Monday November 16, 2009
Prepare to Quit Smoking
This year, November 19th marks the annual celebration of the Great American Smokeout, a day when smokers are encouraged to quit smoking for one day. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the event has gained steam over the years with upwards of 45 percent of the 45.3 million smokers in the United States today using the Smokeout as a springboard for smoking cessation.
If you're planning to jump on the quit smoking wagon when the Great American Smokeout rolls around this year, use the next couple of days to prepare for the journey ahead by learning what you can expect when you quit smoking.
You can quit smoking!
Put quitting tobacco in the top slot of your priority list and keep it there for as long as it takes, and refuse to give up until you've gotten this killer habit off your back, once and for all. The resources below will help you get started.
- Prepare to Quit Smoking - A Free Email Course
This free email newsletter course is designed to give you a head start by teaching you how to prepare for a successful quit program. You'll receive a newsletter daily in your mailbox for 6 days, covering topics such as how to develop the will to quit smoking, reviewing your reasons to quit, and looking at the benefits you can expect after you kick the habit.
- Planning for Your Quit Day
From what to expect when you quit smoking, to ways to deal with recovery, education is a vital part of a successful quit program.
- Gathering the Supplies to Help You Quit Smoking
The first several weeks of smoking cessation can be difficult. It's important to have things you can do to distract yourself in mind ahead of time...before the urge to smoke hits. A little preparation goes a long way.
A successful quit program doesn't happen by accident. Be proactive and make this the quit that lasts you a lifetime.
**************
Take The Quit Smoking Monday Pledge
Healthy Monday encourages us to think of for ourselves. If you're still smoking, put your cigarettes down and get started on your quit program today.
We all have the ability to quit smoking successfully, and we all deserve a life that is free of addiction. Honor your life by choosing Monday as the day to start and reinforce your quit program.
You can quit smoking ... and we're here to help you, one simple Monday at a time.
Image © healthymonday.org
Monday November 16, 2009
Get Inspired to Quit Smoking!
One of the best teachers is experience, and here at About.com Smoking Cessation, we have a library full of personal accounts from those people who have quit smoking successfully. Settle in with a cup of hot tea or chocolate and do a little reading. You'll come away motivated to make smoking a thing of the past....your past.
Freedom After 40 Years
"I started smoking at the tender age of 15. That would have been about 1968, and people smoked everywhere at that time. There were cigarette ads on TV, in magazines, and on billboards. Characters smoked on TV and in the movies. People smoked in restaurants, stores, offices, and in their homes. Anyone, any age, could buy cigarettes from a machine for about 50 cents a pack."
Dar's Miracle Quit Story
"Please rejoice with me, because I am one of the lucky ones. I quit smoking and have been given a second chance. I smoked for 50 years. Here is my story -- why I quit and why I think I will make it this time. I want more than anything for my story to inspire all of you, your friends and your families."
Mary's Quit Story
"I grew up around smokers. It seemed natural, almost expected of me. My parents smoked. My maternal grandparents smoked. All my aunts and uncles smoked (and I come from a big Italian family, so we're talking about a lot of smokers!). My adult cousins smoked. My paternal grandfather smoked cigars. Our neighbors, friends and even our family doctor smoked. What chance did I have?"
Friday November 13, 2009
Imagine being able to get a vaccine that would immunize you against nicotine addiction. After receiving a series of shots that encourage your body to build antibodies to nicotine, the vaccine would render the drug non-addictive. Imagine that.
While it may seem far fetched, such a vaccine is under current development by researchers at NABI Biopharmaceuticals. The goal of the nicotine vaccine, called NicVAX® (Nicotine Conjugate Vaccine) is twofold: to help people quit using tobacco and to eliminate the threat of a relapse by helping the body produce antibodies to nicotine.
Thanks to a $10-million grant just awarded them by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes on Health, NABI is now preparing to send NicVAX into its first phase III trial, an important step toward the final approval it needs from the Food and Drug Administration.
How The Nicotine Vaccine Works
Nicotine molecules are tiny and move easily through the blood-brain barrier, where they bind with nicotine receptors that activate the same reward pathways in the brain that other drugs of abuse such as cocaine or amphetamines do, although to a lesser degree. Research has shown that nicotine increases the level of dopamine in the brain, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for feelings of pleasure and well-being...and dependence.
When NicVAX enters the bloodstream via a shot in the arm, it helps the body's immune system generate antibodies to nicotine. Once this happens, these antibodies "capture" nicotine molecules by binding with them. And because the antibodies are too large to breach the blood/brain barrier, nicotine is unable to travel on to the brain where it can cause addiction.
"Nicotine addiction causes nearly a half million deaths annually in the United States alone. Finding effective treatments that can help people stay off cigarettes has been a real challenge," said NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins. "This Phase III trial of a nicotine vaccine offers tremendous hope towards solving this immense public health problem."
Federal Stimulus Grant Supports Crucial Study of Anti-Nicotine Vaccine -- NIH News
The nicotine vaccine, once approved, will be a valuable addition to the variety of quit aids available today. With a human life being lost to tobacco-related disease every 8 seconds somewhere on the planet, smokers need as many choices as possible to help them beat nicotine addiction before it beats them.
Quit Help:
Photo © Stockxpert
Thursday November 12, 2009
According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in American men and women today. It's also the most preventable form of cancer, with upwards of 87 percent of lung cancer cases attributable to tobacco use.
It's estimated that 219,440 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. before years end, and 159,390 precious lives will be lost.
If you're still smoking, I urge you to make the commitment to quit now. There is no time like the present to begin work on the changes you dream of making to improve your life.
Related:
Image courtesy of A.D.A.M.
