About Smoking

Studies have been reported that suggest 70% of smokers want to quit. If this is true, why do only about 5% of smokers quit each year? I think this is because we have been led to believe that smokers smoke because they are addicted to nicotine, and that smoking cessation is incredibly hard to accomplish. For example, the author of a recent review on the topic of smoking cessation in the medical journal Thorax, commented that

The nicotine contained in cigarette smoke is fiercely addictive, making smoking cessation difficult to achieve, even though the majority of smokers want to quit [Coleman, T.: Smoking cessation: Integrating recent advances into clinical practice. Thorax, 2001; 56: 579-582 (July)].

Ours is an addiction oriented society, and we explain away many complex behaviors and problems by appealing to "addiction". We are addicted to nicotine (which is the reason we smoke). We are addicted to food (which is the reason we overeat). We are addicted to caffeine (which is the reason we drink too much coffee or tea or cola). We are addicted to chocolate (which is the reason we crave sweets). So forth and so on.

Some of us also bite our fingernails or constantly chew gum. Others walk around with a toothpick or a matchstick in their mouths, or suck on one breath mint after another. Why do we not hear about addictions to fingernails, gum, wood, or mints? This doesn't make sense, does it, but these habits are the same as the habit of smoking. They are habitual behaviors that occur excessively, and they occur in a wide variety of settings..

All of these behaviors are learned habits. They are not maintained because of addictions. Addictions are difficult to treat. By comparison, habits are easily eliminated. Addictions also give you a very convenient reason not to stop what you are doing...you cannot help it, you are addicted! Or, if you assume that you have an addiction, you are going to need an expert to help you change your behavior. You will think that you cannot stop the habit on your own.

In the case of smoking, you are told that you need physicians, pharmacists, counselors, hypnotists, acupuncturists, behavior modifiers, etc., in order to stop smoking. With Stop That!, all you need is the Program. It will give you everything you need to quit smoking, guaranteed! And, you will be able to take pride in the knowledge that you did it yourself, without expensive medications and nicotine replacement systems, without counseling, and without exposing yourself to the unpleasant or dangerous side effects of most medical treatments for smoking cessation.

COMMON APPROACHES TO SMOKING CESSATION

There are four Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs) that are government approved for use as aids in smoking cessation. Two antidepressant medications have also been approved as first line treatments for smoking. These are Zyban and Wellbutrin (discussed below, generic name Bupropion). These treatments are not very effective, yet any description of smoking cessation programs published by the government or by private agencies is essentially an infomercial for the drug companies manufacturing these products. Review any nicotine cessation guidelines, and you will find statements that smokers have a serious addiction, and that the only effective treatments involve the use of NRT or antidepressant medication. In some instances, the suggestion is to use both!

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT): NRT includes nicotine patches, gum, inhalers, and sprays. The cost for a recommended 8 to 12 week treatment ranges from about $400 for the nicotine patch to more than $1500 for the inhalers and sprays. Negative side effects are common, and NRTs can be dangerous, as smoking while you use these products can result in a nicotine overdose. About 5% to 20% of smokers using NRT quit, and the four NRT options seem to be "equally effective" (i.e., ineffective). For every claim of a 20% quit rate, there are 10 studies that find quit rates of 5% to 10%. Additionally, many of the studies reporting higher rates of success are either conducted or funded by the drug companies that manufacture and sell these products. In the event of relapse, recommendations are to repeat the program, and probability of success after initial failure is about 5%. Also, only about 5% of smokers who have as few as four cigarettes while using NRT actually quit smoking. So, based on what the statistics and scientific studies are telling us, smokers spend $400 or more on these products, with a 90% chance that they will fail!

Zyban and Wellbutrin (Bupropion): These are antidepressant medications that have been demonstrated to be somewhat effective in helping smokers quit. A 30 day supply costs about $140, and 12 weeks of treatment is recommended ($420). Once again, about 10% to 20% of smokers using these medications successfully stop smoking. In the event of failure or relapse after using these medications, recommendations are to use NRT, or NRT plus medication, spending another $400 to $1500, with an 80% to 90% chance of failure!

NRT AND SIDE EFFECTS

The following information was obtained by visiting my local pharmacy and asking about the side effects of these medications. If you are skeptical, visit your pharmacist and ask for a printout.

Nicotrol Inhaler (by prescription only): "Do not smoke or use tobacco products while using this medication. For women, this medication has been shown to cause harm to the human fetus. This medicine is excreted in breast milk. Side effects that may occur while using this medicine include mouth or throat irritation, coughing, runny nose, indigestion, diarrhea, nausea, or hiccups. CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE if you experience irregular or fast heartbeat"

Nicotrol Nasal Spray (by prescription only): Same as above. Additionally, "SIDE EFFECTS that MAY go away during treatment include nasal irritation, watering eyes, sneezing, runny nose, throat irritation, coughing, nausea, or headache. CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE if you experience dizziness, lightheadedness, or an increase in your heart rate (pounding heart)."

Nicorette (gum) and Nicoderm (the patch): Side effects for these over-the-counter products are essentially the same as those above. Additionally, those using the gum may develop oral sores and lesions. Smokers using the patch may experience local skin irritation in the area of the patch

Zyban and Wellbutrin (Bupropion): These are antidepressant medications that have shown some effectiveness in helping smokers quit. As with NRT, reported quit rates are between 10% and 20%. Stated differently, they have an 80% to 90% failure rate. Cautions and side effects include restlessness, agitation, dry mouth, dizziness, difficulty sleeping, headache, nausea, vomiting, change in weight, or tremor. CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE if you experience mental/mood changes or palpitations. CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY if you experience seizures (1 in 1000 users will have seizures), difficulty breathing, tightness of chest, swelling of eyelids, face, or lips, or if you develop a rash or hives. Do not exceed the recommended dose or use with alcohol; doing so will increase your risk of seizures. To date, there have been at least 25 deaths reported in persons using these medications for smoking cessation!

The Stop That! Program: No prescription is needed, and there are no side effects of any kind! There are no negative side effects because the Stop That! Program does not involve the use of medications or chemicals, and your total one-time cost is $69.95. It is so effective that the probability of success is close to 100% in smokers who adhere to the program. In the event of relapse, all that is needed is to go through the program again. You will never have to spend another cent to quit smoking, and the program will pay for itself in 30 days or less.

Drug companies tell us that nicotine is “fiercely addictive”. They claim it is more addictive than heroin or cocaine. Not true! They emphasize nicotine addiction to frighten smokers, so they will buy their expensive and dangerous products (e.g., the patch, gum, inhalers, Zyban, etc.) to ease the discomfort of nicotine withdrawal. You did not become a smoker after smoking one or two “fiercely addicting” cigarettes. If you are like most smokers, you started smoking in one or a very few places. You then smoked in a few more places, and then in a few more. As you smoked more and more, smoking became a learned habit wherever you smoked. The Stop That! Program will teach you how to break your smoking habit, all without medications, nicotine, herbs, counseling, or hypnosis. It is guaranteed, and the Program will not hurt you physically or financially.

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