Scottish smoking ban has improved public health.

There has been a significant improvement in public health according to the most recent research carried out in Scotland.

Comparisons of heart attack rates at nine hospitals showed a 17% drop in the number of heart attack victims since March 2006 when the smoking in public places ban was implemented.

The research also suggest that the air quality found in pubs is now as good as that outside.

The report also states there has been a reduction of 40% in the number of adults exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke (also known as environmental tobacco smoke)

The main findings of the study were;

The ban has reduced second hand smoke exposure in both children and adults.

Among primary school children, levels of a by-product of nicotine fell by more than a third (39%) following the ban.

In adults, cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine) levels fell by almost half (49%) in non-smokers from non-smoking households.

Non-smokers living in smoking households continued to have high levels of second hand smoke exposure in the home.

And the authors suggest that further action is urgently required to support smoking households to implement smoke-free homes and cars.


The scientific research is based on routine health data, as well as research projects undertaken by government scientists and Scottish universities into the effects of the smoking ban.

The Scottish deputy chief medical officer, Professor Peter Donnelly, said the results were proof that the ban had produced major health gains.

Professor Jill Pell, who headed the research team which made the findings, said: "The primary aim of smoking bans is to protect non-smokers from the effects of passive smoking.

But Scottish publicans claim that many of the benefits could have been achieved without a ban and complain that bar sales have declined because of it.

Jill Pell said; "Previous studies have not been able to confirm whether or not that has been achieved. What we were able to show is that among people who are non-smokers there was a 20% reduction in heart attack admissions. This [research] confirms that the legislation has been effective in helping non-smokers."

After the Scotland banned smoking in enclosed public spaces, Wales and Northern Ireland followed suit in April 2007 and England did the same in July 2007.

A new site is born

Chantix Side Effects is a terms searched on the internet about 16,000 times per month in the USA alone. The website www.chantixsideeffects.info was launched specifically to cater for this search term and has a comprehensive explanation about the side effects of chantix (varenicline).

Check it out at Chantix Side Effects

Ed Byrne - funny!

The occasional smoker joke!

Dave Allen vignette - Excellent!

This item is absolutely hilarious. I grew up watching Dave Allen on TV and he was brilliant then as he is now. A bit of foul language but bloody funny. Enjoy!

Best way to give up smoking - is there one?

In short the answer to the question: "Is there a best way to give up smoking" is yes. There is a best way to give up smoking for everyone but the method that may work for you may not work for others. What you need to do is find out which way is best for you.

There are several methods you can employ to give up smoking. The main ones are behavioural therapy, hypnosis, drugs, nicotine replacement therapy, will power and 'alternative' methods. I will give a brief description of each approach along with its pros and cons.

Is cognitive behavioural therapy the best way top give up smoking?
Cognitive behavioural therapy is one of the most successful methods to help smokers give up with success rates well above 50%. This is not the same as the standard literature you find all over the place. It is not the 'set a give up date', 'write out a give up plan', 'stay in and avoid alcohol' etc. etc. That doesn't work.

Cognitive behavioural therapy breaks smoking down into twenty or so component parts and changes the way you think about smoking, component by component. The end result is that all the reasons you think you smoke for are destroyed and you lose the will to smoke.

It is not a magic bullet. It is just one particularly effective approach to giving up smoking that uses no drugs whatsoever and leaves smokers feeling liberated the moment they give up smoking, rather than being fraught with anxiety. It is cheap when compared to other systems (less than $50) and is normally sold with a no quibble money back guarantee.

Is hypnosis the best way to give up smoking?
Studies suggest that hypnosis is successful to the tune of 30% of smokers in single sessions. Using multiple sessions, success rates of 60% plus have been reported. There is some evidence that women struggle to give up as readily as men using hypnosis.

It works by changing a person's mental attitude toward smoking using powerful visualisation techniques. Hypnosis is similar to neuro-linguistic programming or NLP. Both use similar relaxation and meditation techniques to overcome cravings and nicotine withdrawal symptoms. It is far from suitable for everyone but it is non-chemical and there are no drugs to use.

Hypnosis products can be bought over the internet for around $50 but one to one sessions with hypnotherapists can be considerably more expensive, to the tune of several hundred dollars.

Are drug therapies the best way to give up smoking?
The pharmaceutical industry seems to think so! Zyban is found to work in about 16% of smokers and Chantix has been found to be about 22% effective. It is not 44% effective as claimed by Pfizer, its manufacturer.

Drug therapies are almost always used alongside counselling to help smokers achieve their aims of becoming non-smokers. Drug therapies can be provided by health authorities or may be included within medical insurance. They generally cost in excess of $300 to complete the courses if bought privately.

The downside to drug therapies aside from cost is that you may suffer from side effects which can be serious enough to stop you using the drug.

Another downside is that you do not get a money back guarantee with them, unlike my own book (which uses cognitive behavioural therapy) and most hypnosis products available on the internet.

Is nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) the best way to give up smoking?
Studies show that NRT can increase you chances of giving up smoking when compared to people trying to give up cold turkey taking it from around 5% to around 10%. It comes in the form of 'transdermal' patches, which deliver nicotine through the skin into the bloodstream. It also comes as gum or pills (lozenges and microtabs) or plastic cigarettes or nasal sprays.

Nicotine replacement therapies work on the assumption that smoking consists of nicotine 'addiction' and the 'habit' of smoking. Smokers are expected to overcome the 'habit' whilst still getting their nicotine hit from the NRT product and then they are expected to reduce their nicotine intake until they are free from cigarettes and nicotine all together.

The downside of NRT is its expense in relation to the success rate it achieves. It is just as expensive as smoking and can leave people still needing the nicotine in the form of gum or lozenges for many months or even years after giving up smoking. NRT is often used in conjunction with Zyban to enhance both NRT and Zyban effectiveness. This makes it twice as expensive of course!

Is willpower the best way to give up smoking?
Will power has a very low success rate and smokers generally need to make several attempts over several years before they successfully give up smoking. The benefits of the willpower method are that the long terms success rate is very high. Chantix, Zyban and NRT approaches to giving up smoking can be more effective in the short term, but in the longer term, willpower quitters stay off the smokes for good.

The financial benefit of this method is very good of course because it doesn't cost a penny! This is however a false economy because it takes so long to successfully give up, there are a lot of packs of cigarettes bought between attempts and the final, and successful quit.

Are alternative methods the best way to give up smoking?
Alternative methods include herbal remedies, acupuncture and laser treatments amongst many others. Anecdotally, these methods have been found to be successful but the scientific evidence is not available. TV programs showing how 'successful' each of these treatments can be rely on interviewing one or two individuals - hence the anecdotal support.

These methods are frequently expensive and rarely come with a money back guarantee. They are virtually all supported by counselling in the form of book, audio tapes or one to one sessions.

So what is the best way to give up smoking?
My advice is to start by accepting there is going to be a cost to giving up smoking. There is going to be a higher cost to continue smoking, not only in terms of cash, but most significantly in terms of health.

If you want to give up smoking be prepared to accept that you may need to try several methods before you find your very own best way to give up smoking. The one that works for you will not be 50% or 30% or 22% effective - the one that works for you will be 100% effective and that is what really matters.

Start by considering products that come with money back guarantees so you can try it and if you fail, you can get your money back. Then move onto the next system until you come to those solutions that do not have money back guarantees.

As ever, my advice to any smoker trying to give up is to never stop trying to give up. Fall down seven times, get up eight!

The truth about drug company sponsored drug trials

If you read my blog regularly, you will know that I have little or no time for drugs to help smokers quit smoking. I believe smoking can be successfully overcome without drugs whatsoever, either by hypnosis or by using my own EasyQuit System book, available at http://easyquitsystem.com

I found the following BBC Panorama investigation on the BBC's website. You will need Windows Media Player to view this:

Secrets of the Drug Trials

Nicotine Replacement Therapy, Zyban and Varenicline have all got flawed efficacy studies in my opinion. Think carefully before turning to these solutions.

As ever, never stop trying to quit smoking.

Magically quit smoking

This is quite a funny little routine I found on Youtube. It has got nothing to do with quitting smoking, the guy just uses cigarettes and a lighter as a prop. Don't mind the fact that it is in French, the guy's sleight of hand is very good. Enjoy.

Quit smoking tips: 10 more pearls of wisdom!

When you decide to have another try at forgoing the evil weed, you can always benefit from some quit smoking tips. Wouldn't life be wonderful if you could quit smoking whenever you pleased? Well, unfortunately, life isn't that easy but in the mean time, here are some pearls of wisdom that may help you quit smoking.

