, restlessness, increased appetite, gas, constipation, weight gain, chest tightness, cough, nasal drip, and sore throat. It is important to know about these symptoms and how to cope with them to effectively quit smoking.

In fact, the Surgeon General of the United States has mentioned that quitting smoking is the single best and most important step that smokers can undertake to improve the quality of their lives and lengthen their life expectancy. It is important to understand all you can about the addiction of smoking and the steps and options for smoking cessation.

What are the benefits and reasons for quitting smoking?

Smoking cessation brings many benefits, in the categories of health, family, financial, and psychological. The biggest benefits to quit smoking are in the area of health, since smoking is implicated in many different types of cancers (lung cancer, throat cancer, mouth cancer, esophagus cancer, stomach cancer, leukemia) and lung diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis). Smoking cessation is also important to cut the risks of heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular conditions, blood vessel diseases, and erectile dysfunction in men. Other health risks for quitting smoking are cutting the risks for blindness and macular degeneration, bad breath, tooth disease, gum problems, yellow fingernails, smelly hair and clothes, and premature wrinkling of the skin. Statistically, smoking lowers the life expectancy by 13.2 years on average for men and 14.5 years on average for women.

Family and loved ones around you are also important consideration for quitting smoking and cigarettes. Second hand smoke has been proven to be just as bad if not more harmful than smoking in itself. Smokers who are pregnant are more likely to have a miscarriage or have a baby with birth defect or low birth weight. Children in smoking households have a tougher time breathing and are more likely to have asthma, allergies, or physical problems.

Financially, the cost of cigarettes is quite substantial, so quitting smoking and smoking cessation can actually save lots of money in the long run. Psychologically, if the smoking cessation and quitting smoking efforts are successful, you will gain a sense of confidence in having set a difficult goal and conquered a difficult problem.

Why is the time to quit now?

Any smoker, no matter the age or length of smoking history, gains a healthier and longer life than those who continue smoking. Some of these statistics for quit smoking and smoking cessation that highlight the urgency:

• smokers who quit before the age of 50 cut their risk of passing in the next 15 years by half
• those who have quit smoking experience fewer colds, flus, illnesses, pneumonia, and bronchitis
• smokers who quit smoking live longer
• smoking cessation brings lower risks for heart disease, strokes, chronic lung disease, lung cancer, and other types of cancer
• pregnant women who are able to quit before becoming pregnant or in the first trimester lower their risk of having a baby with low birth weight to the same as non-smokers
• 1990 study by the US Surgeon General found that smoking cessation confers immediate and major health benefits to women and men of any age

It is to be acknowledged that with the process of smoking cessation, there will be some periods of emotional, physical, and psychological discomfort from the nicotine withdrawal. Also, It is true that there is a small weight gain (usually less than 12 lbs. on average) associated with quitting smoking and smoking cessation. These risks of discomfort and weight gain are exceeded by far by the health, financial, familial, and psychological benefits of quitting smoking.

What are some of the methods for smoking cessation and are they effective?

There are two important aspects of smoking cessation help which greatly help with success rates of quitting smoking — one dealing with the mental and psychological challenges of quitting smoking while the other helps with the physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.

To help with the mental aspects of smoking cessation:

• Support from your personal family and friends as a support network during your process of smoking cessation especially from those who have successfully quit themselves as ex-smokers. Family doctors and co-workers can also help with encouragement and support. Sometimes, however, trained professionals and stop smoking programs might be more helpful.
• Stop smoking programs which provide group support and encouragement or one-on-one counseling. The program should last for at least two weeks or even longer is better led by a leader with training in aiding the process of quit smoking. Some programs are available from the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society, or health departments as well as Nicotine Anonymous groups akin to AA Alcoholics Anonymous. Programs for smoking cessation aid with longer sessions are usually more intense and often more helpful.
• Some stop smoking programs are telephone based counseling and support programs which are helpful if persons cannot be in personal touch with support or encouragement circles or programs.

To help with the physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, the idea is to use nicotine replacement therapy. In fact, nicotine replacement therapy is recommended for all trying to quit smoking except pregnant women or those with circulatory or heart conditions. The idea of this therapy in smoking cessation is to lessen the withdrawal symptoms and the accompanying cravings for cigarettes (which are implicated as the reasons 90% of smokers give for not trying to quit smoking). Types of nicotine replacement therapy to help with quitting smoking:

• nicotine gum such as Nicorette
• nicotine patch such as Nicoderm CQ
• nicotine nasal spray such as Nicotrol NS
• nicotine inhaler such as Nicotrol inhaler
• nicotine lozenge

There are also prescription medications such as Zyban or Wellbutrin (generic name bupropion) to help with smoking cravings. Additionally, there are nicotinic receptor partial agonist prescription medications such as Chantix which reduces the pleasurable effects of cigarettes as an alternative to nicotine replacement therapy in smoking cessation.