by A.R. Posley

Created on: August 24, 2009

Smokers of cigarettes have various stories of how they got hooked with motives ranging from peer pressure, to dealing with stress, to weight control. Some smokers were born into families of smokers; nevertheless, the tendency to smoke was environmental rather than natural. With all of the public warnings about the health hazards of smoking cigarettes (higher risk for cancer, stroke, and heart disease) many smokers are aware of the importance of quitting smoking but don't. In these cases, the missing key is a steadfast will to quit according to an interview with an ex-smoker who quit smoking cigarettes after 30 years. This guide stresses the process of gaining control over cigarettes and tips on how to quit smoking for good by means of willpower.

Motives to Quit Smoking

Cigarette smokers are faced with numerous motives to quit. Common examples include: 1) the guilt of destroying the health of oneself and family; 2) the guilt of being poor role models for children; 3) being driven away from the inside of one's house or public places where smoking is not allowed (having to sit in special sections of restaurants); and 4) having stained teeth and a foul breath. With all of these drawbacks, why do smokers continue to smoke? Despite efforts to quit, smokers are often met with obstacles including intense cigarette cravings, nausea, wheezing, insomnia, fatigue, irritability, confusion, and depression. Fortunately, no matter how hard it seems, quitting is possible as over 40 million people have quit as reported in the book Step Up to Wellness.

Methods to Quit Smoking

In an interview, the ex-smoker claims, It doesn't just work for others to tell you to stop. You have to make up your mind have self-determination and willpower. Smokers are more successful when they quit on their own with the support of family and friends than when they seek treatment intervention. In fact, a survey reveals that of the 60-80% of participants in a treatment program, 75% returned to smoking within a year. The problem with the program was the assumption that everyone was ready to quit rather than tailoring to smokers by means of stages as noted in the book Step Up to Wellness.

Various forms of assistance are available to help smokers to quit. One type is called replacement therapy wherein the goal is to first eliminate the habit of smoking and then gradually reduce nicotine to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Specific forms of this therapy are the nicotine patch

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