GIVING UP SMOKING » smoking cessation

E-Cigarettes – Are E-Cigarettes safer than smoking?

StopSmokingCoach — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:35:50 +0000

E-Cigarette or “Electronic Cigarette” is an alternative nicotine delivery system to smoked tobacco products such as, cigars, pipes, and of course cigarettes. It looks and feels just like a cigarette but it’s actually a battery-powered device. E-Cigarettes utilize atomizers to vaporize nicotine and propylene glycol (a substance commonly found in fog machines) which deliver nicotine and flavoring to the user without the deadly carcinogens found in cigarette smoke.

Lately, there have been floods of news on E-Cigarettes and the trend doesn’t seem like slowing down anytime soon. Many E-Cigarette users have either cut down on their daily smoking or have completely made the shift to E-Cigarettes. So are E-Cigarettes safer than smoking? The attached video will help determine that on your own, but the general consensus among E-Cigarette users is that “it’s a no-brainer”. Simply put, nicotine on its own is not a harmful substance. What make cigarettes deadly are the additives and the byproduct of the smoke. You remove the smoke and the deadly additives out of cigarettes, and you quite literally get E-Cigarettes.

Lastly, the best alternative to cigarette is to quit smoking for good. But if you are one the people unable to quit but not for lack of trying, then perhaps is time to try something different. As always, good luck.

FDA Wants to Stuff E-Cigarettes

StopSmokingCoach — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:34:07 +0000

The public are outraged at anti E-Cigarette special interest groups and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for trying to stop E-Cigarettes on the basis (or so FDA claims) that it’s a drug and claiming it needs regulatory approval.

Many supporters of E-Cigarettes are concerned about the new legislation that gives FDA jurisdiction of tobacco products specifically prohibits cigarettes from being outlawed and countless other harmful products which escape the “sin tax”. This leads to the assumption that our government cares more about tobacco tax revenue than the public health.

E-Cigarette users swear by that they have benefited from using E-Cigarettes and the benefits range from stopping coughing, breathing better, ridding of cigarette smoke stench, and countless other benefits.

Sales and use of electronic cigarettes are illegal in Australia and in Hong Kong, but that hasn’t stopped people from purchasing them online. At this point, it’s hard to say how this battle will end, but for the sake for people who’ve benefited from the use of E-Cigarettes, I sincerely hope the people will be heard this time. Learn about E-Cigarettes Here.

E-Cigarettes – Are E-Cigarettes safer than smoking?

Madonna Being a Mom

StopSmokingCoach — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:32:09 +0000

On the Russia leg of her world tour, Madonna has requested, check that, “imposed” the banning of smoking roadies coming within 50ft of her. This has many entertainment publications criticizing her for being a diva, but the real motivation seems to stem from Madonna just being a mother in this case.

Apparently, Madonna is touring with her children and she’s taken the strict measure especially because her next destination is Russia. If you didn’t know, the Russians are cigarette-obsessed and the banning has many Russian crew members baffled. The Russian crew’s side of the argument is that unless Madonna can build her stage on her own, she’ll just have to suck it up.

Would Madonna get her way? Maybe I’ll do an update on that, but for now, I say she’s just being a mom. If the people who criticize her for being a diva knew anything about Second and Third Hand Smoke, I seriously doubt they could write those chiding articles.

New Moon Smoking Castmembers Quitting

StopSmokingCoach — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:19:16 +0000

Breaking away from the stereotypical young Hollywood stars, the “New Moon” actress Ashley Greene and Nikki Reed have teamed up to quit smoking for their fans.

It’s reported that everyone in the cast smokes cigarettes and since they are among of the most lucrative targets for the paparazzi, needless to say there are tons of pictures everywhere of the cast members smoking. The cast members smoking cigarette of course is nobody’s business, but the problem stems from the fact that the majority of their fans are teens. Apparently a close friend of Nikki Reed has sited the reason for quitting, “An effort to be better role models for their young fans”.

I am a firm believer in personal freedom, nevertheless it’s really refreshing to see a young Hollywood star acknowledging the profound impact they have on their young fans. And what’s more, she’s addressing the issue by giving up smoking.

