This is the first of several articles directed to smokers. In order to better understand the psychology of nicotine addiction, I need to have input from smokers, and get inside your head. I look forward to your input and replies on my stop smoking discussion board. In my practice as a pulmonologist as well as in my Quit Doc Clinic, I have finally acknowledged that I can not MAKE anyone quit smoking. I can not scare anyone into quitting smoking. Half of lung cancer patients go back to smoking!!! The drive to stop smoking has to come from within. Statistics tell us that over 80% of smokers want to quit smoking. My “on the street” interviews suggest that it is significantly less than this. Why the difference? When someone fills out an anonymous survey they can be more open. In the interview process I get the “yeah, I know I should quit but…” When I get to the one on one level, I find out that there are only a few reasons.

Most of the time the failure to think about quitting is driven by either fear or immaturity. It is further fueled by denial (”oh that will never happen to me”). The top fear is not of the health consequences (stroke, heart attack, cancer) but the FEAR OF FAILURE. Most of my patients that I treat are afraid of failing their smoking cessation attempt. The second most common fear is that of gaining weight. I hear the rationalization of “I’ll probably gain so much weight that I will make myself more unhealthy than if I smoked!” Well, let’s look at this. It is estimated that you would have to gain 150 pounds to have the cardiovascular effects of smoking. And still you would not have the cancer risks! The third most common fear is FEAR OF CHANGE. Yep, most of us do not want to change our lifestyle. I get the comment “I’ve done it this way for the last 30 years no need to change now!” My response is usually, “The way that you have been doing it has gotten you into the mess you are in. Look at your lifeless skin? What about your breathlessness? What about the silent plaque that is building up inside of your arteries or the slow dissolution of lung tissue with each puff of that poisonous crap! What about immaturity.

Well you are full of it! There is the rebellious punk side of you that says “no one is going to make me do anything!” To this I say “Well Einstein, don’t you think that the big tobacco companies are responsible for getting you hooked in the first place? Don’t you think that addiction is controlling your life? Can you go over to a friend’s house and have a wonderful dinner and conversation without crawling out of your skin for your nicotine fix? This addiction has total control over you and can make you grovel at its whim.” In my Quit Doc Clinic, I usually do not treat patients younger than 30. The reason is that they generally lack the maturity to stay quit. They are invincible and have not suffered from health problems or faced their own mortality. I often tell my patients whom are children of the 60’s,70’s or 80’s that the mind set that they need to quit smoking is the same as they had when they quit all that other childhood stuff. They must be able to say “I’m done” and walk away. If they are still doing the late nights, alcohol, drugs etc. chances are that they have not matured to the point of being a successful nonsmoker.

I turn them away and tell them to come back when they grow up.”Denial? I don’t have denial!” This denial accounts for why many people go without even trying to quit. “It will never happen to me.” Or “you gotta die of something?” Smokers know they are playing Russian roulette. They believe there is one bullet and one thousand empty chambers. In reality, there is one bullet and only one empty chamber. Yes, that is right! Out of every two smokers, one will die prematurely of a smoking related death. The good news is that for every 2 people that we can get to stop smoking, we will save one life!! So what is the point of this article? Well you have to start somewhere.

Before you decide to attempt quitting, you must look at your own reasons for not quitting thus far. You surely don’t enjoy making the tobacco companies rich by giving them $1000/year for each pack per day that you smoke. You really don’t enjoy the odor that reeks off of your body or breath (oh yeah, I forgot, you can’t smell it until you quit). You may think it is your right to kill yourself by whatever means that you choose but what about the cancers, heart attacks and other illnesses that you are causing in those around you? That brings me to my next article on second hand smoke.

Kirk G. Voelker MD FCCP - Quit Doc Smoking Treatment Network

Dr Voelker is a pulmonologist who has helped thousands of smokers quit smoking in his Quit Doc Smoking Treatment Network clinic.

