Hi, I wasn't quite sure where exactly to post this question so I took the liberty of reasoning that surely since it regards my health then why not in this section.

I am a caucasian male in his late twenties who has,lets say, sometimes succumbed to lifes guilty pleasures and is noticing a effect from some of these said pleasures. Okay I tell a lie, just one of them. Smoking cigarettes. I wonder why I do engage in this filthy habit at times but on the same hand I do occasionally enjoy a cigarette and smoke inside my lungs. Nothing wrong with this you might say, thousands in fact hundreds of millions would agree with that statement. I also know that a decent percentage of that last staggering statistic are of a like mindedness to how I am at this current moment. I mean lets face it Cigarettes kill you. The contents within them are undeniably just another method of slow poisoning excepting one not so small detail. They are legal.

Now this post is in no way meant to be a rant on the legality of governments endorsing or not endorsing a product that is scientifically proven to cause numerous terminal illness` and other less lethal maladies. It is not to question someone's else right to damage their own and others bodies by unwittingly( a majority of the time) polluting the air around them with second hand smoke which apparently is up to 15 times more toxic than the initial amount of smoke.

It is not a big waving middle finger to the tobacco companies who are more or less given carte blanche by governments and unwitting stockholders to ensure that my generation and the ones previous and to follow this one will be afflicted with who knows what sort of cancers and terminal illness.

To lay the blame of such utter and total lack of consideration to the men,women and children of this stinking mass of humanity that is Earth squarely on the shoulders of the capitalistic little conglomeration that is the Tobacco Company Family (BAT,PM etc) would be unfair to say the least. In fact it would be plain wrong of me to suggest any otherwise. Perhaps it could be a little fairer to say that these mentioned companies,corporations and conglomerates who`s actions combined with the actions of a desperate few nations who in their desperate struggle to try and assume world dominance and economic superiority brought our unwilling society into the "Nuclear" or "Atomic" age.

Yes I`m not that blind to other quite relevant factors in relation to cancer and other problems we face to our health in today's world. In fact I have trouble sometimes distinguishing the line between smoking related illness/diseases and environmental and genetic factors.

For example I may be able to keep on with this pathetic habit of mine until I die of natural causes i.e: old age, because my forebearers were from the "Deep end of the gene pool" and they may have absolutely no effect on my health and wellbeing aside from making me smell revolting and considering the future of being a "social outcast". But on the other side of that coin I may be a coal miner who doesn't smoke but has to sustain environmental factors that could and would affect parts of my body that smoking cigarettes will affect, and who also has to deal with other peoples second hand smoke away from his workplace and contract lung,throat and other such cancers without being a willing participant for lack of a better word.

In fact you are most probably wondering where the question in this monologue is going to arrive.

Well despair not for here it is.

Since I want to give away this habit that could possibly end my life prematurely and I am quite aware of other factors that could accomplish that same point I wonder whether the numerous quitting aids that have flooded the market are reliable.

I have tried the Nicobate patches but they make me feel nauseous, the same goes for the gum and inhaler. I came across one called NicoBloc quite recently but cannot find it locally nor can I find any decent results of studies with this particular brand/device of quitting aid. This method involves placing droplets of a liquid which apparently blocks the nicotine and other harmful substances from flowing into your mouth/lungs when inhaling the smoke. So far aside from having a stressful time going cold turkey which has failed me several times I think that this could perhaps be a viable option for me.

I have perused the producers of this products` website but they are surprisingly lax with the information I am chasing which annoys me to no end. So here I am asking for any help you may offer.

And yes am am also alive to the likelihood of people, who after struggling through my post may brand me a big time wanker for writing a lengthy post which although relevant to my question has purely just been to give my two cents on cigarette smoking and the benefits of me not indulging in the habit but all humour aside it is a pressing issue in today's society and I for one will not be supporting it for much longer.

Thanks for your time.

Hi,
I would be pleased to anwer your question, but it's too lengthy.
I'm sorry, but really don't know what your question is.
Best wishes.

WoW what an excellent read!!

You say you've tried chemical replacements and cold turkey, but have you ever considered hypnotherapy or any number of homeopathic remedies ?
Also there's the life style changes that some people swear by. Sometimes somethig as simple a stopping drinking coffee can help kick the habbit.

If you can almost quit on your own, try hypnosis and some of the stop smoking tapes.

I will even go one step further, if you want to email me your address I will send you a free stop smoking tape, that was used in one of the seminar programs that cost 49.99.

