Giving up smoking could be the single most important thing you will do for your health, yourself, your children and your family. Having said this, we all know how tough it is to stop smoking and only you know how many times you have probably tried to stop and did not manage. But it is vital that you don’t give up, because it is possible to stop smoking.
It is important, however, to be in the right state of mind to do so and to seek the right help to make you achieve this goal. To start off on the right track, you need to change the way you look at a cigarette and what it does to you.
Today, you probably look at a cigarette as something that is related to things that you like – your relaxation time, your stress-buster, good company and your entertainment. Under-standing how much better your life will be when you are living in a smoke-free environment may give you the right insight and allow you to see a cigarette for what it actually is – a cause of bad health. This will put you in the correct psychological state of mind to kick the habit.
When living your life as a non-smoker you will look better, breathe better and sleep better. Quitting helps stop the damaging effects of tobacco on your appearance, including:
• Premature wrinkling of the skin
• Bad breath
• Stained teeth
• Gum disease
• Bad smelling clothes and hair
• Yellow fingernails
Kicking the tobacco habit also offers some benefits that you will notice immediately and some that will develop gradually over the first few weeks. These rewards can substantially improve your day-to-day life:
• Food tastes better.
• Your sense of smell returns to normal
• Ordinary activities no longer leave you out of breath (climbing stairs, light housework and so on)
Once you have gained enough strength to stop smoking, seek help. Some people are able to quit on their own, without the help of others or the use of medicines, but for many smokers, it can be hard to break the social and emotional ties to smoking while getting over nicotine withdrawal symptoms at the same time. Fortunately, there are many sources of support out there. Smoking cessation classes as well as Nicotine Replacement Therapy are two ways in which you may get help and are widely available across Malta and Gozo.
The nicotine in cigarettes leads to actual physical dependence, which can cause unpleasant symptoms when a person tries to quit. NRT products such as the Nicorette® range of medicinal products provide nicotine – in the form of chewing-gum, patches, and inhalers – without the other harmful components of tobacco. It can help relieve some of these symptoms so that a person can concentrate more on the psychological aspects of quitting.
The Nicorette range of medicinal products are smoking cessation aids and are available from all leading pharmacies throughout Malta and Gozo. They are indicated for the relief of nicotine withdrawal symptoms as an aid to smoking cessation. In smokers currently unable or not ready to stop smoking abruptly, Nicorette Gum or Nicorette Inhalator may also be used as part of a programme to reduce smoking prior to stopping completely.
The Nicorette range consists of Nicorette Gum Classic 2mg & 4mg, Nicorette Freshmint Gum 2mg &4mg, Nicorette Inhalator and Nicorette Patch 5mg, 10mg & 15mg. Each form is specifically designed to reach out to smokers with different levels of dependency.
Whether you are a moderate smoker or a heavy smoker; and whether you want to stop immediately or gradually, ask your pharmacist for a tailor-made solution available from Nicorette. Nicorette products contain nicotine.
Always read the package leaflet carefully for instructions on use. Ask your pharmacist for advice and use as directed. It does require willpower.
References: The American Cancer Society, Guide to Quitting Smoking http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_13X_Guide_for_Quitting_
Smoking.asp