The fact is that scientists have offered more and more chilling properties of nicotine.

More recently, British scientists have established undeniable link between smoking and irreparable loss of one of the most important feelings, accessible man-view.

Now appalled disappointing results of their own research experts require that the opening scene was in the form of a categorical warning on the package. It seems that the world of science no ideal cigarette pack (unless it is possible) as a kind of annotations drug lots consisting of the transfer of side effects.

It turns out that 27% of Britons having major problems with his eyes, a long black hostages respects. Scientists examined 5,000 people and found that many eye diseases, including the worst-blindness, which are directly related to the number of cigarettes consumed.

The threatened direct followers smoking, as well as their passive victims. The smokers tend entertainment establishments like nightclubs and discos impervious smokescreen is an inherent part of being, also, in time, may lose view.

Concerned British doctors warn: the link between smoking and blindness is as strong as between smoking and lung disease. That is the dirty cigarette personalities and their passive smokers risk over time lose twice than in the general population. Time for reflection has little left: to England 500,000 have already make a problem with his eyes because of the constant smoking.

The most common disorder, which can be triggered by nicotine dependence, the weight of so-called yellow spots an area retina, which provides the best visibility problems. So perhaps soon in the face of warnings that the outstanding taxes tied to each pack of cigarettes, will be replenished.

So far, the British Ministry of Health was able to make smokers reported that, that the defect may lead to death or, as is - to the complete and unconditional impotence.

Scientists look at the data with great expectations, as, according to the head of research Nick Asterby, winter is not just on the smokers but for all their surroundings threat of blindness is a good reason to quit smoking. A British ophthalmologists will be the medicines their patients, losing eyesight, prescribe immediate reversal of nicotine.

Mary Jane Richardson received training as a healthcare scientist. She has been working in the same field and writes informative articles. To find more info please visit http://www.voyagetohealthylife.com

Nicotine is a very powerful and addictive drug. Nicotine addiction is the number one reason why people who smoke and would like to quit smoking fail. For most smokers just thinking about giving up cigarettes makes them nervous and edgy. But why is it so difficult to quit smoking you ask? The truth is that nicotine is a drug that is naturally found in tobacco that is highly addictive. Over time a smokers body becomes psychologically and physically dependent on nicotine. In order to successfully quit smoking, the smoker needs to conquer both the psychologically and physically dependence of their addiction, If they seriously intend to succeed and quit smoking for good.

When a smoker quits, or cuts back on his or her intake of cigarettes, the smoker will go through withdraw symptoms. The withdraw symptoms are the result of a lack of nicotine that the smokers body has become dependent upon. Psychologically, when a smoker gives up this habit, there is a major change in their behavior. Physically, the absence of nicotine causes the body react. In order to quit smoking successfully the smoker needs to be prepared to deal with both the physical and psychological factors that they are going to face once they quit. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms can include feelings of depression, frustration or anger, trouble sleeping, restlessness, irritability, headaches and increased appetite.

Once the smoker quits they are at risk of taking up the habit again to rid them selves of the withdraw symptoms they are experiencing. Nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs that there is on our planet, and this is why quitting is no easy feat. Withdrawal symptoms will start to occur about 2 or 3 hours after the last cigarette was smoked. These symptoms will increase in severity after 2 or 3 days and will last for several weeks.

If you are wondering why you should quit smoking? Your health concerns and the health concerns of your family and friends should be at the top of your list of reasons to quit. Smoking causes heart disease, emphysema, and lung cancer just to name a few of the diseases that smokers are susceptible to. It is a proven fact that a smoker is more likely to die of a heart attack than a nonsmoker.

Women that take birth control pills, are over 35 and smoke have an increased risk of having a heart attack, blood clots, and stroke. Women that smoke have a higher risk of having a miscarriage or a premature baby. These are just a few of the unique risks that women who smoke face.

