Best Way To Really Quit Smoking
94What Worked For Me
I was a heavy smoker for 30 years. I tried and failed to quit smoking close to a dozen times. Most of my attempts were cold turkey, but I also tried hypnosis, accupucture, nicotine gum, cutting back gradually, smoking cigars instead of cigarettes and various behavioral programs and therapies. .In the end it was Smokenders along with the nicotine patch that did it for me. I haven't had a cigarette since the year 2000. I have no cravings and no desire to smoke. I don't miss it and wouldn't go back to it for anything. Believe me, if I can do it anybody can.
Different things work for different people and some people have a harder time quitting than others. Here are my tips for success:
Don't Give up Giving Up --Each time you manage to quit, even for a few days or weeks, you learn something and you get stronger. I hate to tell you this, but very few hard core smokers are able to kick the habit the first time out. The main thing is to realize that just because you didn't make it, doesn't mean you can't. Use the time after a failed attempt to gather your thoughts and come up with new strategies for the next time.
Pick a Quit Date and Do It. Smoke that last cigarette and then get all the cigarettes and smoking paraphanalia out of the house. Don't let friends and family members smoke around you. Surround yourself with people who either don't smoke or have already quit. Stay away from smokers--just for a little while. Whether they know it or not they have a vested interest in keeping you hooked. Don't even stand next to a smoker at a party or watch a movie in which people are smoking. One day it won't bother you, but in the beginning you are very vulnerable so be strict and don't go anywhere near smoking of any kind. This is a serious addiction and you need to take it seriously in order to kick it. To expect yourself to be able to be around smoke and smokers when you have just quit is unreasonable. It isn't a matter of weakness, it's a matter of addiction. The further away you get from the addiction, the weaker it will become. You'll increase your chances of success by not letting anyone( including a spouse or room mate) smoke in your house or anywhere around you for several months after you have quit.
Don't Think You can Have Just One. We all know former smokers who can have the occasional cigarette. They are the exception not the rule and the beginning stages of giving up smoking are no time to find out if you are one of them. Sad to say, you probably aren't. I can't tell you how many times after weeks or months of not smoking I impulsively picked up just one and was off to the races. Do not have even a puff. I promise you that for most smokers, there is no such thing as just one cigarette. One puff will have you thinking about cigarettes like a long lost friend, which will lead to bumming one every now and then, which will eventually lead to buying a pack and then you are on the merrygoround again and telling yourself that you just can't quit because it is too too hard and you are just too weak.
Use Every Bit of Help You Can Get Get a support group. There are lots of them online. In the real world both the American Lung Association and Smokendersrun wonderful seminars that are really helpful in defusing behavioral triggers like smoking after meals, with alcohol and coffee, under stress, when you are happy, when you are sad, when you are talking on the phone--well you get the idea.. Check out online support groups with chats and forums you can become a part of. Read some stop smoking blogs or start your own. You are not alone!
Help for Quitters
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Talk to your physician. Wellbutrin helps some people and there are new drugs out all the time. Chantix is the latest and works well for many people. Use nicotine lozanges, gum or patches if you want to ease withdrawal. I would suggest that you have a supply on hand in advance of your quit date and let them help you through those first few days especially. Nicotine in gum, patch or lozenge form can really help you make it. But be careful. It is easy to get hooked on the nicotine in gum and patches too. Also, do not under any circumstances use gum patches or lozenges while you are still smoking. It is dangerous, so don't even think about it.
Ride through cravings. You will have them and they can be intense but they rarely last more than 15 minutes. I used to set a timer. If you can get through three weeks without even one cigarette it should get a lot easier.
Start Walking Even before your quit date, try to walk at least half an hour a day. Getting regular exercise will help you through those early days and will always help lessen cravings, but there is another benefit as well. Smoking raises your metabolism. Even if you don't eat one bite more after you quit, you will probably gain some weight as your body will require a couple of hundred calories less per day to function. 30 minutes of walking every day will go a long way towards minimizing this inevitable lowering of your metabolism, plus it's fun. Don't worry about weight gain and don't try to diet while you are trying to quit smoking. That's a sure way to sabotage both efforts. Most people gain some weight. A few gain quite a lot. The good news is that once you have been off cigarettes for a year or so your body will re-adjust and you will either lose the weight spontaneously or find it comes off easily when you watch what you eat and exercise a bit more.
