Learn to Stop Smoking

You will learn to stop smoking. We will show you how. Smoking is one of the hardest habits to break. However, breaking the habit is the single most important thing you can do for your health and to prevent premature aging.

Here we will review the reasons why you should want to learn to stop smoking, why smoking ages you faster, nicotine addiction, and most importantly, the latest and most successful methods for adult smoking cessation.

Why should you stop smoking?

Smoking damages almost every organ of the body (including the skin). It is the leading cause of premature, preventable death is the United States and in many countries around the world. Everyone knows these days that smoking can lead to numerous types of cancers including lung, esophagus, mouth, kidney, bladder, pancreases, stomach and cervix. Smoking is also associated with emphysema, chronic bronchitis, heart disease, stroke, bone loss, and vision problems.

There are other things that you take into your body other than nicotine when you smoke. There are more than 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke including 250 that are known to be harmful. Fifty of the two hundred and fifty are carcinogens (chemicals have been shown to cause cancer). Some of them are also found in wood varnish, gasoline, batteries, the insect poison DDT, arsenic, nail polish remover and rat poison. Also, the ashes, tar, gases and other poisons in cigarettes harm your body over time. In particular, they can damage your heart and lungs. Even in the absence of permanent lung damage, smoking can cause significant shortness of breath. This can make even everyday activities seem much more difficult, and drastically reduces your capacity to perform and enjoy the anti-aging and health benefits of exercise.

In addition to the specific carcinogens and poisons found in cigarette smoke, smoking a single cigarette introduces 1,000,000,000,000 free radicals into the body. This represents a huge oxidative stress on the body, which in turn leads to cellular damage, disease, decreased immune function, and accelerated aging.

The long-term benefits of quitting smoking include a substantially reduced risk of developing and dying from cancer, though the risk is still present. No matter your age, the risk of dying from any related smoking-related illnesses is decreased as well. Your skin will also show signs of improvement including hydration and lip wrinkles will form more slowly.

There are even immediate benefits associated with smoking cessation. Within hours of stopping smoking, individuals have shown a decline in the levels of carbon monoxide in the blood allowing for improved oxygenation of the blood. Elevated heart rates and blood pressures begin to return to normal levels. Within weeks, people also enjoy better circulation and improved lung function. If you learn to stop smoking now, you can begin to experience these benefits for yourself.

Breaking the Habit

breaking the habit
Of course, we have all heard many of the reasons to quit smoking before, and many of you have probably tried to quit before.

Why then is it so difficult to stop smoking? There are two main reasons. Smoking leads to both a physiological addiction to nicotine as well as a psychological addiction to the behavior of smoking.

Psychological Addiction

The act of smoking becomes associated with both the physical feelings produced by nicotine as well as other activities and beliefs which you have associated with smoking. For example, one might associate smoking with social interaction at bar or the belief that ‘it calms my nerves’. The social interaction is enjoyable and becomes psychologically coupled to smoking. The nicotine in smoking will reduce sympathetic nervous tone in the body, but only for a short time when it will lead to a rebound increase which leads to a ‘craving’.

Breaking the habit is more difficult, because it becomes part of your daily routine, i.e. when you’re driving, when you drink alcohol, when you’re bored, when you are in any number of anxiety producing situations, etc. Every time you find yourself in these situations after you try and quit, your brain associates the situation with smoking and the association promotes cravings. Breaking the habit involves dealing with both nicotine addiction as well as the psychological component.

What is Nicotine Addiction? (Physiological Addiction)

Physically, nicotine interferes with the reward pathways in your brain. Each hit of nicotine stimulates your neurons to release dopamine (the neurotransmitter in the brain that makes you feel good). Research shows that by increasing the levels of dopamine within the reward circuits of the brain, nicotine acts as a chemical with intense addictive qualities.

Nicotine also releases glutamate (a neurotransmitter involved with memory) which links the good feeling back to the nicotine source (cigarettes, chewing tobacco, cigars, etc.) In several studies it has been shown to be more addictive than cocaine and heroin. Similar to other physically addictive drugs, nicotine causes the slowing of the production of dopamine and other stimulatory neurotransmitters as the brain attempts to compensate for artificial stimulation. Sadly, the satisfaction that you receive from smoking is short lived and you begin to crave another. Over time your body needs more and more nicotine to receive the same good feelings.

What are the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal?

There are a wide range of withdrawal symptoms associated with smoking cessation. Common withdrawal systems include:
  • Irritability
  • Frustration
  • Trouble sleeping (insomnia) and general restlessness
  • Fatigue
  • Feeling sad or depression
  • Nervousness and anxiety
No two people seem to have the exact same withdrawal symptoms from the nicotine. But keep in mind these facts while overcoming the withdrawal.

1. The symptoms of nicotine withdrawal are short lived. The first couple of days are the hardest. Most individuals have no to minor symptoms after the first week or two. The long term benefits that one can enjoy after breaking the habit far outweigh any short-lived inconveniences.

2. You do not need to do it all by yourself. Recruit family and friends to help you or join a stop smoking program/support group. Several organizations give out free information and support for those trying to quit and other trying to remain an ex-smoker.

3. Medication can help with feeling of withdrawal! You can talk to your doctor, dentist or pharmacist for help. Some medications can be purchased at any drugstore while others you will need to get a prescription for from your doctor. Learn to stop smoking below where you can find information on the most successful medications and other methods for adult smoking cessation.

Additional Information to Learn to Stop Smoking

Stop Smoking Prescription Medications/Programs:



 Stop Smoking Over-the-Counter Medication:
  • Stop Smoking Nicotine Patches/Gum/Lozenges


 Stop Smoking Alternative Therapies:

More free Information to Learn to Stop Smoking:
National Institute’s of Health Smoking Quitline
Toll-free: 877-448-7848
www.cancer.gov

 Nicotine Anonymous
417-750-0328
www.nicotine-anonymous.org

 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Office on Smoking and Health
Toll-free: 800-232-2636
CDC-Tobacco.gov

 American Lung Association
Toll-free: 8000-586-4872
www.lungusa.org


 No one can make you quit - you must learn to stop smoking. You have to want it. The most important thing to remember is that quitting you can improve your life right now and for the future.



Information Sources - Learn to Stop Smoking:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Reducing Tobacco Use: A Report of the Surgeon General. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2000.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Servies. The Health Consequenses of Smoking: A Report of Surgeon General. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004.

National Cancer Institute. Quitting Smoking: Why to Quit and How to Get Help. National Cancer Institute, 2007.

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