It is never to late to quit! It doesn’t matter how old you are or how long you have smoked, if you quit smoking now you will feel healthier, live longer, and after a few years you will no longer be at risk of contracting any of the diseases that smokers are susceptible to. If you are having a hard time giving up cigarettes just keep in mind that when you do finally quit, your health, the quality of your life will improve, and you are going to suffer from fewer illnesses.

Are you ready to quit smoking? To learn the best ways to quit smoking visit: http://www.YourQuitSmokingHelp.com

I will not be wrong, if I say that the most popular and frequently written articles in health magazines are on the topic ill effects of Smoking. Much emphasis is given on the topic so much so that it seems to be annoying and irritating for some of us who are heavy smokers. It will be important to note here that the articles are published only after thorough research has been done.

When the world is crying out to quit smoking and live a healthy life then why to be so stubborn to give up? Here are some facts which will enlighten you:

1.Nicotine and many other poisonous chemicals found in tobacco cause cancer, stroke and heart disease.

2. Tobacco is the leading cause of death in the developed as well as developing countries.

3. Smoking kills more people than AIDS, alcohol, drug abuse, murder, suicide, fires and vehicle accidents combined in a year.

4. When you smoke it is not only you who is at risk, but it is also far more hazardous for people around you:

a. 50% of passive smoker suffers from heart disease

b. In a year, passive smoking causes 3,000 lung cancer death

c. 430 deaths of new born babies are caused by smoking

For this very reason smoking in many countries has now been banned. In Europe, countries like Italy, Britain, Ireland, Germany etc and some states in the United States have started the Anti- Smoking law which bans smokers from smoking at public places including bars, restaurants, discotheques and offices.

If the governments which otherwise concern itself only to laws and orders, have started taking initiatives in implementing Anti-Smoking laws, it certainly means that it is serious. The day when smoking will become a cause of an epidemic is not far if the current trend in smoking continues. Therefore it is worth to ponder upon the above number of deaths as they are caused only due to smoking and ask yourself “Do I play a part in killing so many people? Did any of my act contribute to any of these deaths?”

Every time you light a cigarette remember you are shortening your lifespan. Not only that when you are smoking in public places you are spreading sickness. You are like Pandora opening her box and bringing miseries in the world.

So, the best thing you can do for yourself is to quit smoking. Besides saving your life it also saves someone from death or from suffering the diseases caused by nicotine. It may not be the easiest thing in the world to do but if you have the will to quit there will be many means to get you through the ordeal. Just try and see the difference, how active you feel and how healthy you become and how many lives you save that too only by ‘Quit Smoking’.

The author is a health expert and writes articles on various issues related to the causes as well as consequences of smoking and also on the quit smoking medicine chantix. For more information, details and advice on smoking related matters, visit the website http://www.chantixhome.com

I’m a person who smoked cigarettes for more than 15 years and learned a few things through the process of quitting. I’m going to pass on what I learned from quitting with the hopes that these things might help you quit as well. The biggest thing to understand is exactly what the title of this article says…Don’t believe the hype.

There is a TON of hype surrounding the subject of nicotine and being addicted to nicotine. From someone who’s been through it, let me clue you in. Almost every bit of what you hear is hype. Hype designed to sell you something to help you ‘kick’ the habit. That something designed to help you might be in the form of a patch, gum, lozenge, or pill. The point is that there are people and companies who want you do believe that quitting nicotine is going to be the most difficult thing that you’ve ever done. That way you’re much more apt to spend your money on their product for help. It’s really a vicious cycle that you need to come to terms with.

So now that we know not to buy into the hype, what do we do? The most important thing that I did was change my thinking about smoking and quitting smoking. When people would say how difficult quitting smoking was going to be, I would simply not engage in such conversations. I stopped even thinking about the supposed negative aspects of quitting the use of nicotine. I told myself, as often as I could, how simple quitting was going to be. I would even go so far as to actually talk to the cigarette that I was smoking. I did this when I was alone of course. I would hold up the smoking cigarette and say something like, “this is going to be no problem at all”. You see, I heard it said somewhere that you become what you think about, all day long. That is, if you think quitting nicotine is going to be hard, it is! If you think it’s going to be easy, it is!