Think of the Money You'll Save I got a big jar and every day I put the amount of money I usually spent on cigarettes in it. After six weeks I had quite a bit of cash and as I remember I used it to buy some very expensive designer boots. Whatever you save--spend it on yourself. You deserve it.
I wish I could tell you it's easy to quit smoking and stay quit. It isn't. Getting off cigarettes and quitting smoking for good was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but now that I can run up and down stairs without getting winded, now that I don't get bronchitis every winter, now that my skin and gums are healthy and my house and hair don't reek of stale smoke I can say that it was well worth the effort..Just think--I never have to go rooting through an ashtray late at night, looking for a long enough butt to smoke. I'm free. Isn't that fabulous?
Watch the video below. it won't shame or scare you but it will help you when you are ready to quit. If I can do it so can you--I promise.
A Video to Help Not Scare You:-)
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More Quit Smoking Hubs by Robie2
- Are You Addicted to Nicotine Gum Or Lozenges ?
Nicotine gum and lozenges can be useful quit smoking aids, but can create a new, hard to kick addiction themselves. Are you addicted? - The Truth About Gaining Weight When You Quit Smoking
If you smoke a pack a day or more, you will probably gain weight when you quit. But don't let that stop you. You can minimize or even avoid extra weight by planning for it and being smoke free is well worth the effort. - Why Quitting Smoking Cold Turkey Is So Hard And Tips For Success
Quitting smoking cold turkey is tough, but you can maximize your chance of success by planning ahead - Five Reasons to Quit Smoking You May Not Have Thought Of
If you are like most smokers, you want to quit, but, are not motivated by pictures of diseased lungs, and scary warnings on cigarette packs. Here are five things about smoking that affect your life today that will make you want to quit
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congrats on quitting. :) I won't go into the political aspects of taxing one vice to death over another or even the politics of vice taxes period, but instead be glad for you that you were able to quit and admire your useful advice and hub.
Great hub! Congrats on being able to quit. Keep these hubs coming--you are a great writer.
good morning jg,pg and Iðunn and thanks for the comments. Iðunn--I think the way smokers are treated sucks. In my view smoking is a serious addiction and people buy cigs because the have to not because they want to--it's not a choice once you are hooked. Thus the gov. should take cigs off the market if they are so bad for you and not penalize addicted smokers with a sin tax that benefits only the gov. and shareholders in big tobacco. It isn'tfair. Smoking is not a moral issue g-r-r-r-r-r-r.
ah, I should have known once again you would have the common sense. I just like you more and more. :)
Awwww shucks:-) < see me looking down at my feet in embarrassment> I just spent too many years being humiliated by people who didn't understand why I would stand out in the cold and rain just to suck on a "cowboy killer"(Marlboro was my brand). I didn'twant to-- I had to. I needed my nicotine fix. If the government is going to collect all that tax money, the least they could do is use it for nicotine rehabs. Sometimes I think heroin addicts get treated better because everybody udnerstands that heroin is an addiction, not a moral weakness. How sanctimonious to tell people they should quit and not help them do it.
agree. I think what's pretty appalling is they are trying to legislate to increase yet again and use the tax money from cigarettes to fund middle class health costs, when most smokers tend to be working class. talk about stealing from the poor to give to the rich.
it's not smoker's fault that middle class people live out of their means and borrow against their homes and run up 40k average in credit card debt and then can't afford to pay health insurance and it's not the poor's duty to cover that difference for them while they eat their ramen noodles every night to have utilities covered.
our stupid dems are behind that one, by the way. bush vetoed it.
Well, without getting into class warfare<see me munching my ramen noodles:-)> I would say it makes no sense to use taxes on something that causes health problems to fund health care for anyone. Would make more sense to fund quitting programs so people wouldn't need the healthcare in the first place. But your point about smokers tending to be working class iswell taken as the tax on cigarettes comes down harder working class smokers than than on those further ujp the food chain-- as always--follow the money:-)
you are so adorable. follow the money, indeed. you sound just like me and I rather like myself - how could I not love to read you. :) I'm so glad you found Hubs.
Shucks again--me too- I'm glad I found Hubs too. I'm becoming a regular hubaholic. Do you think there is a rehab for hubaholics? rotfl---hey--the socks are back. Hello, socks:-)
no rehab allowed :( yeah, toldja they would make a return.