Run To Help Quit Smoking

StopSmokingCoach — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:50:34 +0000

Ex-smokers are likely to smoke again if he or she does not learn to effectively manage stress. Another concern is that while some may successfully quit smoking cigarettes, they replace one addiction with another. These ex-smokers will substitute smoking with eating or drinking for example.

Unfortunately, if you have substituted smoking with binge drinking or eating, all your effort to quit smoking might have gone to waste. The good news is that running could help, running can help you prevent substituting one addiction with another and it can also help you rid of the already substituted addiction.

Benefits of Running include:

•An improved emotional state – A key to not only in giving up smoking but to stay cigarette-free.

•Potential weight loss – It’s normal to gain 5-10 pounds after giving up smoking, running will not only offset the weight gain, it will keep you fit.

•Increase bone density – Studies have shown that smokers in general have lower bone mineral density. You can run to repair the damages done by smoking.

•Improved cardiovascular health – Your heart took a quite a beating (no pun intended) all these years you abused it with smokes, it’s time you help it heal.

•Increased muscle mass – A new study has shown that smokers lose more muscle mass at old age than the non-smoking counterpart. This means you as a smoker are not likely to be independent at old age.

•These are just few of the benefits you can enjoy if you start running and the best part is that it’s free.

Running or exercises in general are quickly becoming a form of replacement addiction for drugs even more potent than nicotine. So before you try any quit smoking product or classes, I highly recommend you try running today. If you’ve already quit and you are having a hard time staying cigarette-free, give running a shot.

Stop Smoking Signs

StopSmokingCoach — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:52:20 +0000

Quitting smoking can be such a challenge that generally, smokers see all the signs that scream quit, and yet they can’t seem to even fathom with the idea of skipping the next fix. Perhaps laying these facts wide open for your viewing pleasure should help you step closer in becoming cigarette free.

•Shortness of breath, you can never seem to have a full breath of air. It just feels like you can’t fill that last 20percent of your lung.

•Persistent cough that at times is uncontrollable.

•Frequent headaches.

•Depression, you start to hate yourself for no reason.

•Suffer frequently from sore throats as cigarette smokes irritate the throat lining.

•Erratic pattern of breathing is a serious stop smoking sign and you should see a doctor as soon as soon as possible.

•Fatigue, when you can hardly remember the last time you were energetic.

•Jogging 5minutes or less is a challenge. Diminished lung capacity should be taken very seriously.

•Choking on your own mucus while you sleep, you should seriously consider quitting if a garbage can next to your bed is a must.

•Revolting morning breath, there are morning breaths, and then there are “morning breathes”.

•You are well convinced that cancer will one day take you out. If smoking often reminds you of death, cancer, and all the scary things associated with it, perhaps it’s a clear sign that you should give up smoking.

More often than not, we can prevent illnesses and other complications if we’d only listen to our body. Unfortunately, often we are well aware that our body is trying to communicate with us but we just ignore it. At some point your body will stop communicating and you’ll start to get sick. Start listening to your body and mind. Take action. You know it’s time to quit smoking. Learn about the Benefits of Quitting Smoking Here.

A Doctor’s Aggressive Stance Against Cigarettes

StopSmokingCoach — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:37:19 +0000

In Poland, about 8 million out of the 38 million populations are smokers. Smoking related disease claim over 60000 poles each year and recently a Polish cancer specialist proposed cigarette boxes adorn pictures of tumor. The doctor is hopeful that the pictures will deter people from smoking.

“A picture speaks a thousand words”, perhaps it has a chance of having success. If I were still a smoker, I don’t think I would be comfortable smoking out of a box showing tumors which can actually be developing in my body as I smoke the box away. Some things you just never get used to and people are easily troubled by graphic images. Visual cue tends to take priority in humans and the effect it has on us can be profound.