It may sound crazy, but that’s what I did. It took about six months and then one day I went into my pack for a cigarette. There was only 1 left. I removed that cigarette, looked at it, and said, “This is it, I’m done.” I smoked that cigarette, and it was the last one that I’ve ever smoked. We’re there times I wanted one? Sure, but I didn’t smoke any more, so I didn’t. It was as simple as that. No stress, anxiety, or difficulty about it. I had changed the way I though about smoking, so changing the act was more or less a natural progression. Remember; You become what you think about.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com He has more than 15 years of business experience and 25 years of fishing experience. He currently raises his 3 year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country… Montana.

Want To Catch More Fish?

Start Catching More Fish!

So you want to quit smoking, but aren’t sure if prescription drugs are right for you. Maybe you would prefer a natural alternative to help you kick the habit for good. Powerful herbs have been used for centuries to reduce withdrawl symptoms and help people stop smoking more easily.

Many over the counter herbal stop smoking aids like Zero Nicotine contain the following herbal ingredients. These herbs clean out toxins, help you breathe better, improve blood circulation for fast healing, and help you relax while you painlessly take control of your life.

• Gotu Kola - helps promote relaxation, improves memory and blood flow, and enhances liver function. Gotu Kola also has a long history of being used as an aid for serious illnesses
• Hops - promote a calm, relaxed feeling. Hops are used in traditional folk medicine and are a muscle relaxer that will help you reduce physical cravings.
• Skullcap - a powerful traditional herb used to aid a variety of nervous conditions including insomnia, anxiety, stress and even hysteria. Skullcap promotes a balanced nervous system and reduces the tension people often experience from nicotine withdrawl. It is a safe herbal remedy for restlessness and headache.
• Wild Oat - improves the health of the liver, kidney and joints. Helps sooth nerves and will give you more energy. Widely known as an anti-depressant, Wild Oat will oxidize your system and reduce tension and anxiety.
• Peppermint - clears the lungs and makes breathing easier. Peppermint also calms your nerves and improves circulation. It purifies the mind and body, making you feel rejuvenated.stimulates circulation and helps to calm nerves.
• Ginger Root - used for centuries in China to reduce cramps, indigestion and upset stomach. Provides essential vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium
• Gentian - promotes proper digestion. It also improves circulation, prevents heartburn and improves thyroid health.
• Myrrh - an effective treatment by itself for mouth sores, coughs, asthma and sore gums.
• Safflower - First used to relieve stomach problems and abdominal pains, Safflower has been found through modern research to increase immune function as well.
• Eucalyptus - a highly effective respiratory enhancer, Eucalyptus prevents lung disease, colds and sore throat.
• Slippery Elm - soothes and lubricates all membrane linings in the body, in effect strengthening the immune system. Slipper Elm will help flush out the toxins in your body built up from cigarette smoking.
• Licorice Root - flushes out toxic chemicals built up through smoking, and can also reduce symptoms of depression and fatigue.
• Alfalfa - used to dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease and stimulate proper respiratory function.
• Passion Flower - used to relieve tension, balance the central nervous system, and cure insomnia. A Non-addictive herb that promotes relaxation
• Sarsaparilla - improves blood circulation, naturally increases your energy, and removes toxic chemicals from the body. Sarsaparilla also promotes a good mood.
• Bayberry - prevents bacterial infections and aids colds, coughs, headaches and a sore throat.
• Echinacea Powder - A powerful herb that helps the body resist cravings and boost the immune system.

So there you have it, powerful herbs that have a proven track record of success in fighting withdrawl symptoms. Obviously though, they are no good without a little motivation. Make sure you are ready to finally quit and consider giving low cost herbs a chance when if you aren’t planning to go at it cold turkey.