Quit smoking tip #1: Write a list of all the reason why you want to smoke. It will be short. Write a list of all the reasons you want to quit smoking. It will be long. Keep both lists with you all times.

Quit smoking tip #2: For every reason you think of you want to quit, write it on a piece of paper about 3 inches long (the length of a cigarette). Roll it up and put it in an empty packet of the cigarettes you like to smoke. You should be able to get about 15 in the packet easily. Every time you want a cigarette, read a reason instead.

Quit smoking tip #3: Talk yourself into believing the next cigarette you smoke will be the one that gives you lung cancer. It won't seem so attractive!

Quit smoking tip #4: Consider buying products to help you quit smoking. There are many on the market and if they come with a money-back guarantee, you have nothing to lose except the smokes!

Quit smoking tip #5: You will suffer from nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Don't let these symptoms cloud your judgement as to why you chose to quit smoking.

Quit smoking tip #6: Never use nicotine replacement therapy. There is no way that you can overcome the addiction to nicotine by getting it in another delivery system.

Quit smoking tip #7: Understand that you will not be able to quit until you actually genuinely want to quit. It is no good trying to quit smoking just because you know you 'should' quit because it is bad for you.

Quit smoking tip #8: Watch what you eat. You may start eating between meals when you used to smoke. You will get fat if you continue to do this. Drink plenty of fruit juice for the first three days and then plenty of water - stay off the sugary drinks thereafter.

Quit smoking tip #9: Don't think about smoking. If you thin you are missing out on something you will just be torturing yourself.

Quit smoking tip #10: Never doubt your reasons for quitting nor doubt your ability to quit.

There are a plethora of products available to help people quit smoking. Some commentators cynically suggest that they are all useless. I believe that there is no one 'fix-all' cure for smoking. Some people will benefit from drug programs such as Chantix or Zyban, others from cognitive behavioural therapy and others from hypnosis.

My argument is that people should try any and every method they can because the benefits of quitting smoking make it worthwhile. But whatever you do, never stop trying to quit.

Pete Howells has written the EasyQuit System that will help any smoker quit tobacco. He also blogs quit smoking advice at http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com Visit http://easyquitsystem.com/ to find out more about his incredible process for quitting smoking that boasts 96% customer satisfaction.

Quit smoking tips: 10 of the best

It is difficult for people to quit smoking (or so we are told) and until you actually realise it can be easy you could benefit from some quit smoking tips. You will need help to keep you off the smokes as long as you have this negative attitude to quitting. The following is a list of widely accepted tricks to help you get through the process of quitting.

Quit smoking tip #1: Rid your entire life of cigarettes and all the paraphernalia of smoking such as lighters, matches, ashtrays etc. Never carry cigarettes with you.

Quit smoking tip #2: Accept that you are never going to have another cigarette as long as you live. Understand that the only reason you could possibly need any smoking paraphernalia is because you plan on smoking again.

Quit smoking tip #3: Don't kid yourself that you will let your friends smoke in your house. You must ban smoking from every aspect of your life. Your house, your car, your back yard.

Quit smoking tip #4: Never doubt your decision to quit smoking. It was the right decision.

Quit smoking tip #5: Every time you crave a cigarette, feel proud that you have gone this long without one and you can manage even longer.

Quit smoking tip #6: Drink plenty of water and drink plenty of citric fruit juices for the first couple of days. Stop drinking sugary drinks after day 3 or you will put on weight.

Quit smoking tip #7: If you are worried about getting fat, start using the stairs at work or whenever you can. If you have to go somewhere within a mile, walk instead of cycle or taking the car.

Quit smoking tip #8: Start eating healthy food. Stay off the pastries, sweets, potato chips and chocolates. Eat raw vegetables and plenty of fruit. Without smoking, these things start tasting even better than normal.

Quit smoking tip #9: Set aside a jar to put all your cigarette money in. You will be saving over $30 a week if you are a normal smoker. Use this money to spend on something extravagant for your self after the first week and then after the first month.

Quit smoking tip #10: Tell everyone you know that you are quitting smoking. Ask them for their encouragement - they will give it. Smokers and non-smokers and ex-smokers especially, will all be 100% behind you. No-one likes seeing friends or family killing themselves.

There are many support methods out there to help smokers quit. You can use nicotine replacement therapy (which I seriously don't recommend), zyban or chantix with 16% and 22% apparent success rates. There are also other methods that do not use drugs or pharmacological interventions such as hypnotherapy or cognitive behavioural therapy. These methods generally boast better long term results than drugs do.

My advice to anyone trying to quit smoking is to be prepared to try any and every method you can. Invest money (particularly if it comes with a money back guarantee) because it is money well spent. No-one can tell you which method will work best for you so you can only find out by trying all the methods.

As always, never stop trying to quit smoking.

Pete Howells has written the EasyQuit System that will help any smoker quit tobacco. He also blogs quit smoking advice at http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com Visit http://easyquitsystem.com/ to find out more about his incredible process for quitting smoking that boasts 96% customer satisfaction.

How to easily quit smoking

There is a burning desire in all smokers to find out how to easily quit smoking. The reason for this is quite simple. Every time smokers try to quit smoking they find that is difficult and inevitably 19 out of 20 fail to kick the habit. However, it is true that you can easily quit smoking so let me explain.

Now this may sound a bit weird but my personal view on this is that quitting smoking is only difficult because smokers don't know how to easily quit smoking.

Let me clarify. Driving a car is difficult the first time you do it. That is because you do not know how to drive a car. Once you have spent some time learning 'how' to drive a car, it becomes easier. In fact, most people don't even think about how to drive a car and they do it every day. It becomes second nature.

Let's look at another example. Most people think that building and publishing a website is difficult. Before I started working full time on the internet I felt the same. Then, as time passed and I took time to learn how to write webpages, publish articles, write blogs and manage a website, I realised that it wasn't difficult. It was just that before, I didn't know how to do it and that made it seem difficult.

To this day I haven't the faintest idea how to weld, but I am certain I could learn!

And so it is with smoking. I know how to easily quit smoking because I learned how to and have done it. That doesn't mean I start and stop as I please. As a smoker, I spent 20 years of my life wanting to stop smoking. The problem was, I didn't know how to easily stop smoking and so every attempt over 20 years (and there must have been 20 or 30 attempts) ended in failure. That was until I discovered how to easily quit smoking. I don't want to be a smoker - that's why I found out how to quit.

Now obviously, I cannot write a 500 word article that is going to explain in full how to easily quit smoking. I explain how to easily quit smoking in my book but I want ot give you a few pointers here in this article.

The first and foremost issue that smokers absolutely must overcome in order to easily quit smoking is to change their outlook on cigarettes and how that fits in with the rest of their lives. What I mean by this is that most smokers subconsciously or not, believe that cigarettes form a part of their persona. A non-smoker picks up their keys and wallet when they leave the house. A smoker picks up their keys and wallet and cigarettes and lighter. It forms an integral part of their every day life.

Smokers will pretty much always know how many cigarettes they have on their person. They know this like they know how many fingers anyone knows they have on their left hand.

Smoking and cigarettes (or whatever your 'pleasure') are an integral part of a smokers life. They feel that cigarettes provide enjoyment and pleasure. They are difficult to live without because of the pleasure they bring. Right?

Wrong!

In order to even start on discovering how to easily quit smoking, smokers must learn to comprehend that they can spend the rest of their lives without cigarettes. It is not a matter of thinking I will quit smoking, then have a cigarette once a month because I enjoy them so much. A smoker who is trying to quit must understand that they can enjoy the rest of their lives without cigarettes. Let me explain why.

Roughly speaking 25% of the population smoke. Another 25% of the population used to smoke but have quit. Yet another 25% of the population tried to smoke at some point but couldn't so they didn't bother. Finally, 25% of the population have never had a cigarette or any tobacco smoke enter their lungs.

As a smoker you are only make up 1 in 4 of the population and the other three quarters seem to get on with their lives ok. They don't need cigarettes and if you are a smoker, you don't either. Once you understand this point, you have taken your first step on how to easily quit smoking.

I know that if you are looking to quit smoking you will be shown a vast array of products to choose from, including nicotine replacement therapy, chantix, zyban, herbal solutions, books and hypnosis. Whilst I believe in the cognitive behavioural approach as being the best way to quit smoking, it is not perfect for everyone. So I recommend that you try anything or everything you can to quit smoking. There will be at least one effective approach to quitting smoking that will work for you. I only wish I could tell you which!

