Truth is, those things do help some of the people, some of the time.  Things to consider:  Your overall health, the time frame in which you want to quit, and your budget.  Can you visit a doctor first?  He or she may recommend Chantix or Zyban, and if you have insurance these are affordable medications that can really help you overcome cravings.   If you’re looking at over the counter products, you have patches and gum to choose from.  And be sure to consider less traditional methods such as hypnosis, acupuncture or the shot.

However, you don’t NEED these products.  They can be useful tools, but your determination to live a healthier lifestyle is what will really propel you into non-smokerdom.  Good luck, and you can do it!

My boyfriend made a commitment to me that he’d quit smoking.  This was 2 years ago.  Since then he has relapsed.  I gave him until next Saturday to kick the habit, WHATS THE EASIEST WAY TO HELP HIM QUIT?  Any products that really work? Also, he’s 17, if that makes any difference!

Does anyone have any advice for this kid?  So young to be addicted!

So, I’ve decided that Monday will be the first day of my new smoke free life. I’ve been smoking for 11 years, and I’m going cold turkey (I have incredible will power.)  My question is for those of you who have smoked and quit.  What’s your best advice for me?  I know I can do it, but I also know it won’t be easy!  Is there anything I can do to take the edge off and perhaps make it a little easier without having to buy these Nicorette products?

What a positive outlook!  Anyone have any special tips for this soon-to-be non-smoker?

Foods aren’t a very good good way to obtain nicotine because the product upsets the stomach and gets broken down, which is why nicotine is generally smoked or absorbed through the skin or the lining of the mouth. Still, someone tried to sell nicottine water — the FDA made them take it off the market. Also, the Chinese sell “e-cigarettes” which have little microprocessor-controlled vaporizers that deliver nicotine without tobacco. Those too I’m sure could not be sold here, although they can be obtained over the Internet.

It’s a fair bet that government’s primary role here will be helping out some interest group. The tobacco companies, for example, don’t want safer alternatives to their products, and neither, curiously, do some health advocacy groups — they’re afraid that if nicotine is safer, more people will use it.

Guys, both me and my dad are smokers. I have been smoking for 4 years, but my dad took up smoking about 20 years ago. I am ready to quit and I hope that if I urge him to take my example by telling him that it will be easier for both of us to leave cigarettes aside he will quit with me. What other strategies could I use? Or is there a product I can put in his food for him to stop feeling the need to smoke without knowing why? I must say that he is coughing all the time and he has a bad physical condition. Please help!

Firstly, kudos for you wanting to quit smoking.  Surely you’ve seen the ill-effects of your father’s smoking throughout the years and I’m glad to hear you’re ready to turn things around for yourself, and for him.  I think it’s a great idea for you both to try to quit together.  Merely suggesting it to him will be a great motivator for you both.  Point out how you need his support to quit and you don’t know if you can do it without him quitting also.

I don’t think it’s a good idea to try to sneak him any stop smoking medication, however.  There are side-effects that can affect your general health.  If he’s interested in something, though, there are options  out there.  A physician would be able to recommend the appropriate method.  Good luck to you both!

If you’re not interested in using quit smoking products but want to kick the habit, you can start like this: try smoking less every week until your down to like 1 or 2 cigarettes per day.  Stay at 1or 2 cigarettes per day for several weeks, until you can say “today I’m not smoking”.  Bringing down the amount of nicotine in a slow fashion will minimize nicotine cravings. Quitting on a special day works, like New Year’s or your birthday.   Good luck!

The nicotine inhaler is a cigarette-type device made up of a cartridge containing nicotine with menthol, and a mouthpiece. When air is inhaled through the device, it is saturated with nicotine, which is then absorbed through the lining of the mouth and upper esophagus. The absorption of nicotine is slower than from a regular cigarette, with peak nicotine doses occurring 10 to 15 minutes after the end of puffing. Each puff contains about 10 times less nicotine than a puff of a cigarette. The best results have been achieved by frequent puffing for 20 or more minutes. You can use from 6 to 16 cartridges throughout the day to relieve withdrawal symptoms or to control the urge to smoke. The initial use of less than two cartridges a day was associated with a lesser likelihood of success.

Sounds like it might be worth a shot.  Does anyone know of costs?

Congratulate yourself on having the desire to stop – then you are over the worst, but still need to maintain your resolve. It’s just so easy to start thinking that just one won’t hurt, but it does. Just one achieves nothing except fueling the need for another. Whatever you do, don’t have just one. Beware – alcohol will weaken your resolve.  I have learned some facts that might be useful to you.

You’re not just addicted to nicotine – there are 50+ chemicals in cigarettes.  Also the main problem is habit.
We have been used to having body sensations which we translate as ‘my body needs something’, which we have attempted to satisfy by having a cigarette.  When we try to stop smoking, we still get these ‘my body needs something’ sensations, and we still feel that we want a cigarette. We have to train our body to be more selective. When we feel we need something, we have to work out what it is that we actually need.  A glass of water is an excellent substitute if nothing else comes to mind, as it helps with the clearance of the toxic substances in our body. Another good substitute is a bag of salted peanuts, used in combination with the water.  Another thing to do is to find an activity which occupies the mind or body.  Go swimming – nobody wants to smoke while they are swimming.  Slowly, as our body adjusts and translates the ‘want something’ feelings into something other than cigarettes, then the feelings begin to go away. We know its not a cigarette that the body really needs, because as soon as we’ve had one we still have the feeling, and want another!

There will certainly be a few bouts of feeling or even being short tempered.  Try to bite your lip . Recognize the short temper as being the removal of toxins which are trying to find a way out.  They went in through the mouth, and they try to get out that way to.  Learn to keep our mouth closed, and think about it as forcing the toxins out the other way.