I’m 16.  I’ve been taking my birth control pills since the beginning of May & I’ve stopped taking them in the beginning of June.  How long do I have to stop taking the pills to smoke (ciggs) without them having an effect on my health?

If I get back on birth control in July will it have any effect on me?

I’m glad to hear that you quit smoking!  Now, DON’T START AGAIN!  Cigarettes do effect your health, with or without birth control.  Taking them in conjunction increases your risk of having a stroke, but smoking alone increases your risk of cancer and heart disease, among many other things.  I hope you can kick off the start of your young life properly.  Good luck!

I found a time-line of some of the more immediate effects of quitting smoking.  Sometimes, even if you’re using a stop smoking pill, those good health effects seem so distant!  This might help to keep you motivated.  Print it out and keep it on your fridge!

* In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal.
* In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.
* In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.
* In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.
* In 2 weeks your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.
* In 3 to 9 months coughing, wheezing, and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.
* In 1 year your risk of having a heart attack will have dropped by half.
* In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
* In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
* In 15 years your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.

Not to mention how much better, healthier, your complexion will be and how much more fit you will be!

Although 85 – 90% of smokers quit using the cold turkey method, gradual reduction has been shown to be very effect.  It involves slowly reducing one’s daily intake of nicotine. This can be done in two ways: by repeated changes to cigarettes with lower levels of nicotine, or by gradually reducing the number of cigarettes smoked each day. As of 2010, and unlike earlier studies who claimed some benefit for gradual reduction, a Cochrane review found that abrupt cessation and gradual reduction with pre-quit NRT produced similar quit rates.

So the method you choose to quit really depends on your personal style.  Your personal physician could probably tell you what would work best for you.  Also, remember to avoid other smokers, and even try the patch or a stop smoking pill if you feel you need extra motivation.

When you’re using a stop smoking pill or patch, you begin at step one and then after 6 weeks go to step 2  weeks.  This means less nicotine for 2 weeks.  Then move onto step 3, which is even less for another 2 weeks.  You essentially wean yourself of the medication, but it’s way better than smoking, as nicotine isn’t what’s bad for you; it’s the tar and all of the other chemicals in the cigarettes.

Even if you’re taking a stop smoking pill like Chanitx, remember that the success rate isn’t perfect!  In fact, for Chantix it rests at 40%.  Sometimes it takes a couple of times, but determination and forming new habits are really what’s most important.  If you can’t change your lifestyle, you’re probably going to keep having issues.  When you decide you’re ready to quit, keep that in mind; do your best to surround yourself with healthy things and non-smokers.  Those ideas might help more than any pill.

Below are a list of cigarette substitutions that might help you quit.  If you think you need something more than a quit smoking pill, one of these might be helpful

• Vaporizer: heats to 410 °F (210 °C) or less, compared with 1,500 °F (820 °C) in the tip of a cigarette when drawn upon; eliminates carbon monoxide and other combustion toxins.
• Electronic cigarette: Shaped like a cigar or cigarette, this device contains a rechargeable battery and a heating element that vaporizes liquid nicotine (and other flavorings) from an insertable cartridge, at lower initial cost than a vaporizer but with the same advantages including significantly reducing tar and carbon monoxide. However, in September 2008, the World Health Organization issued a release proclaiming that it does not consider the electronic cigarette to be a legitimate smoking cessation aid, stating that to its knowledge, “no rigorous, peer-reviewed studies have been conducted showing that the electronic cigarette is a safe and effective nicotine replacement therapy.”
• Smokeless tobacco: There is little smoking in Sweden, which is reflected in the low cancer rates for Swedish men. It is claimed that Swedish men are more likely to use snus (a form of steam-cured, rather than heat-cured, smokeless tobacco) than to smoke.  There is a scientific debate over claims that spit tobacco might reduce the exposure of smokers to carcinogens or the risk for cancer (and even be used as a way to stop smoking). Some oral and spit tobaccos increase the risk for leukoplakia a precursor to oral cancer.
• Smoking herb substitutions (non-tobacco).

I read a study recently that showed that those who stopped smoking, with or without a quit smoking aid, before they reached 30 years of age lived almost as long as those who never smoked. Smoking cessation will almost always lead to a longer and healthier life. Stopping in early adulthood can add up to 10 years of healthy life and stopping in one’s sixties can still add three years of healthy life . Stopping smoking is associated with better mental health and spending less of one’s life with diseases of old age.  Some more reasons why it’s always worth it to take your health into your own hands!

The laser method to stop smoking relies on the basic principles of acupuncture. Low level laser is used to apply to acupuncture points on the body. The intention is that this will act on the nerve endings in the area to which the laser is applied. This will stimulate the nerves thereby producing endorphins. Those endorphins, in turn, act to significantly reduce the cravings that are a product of nicotine withdrawal, and if the cravings produced by the cigarette addiction are reduced or eliminated the ability to withdraw without significant stress is improved.

So, it’s easy to stop smoking.  (Right?)

Proponents of the stop smoking laser method maintain that it only takes a few, or even as few as one, treatment, to quit smoking. It is suggested by some that one half hour session is enough for many people.   Anyone had any experiences with this?

Here is a great letter from someone who tried laser therapy:

I went to New Beginnings Optimal Health to quit smoking with laser therapy. I smoked for 15 years and over 3 packs a day. I tried the patches, gum, cold turkey, etc. Many people who say they want to quit don’t really realize what they are going to have to do. The laser did relieve the withdrawal symptoms which means I finally had a choice which I didn’t have before. Unfortunately, it didn’t erase my memory so I still thought about smoking, still would say I wanted one, but I didn’t NEED one. I had to learn new habits, new activities, and new ways to socialize. There is no magic out there. Ask any drug addict, alcoholic, etc. did they find a magical way to just stop? The laser made me more comfortable, the counseling I received helped me understand me and my own personal addiction. It has been 4 years and I am still smoke free, but I still want one every once in a while, but I know better. It’s just a memory.

I was really having doubts reading about this stop smoking laser, but here’s another positive comment from a reader:

I had the laser treatment 2 months ago & am very impressed. I smoked at least 1 pack a day for 35 years. I enjoyed smoking. When the cost went up to over $5 is when I decided to spend the money on the laser treatment. Thirty minutes after the treatment I was sitting in the middle of 4 people smoking and I found that I didn’t need one; I didn’t want one. Amazing!! The same day I had my treatment, 9 others at the office also had the laser. 8 out of the 10 are still smoke free. That’s 80% success rate. As far as gaining weight? We all have actually lost between 6 and 11 pounds without even trying!!