Whatever you do, never quit trying to quit.

Why do people try to quit smoking before they know how to quit smoking? Pete Howells is the author of the EasyQuit System available only online at http://easyquitsystem.com. He also blogs, post articles and videos at http://easyquitsystem.com/blog and at http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com

EasyQuit System - Is It Just Another Failure Attempt?

I found this article about my book on the internet the other day. What a pleasant suprise!

With all the quitting smoking system scams flooding in the internet and outside the internet, it can be difficult to find an easy and truly way to really stop smoking. And so when I came across this new e-book by Peter Howells, I wasn’t expecting anything truly as I have been tried, scammed and disappointed so many times before.

But the EasyQuit System seemed to be more down to earth than most. So I promptly picked up a copy and figured that if nothing else, it would be a decent e-book that would give me the opportunity to finally quit smoking.

But from the opening pages of the EasyQuit System, I must admit I was taken a bit off guard with the exceptional method and overall of the system. The method was very well organized, easy to embrace and I found Peter writing style refreshing in a comparison of other e-books or methods I was trying before.

Learn more about it here

The EasyQuit System starts with explaining why I become a smoker and how I can overcome this bad habit. This is followed by a series of powerful truths about the psychology of smoking that work surprisingly well. The intention is not to frighten you, but to emphasize truths about the psychology of smoking and how to deal with them.

Before I bought EasyQuit System I have never thought it can be easy to stop smoking, I knew it is possible, but certainly not easy. I simply didn’t know how. But Peter shows how even a heavy smoker like myself can easily quit smoking.

There is also very detailed information of how not becoming a smoker again and without any needs of using substitutes. Later on in the e-book you also discover a very surprising, and important fact about the nicotine. Never before have I seen, read or experienced quit smoking method that goes into the level of details that EasyQuit System does.

Learn more about it here

Everything is clearly explained and demonstrated with examples. You will feel like the e-book is written especially for your need, stop smoking easily. Peter shows exactly how to stop smoking and how to remain a non smoker without any side affects.

One thing that is missing in EasyQuit System is the frighten tactics, but from my own experience you will not quit smoking if someone frightening you or you will never be a happy non smoker. The techniques in EasyQuit System are much more effective.

The EasyQuit System is also provides a full 60 days money back guarantee if you purchased the e-book and you are not satisfied, meaning you are not a happy non smoker. Therefore there is no risk buying this e-book and trying the method.

A command problem with a lot of other quitting smoking systems is that after experienced the method you will generally found yourself left on your own to figure out things. But this is certainly not the case with EasyQuit System. Peter offers exceptional e-mail support and for the few times I have had question he was responded very quickly.

Overall the EasyQuit System is exceptional method that has taught me how to quit smoking easily and becoming a happy non smoker.

Learn more about it here

Yours, Shuri

This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_185994_17.html

10 quit smoking symptoms explained

There are many different quit smoking symptoms that appear in smokers who are trying to quit. The range of symptoms is quite wide but luckily, most smokers will not suffer all of the symptoms, only one or two. Nevertheless, some of the symptoms can be quite uncomfortable and can motivate smokers to start up and abandon quitting.

In alphabetical order, the most common quit smoking symptoms are:

Quit smoking symptom #1: Anger: When you quit smoking, your brain chemistry isn't able to work normally because you haven't any nicotine in your system. As a result, smokers who have been off the smokes for a day or too can get a bit cranky. They tend to be pretty unpleasant company and are liable to fly off the handle pretty easily.

Quit smoking symptom #2: Bad Breath or halitosis: This is one of the more anti-social of quit smoking symptoms. Many people recommend chewing gum as this not only gives your mouth something to do but also covers up the bad odour. What most smokers don't realise is that they had bad breath anyway. It is only because they quit smoking that they actually came to notice it!

Quit smoking symptom #3: Constipation: It is not known specifically why, but many smokers complain of constipation when they quit smoking. The intestinal tract tends to slow down but it is normally only temporary. The only recommended remedies are to drink plenty of water and eat plenty of high fibre foods such as wholemeal and fruits.

Quit smoking symptom #4: Cough: When you quit smoking, the lungs finally get a moment to start cleaning themselves the way they are supposed to. This process doesn't work normally when smoking every hour or so. The body is simply expelling the mucus that has accumulated over the years. This wet cough should only last a week or two and it is your body naturally cleaning itself from the inside.

Quit smoking symptom #5: Cravings: When you quit smoking, you stop taking in a regular supply of nicotine. After only 3 days there is none left in your body. As such, because your brain is so used to nicotine it 'wonders' where it is and asks for more by giving you cravings to smoke. Your best course of action is to distract yourself for a while. The average craving only lasts a minute or two and they become fewer and farther between over time.

Quit smoking symptom #6: Dizziness: When you quit smoking, your body starts fixing the red blood cells that have been handicapped with carbon monoxide. After a couple of days, the 15% of a smoker's blood that was dysfunctional becomes proper working blood again. The dizziness is a side effect of the extra oxygen your blood is delivering to your brain!

Quit smoking symptom #7: Headaches: Your body has been used to nicotine within the system whilst you were a smoker. Now that the nicotine has subsided, your brain chemistry is trying to reset itself. Sometimes this manifests in headaches. To deal with this, your best bet is to avoid caffeinated drinks such as coffee or cola and drink plenty of water. Take some painkillers when required.

Quit smoking symptom #8: Hunger: Craving for cigarettes can be confused with hunger. You have been used to having a cigarette (or something) in your mouth about once every hour for the last few years. That is now gone. Try sucking a straw, eating low-calorie raw vegetables or chewing gum. Don't turn to chocolate or potato chips - you will get fat!

Quit smoking symptom #9: Insomnia: Because the nicotine your brain was used to is no longer there, the brain isn't working the way it is used to. As a result, it may keep you in a bit of a nervous panic that stops you being able to sleep. Have a hot bath and a hot drink and see if you can't nod off like normal.

Quit smoking symptom #10: Sore throat: Your body has been used to secreting plenty of mucus in your airways whilst you were a smoker to deal with the irritation of the smoke. When you quit, it stops producing this mucus and leaves you with a dry throat that becomes sore. Drink plenty of water to try and alleviate the symptoms. If they get really bad, try an over-the-counter anaesthetic spray.

All of these quit smoking symptoms will conspire against you. They will irritate and annoy you when you try to quit smoking. But remember, they are just symptoms and they will all pass in time. As irritating and annoying as they all are, none of them are as tedious as an early death from cigarettes!

Whatever you do when you are trying to quit smoking, my advice is to never stop trying to quit.

Pete Howells has written the EasyQuit System that will help any smoker quit tobacco. He also blogs quit smoking advice at http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com Visit http://easyquitsystem.com/ to find out more about his incredible process for quitting smoking that boasts 96% customer satisfaction.

Cold turkey quit smoking method

Many people have heard of the cold turkey quit smoking method but where does the phrase 'cold turkey' actually come from? Well, it is thought to be a description of the withdrawal effects that heroine addicts must endure when they stop using. One of these withdrawal symptoms is a cold sweat leading to goose pimples on a clammy skin. It's about the same a cold turkey before it goes in the oven at thanksgiving (without the butter of course!).

The origins of the phrase cold turkey also underline the extreme physical pain associated with heroine withdrawal. It is such a powerful drug (hence all the social problems it causes) that it leaves addicts with severe physical side effects when not taken. This extreme is erroneously transferred into the smokers' mind when using the cold turkey quit smoking method. Quitting smoking is nowhere near as painful!

Personally, I define the cold turkey quit smoking method as any method that does not employ the use of drugs or physical aids or 'crutches' to support the smoker. By this I mean the likes of nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gum, lozenges, spray etc.), chantix, zyban or any herbal treatment, fake cigarettes or aversion therapies.

I do consider things like cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnotherapy to fall into the cold turkey quit smoking method because they do not condone the use of drugs to try and assist the smoker. They condone the power of the mind to overcome the problem of nicotine addiction.

In the case of acupuncture and laser therapy, there is little evidence that these methods work and they both require physical interference. Anecdotally of course, there are many ex-smokers that used these methods but studies have shown no improvement in quit rates when compared to cold 'turkeyers'.

Hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy are both cold turkey quit smoking methods that are known to be effective. Cognitive behavioural therapy is a means of changing your thinking (cognition) and behaviour to a specific event, habit or aspect of life.

Unlike the classic cold turkey "lock-yourself-in-a-room-and-suffer" method of quitting smoking, hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy work by dealing with smokers' mental perceptions of smoking.