I got my concert shirt pic, anecdotes and vids up for the flogging concert if you want to check out reverend peyton's band vid, in that flogging thread. not sure if you'd seen since I updated. would love your opinion on that band. to me, I fell in total love. I bought their CD too at the concert and I think I'm going to Hub them their own page.
we are catching this one from the bottom up, by the way. they only started touring a year ago or less and this is their first album. :D I love catching the new talent before others. ego <---- *blush*
I'm on my way-- off to check out the Rev.:-)
I think you have to feel the power inside to quit...
I quited twice..then my realization was I don't want to quit..too bad, I know.
hehe, rabi. me too. :p I just can't find it in me to want to enough yet, maybe 50-50. still I'm glad robie could. yay her~
congrats to robie!!!
Naaah--I was over 50, wheezing and coughing, smoking 2 packs a day and watching my father-in-law slowly die from emphasema--my back was against the wall or I wouldn't have stopped. No strength of character her, believe me.
I'm still giving you points for achievement for whatever reasons. I haven't hit that point yet, maybe I can quit then, too.
The money I spent for my cigarettes shook me up. The amount was equivalent to my electricity and water bills! From then on, I refused to be a slave to those white slim sticks! Thanks for sharing.
Good for you that you quit, cleopatra. It is soooooo hard. But soooooo worth it:-) I shever to think what cigarettes cost these days. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
Great hub, it is hard - but it can be done. I quit about 30 times before I quit for good LOL. Thanks.
Always great to meet another ex--thanks for the comment, Ponderize.....yup hard hard hard--but definitely possible:-)
Thanks robie2! Great hub. I plan to refer back to it OFTEN!
Congratulations on quitting! It took me forever to kick the habit as well, good job.
And congrats to you too-- isn't it great to be free, free, free? Thanks for reading and commenting.
Oh Robie, you are my new idol! I have tried all the same methods you did, and Welbutrin besides. Still have my books and tapes of the method that cost me a hundred bucks and was guaranteed to work. I've been considering the new pill that's come out recently. I would love not to smell like smoke, and not to smoke away my money.
Thanks for this!
Hi Shirley- Every time you put some time between you and the cigs, you are a success. It took me years and many tries to finally kick the habit.I had an ex smoker who was also an ex concaine addict tell me that giving up smoking was harder--how about that! It's great yoo've already tried to quit a couple of times.... every attempt to quit is a little success ooops I sound like a cheerleader or something LOL anyway, I hope you will try again when you are ready--it really is wonderful to be free of it.
robie, I would love to see the day a very good friend of mine stops smoking. I am going to forward this hub to her. Thanks for the tips. :) And its wonderful to know you are free. Let's continue to celebrate life...smoke free hehehe
Thanks for your comment, Ripplemaker, I hope your friend can quit. Of course first she has to want to:-) It is soooooo hard. People don't realize what a powerful and addictive drug nicotine is. I think that is because it is legal LOL But honestly, it is very very hard to kick once you are hooked. My observation is that most people whio are still smoking in spite of the social pressure not to, are doing it because they have to not because they want to--no matter what they say. Don't mean to sound like the Carrie Nation of nicotine--but life is so much better without it and yes let's celebrate being alive every day:-)
Good luck to your friend and bless you for caring.
Great post, the info is nice to have from another source.
Glad you liked it:-)
Hello robie2,
I was looking around and saw this hub. You're right on with the advice. I help people quit smoking and I touch a lot of these bases along the way in my hypnosis sessions.
I was a smoker myself so I've been on both sides of the road so to speak.
Any time a person quits it is a major victory in their life, not only the money but the health benefits are huge.
Anyone out there thinking about quitting, remember there"is" life after cigarettes, the party is just starting, not ending! :)
Thank you soooo much, geig for that inspiring comment. You put it so well--the party is just starting, not ending--yes yes yes. It is so hard to quit--but so worth it, isn't it???
Good information robie2. Like you I was a heavy smoker for more than 30 yrs. I am just a recent quitter (July) so I could slip back to smoking easily. I like to visit these quit smoking hubs to stay educated on what works and does not work so I have a plan just in case I slip back.
I do feel great and I feel like I have been given a second chance. My lungs feel good, no more coughing and I am jogging with my 19 yr. old daughter who has given me a double high five for doing so well. That felt good. Thanks for writing this hub. It felt good just to put my thoughts down. :)
Yeah-- it takes a long time for the compulsion to let go, but eventually it does. I used to keep telling myself " If I pick up a cigarette, I'm not picking up just one, I'm picking up two packs a day" I think reading the quit smoking hubs on hubpages is a great idea for good support-- I may just add it and some links to this hub........ Great that you have joined the ranks of ex smokers and Happy New Year and thanks so much for reading and commenting.