I agree with CurlyBen, you'll need to break the psychological links you've made with smoking. A friend of mine didn't have a problem with the physical withdrawal, it was the links he made to smoking (morning coffee, breaks at work, alcohol, etc.), his doctor recommended Zyban and it worked for him.

This worked for me - but I would NOT recommend it.

After I had my engine "recon" (see another thread) all "Zipper Club" patients were recommended being .given Beta Blocker tablets. I did question this at the time as my BP has always been slightly on the low side ( 110/118 over 65/70 for those who know the vernalcular).

The fateful day arrived after my retirement and therefore not working the drug out of my system, I blacked out due to beta blocker overdose - the paramedic gave me BP as 85 tops stuck a valve in my wrist and pumped a full phial of "quick start" into my veins. I was kept in hospital for 24 hrs observation - three days after this I came down with the biggest dose of what I thought was 'flu - which lasted almost a fortnight - yet all the medicals were trying to tell me was "diabetic" - I ain't gottit - nobody in the family ever had it!!

Sorry for the long story - but the culmination is that even though I enjoyed the occasional cigarillo or cigarette after my recon - I can't any longer - nicotine smoke puts me on my knees , the so called 'flu or diabetes (I personally think it was MRSA that I picked up in there - but that's another story) has completely messed up my lungs. Now I am actually jealous when I see some one "Lighting up".

No moral to this story - our respective governments actually encouraged us to smoke in the 50's and 60's and in the case of the UK still take a hefty slice of tax for the privilege of killing us!!

Great post, McNug -

I quit over ten years ago. I had been quitting and quitting until one day, I was good and fed up. By then I was smoking only in response to a NIC FIT, and stubbing out big butts too (never ever relight a burned cig, you increase the carcinogenic properties untold fold doing that!)

So when I went on the Nicoderm brand patch for one pack a day, I actually upped my nicotine dosage accidentally but that helped. For several days there were a number of activities I simply couldn't do (like talk on the phone or coffee, that was iffy for a while too) since I associated them with smoking. In short, I did whatever it @#%#$@ took! Everyone understood and supported me.

Now the patch had some drawbacks, like weird dreams and occasionally feeling like I was slugged really hard at the site where I put on a fresh patch but I said tough tiddles, AT LEAST I AM NOT SMOKING!

I did not buy the different sizes since my doctor told me that is a rip off. I bought the largest one and cut it up myself with scissors. So instead of it being three steps from the three sizes they sold (all at the same price, mind you!) I created like twenty steps over a slightly longer period. By the time I stopped using the patch, it was the size of a tiny round band-aid LOL.

Also I read the "unfold it fifteen times in six point type" little brochure that was included and was properly scared about lighting up since it virtually said if you do, don't sue us when you drop dead from nicotine overdose over and over. I called my doc and asked if I really had to wait the 24 hours they stipulated before lighting up and he said nah, 18 hours would suffice. Well, bloody hell - what's the diff? I still had to wait! And by being forced to wait, I learned the urge passes. So every moment of every hour, I made sure I had a patch on. And little by little, I conquered the mental part of it.

By 90 days, I could feel a turn taking place. I no longer thought about it. And I haven't looked back since. Oh I occasionally enjoy a vicarious thrill standing next to someone who lights up. But I certainy don't miss standing in the rain, huddled under the eaves, to suck one down quick before returning to work! By the time I stopped I had two full size patches left and vowed to myself, if I ever think about lighting up I am racing to my bathroom and slapping one of those puppies on my forehead. So far, that has not been necessary. :p

So, I am assuming he who writes long interesting posts can handle a long one back atcha and to you I would say keep quitting 'til you quit, man! It remains one of the best things I have ever done. :cool:

DO what it takes! Only don't do like my friend Bobby, who quit with the gum and ten years later is still chewing it - I call him the science experiment! :eek:

Excellent post, McNug, and lots of great suggestions from everyone! I'm sorry my answer won't be as helpful. I tried to quit many, many times... without any luck. What finally did it for me was getting pregnant! :p Now I don't want to smoke ever again... I lost my interest in it, and the smell of cigarette smoke actually makes me nauseated now. But obviously not everyone can have a kid in order to quit! I do wish you lots of luck, though!

There is Zyban which is a medication which enhances a person's ability to control smoking related thoughts, Nicotine gum, and transdermal patches which reduce nicotine craving. The article at the following site talks about their effectiveness.

NIDA InfoFacts: Cigarettes and Other Nicotine Products
http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/Tobacco.html

Excerpts:

For additional information on nicotine abuse and addiction, please visit www.smoking.drugabuse.gov.