In the case of hypnotherapy as a cold turkey quit smoking method, the smoker may be 'taught' to respond to cravings for cigarettes by thinking about a pleasant time in their life to get over the craving. The smoker may also be 'taught' to dislike smoking. Many people successfully quit smoking using hypnosis but many fail too.

In the case of cognitive behavioural therapy, smokers are presented with a whole new view on smoking. It is a system by which the hugely complicated psychological trap of smoking, is broken down into bite-size pieces. Each piece of the trap is then dismantled, leaving smokers with little choice but to quit of their own free will.

Unlike the classic cold turkey quit smoking method, smokers who quit using cognitive behavioural therapy often report knowing that they have quit and that they will never smoke again. It is not the same with hypnotherapy or acupuncture or laser therapy.

I am of course a proponent of cognitive behavioural therapy. When I stopped smoking using this method, it was an epiphany. It was like my eyes had been opened after years in the darkness. The moment I stopped I knew I would never have another cigarette and it was a hugely liberating experience. However, it is not the same for everyone and there is no 'one-size-fits-all' method for quitting smoking.

Generally, my advice to all smokers is to try any and every method to find the one that works for them. There are many ways to get off cigarettes and the cold turkey quit smoking method is just one of them.

Spending money on money-back guaranteed systems first is the best approach because if that system doesn't work, you can get your cash back and move onto the next. If it does work, it will be money well spent. But my final and most important piece of advice to any would be quitter is to never give up trying to quit, no matter how soul destroying the process seems.

Pete Howells has written the EasyQuit System that will help any smoker quit tobacco. Visit http://easyquitsystem.com/ to find out more about his incredible process for quitting smoking that boasts 96% customer satisfaction.

Motivation to stop smoking

Pete Howells has written the EasyQuit System that will help any smoker quit tobacco. Visit http://easyquitsystem.com/ to find out more about his incredible process for quitting smoking that boasts 96% customer satisfaction.

Best way to quit smoking: Does such a thing exist?

A question that most smokers hoping to quit would like to know the answer to is "what is the best way to quit smoking?" - and with good reason. The average smoker who quits will take seven attempts over several years to achieve their goal of becoming smoke free. During that time, they will suffer many bouts of low self-esteem as they normally fail time and time again. It can be a soul destroying objective.

When I was a smoker I tried to quit smoking about three times a year. Once every New Year and then again at my birthday in May and again while on my summer vacation. I tried cold turkey more times than I care to remember and never got past 9pm the same day I quit.

I was convinced that Nicotine Replacement Therapy was the key. The mass advertising and the swathe of public opinion that surrounded NRT made me think it was going to be the best way to quit smoking. It all took me in.

I tried nicotine patches about ten times. I never managed more than a couple of days before I quit 'the quit'. I tried lozenges - disgusting. I tried the microtabs which left a 'lump' in my throat which was foul. I tried the inhalator which did the same as the microtabs. I tried silver acetate which is supposed to makes cigarettes taste horrible. It does but it also makes everything else taste horrible.

For me, Nicotine Replacement Therapy was not the best way to quit smoking. But, studies suggest that between 1 in 10 and 1 in 20 people who would not have quit using just will-power alone, manage to quit with NRT.

I heard about Zyban (wellbutrin or bupropion) and though that was it. The 'cure-all' pill I had been longing for. The bad news was that when my doctor checked my blood pressure before prescribing it to me, my BP was through the roof. You see, smokers suffer from high blood pressure because they smoke so much. It is a catch-22. You want to use the smoking cessation aid but you can't because you have health problems from smoking. That's irony for you!

Studies have shown that Zyban can help about 1 in 10 people quit smoking over and above those that would have quit anyway but for me it didn't matter, it wasn't the best way for me to quit smoking.

Now we have Chantix (or Champix in the UK or varenicline) available and Pfizer, its manufacturer, are claiming up to 44% of smokers quit using it. The truth of the matter though is that these claims are highly exaggerated. It is thought to help 1 in 7 initial quit attempts succeed over and above the ones that would have succeeded anyway. However, the long term success rate is only about 15-20% which is a long way off the 44% claimed by Pfizer.

Quitting smoking for a short period of time is a good thing for your body, but smokers don't want breaks from smoking, they want to quit smoking for good. To this end, I don’t think that Chantix is the best way to quit smoking either.

What other methods are available? Well there is hypnosis, cognitive behavioural therapy, acupuncture, laser treatment, herbal remedies and the old favourite - will-power!

Hypnosis is a proven method for quitting smoking and can be used in many areas of ones life to change ones approach to things. Although statistical evidence is hard to come by, anecdotal evidence suggests that hypnosis can be a very good method for quitting smoking. To this end, I cannot say hypnosis is the best way to quit smoking.

Cognitive behavioural therapy means "think-behave" therapy. It is a process of changing the way you think about something to enable you to change the way you behave towards it. It is the method I use in my own book on quitting smoking.

People who quit using this method often report 'knowing' that they will never smoke another cigarette again. In terms of long-term success, if you quit using this method, you usually stay quit for good. But does that make cognitive behavioural therapy the best way to quit smoking? I'll answer that later.

As for herbal treatment, acupuncture and laser treatment, there is no evidence what so ever that these methods are effective. It is impossible for anyone to say whether any of these methods are the best way to quit smoking.

Finally, there is cold turkey. This is clearly one of the least effective methods for getting you to quit smoking, but if you do quit smoking using a method without the support of drugs such as NRT, Zyban on Chantix, the evidence suggests you will be a happier long-term non-smoker.

In answer to the initial question, I believe the best way to quit smoking is by overcoming your addiction to nicotine through the strength of your character and using the focus of your mind. Absolutely everyone has the will power within them to beat smoking but they don't believe in themselves and so they think they need 'chemical' support.

In broader terms, the best way to quit smoking is simply any method that works for you. Everyone is different and will find a different solution for them.

I know people who have simply walked away from cigarettes at a moments notice and never touched them again. I also know people who have succeeded with hypnotherapy and I know that only 4% of my own customers take me up on my guarantee. I know the statistical evidence for the other methods. The point is, the best way to quit smoking is by using the method that works for you and you can only know which method that is if you have tried it. So keep trying all the methods until you find the one that works.

As ever, never quit trying to quit smoking.

Pete Howells has written the EasyQuit System that will help any smoker quit tobacco. Visit http://easyquitsystem.com/ to find out more about his incredible process for quitting smoking that boasts 96% customer satisfaction.

Quit smoking cold turkey: Why it is better to use your mind

To quit smoking cold turkey, i.e. without the aid of pills or false cigarettes or herbal remedies, is often thought to be the most difficult ways to quit smoking. However, there is one specific reason why to quit smoking cold turkey is far and away the best type of method to use. The reason is simply long term success.

There are a vast number of options available to quit smoking on the internet and through health service providers. To name just a few, you can quit smoking using hypnosis, or nicotine replacement therapy or using zyban (wellbutrin or bupropion) or chantix (champix or varenicline).

These methods are all thought to improve your chances of quitting smoking in the first instance. Indeed there is a wealth of studies that show when you use these methods, your chances of quitting improve significantly. However, it is only when we look at the longer term that we find the initial success rates fall off and the long term success becomes poorer than the quit smoking cold turkey method.

The point is that initially, people who try to quit smoking using these pharmaceutical methods or even hypnosis, bio resonance or acupuncture may indeed be more successful than those who quit smoking cold turkey. In the long term though, these quitters have a lower success rate. It is much like the hare and the tortoise.

The tortoise is the quit smoking cold turkey type who has a very low success rate initially, but those who successfully quit using this method, rarely turn back. On the other hand, the hares rush off successfully stopping and then later, they struggle with their quit. But why is this?

Well, anecdotally, I know of people who have both succeeded and failed using hypnosis. I know few who have even tried to quit smoking using zyban or chantix. I also know (and was one) of many who have succeeded then failed with nicotine replacement therapy gum, patches, lozenges an inhalators.

With NRT and Zyban and Chantix, there is no ‘understanding’ of smoking. It is just 'magic'! Well, actually it is not magic but the people who try this method live in the vain hope that this medicine will solve all their smoking problems. It won’t because their heads are not 'straight'. Because they haven't addressed their emotional relationship with smoking and nicotine, they struggle in the long term to overcome their reliance upon tobacco. Hence they resort to smoking at a later time.

With respect to hypnosis, the most common approach is to use hypnosis to re-align your emotional response to cigarettes. This is done through the subconscious mind and again fails to address the emotional relationship between the smoker and their cigarettes.

