Smoking Cessation, No Butts About It -Quit Smoking NOW

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Smoking Cessation today requires a willingness, change of mental attitude and general will power, to actually change your mental mindset from a learned destructive and harmful behavior formed out of habit and co-dependence on nicotine. You need to apply the same attitude in breaking away from your nicotine addiction as you would in your personal fitness or weight loss goals that you have.

Having a Masters Degree in health education, my early professional career was spent developing and monitoring Health education programs including smoking programs. You can read more about me here. The problem with most smoking programs regarding client compliance, is that most quit smoking programs do not adequately address the mental mindset and attitude change that is required for you to successfully break your nicotine habit in learning how to

Quit Smoking Today, Guaranteed!! Based on data collected in the late 1990s, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that adult male smokers lost an average of 13.2 years of life and female smokers lost 14.5 years of life because of smoking. And given the diseases that smoking can cause, it can steal your quality of life long before you die. Smoking-related illness can limit your activities by making it harder to breathe, get around, work, or play.

Why Should I Quit Smoking Now?

No matter how old you are or how long you've smoked, quitting can help you live longer and be healthier. People who stop smoking before age 50 cut their risk of dying in the next 15 years in half compared with those who keep smoking. Ex-smokers enjoy a higher quality of life with fewer illnesses from cold and flu viruses, better self-reported health, and reduced rates of bronchitis and pneumonia.

When you think of cancers caused by nocotine smoking, the first one that comes to mind is always lung cancer. Most cases of lung cancer death, close to 90% in men, and 80% in women are caused by cigarette smoking. There are several other forms of cancer attributed to nicotine smoking as well, and they include cancer of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, bladder, stomach, cervix, kidney and pancreas, and acute myeloid leukemia. These facts alone should awake you from your nicotine stupor-in your smoking cessation quest to find a stop smoking program that you can begin today.

The list of additives allowed in the manufacture of cigarettes consists of 599 possible ingredients. When burned, cigarette smoke contains over 4000 chemicals, with over 40 of them being known carcinogens and cancer is the second leading cause of death and was among the first diseases causally linked to smoking.

Which type of Smoking Cessation Products are You Considering?

With all the various smoking cessation products on the market today, there are various products from which to choose from: including , electric cigarettes , nicotine quitting hypnosis , smoking cessation book , to nicotine cessation online programs that can help you how to quit smoking and finally rid your nicotine habit. As with any smoking cessation program, you should always consult first with your medical doctor in determining the right smoking cessation program that best meets your health concerns and addresses your overall-long term personal goals and objectives in how to stop smoking.

Although this site primarily addresses the harmful effects of smoking due to nicotine addiction, there are also programs to help you to quit using marijuana as well.

What you need to look for in a Quit Smoking Program

Smoking programs are designed to help smokers recognize and cope with problems that come up during quitting. They also provide quit smoking support and encouragement to completely end your nicotine addiction habit. Nicotine like alcohol or marijuana is a drug.

Studies have shown that the best cigarette smoking cessation programs will include either one-on-one or group counseling and support. There is a strong link between how often and how long counseling lasts (its intensity) and the success rate. In general, the more intense the program, the greater the chance of success.

For example, intensity may be increased by having more or longer sessions or by increasing the number of weeks over which the sessions are given. So, when looking for programs, try and find one that has the following:

Each session lasts at least 20 to 30 minutes

There are at least 4 to 7 sessions

Program lasts at least 2 weeks -- longer is usually better

Make sure the leader of the group has training in nicotine cessation

This is paramount for any nicotine smoking program you are considering. Why enroll in a quit smoking program if the leader has NO experience in smoking cessation?

Be able verify and check the leaders references? You should be able to check and verify this information. If not-you need to move on and find another program.

Some communities have a Nicotine Anonymous group that holds regular meetings. This group applies the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) to the addiction of smoking. This may include admitting you are powerless over your addiction to nicotine and having a sponsor to talk with when you are tempted to smoke. These meetings are free, though most will take donations if you like.

Often your local American Cancer Society , American Lung Association , or your local health department will sponsor stop smoking now classes. There are some programs to watch out for as well. Not all programs are ethical. Think twice about any programs that do the following:

Promise instant, easy success with no effort on your part

Use injections or pills, especially "secret" ingredients

Charge a very high fee -- check with the Better Business Bureau if you have doubts

Are not willing to give you references from people who have used the program

Remember: "The only Unfulfilled Goals in Your Life are the Ones you Never Attempt"

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