 Smoking, in one form or another, has been around for thousands of years, with the first recorded users of this addictive substance being the native peoples of the Americas from around the year 1000BC. Why they began this recreational practice is unclear but since its introduction into Europe, in the 16th Century, the number of people who have taken to this habit has continued to increase year on year.
It is estimated that there are now 10 million smokers in the UK alone, which is approximately a sixth of the adult population. Around half of these will die prematurely as a direct result of their tobacco use, the majority of these from a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a family of diseases which include emphysema, bronchitis and several other lung related conditions. In one study, which spanned some 25 years, it was found that out of the 8,000 participants, 2,900 had died from a COPD, with a further 109 suffering with similar ailments.
So how, as a smoker, can you reduce the risk of developing this or any other life threatening disease attributed to smoking? Simple, some would say, just give up. However, this is by no means an easy feat, with recent surveys indicating that as many as 70% of all smokers wish to quit but find it too difficult to do so. This is because of nicotine, the addictive substance within tobacco and also one of the most addictive and commonly used substances for recreation – with it being thought to be either on par or worse than several class A narcotics, including cocaine and heroin.
Another reason that many smokers are often unable to continue in their attempts to ‘kick the habit’ is the unrealistic expectations that people have when giving up. Each year 53% of smokers attempt to quit, but with the hold a nicotine addiction can have on the body, the majority of these fall at the hurdle within a matter of weeks. In fact, out of these 53% only 6% will have not lit up over a 2 year period from the date they gave up with this fraction even lower for those who opt for the ‘cold turkey’ method of giving up.
With that in mind, what treatment options or aids are available to give you a fighting chance of getting and staying free from tobacco? Well, there are several methods now open to smokers to target both the addiction and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms suffered when going ‘smoke-free’. These treatments, ranging from the herbal and readily available, including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), to newly developed prescription medications, like Champix, designed to actively combat and prevent both nicotine entering the body and the withdrawal symptoms which this lack of Nicotine can cause.
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