Smoking Cessation Aids

Allergy Dude here. There are times when patients have asked me (and times when they have not) about places for information on smoking cessation. I recommend several sites for free assistance about smoking cessation:

1.  American Lung Association
2.  South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC)
3.  National Cancer Institute
4.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
5.  others can be found by a simple web search

When asked for my professional opinion, I always recommend the same thing: stop smoking. I know this is hard. The bottom line is that you have to really, really want to quit. I have known people to quit without any aids (i.e., cold turkey), the dramatic example being those who quit after having had a heart attack. For obvious reasons, that should be major league motivation.

About 80% of people attempt to quit cold turkey. Some patients ask me about using other methods. I can't say that my patients have had any greater success with one particular method. In my practice, I offer choices to smokers, and try to work with them. When they say they want a medication that will help them stop smoking or reduce the craving, there is a glaring problem. Meds cost money and are usually not covered by insurance companies. (Shame on them, but there’s reality for you.) It is good if your physicians are trying to get the smokers to cease their unhealthy—and expensive—habit at every opportunity. For example, Allergy Dude's patients know to expect that at least one minute of every office visit will be spent discussing the evils of smoking before being harassed into quitting.

If you've managed to quit, congratulations. If you are trying to quit, read up about all the types of cancers, lung diseases, and heart diseases. Every type of cancer, alone, is more frequent if you smoke. If that’s not enough motivation, consider how much money you're wasting every day, for years on end. As of last July, 2013, one pack of cigarettes in New York was about $14.50/day. Per year, that’s $5,292.50. In one decade, that’s $52,925. I don’t know about you, but to me, that’s a lot of money. I personally would rather spend the money on ten years worth of Caribbean cruises, or maybe a trip (or nine) to New Zealand. Start saving—your money and your life. Quit now!

Updated: April 6, 2014