Tips to Help You Give Up Smoking

❍ According to the statistics compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO), around 15 billion cigarettes are sold the world over daily ... around 10 million cigarettes every minute.

❍ Approximately 5 million people die due to smoking-related diseases annually ... one death every eight seconds.

❍ Even today, 87 percent of the lung cancer deaths are attributed to tobacco addiction.

❍ Passive smoking is no lesser culprit, with approximately 3000 deaths attributed to it every year.

If you were of the belief that smoking is one of the biggest evils in the society today, these statistics must have given you a big jolt. Are people really unaware of the hazards of smoking? You may feel that these numbers are enough for a person to decide to quit smoking, but then, quitting is not as easy as it seems.

It may be difficult, but not impossible! The foremost thing to do in order to quit smoking is to make up your mind. It can't be something like you just decide, 'okay I quit smoking right from this moment.' Such spontaneous decisions don't always work. You will have to come up with a proper plan to ensure that you get rid of this habit once and for all.

❒ You can start by finding out about the ill effects of this practice, ways to get rid of it, benefits of quitting, etc. Being theoretically prepared will give you confidence ... you will require a lot of it when it comes to your pursuit of nicotine-free life.

❒ If you opt for smoking cessation all of sudden, it will lead to adverse effects on your body. These effects, referred to as withdrawal symptoms, will range from slight headache to an awful feeling, difficult to describe. They will start surfacing a day or two after you quit smoking and subside with time. You need to note that it is absolutely normal to experience them.

❒ An ideal method would be to lessen the number of cigarettes you smoke every day gradually, before coming to a complete halt. It will give your body enough time to get used to depreciating levels of nicotine intake and thus, ensure that you don't suffer from serious withdrawal symptoms.

❒ If you feel that even quitting gradually will lead to withdrawal symptoms, you can resort to quit-smoking products available in the market. These include nicotine inhalers, nicotine gum and lozenges, stop smoking pills, etc.

They contain nicotine in small quantities, which helps in satisfying the urge to smoke for time being by easing the withdrawal symptoms. They will help you deal with your cravings for harmful nicotine, which will slowly subside and eventually disappear.

❒ Many people resort to alcohol when they are trying to quit smoking, which is absolutely wrong. You should not substitute one addiction with another.

❒ Don't be afraid to ask for help from your family and friends. They will be more than eager to help you get rid of this harmful habit.

❒ If you still find it difficult to deal with the withdrawal symptoms, you can consult a doctor. He will prescribe medication to help ease these symptoms.

Benefits of saying 'no' to smoking exist in plenty. Studies have revealed that quitting cigarettes reduces your chances of suffering from ailments, like heart attack and cancer. Your lungs start functioning properly, which, in turn, boosts stamina and energy levels.

You don't have to worry about psychological conditions associated with smoking; prominent ones being depression and anxiety. It reduces the amount of nicotine in your blood stream, thus clearing them of various toxins. The problem is that those who are addicted to it are either unaware of these benefits or prefer to ignore them.

Once you understand the hazards of smoking tobacco, you will automatically realize why it is important for you to quit this habit. Next, your will power will come into picture, as the onus will be on you to make sure that you don't give in to craving.

This will be a crucial moment as a relapse will not just be dangerous for your health, but will also be harmful psychologically, as it will reinforce the belief that you cannot survive without smoke, thus making the quitting part impossible.