Quit Smoking - Now! By Tim Moss

Globally, one in ten people die from smoking related diseases. This is an estimated four million deaths every year, and the sad thing about it is that most of these deaths could have been prevented. Smoking accounts for the largest single cause of disease and preventable deaths across the globe.

The statistics are mind blowing. Many people do not know the connection between smoking and many diseases. Many would know the health implications of smoking but would continue to smoke anyway. Whichever group you belong to, you probably have enough sense to know that smoking is not good for you. If there was any time to quit smoking, it's now.

Smoking is an addictive habit and if you are a regular smoker and have a hard time quitting, this is because you have become dependent on cigarettes. However much you deny it, you have become an addict. This is why quitting smoking is easier said than done. Some would have to go through the process of quitting so many times before being successful. A single cigarette will contain more than 4000 chemicals, hundreds of which are toxic to the human body. The addicting substance in cigarettes is nicotine which produces a good feeling when taken in, and this causes people to come back for more.

There are also chemicals that are called carcinogens in cigarettes, and these encourage the formation of cancer cells. These chemicals affect genes that regulate the formation of cells and once affected some cells can multiply rapidly or grow abnormally. Smoking also damages the immune system making people who smoke more prone to sickness and infections. With this host of reasons (and this is just a partial list), it should be easy to make the decision to consider quitting smoking. Quitting smoking may be hard, but not impossible. There are steps that you could take in order to successfully say no to this disgusting and dangerous habit.

Most people use two methods of quitting smoking: one is by quitting cold turkey and the other is by gradually cutting down on their tobacco consumption. Cold turkey is said to be the best way to quit smoking, as most success stories on quitting smoking were done by making a snap judgment to stop. Other people opt to cut down on the number of sticks they smoke in a week, until they eventually make the transition to stopping altogether. There are also nicotine replacement therapies that people could take in the form of patches or gums. Some choose to undergo hypnosis or other alternative means.

Whatever your method of quitting, it would be useful to take note of the following tips.

* Set a fixed date for quitting. It's easier when you have an actual goal date instead of a moving target. Not having a fixed date will only give you the excuse of continually putting quitting off.

* Announce your intentions. Let everyone who would listen know that you are quitting. Tell your friends, family, work mates. Chances are they will provide you with the support you need to quit the habit. This also reinforces your intentions to yourself, making it more real rather than just a plan.

* Set distractions for when temptation rears its head. You will be faced with temptations to regress into smoking, no doubt about it. There will be triggers like certain social situations, meals, alcohol, or coffee. It would help if you had a defensive arsenal like substituting cigarette with a gum, lollipop or candy. Avoid social situations for the meantime which trigger your smoking impulse, such as sitting on a restaurant's smoking area.

* Keep busy. The busier you are, the less time you have to think about smoking. Whenever you feel an urge to smoke, quickly divert yourself by starting on a task. This could be something as simple as calling somebody, or checking your email.

* Document your quitting process. Sometimes writing about your quitting journey is a good way to remind yourself of how far you've come. This will be a good reference for when you feel like you need a reminder of the reasons why you're quitting, and what is at stake if you go back to smoking.