Is quitting smoking your New Year's resolution for 2023?
January 5, 2023 |Hanna Rubery
It is the first week of January and for many the start of their good intentions. Or like many, including us, you postpone starting until Monday. When it comes to quitting smoking, it can understandably feel intimidating, but the benefits of it easily outweigh this. Yet on average, only 9-12% of people stick to their New Year's resolutions. How can we improve this and make it easier for you to interrupt your journey? Why don't we start with how to quit smoking once and for all?
Which method to quit smoking is best?
First of all, you saw itNHS Stop Smoking App? With this handy tool in the palm of your hand, you can track your progress when you stop, see how much money you're saving, and get daily support when you need it. There are many local Quit Smoking services you can turn to for help that can increase your chances of success by up to 3x! If you're in the UK, you canfind your local servicesand receive all the information you need to get started. Alternatively, there are a number of quit smoking aids offered by the NHS and often available from pharmacies and some shops. These NRTs (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) are ideal for smokers because you can still get a nicotine hit, one of the main aspects that keep smokers from quitting. Some of the most common are skin patches, chewing gum, tablets/lozenges, and nose/mouth sprays.
The NHS suggests that a combination of NRTs is more effective than using just one. This is because some work faster than others to combat withdrawal symptoms, while others last longer. For example, if you use nicotine patches, you may want to combine them with something that works faster, such as nicotine gum.
Although not available by prescription, e-cigarettes have shown promising results in quit smoking attempts and are recognized by the NHS as one of themost effective toolsto quit smoking. There are a number of different reasons for this; by design they mimic the feeling of smoking cigarettes, which can help combat cravings, while providing a similar puff and throat sensation that some smokers enjoy, and of course they provide a nicotine hit to satisfy the craving.
Do you feel better after switching to vaping?
It is still proven that vaping is much less harmful than smoking cigarettesrecent evidence researchagain noticing a 95% reduction in damage. So it goes without saying that switching to vaping will feel very different from your cigarette smoking days. This is partly due to the thousands of harmful carcinogens found in cigarette smoke and carbon monoxide. Although e-cigarettes may also contain some of these chemicals and toxins, the amount found in e-cigarettes is significantly lower than in cigarettes. By vaping instead of smoking, you reduce the presence of carbon monoxide in your lungs, making you less likely to suffer from carbon monoxideoxygen level in the bloodcloser to normal. And this is just one of the benefits that you are likely to notice, but for this you will of course have to quit smoking completely. The dual users who smoke and vape will be less likely to notice strong effects, but there will still be some benefits and a greater chance of eventually quitting smoking altogether.
The longer it has been since your last cigarette, the more your body starts to repair itself. Between 2 and 12 weeks your circulation will have improved, which means that the blood will pump much better through your heart and muscles. After 3 to 9 months, your lung function improves by up to 10%. One year after quitting smoking, your risk of a heart attack is halved compared to that of a smoker!
Switch from cigarettes to side effects of vaping
When switching from cigarettes to vaping, it is common to experience some very common side effects that are usually mild and easy to correct. Some people cough the first few times. This is common because vaping can feel different than smoking; the vapor itself feels different from cigarette smoke. If this persists, you may need to change the way you vape. You may be inhaling too sharply or your nicotine strength/type may not be right for you. If you're still coughing after a few days, try slow, long inhales or switch to Nic salts, which are gentler on the throat. There is also a possibility that you are vaping too much. As a smoker, especially a heavy smoker, you may be more inclined to vape more often than you think because it can take longer for you to feel the nicotine hit. This may make you feel dizzy, slightly nauseous or have a mild headache. If this happens, stop vaping and wait for it to go away. If this happens regularly, you may be using too high a nicotine strength. Reduce your strength and if the problem continues, seek advice from your doctor or a medical provider.
Celebrities you may know who have quit smoking?
Brad Pitt Charlie Sheen Lady Gaga
With the pandemic and the hyper-awareness about our health that followed, Brad Pitt probably wasn't the only one who decided to quit smoking. He toldGQin June 2022 that cold turkey was the only thing that worked for him.
"I don't have the option to do just one or two a day. It's not in my makeup. I'm in."
Charlie Sheen passed away on July 4, 2020
"[Anyone] who is on the fence about quitting, believe me; the sooner the better!"
Another celebrity who said goodbye to cigarettes in 2020 was singer and star Lady Gaga. She talked about her nicotine addiction beforehand and in an interviewPeople, said she also quit cold turkey but was previously seen enjoying a vape before.
"But it was so hard. If you don't smoke, don't smoke! Because quitting is even worse. It's so cruel."
