Anyone looking to quit smoking knows how daunting of a task it is. Factors like nicotine cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and the fear of relapse can make it a very challenging process. Luckily, there are several treatments available to help smokers quit. In this blog post, we will explore the use of these treatments and other aids as a tool to help smokers quit.
So let's get started and jump right into it.
The first idea that people have is to quit cold turkey. While this is the fastest way to get off nicotine, it is also the hardest. After smoking for quite some time your body gets used to it and the cravings start to take over. It is common to have a hard time concentrating or feeling irritable and restless when you're deprived of your daily nicotine. To combat this you need a very strong power of will and discipline. But knowing how addictive nicotine really is - this could prove to be a difficult challenge.
Thankfully there are products to help bring your addiction to a more controllable state.
If you've never heard of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), then surely you've heard of nicotine patches or nicotine gums.
Over-the-counter NRTs are:
Lozenges. These are capsules that contain nicotine and dissolve in your mouth.
Nicotine gum. Chewing gum containing nicotine.
Nicotine patches. Patches that are placed on the skin.
Prescription NRTs are:
Nicotine spray. Mouth spray containing nicotine
Nicotine inhaler. Inhaler type device
Also prescription NRTs that do not contain nicotine:
Varenicline tartrate
Bupropion hydrochloride
NB! We only recommend NRTs that contain nicotine because the NRTs that do not contain it have side effects ranging from nausea, headaches, vomiting, insomnia and in worst cases a seizure or symptoms of a heart attack.
Although NRTs are great for quitting they still can't replicate the physical sensation of smoking, something that a lot of smokers will have a difficult time with - which brings us to our final treatment method.
Vaping
Vaping has grown increasingly popular over the last 20 years. Advancements in product development now provide us with probably the best alternative to cigarettes for people looking to quit smoking. The wide array of flavours make this process particularly enjoyable. It offers smokers an almost 1on1 replacement with the physical sensation still intact. Also the fact that vaping is 95% safer than cigarettes is good news for people that require a bit more time to get off nicotine.
So, how do you start you might ask?
The most common variant of vaping is the use of a device consisting of:
a battery,
a heating element (atomizer) which works by heating up the wick (typically cotton),
a tank which holds the e-liquid,
and a mouthpiece that you use for inhaling
Combined they make an electronic cigarette.
These devices are a one-time purchase and only have to be charged. But because the batteries only last around 6-12 months, it is a recurring purchase.
The e-liquid can be bought premade or mixed together yourself at home with the required ingredients bought from a vape store.
This method proves to be a little more expensive than buying cigarettes - but the benefits outweigh the costs anytime.
A new addition in the vaping world is the disposable vape.
A disposable vape comes out of the box fully charged and the liquid pod filled with the desired flavour of your choice. This eliminates the hassle of having to replace the wick, buy and mix e-liquid or change batteries every year or half.
These vapes come in various puffing capacities, like the 800+ puff Osun 2.0 which costs roughly the same as a pack of cigarettes but lasts for almost two packs. Or a higher capacity device like Osun 5000 which holds 5000 puffs, so you don't have to worry about buying a new one for a longer period of time.
!!! It is also very important that you recycle disposable vapes properly as the batteries contain lithium - which means when improperly disposed of end up in a landfill and could cause fires that are dangerous to the workers there.
Smoking kills over 8 million people worldwide each year. To stay safe we recommend picking up one or more of these methods if needed.
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