When people attempt to quit smoking cold turkey, they have to deal with the emotional strain of quitting smoking. There are no supports or props to keep their mental fortitude in shape. These quitters have to take on the emotional roller coaster of the quit, head on.

By doing this, they become incredibly strong and durable to the challenge of quitting smoking. The challenge of beating their addiction to nicotine strengthens their resolve. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I cannot say how each individual quitter quits successfully when they quit smoking cold turkey. Everyone is different and so whether it is coping with cravings, realising they don't enjoy smoking or just turning their backs on cigarettes, it is different for each and everyone.

What I can say though is that most people who quit smoking cold turkey are happier than those who resort to other methods to help them. I can also tell you that most smokers who quit smoking cold turkey will have found one or two or up to 30 key things that they understand about smoking that they did not understand when they were a smoker. It is these 'secrets' that make quitting smoking for them possible. In some respects it makes them easy.

When I quit smoking, I did so full in the knowledge that I would never smoke again because I too had discovered the secrets. I knew how to quit smoking so it was a straightforward process.

So my advice to you is that if you must, quit smoking using any and every chemical aid you can. Try them all. If they work, you will be a non-smoker and that is something to celebrate. But beware; statistically, you are more likely to fall back into the trap of smoking. However, if you want to quit smoking and be at one with yourself, without the stress, consider the cold turkey methods available to you that require no chemicals or nicotine at all. But most of all, what ever you do, never stop trying to quit.

Why do people try to quit smoking before they know how to quit smoking? Pete Howells is the author of the EasyQuit System available only online at http://easyquitsystem.com . He also blogs and post articles and videos at http://easyquitsystem.com/blog and at http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com

Chantix side effects

Chantix is the US trading name for the drug varenicline, developed by Pfizer and released for general use in 2006. It has received some exceptional media attention due to its (claimed) success rates. Pfizer's own website claims a 44% success rate which makes for a very interesting and potentially profitable drug. The more commonly accepted 'success rate' is only 22% however.

As with Zyban, the other well-known aid for smoking cessation, there are a number of side effects to be taken into consideration with Chantix.

Chantix side effects are known to include most seriously, severe nausea with up to 30% of people trying to quit smoking using Chantix, having to stop the treatment due to this side effect being so strong. Disturbances of the gut such as constipation, diarrhoea, abdominal discomfort, excessive indigestion and excessive flatulence have all been mentioned as well as vomiting.

Other Chantix side effects are known to include headaches, difficulty sleeping (insomnia), abnormal dreams including nightmares, sleepiness and dizziness.

People have reported other Chantix side effects including a change in their sense of taste (no - not fashion or the opposite sex!), a dry mouth and changes in appetite both for food and for sex! They have also reported increased incidences of airway infections, mood swings, tremor and restlessness.

Some people also notice an increased need for the bathroom, chest pains, palpitations, and skin reactions such as rashes or itchiness.

Having listed all of these potential side effects however, it is important to note that not all side effects happen in every person. Admittedly, many people suffer too much from the nausea to continue with the treatment but many of the other side effects are quite mild and potentially a small price to pay for quitting smoking.

It is also important to note that many of these Chantix side effects show up when people quit smoking anyway and they are commonly attributed to nicotine withdrawal. Of note, dry mouth, increased airway infections, mood swings and anxiety, tremor and chest pains are all attributed to nicotine withdrawal too.

It is also important to mention, despite its short-term claim for 44% success rates, Chantix's longer-term success rates are similar to that of Zyban. Zyban is made more effective by using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and Chantix is more effective if subjects take NRT after finishing the 12-week course. You can read my views on nicotine replacement therapy at http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Nicotine-Replacement-Therapy-Scam&id=487030

Both Zyban and Chantix are used in combination with support counselling for smokers as well as NRT. The drugs themselves cannot stand up on their own and certainly do not come with money back guarantees and that is on top of the Chantix side effects listed here.

Notwithstanding all this, if you want to quit smoking, no matter how many times you don't achieve it, just keep on trying. Never stop trying to quit!

Why do people try to quit smoking before they know how to quit smoking? Pete Howells is the author of the EasyQuit System available only online at http://easyquitsystem.com . He also blogs and post articles and videos at http://easyquitsystem.com/blog and at http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com

Quit smoking pills

There is a whole raft of quit smoking pills available on the market these days. Most of them are advertised as being a 'cure-all' for your woes as a smoker and will alleviate all of your concerns about quitting smoking. They come in two main forms - pharmaceutical types made by the big drug companies or 'snake oil' types made from 'magic' ingredients. However, I have my doubts about the need for pills at all.

Unfortunately, smokers are a pretty desperate bunch when it comes to trying to quit and anyone offering quit smoking pills has got a fair chance of making a sale. Having said that, one of my own edicts for people trying to quit smoking is to just keep trying and try as many methods as you can until you succeed.

Why do I advocate such a stance you may ask? Well, whether it be through sheer willpower, quit smoking pills, hypnosis, acupuncture, laser treatment or my own cognitive behavioural therapy approach, the benefits of quitting smoking are just so extensive, I implore all smokers to keep trying to quit.

I know most smokers are reluctant to spend money on products to help them quit, but from a logical point of view, it makes a lot of sense. Spending money on products may seem tedious but even if it costs $1000 to find 'the cure' that works for you, it is still less than half of a years smoking costs. And you get all the benefits of quitting smoking which are worth years of extra life!

However, whilst I think smokers should persist in finding 'a cure' that works, I am somewhat reluctant to recommend using medication and 'herbal' remedies. Why is this?

Well, smoking is an addiction to nicotine and smokers only smoke cigarettes to get at the nicotine. Despite cigarette smoke being so toxic, smokers are 'conditioned' to enjoy smoking because of the nicotine buzz that comes with it. The cigarette is not pleasurable at all, but the nicotine is because of the way it has established itself as a part of a smoker's brain chemistry.

Quit smoking pills are generally thought to interfere with the brain chemistry in smokers heads. Brain chemistry in smokers is different from that in non-smokers and that is why smokers smoke. Their brain chemistry is different, and it was made different by smoking! It is a chicken and egg, egg and chicken kind of thing!

The pharmaceutical quit smoking pills most commonly known to aid in quitting smoking are Zyban and Chantix. Zyban is also traded as wellbutrin or bupropion and Chantix is also marketed as Champix and varenicline.

Whilst the exact processes that go on to discourage smoking with these products are not known, there is obviously some activity because both Zyban and Chantix are known to improve a smoker's ability to quit smoking. The downside is that they also have side effects, as is common with many pharmaceutical drugs. Zyban and Chantix should only be considered after consultation with your doctor.

The effectiveness of both of these drugs has been studied extensively although as drug companies fund drug studies, there is a pre-disposition to find in favour of the effectiveness. Despite the pharmacological effects these drugs have, they are always prescribed alongside some form of counselling or advice. If they were capable of achieving great results without the support, I would believe in them - but they do not work without counselling help.

Alternative quit smoking pills are marketed on the internet and elsewhere. These generally make lurid claims about their effectiveness at quitting smoking. They are often described as herbal remedies and may contain 'proprietary' substances. This in my opinion, is all snake oil!

Again, like the pharmaceutical quit smoking pills available, snake oil solutions are sold with quit smoking guides to change the way you think about your relationship with cigarettes. This is the crux of quitting smoking though. People think they need a pill or a magic potion to achieve their goal but they don't. I believe people just need to focus their minds on the problem at hand and they can overcome it.

If you start out trying to quit smoking thinking that you need the support of a drug, you already think that quitting smoking requires 'outside help'. It doesn't. If you stop thinking it is going to be difficult to quit smoking, do you realise it just might be a bit easier to quit?

Finally, whichever method you use to quit smoking, my most important piece of advice is that if a 'solution' fails, try something else. There are over 50 ways of quitting smoking and quit smoking pills is just one of them. Never stop trying to quit.

Why do people try to quit smoking before they know how to quit smoking? Pete Howells is the author of the EasyQuit System available only online at http://easyquitsystem.com . He also blogs and post articles and videos at http://easyquitsystem.com/blog and at http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com

Anti-smoking campaigers

Stop Smoking Medications

In this day and age, we all want a cure-all pill that will solve all of our woes. We want a stop smoking pill, a diet pill, a little blue sex pill, a heartburn pill an anti-stress pill and an anti-depression pill. Heck if you could make one pill that did all that, you would make Bill Gates look like a pauper! But what stop smoking medications are there available to us?

For the purposes of this article, I am only going to look at the stop smoking medications that have some merit about them and have actually been tested. The herbal, shaman, snake oil remedies and secret formulas are not getting a mention!