Hey ! I would appreciate if you could share your experience on We In Recovery - Addiction Support Group. This will help other in recovery.
It's http://addictionsupport.aarogya.com
Thanks.
Happy to-- will go check out your link:-)
Great hub, Robie. I have tried soooo many times. I've used the methods you've mentioned - gum, patch, hypnosis, cold turkey, cutting back, herbal cigarettes, programs, smoking cigars. I can't take Welbutrin, it does nasty things to me. Hypnosis came the closest to working, until my first crisis situation. Then, I was right back at it again.
I too, know people who only smoke at parties and such. I can't imagine how they do it - it must taste awful to them or be hard to stop smoking when they leave the party.
Anyway, I guess that when I am ready, I'll do it. It's coming.
Thanks for all this great advice!
Hi Shirley-- always so happy when you stop by and leave a comment:-) You describe it all so well and so honestly-- it's like you really want to give it up but after a certain number of tries, you have the gnawing feeling inside that maybe you just can't and you feel trapped and almost too tired to even try again. But really, every try gives you ammunition for the next time--every attempt is a success not a failure. They don't call smoking an addiction for nothing--it's TOUGH to kick:-) So kudos for all your efforts so far and you are right, when you are ready it will happen.
Robie,
I'm so glad you did quit! Nicotine must be the most addictive of all drugs; I quit in 1973 and still have dreams that I'm smoking! It's so crazy, nothing else could possibly be that addictive.
Good for you, it's not easy to quit after all those years. My fiance told me he wouldn't live with a smoker. So, I decided he was more sexy than I was when holding a cigarette! I quit on our wedding day, 35 years ago. I'm so glad it's out of my life.
Madison
Madison-- thanks so much for sharing your quitting story here. I agree that nicotine must be the most addictive substance. I had a former heroin addict tell me once that quitting smoking was harder for him than kicking the big H.......but lots of us have done it-- of course some of us had to try over and over and over before we got there LOL. Congrats on quitting:-)
i smoked for less than 10 years and never had a desire to quit until all of a sudden i felt like i couldn't. God made me quit! great article.
Glad you liked this and soooo happy you were able to quit. Thanks for reading and commenting :-)
my daddy keeps smoking and he wont quit.My and my family donn't know what to do and everytimme we tell him to take it outside he says no way its not doing anything to your else anyways. He doesn't believe the facts and he says "Oh well, you gotta die sometime" and it just sucks alot!!! what sould i do
I've tried just about every method there is out there and there is only one I can recommend - NLP! It eliminates the cravings. Gum patches and all the other just did not cut it for me, not to mention cold turkey which was the hardest, I even tried the electric cig and it is just no match to the real thing.
Check out this article: http://www.squidoo.com/Not_Smoking_Any_More it’s the one that got me off the cigs and smoke free for GOOD even without gaining weight! :)
Good luck kicking the habit!
J.
great hub ,,zopngratulations ,for you quiting smoking
oh the hair on my arms stands up to realize that there are tons of people out there struggling like I am .....to quit. I've quit dozens of times already....that sounds so silly. But I'm not free YET!
Nice hub , I have once struggled like everyone too..
Hi Jmell---you are definitely not alone-- just keep on keeping on. it will work eventually:-) thanks for reading and commenting
quit smoking now-- thanks for your comment too.
Everyone has their method to quit. The key ingredient to all successful quitters is that they found a way to address both the physical and psychological addiction to smoking. Some can quit cold turkey. Some require medical help. The key is to find that method that helps you to remain an ex-smoker.
wow excellent article with pix...
we have quit smoking product.. www.21centurysmoking.com
Good information thank you for posting, good information can be hard to come by kudos to you.
