Basic Tips to Stop Smoking

Everyone knows that long-term use of cigarettes and other tobacco products can cause a whole host of health problems, including lung, mouth, and throat cancer, emphysema, and heart disease. But despite knowing what cigarette smoke does to the body, many people find it very difficult to quit. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance, which means it requires lots of persistence, will power, and determination to break the habit. Here are a few basic tips to stop smoking.

First, if you're serious about quitting, then you need to see your doctor. A physician can evaluate your problem and then give you some specific advice about how to get cigarettes out of your life for good. A doctor's list of tips to stop smoking might include adopting an exercise regimen, modifying your diet, and perhaps a prescription for Zyban (Wellbutrin), Chantix, or a similar medication that has been proving effective at helping people kick the habit.

Second, there are a bunch of products on the market that are meant to serve as cigarette replacements. These products work for some folks, but are mostly ineffective for others. Still, no list of tips to stop smoking would be complete without mentioning things like nicotine delivery patches and nicotine gum. These items help give you the nicotine fix you crave without requiring you to light up, which is an important step on the road to quitting. If nothing else has worked for you, then you should definitely give one or more of these products a try.

A newer cessation aid that has become popular in recent years is the electronic cigarette. This device, also called a personal vaporizer, looks and acts just like a real cigarette. Some electronic cigarettes actually deliver tiny doses of nicotine, while others do not. All of them have different flavor cartridges available, such as tobacco, mint, chocolate, cherry, apple, and others. Many folks enjoy using personal vaporizers because they can go through all the same motions and feel like they're having a smoke without really doing too much damage. This is a great way to "step down" from full nicotine cigarettes.

And finally, a list of tips to stop smoking must include a mention of all the little things you should do during the day to help you on the journey. For instance, you should drink plenty of water, get regular exercise, have a supply of gum (regular or nicotine) on hand for those times when you need something in your mouth, and try to avoid -- at least for the time being -- places and routines that usually make you want to smoke.

These basic tips to stop smoking can provide you the push you need to finally quit once and for all, but ultimately, the ball is in your court. You have to make it happen by deciding that your health and your loved ones are more important than your bad habits.