Emphysema Emphysema Basics

Kicking Butts: Different Approaches to Stop Smoking

By now the reason you started smoking is probably unclear: maybe it was peer pressure in high school, maybe you just needed a vice after a stressful day at work. No matter the reason, you are still puffing away. You've heard all the statistics. You know that smoking increases your risk of lung cancer, throat cancer and bladder cancer, all while upping the chances of heart disease and stroke. But numbers don't mean enough to make you stop.

But then someone who once seemed untouchable becomes one of those statistics.

ABC News Anchorman Peter Jennings, trusted by many to relay details of world events, had his life cut short by lung cancer. He has left behind both a journalistic legacy and a following of smokers vowing to quit.

"I realized that at my age of 31, I am almost half of Peter's age," said Heather from Florida on ABC's message boards in her first day as an ex-smoker, "Do you think it would have been as hard for Peter to give up smoking if someone told him 36 years ago that his life was already half over?"

Others vow to stop in his memory, "Every time I want a cigarette, I will think of him, and hopefully this will help me to quit," said Corey from Arizona.

No matter why you have decided to quit, the road ahead will not be easy. Only 3 percent of those who quit "cold turkey" succeed in remaining cigarette-free. So, if you are considering using one of the many products available to help you kick the habit, be sure to consider all options and choose one that has the most potential to help you succeed.

Nicotine gum—One of the most popular methods of nicotine replacement, nicotine gum can be effective if used properly. It is helpful because, in addition to feeding your nicotine cravings, it also feeds the behavioral habit of smoking by giving your mouth something to do when you are craving a cigarette. However, there is the possibility of becoming addicted to the gum, so users need to be wary of how long they use it.

The flavored gum usually comes in either 2 mg or 4 mg doses of nicotine, but needs to be chewed slowly to effectively deliver the nicotine to the body through the mucosa of the mouth. If nicotine gum is chewed like normal gum, one will end up swallowing most of the nicotine and irritating the digestive system.

Normally, one will chew the gum whenever they have a cigarette craving. The goal is to reduce the number of pieces you use and the amount of time you chew each piece every few days. Eventually, stop using the gum when you are at the point where one or two pieces satisfy your cravings for the day.

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