How do you stop smoking?

According to the latest prediction, cancer is going to overtake heart disease as the number one disease in the world in 2013.

The number of smokers is increasing especially in well-developed countries. Smokers & those who inhale the cigarette smoke are more prone to cancer compared to non-smokers. Hence, the prediction that cancer will overtake heart disease as the number one disease in the world could be very much true!

Smoking is an addiction like drug or caffeine addiction. So, how do we curb such addictive tendencies? What can a smoker do? Giving up smoking is not easy & cannot be done overnight.

First of all, why do people smoke? Is it to release tension or merely an acquired habit? There are two main reasons why people smoke. One is due to the belief that they can release tension by smoking. They think that it will make them feel better. After all, the nicotine in cigarette is a drug & is likely to give an illusion of feeling “good”. Then, there is a habit or trend created in the modern world. It is sort of “cool” to smoke. It then becomes a habit & later, an addiction.

For someone who wishes to stop smoking, it is better to start by curbing the urge to smoke by reducing the number of cigarettes per day. Reducing the number of cigarettes gradually will help. Whenever there is an urge to smoke, a chewing gum or sweet meant for smokers as replacement for cigarettes could be handy.

Since the main reason for smoking is releasing tension, perhaps, other ways to release tension would help. Spending time with friends who are non-smokers & making you laugh might help. Exercising or doing something else that you enjoy might help you release tension better than smoking. If you are in office & want to smoke badly, perhaps, chewing gum & doing very simple breathing exercises might help to release tension. Or you could always talk to your colleagues regarding some amusing stories or such.

As the saying goes, “Where there is a will, there is a way”. The most important thing would be to decide to quit smoking or reduce smoking. Once you do so, it, you will come across ways to quit smoking.

 Is it worth the while to spend so much time and energy earning money only to spend it later for cancer treatment? Think about it. Smoking has been proven to be bad for your health.