Mark Dailey is a nutritionist who was also a smoker for 8 years. He now tests and reviews popular herbal supplements. Visit his website to find out more about herbal stop smoking patches.

It should come no surprise that you should stop smoking. Smoking introduces nicotine and other compounds into your body. They result in a high toxin level in your body. Over a period in time and with increased frequency, the toxins accumulate in your body, posing tremendous danger to its vital organs and the functioning of your lungs, in particular.

The main harmful agents in cigarettes are nicotine and the carbon monoxide inhaled from the smoke. There is actually a cocktail of lethal gases emitted from smoking. These lethal gases include carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, together with oxides of nitrogen and sulfur. Carbon monoxide causes the oxygen levels inside your body to drop drastically. Oxygen is needed by your cells for proper functioning. Currently, more chemicals than ever are found in cigarettes due in part to the way they are produced, making them even more harmful.

If you wish to detoxify and cleanse yourself of these toxins, then you would have to stop smoking. This is the only way to guarantee a healthy future. Stopping smoking is the start of a program that can help cleanse your body through the many years of toxin build up. Regaining health will take a lot more time and effort. It is possible to obtain an optimal performance from your body by adopting a new diet and exercise routine.

A healthy diet that can aid in nicotine and carbon monoxide detox should be followed for the duration of life even after quitting smoking. You should include an abundance of fruits and vegetables in your new diet. Also, drink plenty of water to help flush out toxins and to soothe your dry throat from years of smoking. Whole grains are helpful as they provide antioxidant benefits to your detox program. Most of the fats consumed should come from seeds and nuts; healthy legumes provide healthy protein essential in maintaining the body.

Since smoking wreaks havoc on the excretory system, your bowels need special care during this time. Consuming high amounts of fiber can aid in this process; maintaining regular bowel function is essential in eliminating all toxins from the body. While on the program, optimizing intake of wholesome foods should be compounded by the steady decrease in those that are unhealthy. You would need to cut down the fats, fried foods, and alcohol previously consumed while smoking. These are also the same foods that reduce proper bowel activity, resulting in sluggish elimination.

Additionally, you can consider consuming an antioxidant supplement while detoxifying your body from smoke. An antioxidant supplement should help you reduce free radical production and lower your toxicity levels. Start to regain your health by kicking this harmful and addictive habit away!

Toxins can cause damage and plenty of harm to your body. Reap benefits from detox cleansing. Sign up to free research and special reports by Sandra Kim Leong on colon and liver cleansing, juice fasting and on detox diets here at http://www.Detox-Cleansing-Diet.com

Do you want t6o stop smoking? I mean, do you really want to stop smoking? This is obviously the first question that has to be answered. I smoked a pack of heaters a day for the better part of 15 years and walked away from them forever. But for many of those years, I didn’t want to quit. I wanted to smoke, or at least that’s what I convinced myself that I wanted to do. The bottom line is that you can stop smoking now, if that’s what you really want to do, and my guess would be that if you’re reading this article, you want to stop smoking now.

The first thing that must be done is for you top stop believing all of the hype surrounding quitting smoking, and there’s a TON of it. You see, what I discovered is that most everyone wants you to believe that quitting is going to be difficult. That way you will be more apt to buy whatever their selling to “help” you. The truth is that quitting is as hard as you make it, remember I know because I quit after 15 years. So stop believing all the hype about how hard quitting is going to be. Begin by telling yourself that quitting is going to be simple and easy.

Tell yourself how simple and easy quitting is going to be, even while you’re still smoking. You see, everything starts with a thought, and you’re thought about quitting needs to be on how simple and easy it’s going to be. Then if the people around you want to talk about how difficult quitting is, simply remove yourself from these types of conversations. If you do this for a couple of months, as your thoughts about quitting begin to change, you’ll find that the act of smoking will begin to change as well. You won’t want to smoke as much. You’ll begin to realize how truly disgusting smoking is. Smoking will begin to seem like something that you no longer want to be a part of.

