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Stop Smoking Aids: Can They Help?

If you're one of the many people today who are trying to quit smoking then you are probably searching for the best stop smoking aids available. Indeed, there are plenty of products in the market today that are designed to help smokers kick their habit-from nicotine patches to herbal cigarettes.

Before you choose the best stop smoking aid for you, it's helpful to remember that among all stop smoking aids, the best way to successfully quit would be to have the right determination first. If you are not determined to quit smoking, then the best quit smoking aids in the world can do very little for you.

Is Cold Turkey a Good Stop Smoking Aid?

Some smokers are able to stop smoking by using the cold turkey method. The term “cold turkey” refers to when the smoker abruptly stops smoking without using any stop smoking products. The cold turkey method can bring a lot of benefits. For instance, within days of quitting smoking, the nicotine and other harmful products in the body gradually fade. However, this method can prove to be difficult for most smokers, especially if the patient has been smoking for years.

Stop Smoking Products: Nicotine Patches

If the cold turkey approach proves to be too challenging for you then there are plenty of stop smoking aids that you can turn to. One of the most common stop smoking aides today is nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). As you know, cigarettes contain high amounts of nicotine as well as other toxic chemicals.

NRT products have none of these toxic ingredients and contain only nicotine. The presence of nicotine prevents abrupt withdrawal symptoms in the patient. Among the NRT aids to stop smoking, there is no doubt that the most popular is the nicotine patch. Introduced almost two decades ago, the nicotine patch works by releasing controlled amounts of nicotine through the skin and into the blood stream. Over time, the amount of nicotine is lessened and lessened until the patient finally becomes nicotine-free.

Side Effects of Nicotine Patches

Just like all stop smoking aids, the nicotine patch can also have its own side effects. The most common side effects that patients reported were dizziness, headache, nausea and stomachache. Once you apply the patch, you might also notice the affected skin turning red and feeling itchy. This is a normal reaction as your skin reacts to the nicotine. Seek medical attention if you experience severe reactions like breathing difficulty, a seizure, extreme swelling or rashes in your skin.

Are Alternative Cigarettes Good Stop Smoking Aids?

Another stop smoking aid that is quite popular today is the herbal cigarette. Also known as alternative cigarettes, these stop smoking aids supposedly work as “healthy” cigarettes. These cigarettes contain herbs such as bidis which are grown in Southeast Asia. To make these alternative cigarettes look more “cool” to young people, they are used by non-smoking actors who play smoking characters in movies.

Unfortunately, many experts are claiming that there is no such thing as healthy cigarettes. Most of these alternative cigarettes deliver just as much-if not more-chemicals as regular cigarettes. What's worse is that these stop smoking aids are not labeled as tobacco so children and minors can easily have access to them.

The previous article is on how to Get Help to Quit Smoking.

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