The first of the stop smoking medications I want to mention is the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) approach to quitting smoking. This comes in main forms of 24-hour patch, 16-hour patch, chewing gum, lozenge, microtab, inhalator (a plastic nicotine only 'cigarette'), or nasal spray. The idea is to use this source of nicotine as a replacement to keep your cravings for tobacco under control. The process does not wean smokers from nicotine (which in my opinion, is the only reason why people smoke).

Of the stop smoking medications I am reviewing, this has the least side effects and normally only leaves an unpleasant taste or sensation with the smoker. The nicotine is absorbed through the mucosal linings of the mouth and nose and can cause irritation because these parts of the body are not used to nicotine.

NRT is said to double the rate of success in quitting smoking when compared to people quitting using will power or going cold turkey. That success rate is between 3% and 5% so NRT has a long term success rate of around 6-10%. Not great odds! Of the stop smoking medications I am looking at here, this is by far the weakest medication.

The second of the stop smoking medications I want to mention is zyban, which is often known as wellbutrin or bupropion hydrochloride. Zyban was initially developed as an anti-depressant (which it is still used as) but during clinical trials, researchers found that smokers stopped without any intervention at a statistically improbable rate. In other words, one of the side effects of taking zyban was an increased likelihood of quitting smoking.

Zyban is an incredibly popular drug with over 21 million prescriptions in the US in 2006. The beneficial side effect of zyban helping people quit smoking is countered by the many negative side effects. In larger doses, zyban can cause seizures and there is little tolerance for alcohol too.

Because zyban interacts with a subjects brain chemistry, there is a need for doctors to assess a patients mental health very carefully before prescribing. There are also implications when prescribed with high blood pressure (prevalent in smokers!) and people with heart problems (again, prevalent in smokers!). Zyban was initially seen as the potential 'cure-all' pill but in truth, this is not the case.

Studies have shown zyban is about 15% effect when used in combination with NRT and stop smoking support groups.

Of the three stop smoking medications I am looking at, Chantix is the final and most promising of the three. Chantix is the trade name for varenicline which is also traded as Champix in the UK. But just because is is a promising stop smoking medication, it does not mean it is 'the cure-all'.

Again, like zyban, chantix interferes with the brain chemistry of a smoker, although the exact mechanism as to how this happens is not known. It is thought the chantix blocks off the receptors in the brain where nicotine normally attaches. As a result, the normal smoke and reward cycle associated with smoking doesn't work because the nicotine doesn't get a chance to do what it normally does. As a result, the smoker finds that smoking does not have the benefits it once did so they are inclined to stop.

Pfizer, the manufacturer claims a 44% success rate but other studies have shown a much lower success rate in the order of 20%.

Of all the stop smoking medications out there, chantix is probably the most effective but all of these approaches lack one common requirement. When you quit smoking, no matter which of the stop smoking medications you use, if any, you need to get your mental attitude to smoking and tobacco sorted out. It is possible to stop smoking without any of the stop smoking medications available, as many millions of people do every year - why not try and be one of them.

As ever, if you want to stop smoking, never stop trying. Failing to achieve something only really happens when you stop trying to achieve it.

Pete Howells has written the EasyQuit System that will help any smoker quit tobacco. He also blogs quit smoking advice at http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com Visit http://easyquitsystem.com/ to find out more about his incredible process for quitting smoking that boasts 96% customer satisfaction.

How a heart attack happens

How can I stop smoking?

The question, "how can I stop smoking?" is not really the full, true question that most smokers want answering. The real gist of the question I believe that most smokers want to know the answer to is "how can I stop smoking easily?" or "how can I stop smoking without any effort?" or "how can I stop smoking when I haven't the willpower to?"

The answer to these questions is a valuable piece of information because stopping smoking is generally seen as a very difficult thing to do. When I finally managed to stop smoking back in early 2006, I actually found it very easy. What was the reason for this? Well, I knew how to stop smoking when I made my last attempt.

Unlike 95% of smokers, when I stopped smoking, I had actually learned how to stop smoking before I bothered doing it. By learning what had to be done in advance, I found the process of stopping very easy.

Most smokers, when they chose to stop, do so without the full knowledge of what they are trying to do. They start by 'giving up' cigarettes and hoping to 'beat the cravings'. They enter into the process knowing that they are going to have a battle on their hands.

To put it another way, any normal person will refer to the owner's manual of a car, before attempting to change a wheel or even a light bulb on the vehicle. Once they have read the manual regarding changing the light bulb or the wheel, they will never read it again, because they know now how to do it. What's more, when they do it for the first time, they know what to do and what to expect throughout the process.

The difference of course between changing a bulb and stopping smoking is that hopefully, you should only stop smoking once! But why is it that most people try to stop smoking several times?

Studies have shown that smokers on average take about 7 attempts, normally over several years to stop smoking. Whoa! That's outrageous! Could you imagine how many cars would be abandoned on the road if we didn't bother reading our owner's manuals?

The reason of course why smokers take so many attempts to stop smoking is that they don't know what they are doing! Each attempt is like another fumble round the back of the gym on prom night. But making light of this is unfair. When I stop, I knew what I was doing - I was like an unstoppable sex machine (if only -haha)! This made stopping so easy, it isn't even worth making mention of.

Many smokers who use their 'brute willpower' to stop smoking rightly feel that they have achieved a great success over a crafty and devious foe. And they are right. Using willpower as motivation to stop smoking is bloody difficult! I know, I tried about 15 times to stop using willpower and got nowhere! I tried using nicotine replacement too, patches, gum, lozenges and inhalators, all to no avail.

Stopping smoking using willpower as your main weapon against nicotine addiction is a very difficult thing to do. Becoming a 'gazillionaire' by selling ice to Eskimos is easier than stopping smoking with willpower (I think).

Stopping smoking armed with the full knowledge of why you smoke and what effects smoking has on you (no not the health effects!) is a walk in the park. That is why, when I stop smoking I didn't look upon it as a major achievement in my life. It was so simple, brushing my teeth properly (and I am 35!) is still more difficult than stopping smoking when you know how.

As ever, if you are trying to stop smoking, my most important message to you is to keep trying no matter how many times you fail. Never stop trying to stop.

Pete Howells has written the EasyStop System that will help any smoker stop tobacco. He also blogs stop smoking advice at http://stop-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com Visit http://easystopsystem.com/ to find out more about his incredible process for stopping smoking that boasts 96% customer satisfaction.

How can I quit smoking?

"How can I quit smoking?" is one of the most important questions for any smoker. In the back of every smokers mind, most days is a question about how they can go without their lovely, tasty smokes! Anyone who actually knows the answer to this question and can add, without any effort to it, will be rich beyond belief.

In our modern lifestyles, we all want a magic pill that will stop us smoking, improve our bedroom performance and keep us a slim as a racing snake for our entire lives. We want this and we don't want to have to do anything about it either.

But there is the rub.

There is always a little bit or a lot of effort involved in achieving anything of significance. So in answer to the question "how can I quit smoking?" the first response I would give is you will have to use some effort.

Making an effort to quit smoking is different from it being hard to stop smoking. Personally, I do not believe it is hard to stop smoking. The reason I have this outlandish opinion is because I also don't think brain surgery is difficult - for brain surgeons!

Let me expand a little. I think that quitting smoking is easy because a) I learned how to do it and b) I did it and c) so now I know how easy it was.

Brain surgery is a skill that must be learned. Unless you are actually a brain surgeon, brain surgery may seem like a very difficult thing to do. It isn't so long as a) you have studied and learned how to do it b) you have understood and practiced it and c) you successfully complete brain surgery.

OK, that may seem a bit brash so lets put it another way. Rather than saying "How can I quit smoking?", lets say "How can I do brick laying?"

To become a brick layer, you must learn about the relevant materials - your bricks, blocks and stone and then learn about the relevant mortar that you need to use depending on the building blocks. You then need to learn how to put the mortar in the right place and lay the bricks etc. etc.

The point is, you may not be able to do brick laying but given a little time, studying and effort, you could probably learn how to build a straight and vertical wall. The point is you must learn.

My view on how to quit smoking is that it is all about education. There is a desire in our hectic lifestyle to just take some magic pill to cure all of our problems, but to be honest, one doesn't exist. Sure Zyban boasts some effectiveness as does Chantix but they are far from 100% effective.

Smokers still want to smoke, irrespective of the pills you give them. Only by changing ones mindset to smoking is it possible to stop smoking with ease.

