You’ve smoked cigarettes for years, maybe decades. You know it’s bad for your health. You know it stains your teeth. You know it makes your breath and your clothes smell. You know you’re spending an exorbitant amount on cigarettes each month. Yet despite all these negatives, you still smoke. You want to quit, but you can’t. Why? Unfortunately, the nicotine and chemicals in cigarettes are highly addictive. Your body has developed a craving for cigarettes.
Even though statistics show that the total number of adult smokers in the United States is dropping, more than 34 million people still smoke cigarettes regularly. Of those smokers, 480,000 die every year in the United States. If you’re part of this group, what should you do to stop smoking and improve your health?
Nicotine Replacement Therapies
The reason why most people have such a difficult time quitting smoking is their addiction to nicotine. If you try to stop smoking cold-turkey, you likely will be unable to do so because you’ll experience rather nasty withdrawal symptoms. You will do better with a nicotine replacement system.
In terms of nicotine replacement therapies, you have the following options:
- Nicotine gum (over-the-counter)
- Nicotine lozenges (over-the-counter)
- Nicotine patch (over-the-counter)
- Nicotine inhaler (prescription only)
- Nicotine nasal spray (prescription only)
If you’ve never tried nicotine gum, this could be just the stop-smoking solution you have been looking for. Many people have successfully quit smoking after six months or less of usage.
Nicotine Gum Kinds
Keep in mind that all brands of nicotine gum contain the same ingredients, most notably nicotine. The generic name of nicotine gum is nicotine polacrilex. You may be familiar with one of its brand names; i.e., Nicorette gum — additional brands exist, however, some of which may be less expensive. In addition, some come in such flavors as cinnamon, mint, and fruit. Some nicotine gum companies will even deliver your gum direct to your door.
Nicotine Gum Safety
You will be glad to know that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved over-the-counter nicotine gum as safe and effective clear back in 1996. In fact, it became the first stop-smoking aid to receive such approval.
Nicotine Gum Cost
With cigarette prices ranging from between $5.25 and $11.50 per pack, depending on where you live, nicotine gum represents an extremely viable and affordable alternative. Some companies sell their gum for as little as $60 for a 16-day supply. A similar supply of cigarettes will run you between $84 and $184.
Nicotine Gum Dosages
Nicotine gum comes in two dosages: 2 mg and 4 mg. If you currently smoke a pack of cigarettes or less per day, you likely will do well on the 2-mg dosage of nicotine gum. If, however, you are a heavier smoker who smokes over a pack a day and/or must have your first cigarette of the day within half an hour after getting up in the morning, you likely will do better on the 4-mg dosage of nicotine gum.
Either way, you should keep the number of gum pieces you chew each day to 24 maximum. And remember, what you eat and drink, plus when you do it, will make a big difference in your absorption of the gum’s nicotine into your system. Do not ingest acidic substances such as coffee, soda pop, juice, or citrus fruit while you’re chewing or for at least 15 minutes before beginning to chew.
Nicotine Gum Results
Bottom line, studies have shown that using nicotine gum can more than double your chances of successfully stopping smoking. Nicotine gum provides you with safety, flavor choices, dosage choices, and cost-effectiveness while giving you the help you need to quit smoking cigarettes. In addition, you can chew nicotine gum anywhere, including in restaurants, bars, airplanes, and everywhere else that smoking is prohibited. Finally, nicotine gum will not leave you smelling like a day-old ashtray. You will start to gain back a youthful glow and feel much healthier. What’s not to like?