If our government was not responsible enough to ban such an addictive and lethal product (if you could call it that) in the first place, it may be time that we do something about it ourselves. If you are reading this article you most likely own a computer and you are just as likely to own a printer. Do a Google image search on tumor pictures, print one and slide it between the cigarette box and the plastic covering it. Make sure you always carry your cigarette box with the picture slid in it and use it as an additional motivational tool. As some pictures may be too graphic for some of our readers, unfortunately we cannot provide you with the pictures on this site. Please be aware that Google images will return many graphic images when you do any query including the word tumor.

Remember, most people fail many times over before they successfully give up smoking. You have to use every tool available at your disposal to aid you in quitting smoking. Generally people who have success giving up smoking tend to have a solid plan before they try quitting. Don’t give up just because you may have failed a few times, what matter is that you are still trying. Continue with “Third Hand Smoke”.

The Famous Who Died From Smoking

StopSmokingCoach — Sun, 31 May 2009 19:41:01 +0000

This list is comprised of only a fraction of the famous that died from smoking related diseases.

Armstrong, Louis – The legendary musician died at the age of 74 from a massive heart attack. Ironically, he was a spokesman for Camel.

Bogart, Humphrey – The actor died from cancer of the esophagus. He was 57 at the time of his death.

Boon, Richard – The actor died from lung cancer at the age of 64.

Brynner, Yul – The actor died from lung cancer at the age of 65.

Candy, John – Died from heart attack at the age of 43.

Carson, Johnny – Died from emphysema and he also had heart conditions. He was 79 years old.

Carver, Raymond – The author died from lung cancer, he was only 50 years old.

Cassidy, Jack – The actor died in a fire from smoking in bed. He was 50 years old.

Col, Nat King – The singer died after his lung cancer surgery at the age of 45.

Cooper, Cary – The actor died from lung cancer at the age of 60.

Davis Jr. Sammy – This member of the Rat Pack died from throat cancer at the age of 64.

Disney, Walt – Died from lung cancer at the age of 60, there were complications following an operation to remove a tumor.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott – The writer (The Great Gatsby) died from heart attack at the age of 44.

Fleming, Ian – The writer (James Bond) died from heart attack at the age of 56.

Gable, Clark – The actor died from heart attack at the age of 59.

Harrison, George – Died from lung cancer at the age of 58.

Haynes, Lloyd – Died from lung cancer at the age of 52.

Holliday, Judy – The actress died from breast cancer at the age of 43. She was survived by her young son, Jonathan Oppenheim, and by her ex-husband, clarinetist and conductor David Oppenheim

Jennings, Peter – The anchorman died from lung cancer at the age of 67.

Kendrick, Eddie – The singer died from lung cancer at the age of 52.

Landon, Michael – The actor smoked 4packs a day and died at the age 54 from the cancer of the pancreas and liver.

Maris, Roger – The homerun record holder died from lung cancer at the age of 51.

Maxwell, Marilyn – The actress died from heart attack at the age of 49.

McLure, Doug – The actor died from lung cancer at the age of 56.

Murrow, Edward R. – The legendary anchorman died from lung cancer at the age of 57.

Oliver, Susan – The actress died from lung cancer at the age of 53.

Orbison, Roy – The singer died from heart attack at the age of 52.

O’Neal, Patrick – The actor died from lung cancer at the age of 66.

Owens, Jesse – The track star died from lung cancer at the age of 66.

Palmer, Robert – The British rock star died from Lung cancer at the age of 54.

Powell, Dick – The actor died from lung cancer at the age of 59.

Puccini, Giacomo – The opera composer died from throat cancer at the age of 65.

Ramsey, Ann – The actress died from throat cancer at the age of 59.

Remick, Lee – The actress died from the lung and liver cancer at the age of 55.

Ruth, Babe – The slugger died from Naso-pharyngeal Cancer at the age of 53.

Shaw, Robert – The actor died from heart attack at the age of 51.

Taylor, Robert – The actor died from lung cancer at the of 57.

Varney, Jim – The actor died from lung cancer at the age of 50.

No one is immune from the deadliness of cigarettes, so please act today before it’s too late.

Continue with “Your First Step In Giving Up Smoking”.