Thank you for the awesome read. I am on attempt 20 or so. I have Faith. I know I can do this with Jesus. I did it for 8 years then picked one up. Big Mistake, picking up the first one. Anyway I am in your club. I give you a way big thumb's up for ending the nicotine killer. I will post you one day and share the good news of I am done smoking. Come and visit my hubs when you have a minute. So nice to meet you. Your hub inspired me to keep trying. In Love+ + +
Keep going skye-- if you did it for 8 years you can do it for one more day--- yayyyyyyyyyyy I'm pulling for you and I'm on my way over to your profile page to follow you:-)
i've been quitting cold turkey on and off for the past couple of years. how i wish i could just stop; they say mind over matter works but not for me *sigh*
Very good hub, this is such a hard thing to over come...congrats to you! :-p
it is hard-- but the best advice that I ever had was to keep trying-- every try brings you closer to the goal. It's true-- trying is never failing
This may have worked for you, but studies have shown over and over again that quitting cold-turkey has a high success rate than "picking a date"
I'd like to know what studies you are refering to Jeff, as the ones I have seen say just the opposite-- also there is a difference between what motivates men and women and the age at which you started to smoke has something to do with it to. In any case, I'd suggest you do a little more research
Great Content!
I found your ways to stop smoking very helpful!!
This is so interesting and very inspiring, I am terrified of quitting but know I have to sooner rather than later. Your post has really helped my way of thinking so thank you :)
Good luck bella-- you can do it -- the trick is not to give up giving up. You go girl:-)
You really have tried everything. How wonderful that you found something that works and thank you for sharing it here. I'm bookmarking this page for that special day when I make up my mind to finally quit. That's the key right? Making up my mind to just do it. ;)
Thanks!
HI Pam and yes really wanting to quit is the key, but wanting to do it, no matter how badly is not enough I'm afraid-- you have to really set a date and do it and that, in my experience, is the hard part..... wanting to is like opening a door. Setting a date and stopping for a day, a week, a year or a lifetime is walking through the door.... good luck and thanks for reading and commenting.
Hi,
Your blog is really very informative... Thank you for sharing such useful information's.
Some good tips, Also, to double your chances of quit smoking you should use a nicotine craving relief aid, there is an all natural supplement i found at http://www.quitsmokingstopnow.com
Nice hub. Keep it up.
I have been smoke free for 2.5 years now. Very inspirational article.
OK gckaz, e cigarette, and smoke free me-- thanks for your suggestions. I don't know much about the ecig because it wasn't around when I quit, but I am for anything that helps and different things work for different people
Ive been Thinking to stop the nasty smoking habbit for a while now.Always thinks i will quit tomorrow. I have read a lot of good things here and im starting the road to quit the habbit as of NOW.Il, keep you posted on my progress. Wish me luck
Good luck Russy. I wish you success. It is so good to be free of nicotine
I recently had a baby and after quitting for 9 months, what did I do? Start again. I was so mad at myself. I have one left in my pack... and I'm hoping that will be my last one ever. Tomorrow is the day. I don't want my baby growing up with a mother who smokes! Thanks for the info... ill update you on my progress!
Good luck newmomma. Kudos on giving up while you were pregnant Second hand smoke isn't good for the baby either, not to mention your husband-- I've got my fingers crossed that you don't buy another pack or bum another one from anybody. if you did it for nine months, you can do it again so you go girl:-)
More about the psychology of smoking and how to quit, please visit my blog:
An excellent hub and glad that its getting traction again this time of the year with New Years Resolutions!
Great blog about the dangers of NRT. I too have been an addict to the lozenges for about 6 years. I finally quit them last year when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Before that I had thought the lozenges were harmless but new studies point to them as a contributory factor in mouth, throat and breast cancer as well as bone and tooth loss. Quitting was not easy and I relapsed for several days recently. What I find is incredibly disturbing is that there are ads for NRT right next to this blog. Check out whyquit.com for help in quitting cold turkey and for the facts about NRT. You certainly won't get the facts from the manufacturers.
Could not agree more, Barbara, and thank you for sharing. I don't think I could have quit without the help of NRT,and I too became addicted-- I used to say that Nicorette was the methadone of nicotine and I think it is. Cold turkey is best, if you can do it-- I couldn't... but I had no idea how addictive the lozenges and gum were and I think that they should be given only with a Dr.'s precription and a big warning and should not be sold over the counter-- it's all about Big Pharma and the bottom line. We are left having to just " pick our poisons" I wish you the best of luck.
I really understand your point about starting to walk even before your quit date. In fact I started slowly jogging regularly and this really helped motivate me to quit as I started to feel healthier.
Check out: http://www.runsmokefree.com
Right on longrunner-- walking, running, or exercise of any kind really helps with the cravings when you first quit smoking and really helps motivate you -- thanks for sharing.
I really want to to quit but need to find a support group.......
Try finding a group online and check online for local resources near you and Good luck-- quitting is not easy-- the thing to do is to find what works for you and keep trying. Don't give up giving up :-)
Life changing stuff, thank you.
