Certainly, the path to quitting smoking can be very long and involves a drastic change in the lifestyle of those who intend to finally say goodbye to this dangerous habit.

It is possible to say enough to tobacco addiction but only when there is great willpower. The path can be difficult and tortuous, but the important thing is not to give up and keep trying, perhaps even asking for help from your friends and family or from your doctor.

Before describing the tools that can be used to quit smoking, it is useful to understand what smoking is, what are its causes, and what are the health risks associated with it.

What is tobacco addiction?

Smoking (or addiction to tobacco smoke) is considered a real drug addiction and it is for this reason that many people are unable to quit smoking with simple willpower.

More specifically, the psychophysical addiction to tobacco smoke is caused by a particular substance it contains nicotine.

Nicotine is a stimulating alkaloid that acts on certain receptors (called nicotinic receptors) in the brain, thereby inducing a feeling of gratification and pleasure in smokers that prompts them to smoke again and again.

Furthermore, since nicotine is addictive, failure to take it triggers the classic withdrawal syndrome characterized by symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, anger, frustration, drowsiness, sleep disturbances, mood disorders, and depression, decreased concentration and memory, and increased appetite.

The smoker, therefore, is led to continue smoking also to avoid the onset of these symptoms which may appear a few hours after the last cigarette smoked.

Smoking is a serious health problem for both smokers and non-smokers who often find themselves involuntarily breathing second-hand smoke.

The data regarding the damage caused by tobacco smoke in Italy are decidedly alarming. In fact, it has been estimated that in our country about 80,000 people die a year from diseases directly related to tobacco smoke

Furthermore, numerous studies have estimated that a smoker has an average life expectancy of fewer than ten years than a non-smoker.

Added to this is the lower quality of life of smokers compared to non-smokers. Smokers, in fact, are subject to a greater risk of developing non-neoplastic respiratory diseases (such as for example, bronchitis, asthma, cough) and heart diseases that can interfere with the performance of normal daily activities. Not to mention the damage that tobacco smoke can cause at the level of the gastrointestinal system (it can favor the onset of peptic ulcer), at the level of the reproductive system (it can cause impotence and decrease fertility in both men and women ) and on the skin, teeth, and gums.

However, although the relationship between tobacco smoking and all these diseases is now clear, smoking remains among the main avoidable causes of death in Mexico.

Smoking cessation tools

Currently, there are several tools that can help all those smokers who have decided to definitively stop smoking. These tools will be briefly illustrated below.

Willpower

Willpower is the main tool that you need to have in order to be able to definitively give up tobacco smoke.

Some people can only quit smoking with their own willpower, while others may need help.

When willpower is not sufficient, then other avenues can be considered, such as drug therapy and/or psychological support. It is understood that if there is no real desire to quit smoking, not even drugs can be useful.

Pharmacological therapy

There are several types of drug therapies that can be implemented to help patients quit smoking. Among these, we remember:

Nicotine Replacement Therapy); this therapy involves the administration of ever-lower doses of nicotine, in an attempt to break the addiction of the organism gradually and not abruptly. Generally, nicotine is dispensed in the form of chewable tablets, sublingual tablets, chewing gum, and transdermal patches.

This drug belongs to the class of tricyclic antidepressants but has also been shown to be effective in reducing the craving for nicotine and the symptoms induced by its withdrawal.

This drug binds to the α4β2 nicotinic receptors present in the brain (the same ones to which nicotine binds) thus exerting a nicotine-like action. In this way, varenicline decreases the symptoms induced by smoking withdrawal and reduces the pleasure and gratification that comes from taking nicotine.

Nortriptyline is an antidepressant drug that has proved very useful in smoking cessation therapy. In fact, nortriptyline decreases the desire to smoke and reduces secondary symptoms resulting from nicotine withdrawal syndrome.

This drug has anticonvulsant activity and is used for the treatment of epilepsy and in the prophylaxis of migraine. However, it seems that it can also be a valuable aid in smoking cessation therapy, but it is not a first-choice drug.

Cytisine is a molecule of natural origin that has a mechanism of action very similar to that of varenicline, in fact, it too binds to the α4β2 nicotinic receptors exerting a nicotine-like activity. However, cytisine causes fewer side effects than varenicline and has a significantly lower cost.

Anti-Smoking Centers and psychological support

In your area, there are numerous anti-smoking centers that can provide support to all those people who decide to quit smoking, but whose willpower is not enough.

In the anti-smoking centers, individual counseling services and group therapies are offered and drug therapies may be prescribed to help the smoker in his cessation process.

A very important role is provided by psychological support. In fact, some studies conducted have shown that drug therapy – accompanied by adequate psychological and behavioral support – has a greater chance of success.

Electronic cigarettes

E-cigarettes are an alternative method – which should be safer than tobacco smoking – for taking nicotine. In reality, there are still very conflicting opinions regarding the efficacy and safety of use of these devices and the studies conducted so far are not able to provide reliable data in this regard.

Natural supplements

The path to smoking cessation can be very difficult, especially when symptoms of nicotine withdrawal syndrome arise. In this regard, some natural remedies can help. Among these, we remember:

Adaptogenic plants are plants containing active ingredients that allow to increase the resistance of the organism in a non-specific way, in response to external stresses of a different nature. Therefore, these plants can also be useful in counteracting the stress resulting from smoking withdrawal. Among the best known adaptogenic plants, we mention ginseng, eleutherococcus and rhodiola.

Such ashypericum (or St. John’s wort), valerian and kava-kava. Nicotine withdrawal syndrome is characterized by the onset of states of anxiety, irritability and depression, therefore, the use of preparations based on the aforementioned plants could be useful if these symptoms arise.

Melatonin is a hormone that is produced by our body and is involved in the regulation of the sleep cycle and in the regulation of the circadian rhythm. Melatonin has a sedative effect and can be an excellent aid in counteracting nicotine withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, agitation and anxiety.

Tips for quitting smoking

When deciding to take a smoking cessation journey, it can be of great help to follow these tips:

1. Establish a specific date on which to quit smoking;

2. Eliminate from the environment in which you live everything related to smoking or that can remember it, such as lighters, ashtrays, and, above all, packets of cigarettes;

3. Avoid, as far as possible, stressful situations and situations that can lead to smoking;

4. Avoid smokers, if possible, especially when they are smoking;

5. Increase motor activity and adopt a healthy diet;

6. When the desire to smoke becomes compelling, try to distract yourself as much as possible, perhaps by drinking a glass of water or starting an activity that you like or that can be gratifying. The urgent desire to smoke a cigarette, in fact, lasts only a few minutes and then decreases, therefore, it may take very little to pass the crisis without giving in to the temptation to start over.

Good luck!