Will You Cease To Smoke Before You Cease To Exist?

By Author: Tom Howarth
Total Articles: 4
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Statistics reveal that lung cancer, which accounts for most number of cancer-related deaths worldwide, is caused by smoking in 90% cases. About 80 out of 100 women who smoke die of lung cancer every year, making nicotine addiction one of the preventable causes of death. The risk of developing lung cancer manifolds by 23 times in people who smoke, as compared to people who never smoked in their life. Moreover, every cigarette you smoke contains numerous harmful substances, including carcinogenic chemicals such as Tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNAs), pesticides, formaldehyde, and benzene; toxic metallic chemicals such as cadmium and arsenic and poisonous chemicals such as carbon monoxide, acetone, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, and tar. Now that you know that cigarettes can slowly take you to your death, you must make an effort to evade the addictive clutch of nicotine and start living a healthy life.


How can I stop smoking?


Research has showed that dependency on nicotine is nothing less dangerous than heroine addiction, which makes it extremely difficult to give up the habit of smoking. ...
... Willpower and determination may not be enough to quit smoking when you are addicted to it for a long time. So a good way to stop smoking is to try smoking cessation treatment available on prescription. You can try Champix varenicline, a prescription medicine which can help you quit smoking permanently. This medicine is recommended for most people above the age of 18. But pregnant or breastfeeding women should not take it as its active ingredient, varenicline tartrate, may harm the fetus/baby.


How does Champix work?


This medicine works in the nicotine receptors in the brain and prevents a smoker from enjoying the pleasurable effects of smoking. So effectively, it helps a regular smoker gradually cut down on the number of cigarettes he smokes everyday. What Champix also does is that it helps a smoker cope with the nicotine withdrawal symptoms that show up within a day or two from quitting. A majority of smokers fail to stay quit because they struggle to get over these withdrawal symptoms.


How should I take varenicline?


You need to take Champix pills as recommended by your doctor. Each film-coated pill is to be swallowed whole with a glass of water. The available strengths are 0.5mg and 1mg and the right dosage is only to be determined by a doctor. A good way to plan your smoking cessation program is to start taking Champix pills at least a week before you set your quit date. It will help you tackle the nicotine withdrawal symptoms immediately and without much difficulty.


How do I approach smoking cessation?


For nearly anybody making an attempt to quit smoking, the only challenge is to not to lose hope with repeated failed attempts. It may happen that you fall into a relapse after a few days or weeks. The trick is to not let go off your resolution to quit smoking when you find it difficult to quit. You can also try making some adjustments in your food habits that trigger the urge to smoke. For example, if you feel like smoking a cigarette after you take tea or coffee, try to avoid such drinks and switch to milk. Initially you won't like the changeover, but in time you will get used to it.