So in answer to the question, "How can I quit smoking?" My answer is to take some time and effort to learn how to quit smoking. You already know why you need to quit smoking, now it is time to actually learn how to quit smoking.

As ever, however many times you have tried and however many methods you have used, never stop trying to quit smoking.

Pete Howells has written the EasyQuit System that will help any smoker quit tobacco. He also blogs quit smoking advice at http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com Visit http://easyquitsystem.com/ to find out more about his incredible process for quitting smoking that boasts 96% customer satisfaction.

How many quit smoking ways are there?

In my years as a smoker, researching how to quit smoking whilst developing my EasyQuit System, I can truly say there must be over 60 methods of quitting smoking available. Some are effective, others less so and to be quite frank with you, some are utterly ludicrous. But, just because some methods do not work for some people, does not mean they cannot be effective for many others.

So how many quit smoking methods are there? Well, I think it is important to address the most well known methods first.

The commonest method of the many quit smoking ways there are is good old fashioned cold turkey. This is most often done by setting a date to quit, preparing oneself for that day and then using your brute willpower to overcome your desire to smoke before probably capitulating after about a day. Of the many quit smoking ways there are, studies suggest cold turkey has about a 1 in 20 chance of success.

The second best known method of the many quit smoking ways there are is Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). Personally, I hate this method of quitting smoking because it uses nicotine to try and help smokers off nicotine. I think that is utterly stupid! It is insane! If you want to read more about my hatred of NRT, read my article at http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com/2007/03/nicotine-replacement-therapy-scam.html

However, as much as I disagree with the NRT approach to quitting smoking, it does boast a higher success rate than cold turkey with about 1 in 10 people quitting smoking for more than 1 year – but not quitting nicotine! Many people who use this method end up beholden to the drug companies instead of the tobacco companies and they are not free from nicotine addiction.

Another of the many quit smoking ways there are is to use drug such as Zyban (wellbutrin or bupropion) or Chantix (varenicline or champix in the UK). These methods can be combined with NRT but in effect, they interfere with the psychoactive effects of nicotine in the brain. Unfortunately, even the big brain boxes that design these drugs aren't clever enough to know exactly how they work which could be a worry.

Using these drugs can also have side effects ranging from mild to severe. Chantix can cause severe nausea to the point where patients must stop taking the drug and about 1 in 1000 Zyban users end up having seizures.

Hypnosis is another well known if little understood option amongst the many quit smoking ways available to smokers. Whilst there are many sceptics about this process, anecdotal evidence suggests it can be very effective. Furthermore, smokers can either use a hypnotist locally or just buy hypnosis audio courses over the internet. In terms of accessibility and effectiveness, this makes hypnosis a serious consideration for any would-be quitter.

A less well-known method for quitting smoking is the use of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Hypnosis, where your brain is effectively 're-programmed' to stop you smoking by making alternative emotional associations with your behaviour is the very opposite of CBT.

Instead of masking emotions, using CBT, a smoker takles them head on. Typically, CBT exposes smokers to a series of truths about smoking that are not commonly accepted in society. An example would be that smoking is not a habit; it is an addiction to nicotine – to call it a habit is wrong.

By using CBT to reveal many of the misconceptions of smoking, smokers find that they can have an 'epiphany' moment. This epiphany can reveal to them what smoking is actually all about and it makes it incredibly easy to quit.

The one draw back of the system is that only the smoker can have the epiphany! There is no way that it can be forced upon a smoker so having an open mind is crucial to achieving success with CBT. However, despite this concern, CBT has been seen to be incredibly effective with anecdotal evidence of up to 96% success rates.

Either way, which ever of the many quit smoking ways you may chose, whether it be CBT, NRT, Zyban or hypnosis, the most important approach is to keep trying to quit smoking. Never quit trying to quit!

Pete Howells has written the EasyQuit System that will help any smoker quit tobacco. He also blogs quit smoking advice at http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com Visit http://easyquitsystem.com/ to find out more about his incredible process for quitting smoking that boasts 96% customer satisfaction.

How to quit smoking easily

Virtually every smoker in the world would pay a good price for the answer to "how to quit smoking easily". Whilst studies have indicated that as many as 80% of smokers yearn to quit, unfortunately, they spend very little time or money on trying to quit.

Internet search engine data suggests that quit smoking information is searched for more than twice as much during the 4-week period around New Year. The sad fact of the matter is that most smokers have a look for information and end up reading the same tired old advice about how to quit smoking - and that it isn't easy. Unfortunately, most of this information is based on why they should quit smoking. They then fail to quit smoking and leave it another year before having another go.

And so the cycle continues.

Firstly, in answer to the question of "how to quit smoking easily", there is no method that doesn't require effort. It is easy to quit smoking, but it requires effort and there is a difference. To put it another way, making love is easy to do but it does require effort. Do you see what I mean?

Secondly, if you want to know how to quit smoking easily, telling you that you are killing yourself smoking is not going to make it any easier. Of course all smokers these days know that they are doing harm to themselves – that is why they all want to quit smoking. The "health police" go around reminding smokers that they are doing all this harm to themselves does not help them quit smoking.

In fact, it doesn't help smokers in any way quit smoking by telling them what damage they are doing to themselves. The only way to help someone in such a predicament is to tell him or her HOW to quit smoking. After all, every smoker in the world knows WHY he or she should quit smoking. The 'health police' never seem to have an answer for this.

Thirdly, if you want to know how to quit smoking easily, you have to change your attitude towards cigarettes. That is all done in your head – by changing the way you think about cigarettes. Taking pills or taking more nicotine in another form does not do it – changing your mindset does.

I know people who have said they will quit smoking cigarettes and only 'have a cigar or two once in a while'. Within a couple of weeks of giving up cigarettes, they are smoking 10 cigars a day that probably do more damage than the 20 cigarettes they used to smoke. This is because they are addicted to nicotine and will get it in any form they can

Fourthly, possibly the most important means of how to quit smoking easily, is to accept your life without cigarettes. After all, you weren't puffing away on a Marlboro when you were born. It just might be possible to spend the rest of your life without cigarettes!

As ever, my final piece of advice is to never quit trying to quit smoking.

Pete Howells has written the EasyQuit System that will help any smoker quit tobacco. He also blogs quit smoking advice at http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com Visit http://easyquitsystem.com/ to find out more about his incredible process for quitting smoking that boasts 96% customer satisfaction.

Methods to stop smoking

There are many, many methods to stop smoking available through many means including, books, videos, CDs, workshops, consultants and to download over the internet. Of the many methods to stop smoking out there, there are often very many very zany approaches amongst the more sensible ones.

My own take on quitting smoking came about after many months researching as many methods to stop smoking as I could. I came to realise over time that the most important method to stop smoking came solely from myself. The answer did not lie in a pill or a potion or some laser. The answer as to how to stops smoking comes from within. It is about having the right mindset.

Lets look at the common methods to stop smoking that most smokers will fight with several times before succeeding and becoming smoke free forever.

Cold Turkey or Willpower. This is the most obvious method to stop smoking. Get up one day and say 'no' to cigarettes. Sometimes, people take a little more time over this method and fill out diaries to identify triggers and detail when and how much they smoke. Only 1 in 20 people who try to quit using this method will success. Or to put it another way, if you try 20 times you might actually do it!

Nicotine Replacement Therapy or NRT. This is the patch, gum, microtab, lozenge, inhalator or nasal spray aid method to stop smoking. It is much vaunted by the pharmaceutical industry as a means to help smokers quit. It boasts a 10% success rate – 1 in 10 people stop smoking. However, it is often overlooked that whilst 1 in 10 stop smoking, they do not overcome their addiction to nicotine – which is why smokers smoked in the first place.

If you remain addicted to nicotine, then you are always at risk of falling back into the spiral of despair that is smoking cigarettes and consigning yourself to an early grave.

I am 100% against quitting smoking using NRT. It is not a sensible way to address the addiction to nicotine. If you want to read more of my opinion on this matter, visit my blog at: http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com/2007/03/nicotine-replacement-therapy-scam.html

Zyban is another of the many methods to stop smoking. The drug is also known as wellbutrin or bupropion, and although unknown exactly how, it seems to interfere with a smoker's brain chemistry and put them off smoking. Legend has it that the smoking cessation factor of Zyban was only seen whilst studying the side effects of wellbutrin, the anti-depression version of the drug.

Zyban boast about the same effectiveness as a method to stop smoking as NRT but this can be improved 50% or so when Zyban and NRT are used together. However, the use of these drugs also goes hand in hand with some form of counselling to motivate smokers to stop.

