How To Combat The Smoking Menace With Nicotine Replacement

The urge to smoke is not an easy feeling to overcome. Nicotine, one of the 4000 chemicals present in cigarettes, is responsible for the urges and cravings associated with addiction to tobacco. However, the damage to lungs and other vital organs in the body are caused not by nicotine but by tar and other toxic gases, many of which are cancer-causing, and that are released from the burning of tobacco when one smokes. Michael Russell, the father of tobacco harm reduction theory anddeveloper of nicotine gum, in 1976, stated that 'People smoke for nicotine but they die from the tar'.

Professor Jagannath Former State Consultant for Karnataka, who has also worked for a WHO-funded project on National Tobacco Control Program, says that an unaided attempt to quit smoking may lead to withdrawal symptoms like headaches, irritability, restlessness, difficulty in concentrating etc. These withdrawal symptoms further make quitting tougher.

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Many smokers try to quit smoking cold turkey. However, it has been reported that going cold turkey has only 3% success rate – which means out of 100 smokers who decide to quit smoking, 97 of them would start smoking again within a short period of time. What we recommend is:

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

(NRT) is approved by the WHO and US FDA as an effective smoking cessation aid. NRT supports a quitter’s willpower and thus helps reduce tobacco dependency. Its use is known to improve chances of quitting by 50-60% as opposed to an unaided attempt to quit

Nicotine Gum

This gum is the largest selling format available in NRT. Nicotine gums contain only nicotine, the component that causes addiction to tobacco. It is free of the plethora of other chemicals that a cigarette contains, and so does not cause harm to the body as a cigarette would. Nicotine gums provide the body with a very small amount of nicotine; this small amount of nicotine works efficiently to tackle the urges and cravings associated with attempts to quit smoking. Over a period, a smoker can quit the habit gradually. As one progresses in their quit journey, they would need lesser number of gums daily. Eventually, by the time one quits smoking completely, they will not require the gums either.

By quitting smoking we can help create a healthy living for oneself. Although nicotine replacement therapy helps an individual’s quit smoking, there have been doubts about the health implications of using nicotine for a prolonged period. But it is very crucial to understand that the Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is an effective solution to quit smoking. Also, long-term NRT use has been found to be safe and not associated with increased health-risks, certainly compared with continuous smoking. US public health service guidelines have suggested that NRT might be absolutely necessary to quit smoking and support an individual’s willpower throughout the de-addiction journey; it is medically preferred over smoking.

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The journey towards de-addiction takes a lot of willpower to sail through the constant urges and cravings. Nicotine replacement therapy acts as a staunch support system to a person’s willingness to quit smoking. While providing biological assistance, it helps create a strong wall of willpower for a person to go farther in the de-addiction journey; eventually attaining a smoke-free and a healthy life.

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