Thanks Andrej--thanks for reading and commenting.
smoking is very bad habit and it can be reduce with true decisions. when you are start smoking you should keep in mind its side effects . its not good for health through the above information it is declared that smoking is a bad habit and we should quite it.
congratz..dont forget to follow my hubs too..
wow.... this is gr8 ... you have inspired me ...
I have been trying to quit for sometime i found some of your tips very helpful think i will try again thanks! :)
Good luck, Kadmiels-- it is simple but definitely not easy to quit.
How does anyone find it in them to quit? I really want to and haven't had one for 2 hours and I'm already finding it sooo hard :(
Take it hour by hour, minute by minute. The first three days are the hardest. If you don't make it, just learn from the attempt and get ready to try again. Good luck
Thanks alot for this info ! I Mean it helped me out in a inspirational way. Am planning on quitting smokes for like 7-8 time. I Know its though but readings like this and a little bit of inspiration to quit every time i feel like smoking can make me quit smoking for sure. Hey do me favour please add me up on skype ahmedshakur7 is the id. maybe if i'll get someone to speak with someone who share the same interest of quitting or had overcome this sick living standard i'll be able to quit it once in for all !
Much respect for caring about others.
-Ahmed shakur
Hi. Why can't you be with anyone when quitting smoking ?
Good luck Ahmed and I am keeping my fingers crossed for you-- remember you can fail as many times as you need to because it only takes once to succeed. I quit soooo many times and each time I learned something-- maybe this is your time. I hope so. Good luck
Kritzel? I don't know why, do you? Seems to me you can be with anyone you want to be with as long as they don't smoke around you.
@ Krizel
I guess be with anyone makes u embarrassed from somoking in front of him although is better anything be with interesting no force!
but
in all of phyisical & mental illnesses & disorders, chemical changes occur in the brain.
so
all my friends know It is really hard to quit smoking because of ...
so
try even 4 1time get a serious decide & withstand & know is an easy in end of any hard!
&
in this way motivation is the most important factor.
@mehdi -- absolutely right on the mark-- great response. Thanks for sharing.
Happy New Year... just quit today. Good luck everyone...
Happy New Year Kyle and good luck
I quit (again) an hour ago. I know it's gonna stick this time...especially after reading this page. Thank u.
One minute at a time J12-- remember that cravings rarely last more than ten or fifteen minutes and you can ride them through. Don't give up and don't give in. Good luck/
Well I have been trying for a while now. I'll do the first step of patches I think two weeks without a problem but after that I end up smoking. I have no reason why I do this, kind of crazy stupid. I want to quit so bad but I guess not bad enough:(
I quit smoking using the electronic cigarettes. I was a smoker for 22 years, and tried every way imaginable to quit with no luck. I purchased the electronic cigarette and decided the day I bought it that I won't smoke regular cigs again. Wow, way easier than I thought it would be. I didn't go crazy, the electronic cigarette is just like a cig. only not so bad for you. 4 months now and I don't even use the electronic cigarette now either!!!!
Just posted this because I want other people that this way works!!!!
Here I go. Attempting it again. Getting rid of everything related to smoking. Let the fun begin. I am stronger than a cigarette!!
Thanks for sharing, guys. Keep us posted -- thanks for the electronic cigarette info catherine and good luck Bryan
Excellent ideas! Voted up and useful! I have been writing e-cig articles for an e-cig rep for a couple of years now, and I am convinced, by the research I have done, that e-cigs are a great way to quit smoking!
Thanks Suzanne-- I quit before e-cigs were around but have known people who used them-- like everything else they have pros and cons, but I say whatever works is better than being chained to cigarettes:-) thanks for stopping by.
If there are "cons" to e-cigs, they are negligible. They save smokers about 75% in expense, remove exposure to 4000 carcinogenic chemicals, remove fire risk, remove the risk of second-hand-smoke, and give the smoker control over the amount of nicotine (which is not a carcinogen) consumed. They allow the smoker to continue with the behaviors associated with smoking in the form of an interesting, affordable, harmless habit/pastime, as opposed to a life and pocket-book threatening addiction! Frankly, I can't think of any negatives to e-cigs.
WEll, they do contain nicotine which is an addictive, carcinogenic substance..... definitely a " con" -- and the two people I know who have used them didn't end up quitting or staying with the e-cigs--but obviously some people do, like the commenter above.
