"When I decided to buy Chantix at Kinney's, people were waiting in line to get the product," said Ronald Graeff, a broadcasting professor from the State University of New York at Oswego. "In fact, my students decided to film my attempt to quit smoking and they went to Kinney's to see for themselves that people were lining in front of the registers to pay for Chantix."
Chantix is a non-nicotine pill that acts at sites in the brain affected by nicotine. It may help those who wish to stop smoking by providing some nicotine effects to ease the withdrawal symptoms. It also blocks the effects of nicotine if a person resumes smoking,
"When I started using Chantix, cigarettes stopped giving me the pleasure they used to," Graeff said. "Maybe it was psychological, but if cigarettes weren't doing anything for me, I didn't see the point in continuing to smoke. It's been over a year now since I have quit."
Chantix, however, has been related to changes in behavior, depression and suicide attempts. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory on the product in February, 2008. This product has to be taken under the observation of a doctor.
A major deterrent for smokers against nicotine replacement products has been its cost. Each pack cost about $5.
Smoking Triggers: Activities that Increase the Desire to Smoke
Every smoker has particular traits and events he associates with smoking. It could be a smoke right after coffee, with friends, at parties, or while outside. It is important to train one's mind to rethink the association of smoking with these activities. The urge to smoke increases when surrounded by other smokers or at social gatherings. Try to avoid such situations initially.
Two major concerns for people quitting smoking are managing stress and maintaining weight. A lot of people smoke during stressful situations, thus training the brain that nicotine helps in relaxation. When the body is used to a certain amount of nicotine and it drops, it makes a person feel anxious. Nicotine also helps to increase one's metabolism, which makes it easier to burn carbohydrates. The average weight gain after quitting smoking is five to seven pounds because a lot of smokers start substituting cigarettes with food. As long as a person eats a balanced meal, weight gain should be minimal.
Smoking is Injurious to One's Health
We all know that tobacco leads to lung cancer, but according to New York State Smokers' Quitsite, tobacco kills more Americans every year than cocaine, crack, heroin, homicide, suicide, car accidents, fire and AIDS combined.
Cigarettes have also been linked to suicide. According to American Journal of Public Health, there is a positive association between smoking and suicide(Miller, Matthew, May 2000, p3).
Who Can Help in Quitting?
Family and Friends play an important part in smoking cessation. The American Journal of Public Health provides evidence for the role of social support(Clark, Corey, Nov 2005). The California Smoker's Helpline documented that 7 percent of the 349,110 calls received over a 13-year period were from non-smokers calling to seek help for someone else. The number one reason smokers attempt quitting is the influence of family members or friends. The second reason is to improve health.
Smokefree.gov is an online resource that helps a person to quit smoking. It provides quitlines, helpful tips and a cessation guide. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has different programs to help a person quit smoking.
Think of the Bigger Picture
Quitting is not easy, but if a person is motivated and has an aim for quitting, then the process becomes a little easier. It is recommended to use smoking cessation products as quitting cold turkey is harder. Furthermore, find people in similar situations, call quitlines, or use online blogs and resources. No one is alone in the process. Help is always around the corner.
Priya Ravindran - Hello! My name is Priya Ravindran. I am 21. I am a recent graduate from the State University of New York at Oswego with a double major in ...