Before you know it, the day will come when you’ll say to yourself, “that’s it, I don’t want to smoke anymore, I’m out!” And you’ll stop smoking forever. This is exactly what happened to me. I changed the way I thought about smoking and soon the act of smoking changed. I didn’t use gum, patches, drugs, or hypnosis, I simply walked away. It’s all in how you think about it. Remember what Albert Einstein told us about this subject: ” We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country…..Montana!

Gang-Hooks Tied And Ready!

FREE Fishing Tips & Advice

Bans on public smoking are spreading throughout the world. That suits Eric who is a lifelong non-smoker, nay, ANTI-smoker. For 30 days he will change the world and the habits of current smokers.

Day 12

My campaign continues! After a few false dawns my resolve is undiminished. Now my attention turns to the child victims of smokers. Of course, all smokers say that they never smoke in front of the children (just like they say they never drop cigarette butt litter), but of course they do. And, they know also that smoke stays in the air for up to 2 hours after it is exhaled so their children are smokers whether the parents like it or not.

Yes, these are the same parents that run to the doctor for “something to be done” as soon as little Jimmy has a cold or a cough. Do they not know that they are doing PERMANENT harm to the lungs and hearts of these children in their very home? You wouldn’t give a child drugs or alcohol so why give them passive cigarette smoke. And the best way to stop a child becoming a “real” (as opposed to an involuntary “passive”) smoker is to set an example and stop smoking yourself. Get the cigarettes out of the home and the children will be healthier both now and in the future.

So, here is the plan. All children of smokers are taken from their homes and allowed to live in a Theme Park (Disney World should do it) of their choice until the parents stop smoking. They can do this at cost to the parents. They will be healthier and fitter – plus they will not be subjected to cigarette smoke. They can have private schooling (at parental cost) and they can have unlimited luxuries. They will not miss their parents because they will have everything they want and their days will be filled with activities.

Parents can visit if they miss their children. But – strictly no smoking.

Eric Hartwell oversees “The World’s Best Homepage” intended to be a user-generated resource where YOUR opinion counts. Anybody can contribute and all are welcomed. Visit us to read, comment upon or share opinions on health and visit our associated site articles for free.

Bans on public smoking are spreading throughout the world. That suits Eric who is a lifelong non-smoker, nay, ANTI-smoker. For 30 days he will change the world and the habits of current smokers.

Day 11

My campaign has not been as successful as I would have liked. So far I have made more enemies than friends which is odd as it is ME that is the victim of the smoking scourge, not them. But there’s nowt as queer as folk, as they say. I will persevere.

So my attentions today are directed at litterbugs. They are everywhere – in alleyways, shop door ways and entrances to public buildings. I don’t mean normal litter louts (although they are bad enough) I mean smoking litterers. This has got a lot worse since certain places have banned smoking indoors. So now everyone stands outside to smoke which is bad for two reasons. First, I have to walk through their clouds of smoke and second they drop litter everywhere – cigarette butts and ash.

They don’t seem to care either – don’t worry that my local taxes pay for the Council to clear up this rubbish. We get our dog owners to use pooper scoopers and plastic bags for dog excrement. Well, smoker-excrement like this needs action too. So I am lobbying outside a public building today – wearing a 9 foot high costume of a litter bin. That should do the trick. And if anyone drops cigarette butt litter I am taking their photo, fingerprints, name, address and iris scans and reporting them to the local police department.

If it is their fist offence I would expect only a year’s jail term.

Eric Hartwell oversees “The World’s Best Homepage” intended to be a user-generated resource where YOUR opinion counts. Anybody can contribute and all are welcomed. Visit us to read, comment upon or share opinions on health and visit our associated site articles for free.