Get The Naysayers Out Of The Way

StopSmokingCoach — Sat, 30 May 2009 05:39:07 +0000

One of the most important things you have to do before quitting smoking is alienating the naysayers. Some people are just born with negative bones in their body and they never seem to have anything nice to say about anyone. But they are rare breeds and the ones that you really need to avoid are the pessimists in your life.

We all have that uncle who likes to poop on everyone’s party and that cousin who criticizes every one of your achievements. Unfortunately some of these people are very dear to us no matter how irritating they may be. Obviously you can’t alienate these people forever, but it’s important to keep them out of your life temporarily or at least don’t let them know that you are in the process of quitting smoking. You walk a very fine line when you first stop smoking. Little things will trigger relapse and there’s nothing worse than hearing discouraging words from people who should be cheering you on.

Ideally we would all love to have family members who can be around every time we need someone to talk to. But we know that’s not possible and we also know it’s not because our families don’t care. So we can’t control the sort of support we get from our family members, but we can control who we spend time with and where we spend time at.

Many things in our lives are out of the realms of our control. So the things that we can control to some degree, we have to make sure we manage them in ways that are beneficial to our lives. So how about skipping the next family barbeque? You can go back to the way things were as soon as you take control of your nicotine addiction. That’s really easier than you think as nicotine withdrawal symptoms generally last only up to two weeks. The rest is all mental and if you had the fortitude to stay cigarette free for two weeks, you have what it takes to stay free from it for life.

Positive reinforcement is the key and you can’t expect to quit smoking if you let the naysayers discourage you. As Robert Collier once said, “All power is from within and therefore under our control”. Take charge and stop smoking away your life. Continue with “50-50 Chance of Survival”.

How to Stay Thin After Quitting Cigarettes

Derek Kim — Sat, 30 May 2009 03:38:08 +0000

Thin has been in for a while now and most people who quit smoking worry about gaining weight. Unfortunately cigarette does help weight management to some degree and adding 5 to 10 pounds of weight is normal when you quit smoking. The good news is that there are ways to prevent the weight gain associated with smoking cessation. You can have the best of both worlds. Live a cigarette free healthy life.

Let’s look at the three major factors that contribute to weight gain as result of smoking cessation:

• Metabolism – Smoking causes increase in metabolism and it causes the body to burn calories at slightly accelerated rate. Generally we are talking about extra 100 to 200 calories burnt as a smoker and that much more to burn through if you’ve quit. You can easily burn 200 calories with 20 minute power walk or if you prefer to walk at a lighter pace you may walk 30 minutes instead. Walking will not only keep your weight in check but it will also keep you healthy.

• Appetite – You will have better appetite after you’ve quit smoking. This is because nicotine suppresse appetite. When you quit smoking, you are actually going back to your natural appetite level instead of the artificially suppressed appetite state that nicotine induces. In an age where we are surrounded by junk foods everywhere, self control has a lot more to do with weight management than a light increase in appetite. Personally I’ve met one too many people who blame quitting cigarette for weight gain instead of trying to eat healthier. Bottom line, you can eat more to satisfy your increased appetite. You just have to eat healthy and it’s as simple as that. Vegetable, fruit, low-fat chips, fat free snacks, and water just to name a few things you can satisfy your appetite with.

• Stress Eating – Many of us eat to release stress out of our system and food can also be emotionally comforting. Quitting smoking can be quite stressful for many and when you tie stress eating with it, substantial weight gain is possible. Even if stress involved is minimal, you’ll inevitably feel the void left by your smoking habit. You can minimize these effects by exercising. Exercise exerts its effects on the brain through several mechanisms, including mood enhancement, endorphin release, neurogenesis, and it’s even been touted from treat depression to improve memory. It may sound too good to be true, but you really can prevent or minimize the negative effects that come with quitting smoking by exercising.

Staying thin by continuing to smoke is not the answer. You can live a healthy life, cigarette free by improving self control and exercising 20 to 30 minutes a day, 4 to 6 days a week. Give yourself a chance at a better life, today.