What is smoking Cessation?
Smoking cessation is a healthy process which includes several steps. This process helps a smoker to discontinue the practice to inhale smoked substances. There are several smoking cessation programs to help smokers. Tobacco smoking is the main target of these programs. Smoking cessation programs also work on those substances that can develop strong physical addictions. These psychological addictions results in habitual use. Several studies show that few numbers of smokers can successfully quit smoking in first attempt. Smokers find it quite difficult to quit smoking even after when they are afflicted with tobacco related diseases. If you want to cease nicotine dependency, you need serious commitment. Smoking cessation methods help smoker to kick out all smoking methods.
Tobacco smoking is most famous among smokers but it is too much harmful. Tobacco contains chemical nicotine which makes a smoker addicted. Cessation of smoking leads to extraction of physiological symptoms. There are several methods used for smoking cessation but the success of any method depends on that it should address physiological dependency and subsequent extraction symptoms.
Common Methods of Smoking Cessation
Robert West and Saul Shiffman did lots of work on smoking cessation. They believe that both “behavioral support” and “medication” can play a major role in making quit smoking attempts more successfully.
Cold Turkey
Cold turkey is description of a person who quits addiction all at once. It is sudden cessation of nicotine use completely. This is more successful method used by several smokers.
Cut Down to Quit
This cessation method involves gradual reduction in regular intake of nicotine. This can be done in two ways:
- By gradually reducing level of nicotine in cigarettes
- By gradually reducing number of cigarettes smoked regularly
Cut down to quit is better method of cessation as compared to cold turkey for those whose body can’t tolerate major changes at once.
Pharmacological
U.S. Food and Drug Administration has standard seven medications for treatment of nicotine addiction. These methods can be more effective with the combination of medications and physiological support. Nicotine replacement therapy is one of those methods. This therapy can be more effective with:
- Transdermal nicotine patches
- Gum
- Lozenges
- Sprays
- Inhalers
Health Benefits of Smoking Cessation
Instant effects of smoking cessation include:
| Benefit | Time Duration |
| Blood pressure decrease (Blood pressure also returns to normal level) | Within 20 minutes |
| Carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to normal (oxygen level increases) | After 8 hours |
| Chance of heart attack starts to decrease | After 24 hours |
| Breath, hair and body stop smelling like smoke (Smoke Stink) | After 24 hours |
| Damaged nerve begin to recover | After 48 hours |
| Sense of taste and smell improve | After 48 hours |
| Body is practically free of nicotine | After 72 hours |
| Bronchial tubes relax, breathing becomes easier | After 72 hours |
| Lungs can hold more air | After 2–12 weeks |
| Exercise becomes easier and circulation improves | After 2–12 weeks |
Longer-term effects include
| Benefits | Time Duration |
| Risk of coronary heart disease is cut in half | After 1 year |
| Risk of stroke falls to the same as a non-smoker | After 5 years |
| Risk of lung cancer is cut in half | After 10 years |
| Risk of other cancers decreases significantly | After 10 years |
| Risk of coronary heart disease drops, usually to the level of a non-smoker | After 15 years |
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