I don't know a lot about them, but will definitely start researching--I'm pretty sure they are not " harmless" any more than nicotine gum or lozenges are, but if they help people stop that's great. Thanks for bringing the subject up.
Nicotine isn't a carcinogen. It is a stimulant, and it is addictive; however, many, many people have weaned themselves off it with e-cigs. Then they are left with a harmless habit and pastime of simply enjoying the vapor (made of water, glycerine and/or propylene glycol, and flavoring).
Many people enjoy exploring the hundreds of interesting flavors that high quality e-cigs offer, and there are lots of great online communities where former smokers can make friends and share tips about technology. Lots of them also enjoy collecting and learning about the technology.
The key to staying with e-cigs seems to be choosing a really good, established company that offers high quality products and e-liquid that is produced in pharmaceutical level labs. There are still a lot of scam companies offering old-fashioned technology and inferior quality products.
It's important that people who want to explore e-cigs find an established, US based company with lots of good online testimonials, good customer service and the latest technology, which is really very different from early model e-cigs.
The jury is still out on whether or not nicotine is carcinogenic ( see link here) http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/content/79/1/1.fu but it certainly is poison. It is used in the garden to kill pests and enough of it can kill a human being. It is as addictive as heroin. I am into helping people get off it if they want to and if e-cigs are useful for that, I am all for them.
You are clearly a fan and your comments are prompting me do do a little more research so thanks. I'm off to google e-cigs:-) Have you used them yourself? I'm just curious.
No, I am actually a lifelong non-smoker, but I have been researching them intensively for the last couple of years for my client who sells e-cigs. I've written hundreds of articles about them and followed their technological progress closely. They have gone from being sort of flimsy, confusing, leaky, 3 - piece contraptions to being very sleek, elegant, easy to use 2 piece technological wonders.
Nicotine is not a good thing; however, it's probably the least dangerous thing in obsolete tobacco cigarettes. The other things include formaldehyde, arsenic, DDT, tar, ash, and more - literally 4000 carcinogenic, poisonous substances. Whether nicotine is carcinogenic or not, using e-cigs is still thousands of times less dangerous than smoking and it only affects the person with the e-cig and no one else.
Because nicotine is as addictive as heroin, it is unreasonable to expect people to simply stop using it. Reducing the amount gradually while replacing it with interesting flavors, positive activity and interaction and the continued comfort of the "rituals" of smoking is a very sound behavioral approach.
I'll send you some information on the latest and greatest of the e-cigs. My client has recently partnered with a new company established by some people he thinks very highly of. They are using all the most recent technology and are entirely US based.
Well, I would send you some info, but I see you don't have SEND A MESSAGE enabled on your profile. Send me a message, and I'll send you some contacts. :)
Will definitely message you Suzanne and looking forward to all positive info you have. I smoked for 30 years, quit more times than you can imagine using every possible way available and finally made it a dozen years ago. I am not opposed to using ecigs as an aid to quitting if they work -- but most of what you see on the internet about them is total spam which leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth ( to coin a phrase haha)
Glad to know there are reputable people in the business. BTW a quick search here on Hubpages turned up just one personal story about e-cigs as a quitting aid. -- Here's the link http://rwfrasier.hubpages.com/hub/Are-E-cigs-a-Via
Robie have you done one on the fakey ciggies? I think they are called E-Cigs? My bf and his friends are using them and smoking - what's the deal?
HI Eliza-- I'm researching the e-cigs now and have the beginnings of a hub on them.... I need to contact Hubpages before I go further because the Food and Drug Administration categorizes e-cigs as a tobacco product and thus I'm not sure if I will violate Hubpages TOS by writing about them. I think I can just give the facts and not make recommendations or judgements, but I need to do more research and also touch base with the Hubpages team before I spend a lot of time on it.
I'm really interested knowing more about the effects of ecigs on people who use them and how many people use them and really manage to substitute them for cigarettes. I can't find much on the internet-- articles seem to mostly be spam by people who are selling ecigs:-) Few studies have been done because they are so new. But I'm looking into it and find them very interesting-- I'm all about anything that helps people quite-- things that just trade one addiction for another? not so much:-)
Eliza, look at my articles on e-cigs. I have 3 of them up. Also, read my comments just above yours.
