Basic Smoking Facts

Why do billions of people smoke and why do millions more begin smoking each year? It all boils down to one simple thing – nicotine. Nicotine is one of the most toxic substances in the world, but it is also one of the most addictive, and when someone uses it on a regular basis, such as when smoking a cigarette, their brain continues to crave it more and more. This is the reason that anyone trying to stop smoking will experience serious and frustrating side effects.

Consider that withdrawal symptoms from nicotine include hostility, depression, irritability, and increased appetite among others. These factors tend to be a primary cause for someone who is trying to quit to quickly fall back on their habit. Though nicotine is processed quickly by the liver, and only ten percent of a cigarette’s contents remain in the body two hours after smoking, the average smoker will begin feeling symptoms of withdrawal only six to eight hours after their last cigarette.

Of course, smoking is not hard to quit just because of the nicotine and its addictiveness, but also because smoking becomes a habit. If someone has been smoking for many years they may be used to doing many things while also smoking a cigarette. For example, a morning cup of coffee doesn’t need a cigarette, but life-long smokers may have made a habit of smoking with their morning coffee and changing this pattern is hard work.

This means that smoking is a physical and psychological issue that can be extremely challenging to overcome. Fortunately there are now many excellent resources available to those who hope to eliminate this risky and destructive habit from their life. Not only are there many types of nicotine replacement therapies such as chewing gums, patches and oral medications, but there are also online and group therapy sessions, and many different mentoring programs too. There are also millions of medical practitioners who will guide a patient to alternative resources like acupuncture and hypnosis providers to facilitate the shift to non-smoking as well.

It is essential to understand that cigarettes are made to be addictive and to become a real focus of the individual’s day to day life. This is the reason that they are so hard to eliminate, but with a good support network and the will to quit, it is possible. It is a good idea to focus on the benefits of quitting that include great improvements in the overall health and even huge financial savings too.