For more information on how to quit smoking, please visit www.cdc.gov/tobacco.

BTW

I was once also a smoker.
What stopped me was that I developed an allergy to cigarette smoke.

Weird, we have that in common. :)

I tried the Zyban, gave me nightmares when I could sleep and also made me psychotic (ok, I know what you guys are thinking, more psychotic than I already am.

Tried the patch but gave me headaches.

Tried the cigarette and it works perfectly.

Honestly, I really wish there was an easy fix to this, I just can't seem to quit.

I read a Reader's Digest article some years ago about this fellow who was a chain smoker and developed cancer of the throat. As it turned out they had to amputate his jaw along with his tongue, of course. While he was in bandages he would smoke cigarettes through a small gap in the bandages which was adjacent to his windpipe.

:eek:... :eek:... :eek:...

FAINTS!

Yup it's pretty disgusting! I've actually seen someone smoke through a hole in their windpipe in real life... a man at the mall once. It was sick to watch.

I guess they felt that they really had nothing more to lose except their lives and that that life wasn't worth living anyway under those conditions. The sad part about it is that the whole disaster was preventable via the application of a little willpower. But, I suppose that some people are like Saint Thomas, they have to see in order to believe and warnings will go in one ear and come out the other in the meantime.

If I'm being blunt, the easiest fix to quiting smoking, is to take your packet of fags, and place them in the bin. And to not smoke one again.

It is actually the easiest, and most cost effective way to stop smoking.

Go on, it works wonders, try it! :)

When I quit smoking 8 years ago, I knew the physical addiction would be as hard as the nicotine addiction to quit. So, I tackled them one at a time.

I used the Nicorette gum. I chose gum because in a typical day, I didn't smoke the entire time. I got to smoke in intervals, such as when I was in the car, or when I was on break at work or school. So, I only chewed gum when I would otherwise be smoking. This helped keep things pretty normal on my nicotine intake.

Also, I had heard that when people quit smoking, they miss having something in there mouth. With gum, this was solved.

I didn't change anything that I would do as a smoker, with the exception of smoke. I went outside with the other smokers on breaks to chew my gum. I even carried the gum in a cigarette pack. After I weened myself off the nicotine, other habits were pretty easy to kick.
-------------------------------------

As for the drops you mentioned, I couldn't find ANY consumer reviews on the product. Until there's some public opinion out there, I'd wait before potentially wasting money.


Also you mentioned getting nauseated on the gum. Were you chewing as directed? If you read the package, you see you are not supposed to it like regular gum. Instead, you chew a few times, then park the gum in your cheek for a few moments. If you constantly chew, you are getting all the nicotine at once. Also, at least in the states, you can get the gum in different strengths. You might try a lower dosage.

Will power would have to be exceptionally strong.
In Japan they toss a drug addict into a cell and come back a week later to see how he is doing. It's called cold turkey method and most who have gone through it are cured for good.

In the most famous of all calls in the aussie vernacular I have to say FARRRK!:D . Wow thanks for the umm supporting posts here people, I am quite surprised by the amount of responses to my dilemma and even more surprised at the lack of snide remarks or rhetorical blah blah. Cool.

Okay well here's an update on my predicament. Can`t Quit. Aaargh!! Fornicating death sticks, I hate them with a passion. But oh sweet sweet stick of death how I love thee sometimes! I will say that I have cut back quite considerably, from up to 15+ a day to now about 6-10 a day which doesn't seem much but I tell you, my wallets loving it and so is my footy coach HAAAAAH!

Ok I`ll make this a little less dreary than my original post (although some did find it okay, a good read even says one enthusiastic admin.yay points for the nug!) and just say thanks to everyone that responded in any kind to this, even though the crux of the matter was to find a review of a product which for some reason cannot be sourced even from the manufacturer (hmm?? ) but as I mentioned in the post this issue is a very current and pressing matter, not only for myself but for everyone in this current day and age.

One thing I have noticed lately though is there is an increasing amount of people who are thinking like myself and the number of them that I meet increases on a daily basis. I do believe that society is slowly increasing the fight with numbers campaign and along with the graphic images that are displayed on the packets things seem to be slowly swinging in the right direction.

OK well thanks again, it was interesting reading your responses and am up for any further correspondance on this matter, my email is here somewhere so if you feel the need drop me a line. OK best wishes all. Mcnuggy@LMC:cool:

I've been quit for a few years now. I didn't use any help. I just stopped cold. Its will power. You have to be stronger