The new 'wonder drug' taking the market is varenicline or Chantix (Champix in the UK). It is reported to be able to wean up to 44% of smokers off cigarettes. Again, like Zyban, it is not know exactly how it works but is is thought to interfere with the brain chemistry of the smoker.

Both Zyban and Chantix as methods of stopping smoking come with dangers. Zyban is known to cause seizures in some patients and varenicline causes extreme nausea in up to 30% of patients. Both drugs need a course of counselling alongside the drug in order to be effective.

Hypnosis is another well known method for quitting smoking. I understand (although I am not a big fan of hypnosis) that it can achieve much better success rates than any of the previously mentioned methods. Of the methods to stop smoking that are available, hypnosis is very relaxing and involves no drugs which cannot be a bad thing.

Another method to stop smoking is the use of cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT. It can literally be translated as 'think' and 'behave' therapy. The way you think and the way you behave are examined in order to change the way you think and thus the way you react to your thoughts, feelings and environment. CBT uses neither drugs nor your sub-conscious mind.

The fact of the matter is that most people do not 'control' their lives; they just react to their emotions and feelings. If you feel down, you might comfort eat for example. That is not eating because you are hungry, it is eating to take your mind off something else.

Using CBT can be an extremely successful treatment to help people stop smoking permanently. Of the people I follow-up who have used my own CBT course, the people who succeed (and that is an overwhelming majority) not only stop smoking but actually know they will never smoke again and that is because they have a different attitude toward smoking, having used CBT.

Stopping smoking is an amazing achievement for any smoker and one that should be celebrated whichever method to stop smoking is used. Stopping smoking and knowing you will never smoke ever again can only be achieved through changing your mental attitude towards smoking, whether that be through counselling, hypnosis or CBT.

As ever, the most important method to stop smoking is to never stop trying to stop.

Pete Howells has written the EasyQuit System that will help any smoker quit tobacco. He also blogs quit smoking advice at http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com Visit http://easyquitsystem.com/ to find out more about his incredible process for quitting smoking that boasts 96% customer satisfaction.

Quit smoking side effects

There are a whole host of quit smoking side effects and not all of them are pleasant. Besides the obvious health benefits, there are also a number of side effects associated with withdrawal from nicotine. Coupled to this, if you quit smoking using a medication such as zyban or chantix, you may pick up some other drug related side effects.

The most obvious reason why people quit smoking is for the health benefits but what are they specifically?

Notably, blood pressure, heart rate and lung efficiency all improve very quickly after quitting smoking - in a matter of days. Nicotine levels and carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to natural levels with in a couple of days. These are very positive quit smoking side effects.

Smokers will also develop a much better sense of taste and their breathing may well become easier. However, one frequently reported quit smoking side effect is the amount of coughing some ex-smokers suffer from. In my own experience, I found the first six months to be a rather cough filled period of my life. It was all 'wet' as the cilia (the little hairs in you lungs) got to work clearing 20 years of tar out of my lungs! I also contracted more colds that winter than ever before but that could be for completely different reasons.

Statistical research shows circulation and lung function improve dramatically over the 10 to 15 year period after smokers quit. And quit smoking side effects are all positive in terms of improving life span with lung cancer risk halved over 15 years and heart attack risk halved after just one year.

The side effects associated with Zyban (Wellbutrin or bupropion) and Chantix (Champix or Varenicline) can all be rather unpleasant. Personally, I do not favour the use of drugs if at all possible because I believe quitting smoking is all in your head - but that is another story!

The worst quit smoking side effect associated with Zyban is the likelihood of seizure when taken as part of a quit smoking regimen. The higher the dose the higher the risk and zyban was initially removed from the FDAs approved list after a number of seizures in patients.

Chantix has several minor side effects but in as many as 30% of smokers taking the drug, the therapy must be abandoned due to nausea and vomiting. You understand why I would advise to steer clear if at all possible!

The other quit smoking side effects aside from the positive health benefits and the negative side effects of the two most widely used drug therapies, are to do with nicotine withdrawal itself.

The list of side effects noticed when a person quits smoking is long - some are nice like the improved sense of smell and taste, some are unpleasant. There is the heightened anxiety that comes from trying to quit nicotine. People often have a much shorter temper and are irascible at the slightest thing.

Others include an inability to concentrate or to sleep sometimes compounded by other quit smoking side effects such as postnasal (back of your mouth) drip, sore throat, dry mouth and headache. An insatiable cough can be a big hindrance too!

Intestinal discomfort can also be suffered with increased flatulence, constipation, nausea and cramps being amongst some of the less pleasant side effects. It is recommended that if you are suffering from increased appetite when you quit smoking, eating more fruit and raw vegetables such as carrot or raw cauliflower and drinking plenty of fluids will help your digestion.

There are many, many more perceived quit smoking side effects and everyone suffers a different selection of the wide range - including breaking out in spots like a teenager, sweating profusely, fatigue and tingling extremities!

The downside of all of these quit smoking side effects is that whilst each one is not so bad on its own, the cumulative effect of so many negative side effects act as a trigger to break down your commitment to stop smoking. No matter what the inconvenience of the side effects, they are a small price to pay for the benefits of quitting smoking.

As ever, whatever you do and whichever method you use to quit smoking, never quit trying to quit!

Pete Howells has written the EasyQuit System that will help any smoker quit tobacco. He also blogs quit smoking advice at http://quit-smoking-motivator.blogspot.com Visit http://easyquitsystem.com/ to find out more about his incredible process for quitting smoking that boasts 96% customer satisfaction.

How to stop smoking without weight gain

There is substantial evidence underlining weight gain as the main concern smokers cite as a reason for not stopping smoking. This is amongst the many other excuses smokers give for putting off stopping smoking. Other examples include the inability to cope with stress or a fear that they will not be able to enjoy an upcoming party or their life in general without their trusty cigarettes.

Smoking is an addiction to nicotine but most smokers, and non-smokers for that matter, wrongly think of it as a habit. This is not the case. The urge to smoke is so overwhelming; it simply cannot just be a habit.

The suffering that smokers must go through in order to be able to smoke, is evidence as to why smoking is not a habit, but is an addiction. Smokers cannot inhale any other form of smoke, other than tobacco smoke, without coughing and spluttering or even being sick.

Once smokers come to realise the addiction to nicotine is the reason they smoke, it becomes easier to learn how to stop smoking without weight gain.

Smokers think they enjoy smoking as much, if not more, than eating. However, there is a very subtle difference between smoking and eating and understanding this is the key to learning how to stop smoking without weight gain. Read this two statements:

"When you are hungry, your body tells you so by giving you hunger pangs. You eat and you are rewarded with the discomfort subsiding."

"When you want a cigarette, your body tells you by giving you a craving. You smoke and you are rewarded with the discomfort subsiding."

When you read these two statements as a smoker, you are probably in full agreement with them. But, the second one is wrong and that is the secret of how to stop smoking without weight gain.

What you think is that you 'want a cigarette' when in actual fact, you want some nicotine. It is simply that over the years, you have wanted nicotine, had a cigarette to get it and then been rewarded with the discomfort of the craving subsiding. What has happened is that you have subconsciously replaced the connection of getting nicotine and the craving dying and having a cigarette and the craving dying.

In your mind, you see the cigarette as the thing you desire when in actual fact it is the nicotine. The cigarette is simply the delivery system. This is why pharmaceutical companies (wrongly) think nicotine patches and gum can help smokers quit.

So how does knowing this help you learn how to stop smoking without weight gain? Well, the point is that when you stop smoking, you will find that the craving for a cigarette (well nicotine) is very similar to the craving for food. It is a hollow empty feeling. Whilst you struggle with your willpower to overcome the urge to smoke, you will try and subdue the craving for nicotine with something that 'might work' - eating.

Smokers often turn to food to settle the craving for nicotine. This is where you end up gaining weight because you are wrongly trying to settle your hunger for nicotine by doing what seems right when you hunger for food. Your calorie intake goes through the roof and you pile on the pounds!

When you recognise that your apparent increased appetite is just you mixing up cravings for food with cravings for nicotine, it becomes easier for you to control your response – i.e. whether you chose to eat or not. Once you have mastered this understanding, you are on the right track of how to stop smoking without weight gain.

Pete Howells has written the EasyQuit System that will help any smoker quit tobacco. The EasyQuit System works by giving smokers the instructions they need to follow to achieve their ambition to quit rather than just telling them smoking is bad for them. Visit http://easyquitsystem.com/ to find out more about his incredible process for quitting smoking that boasts 96% customer satisfaction.