Quit Smoking Help

There is no silver bullet when it comes to deciding how to quit smoking, but acquiring knowledge of the various resources to help quit, how to start a quit smoking program and what to expect once a program is started is critical to the success any endeavor to stop smoking.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States and worldwide. It causes one out of five deaths in the United States. According to recent statistics, 440,000 Americans die each year from the health-related consequences of smoking.  

Despite these alarming statistics which are compelling reasons to quit smoking, currently 45 million Americans (20% of adults in the United States) and well over 1.3 billion people worldwide smoke. One third of people between the ages of 18 and 24 smoke and two thirds of the known smokers continue to smoke during pregnancy.  

Although lung cancer is the most commonly linked to smoking, many other cancers are also related to smoking as are other diseases such as stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive lung disease and high blood pressure.  Less serious problems such as impotence, skin damage, premature aging, alteration of the immune system, bad breath and increased risk during surgical procedures are also consequences of smoking. 

70% of smokers want to quit smoking, and each year approximately 20,000,000 Americans (40% of smokers) attempt to stop smoking, but unfortunately many are unsuccessful. This illustrates the magnitude of the tobacco dependence and the fact that it is a chronic problem which oftentimes requires multiple efforts and different approaches or combinations of approaches to overcome. Many who are unsuccessful in their effort(s) to quit smoking have attempted to do so without any professional advice and/or have not become equipped with information necessary to develop a structured quit smoking plan.  

Once a quit smoking plan is begun, it is important to understand and recognize nicotine withdrawal symptoms which are best managed by healthcare professionals with one of nicotine replacement products or one of the two available prescription pills.  

Non-prescription nicotine replacement therapy is available in the form of gum, patch, lozenge, inhaler or nasal spray and is an effective tool to manage nicotine withdrawal symptoms, but if used chronically can result in substituting a cigarette nicotine addition with a different form of nicotine addiction.  

The two prescription pills available to help quit smoking are effective in some individuals but are not safe to use during pregnancy. Also of note is the fact that as of January 1, 2009 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required the manufacturers of these medications to include a boxed warning notifying consumers that some people who have taken them to help quit smoking have reported experiencing unusual behavioral changes including depression, suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide while using the drugs.  

Education and mental preparation are very important both prior to and during your smoking cessation program. They can motivate you to stop smoking, help you develop a quit smoking plan, lessen the likelihood of relapse, and help to cope with relapse if it occurs.

• Quit Smoking Products
  
  Because individual needs differ and because there is no one panacea to help everyone quit smoking, various quit smoking products are available on the market today.