For my first blog post, I would like to cover a few different methods to quit smoking today. First of all what makes cigarettes addicting? Well, tobacco smoke contains a chemical called nicotine. Nicotine is the addictive substance that forms a physical addiction with the user, and is responsible for the harsh with drawl symptoms of cigarettes. So, the whole goal here is to find a method that will provide the user with nicotine.
There are multiple options available, including nicotine gum, prescription drugs like Chantix, and electronic cigarettes. In this article, I will be examining the pros and cons of each method.
First we will begin with nicotine gum. Nicotine gum can be somewhat effective, but the majority of people I know went back to cigarettes within a week, including me. While the gum does provide the user with nicotine, there is also the addiction of the physical act of smoking. This is not present and nicotine gum, and while it may curb some of the withdrawal effects, it doesn't do an extremely efficient job.
When it comes to prescription drugs, these are actually very very effective; but once again, there is no physical act of smoking present which is also another addiction that must be stopped. Prescription drugs can also be very expensive if you don't have a insurance, or your insurance premiums might be raised when they find out that you smoke.
Finally, we have electronic cigarettes. These have become very very famous over the past few years, because they deliver nicotine to the user, and they emulate the act of smoking. These are very very useful and they are cheaper than prescription drugs. However, they are more expensive than nicotine gum and are a longer-term investment.
I do know of several people who were able to quit smoking cold turkey, but this is very rare and it takes a whole lot of self-control; more than I have at least. From these people I've heard such advice as tried chewing gum or sucking on lollipops. I'm not quite sure how effective these methods are, but I think it's safe to assume that the methods we discussed earlier work much better.
Coming up in the next few articles, we will discuss some of these methods and how they can help you.