Robie, if you post an article on e-cigs, don't include any links and don't post any Amazon product. Also, include a disclaimer like the one I have at the beginning of each of my HUBS. You will still get a warning message that only you can see saying that your HUB appears to be about tobacco products, and you should fix it if you can, but the HUB won't be taken down as long as you don't attempt to sell anything on it.
The vast majority of people who have tried good quality e-cigs from reputable companies are delighted with them and have been able to successfully substitute them for cigarettes AND reduce nicotine consumption to zero! This is a tremendous money and health saver for smokers and those around them.
The main thing is to go with a well-established, US based company with good reviews and good customer service and a money-back guarantee. There are quite a few good e-cig review sites where you can read lots of reviews, compare what companies offer and visit the various e-cig sites yourself to see what's what.
Thanks for the heads up Suzanne-- that was exactly what I wanted to ask the team at Hubpages. The thing I am having trouble finding independent research on is whether or not people are able to really cut down their nicotine to zero and then get off even the e-cigs altogether-- do you know of any independent studies that have been done on this?
I have encountered a couple of people( like the commenter on this hub above) who have quit using e-cigs and personally know some others who found they were using the e-cigs in situations when they could not smoke, but still craved the real thing and ended up doing both cigarettes AND e-cigs. Some reliable, unbiased statistics would be welcome. I'm also looking into why the Food and Drug Administration classifies e-cigarettes as a tobacco product because they contain nicotine, while they don't catagorize nicotine gum and lozenges that way. Seems odd and there must be a reason, but so far I can't find it.
I have worked with mostly anecdotal information gathered from vapers (e-cig users) forums. Most people don't try to stop using the e-cigs after they reduce the nicotine because they don't want to. They enjoy vaping, and there's no reason for them not to continue. It's an interesting, enjoyable, harmless habit, and they have made online friends and substituted their addiction to tobacco for an interest in an affordable, new technology that harms no one.
The reason a lot of people quit e-cigs or are not satisfied with e-cigs is that there are a lot of crappy, fly-by-night e-cig companies that provide lousy product and overcharge. It's very important to find a good, well-established company. Stay away from the ones that offer a "free starter kit" but require you to sign up for regular shipments of product and want your credit card info for this purpose. They tend to go belly-up and take off with your credit card info. Look for companies with great reviews and a good BBB rating if possible. Start out with a small order done by phone or mail using a check or money order. Evaluate the customer service and the product before giving out confidential information.
I don't want to tout any specific brands here because I don't want to endanger the status of your HUB, but anyone interested can contact me via HubPages, and I'll give you the names of some of the more established, trustworthy companies.
The reason the FDA is classifying e-cigs as a tobacco product is that e-cigs are the first real competition obsolete tobacco cigarettes have ever had, and the tobacco industry wants to make life difficult for e-cigs. Also, there is a certain appeal to e-cigs that patches and gum don't have, and there is some concern that minors will be attracted to them.
Additionally, the pharmaceutical industry is not happy with the fact that e-cigs perform better than their outrageously priced products when it comes to helping people stop smoking, and they cost a lot less and can be had without a prescription.
Robie, did you get the information I e mailed you? It took me a few days to get it together. My apologies.
I did get it Suzanne-- haven't had a chance to do anything but glance at it so far-- meant to get back to it-- damn life is crazy :-) and I am so sorry if I didn't email you my thanks for sending. The past couple of days have been a bit nutty. I'll email you tomorrow.
The article is incredible I tried some of this tips prior to reading the article and it help me quit smoking. To quit smoking one must have a lot of self determination to stop, and keep our minds occupied.
Totally agree with you, king :-) thanks for stopping by. Glad you liked the hub and congratulations on quitting. Isn't it great to be free?
JerseyGirl 4 years ago
Wow, great Hub. Thank you. Here, in New Jersey, ciggs are $6.57 PER pack. So, you smoke one pack a day, its just about $50. bucks a week. Multiply that by two smokers in the house (husband and wife), and its a car payment.
It's sad to see that the price of ciggs have gone up; although, its also sad to see that the number of cig related deaths have gone up also.
We all complain about the tax on ciggs.... and maybe; just maybe; the tax is for a reason.
Let's band together.... admit that cig smoking is NOT good for your health and your family's health, and lets do something about it.
What we win? Well, healthy children, healty pets, homes that dont smell like smoke, less interior painting (yes, if you smoke, look at your walls!), lower health insurance and life insurance rates, maybe just feeling better all together.
Thanks for publishing such a great hub, which I know will attract many visitors. Best of luck to you.