Scientists have looked with great interest at what might work to help people who want to quit smoking. Especially since studies have shown that 90% of those who try to quit will go back to it despite their best efforts.
Here are some of the options that have been scientifically proven to work, at least some of the time:
financial incentives
The financial benefit of quitting smoking may be your best bet, as smoking risks losing money.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed some promising results, finding that people who had a financial incentive to quit smoking had significant success, at least after 12 months of trying.
Sudden and complete cessation
Only the most disciplined people can quit smoking without any help. Studies show that only about 4-7% can do this without any additional help.
If you want to try this method, the best thing is to be mentally prepared, experts say, and stick to it.
The people at Quit Smoking suggest drinking water when cravings start to quit, and getting busy with other things, like going for a walk. Try to breathe deeply and slowly and think about it. It will be difficult, but the feelings will pass.
Another thing that can help is asking for support. Tell friends and family that you are trying to quit smoking.
Partner help
Love can help quit smoking, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Less than half of the men in that study were successful in trying to quit if their partners quit as well, compared to an 8% success rate if their partners didn't. Similarly, half of women succeed if their male partners also quit smoking.
Nicotine replacement therapy
Inhalers, nasal sprays, chewing gums, nicotine patches and others that deliver nicotine slowly are designed to help smokers overcome cravings with cessation symptoms. It seems to help.
One of these unnatural remedies can be started shortly before the decision to quit smoking is made, which may make it more effective. People who use NRT antidepressants also show additional success.
Prescribed medication
Talk to your doctor if you want to take the prescription route, but there are some medications that seem to have some success, especially if used with NRT.
electronic cigarettes
In 2014, a study published in the British journal the Lancet found that 657 people tried to quit smoking over a 6-month period, and e-cigarettes helped about 7.3%.
Another group that presented their research at the 2015 American Thoracic Society conference found that although some people quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes rather than regular cigarettes, this did not necessarily last forever.
Something to take into consideration
Quitting smoking is one of the most difficult bad health habits to break. The American Cancer Society says that "smoking cessation programs, like other programs that treat addiction, often have fairly low success rates."
If you quit smoking, you greatly reduce your chances of developing lung cancer and many other types of cancer. You also significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke, and lower your chances of developing other types of lung problems.
Quitting smoking without assistance: This is for the individual to quit smoking alone without resorting to any help from specialists in smoking cessation programs, or using any medications or products that help quit smoking, whether by quitting smoking at once or gradually. Quitting smoking with medical assistance: This is when the individual turns to a specialist in smoking cessation programs, and/or uses medications or products that help quit smoking. Medicines to help quit smoking Doctors may resort to prescribing some medicines for people who want to quit smoking; With the aim of helping the individual relieve and overcome the withdrawal symptoms caused by stopping smoking, it includes:
Nicotine substitutes: provide the body with nicotine, and the individual uses them in doses that gradually decrease until they are discontinued, and they are available in several pharmaceutical forms such as: chewing gum, sucking tablets, and others. It is worth noting that most nicotine substitutes can be obtained without a prescription. Varenicline is the most effective smoking cessation drug, according to studies. Bupropion: It is an antidepressant medication, which also helps with smoking cessation.
Nicotine replacement therapy nicotine replacement therapy provides the body with nicotine without the other harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. These alternatives are available in the form of gum, lozenges, patches, and others. It should be noted that nicotine replacements are generally safe for all smokers who want to quit smoking; With the exception of pregnant women and adolescents, of course it is forbidden to use it for non-smokers,
but before starting to use this type of treatment, it must be taken into account to adopt the appropriate dose of nicotine replacement, which is usually available in different doses; Where the selection of the appropriate dose depends on the number of cigarettes consumed by the smoker during the day, the higher the number of cigarettes, the greater the dose that the smoker needs to start treatment, in addition to working to gradually reduce the dose of the used nicotine substitute until he stops using it,
and as we mentioned previously. Nicotine substitutes include many products, and here is a detail of the most prominent of these drugs and how to use each of them:
Nicotine gum The linings of the mouth have nicotine in them when chewing according to the instructions; Where it is recommended to chew a piece of gum slowly until it gives a stinging or stinging taste, then it is placed between the cheek and gums until the stinging feeling disappears, and this process is repeated several times until the stinging taste disappears completely, which usually takes about 30 minutes from starting to chew it,
and it should Noting the need not to take more than one piece of nicotine gum at the same time, and not to chew it quickly, and not to exceed the chewing period recommended above, as well as not to eat any drinks or foods 15 minutes before taking it and while chewing it, especially acidic ones. To quit smoking using frankincense for 12 consecutive weeks as follows:
The period from the first to the sixth week: Chew a piece of gum every 1-2 hours. The period from the seventh to the ninth week: Chew a piece of gum every 2-4 hours. The period from the tenth to the twelfth week: Chew a piece of gum every 4-8 hours.
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