Cold Turkey Research Paper

Nicotine, which is found in Tobacco can cause addiction, which is why so many people who smoke find it extremely hard to quit. When a person inhales the tobacco, nicotine stimulates the brain bringing pleasure and a sense of calm to the addict. When the nicotine in a person’s blood is low the smoker will begin to crave more nicotine and experience anxiety which then brings on the symptoms of restlessness, headaches, hunger, irritability, and difficulty concentrating, until they’re able to have their next cigarette. The nicotine will then counter that anxiety allowing the person to feel calm and relaxed until their nicotine levels are low once again. Knowing that smoking is just as addictive as other drugs, it is obvious that a person who wants to quit smoking might need some professional help in order to do so and be successful. Because nicotine affects the brain, Neurofeedback therapy would be a highly effective treatment for those addicted to smoking. Studies over the years have proven that smokers have more anxiety than non- smokers, and that smoking is related to anxiety. So the key is treating the part of the brain that causes the anxiety. By teaching a person how to train their brain, through various techniques and exercises, they will learn how to control the negative effects of their anxiety and stress without the use of nicotine and finally be free of their nicotine addiction.

Another effective way to quit smoking is to ease the amount of nicotine in one’s body as well as decreasing the stress of completely giving up the habit of smoking. A study performed by Bullen and Etter found that 92% of smokers using electronic cigarettes for three months reduced the total number of cigarettes they smoked (as cited in Rahman et al., 2014). The use of an electronic cigarette reduces a smoker’s need for cigarettes since their mechanisms are like an actual cigarette. These devices also deliver nicotine to the smoker when inhaled, as well as the user can choose the dosage of nicotine they’re receiving. Furthermore, an electronic cigarette user can start with a nicotine dose that is measurable to or higher than a cigarette then over time reducing their quantity until the smoker no longer has the desire to be using the nicotine. This decrease in the amount of nicotine will reduce withdrawal symptoms of the person trying to quit smoking, thus decreasing the smokers need to use real cigarettes. Notably, a clinical trial done by Polosa

I tried the nicotine patches and gums, but for me, I found that it almost made my cravings worse. The nicotine in these products seemed to make me think about cigarettes more than when I had attempted a cold-turkey quit in the past. I even tried herbs and meditation, but nothing I did seemed to free me from the addiction.

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms include tobacco cravings, headache, nausea, fatigue, drowsiness, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, and depressed mood. Tobacco addiction often takes several tries to quit and a doctor should be seen if needed. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse a combination of both behavioral interventions and medication to help people quit smoking are more affective then either alone. Behavioral treatments range from self-help skills to counseling, as well as help in identifying high risk situations and how to deal with them. Nicotine replacement treatments like nicotine gum, nicotine patches, lozenges and inhalers can help to relieve withdrawal symptoms. There are now medications that can help with smoking cessation, they can target nicotine receptors in the brain, easing withdrawal and blocking the effects of nicotine

E-cigarettes have exploded onto the scene in the past three years. Whole stores dedicated to these devices have opened their doors to the public and business is thriving. E-cigarettes are battery-charged devices that have an atomizer, or heating element, in them to vaporize liquid nicotine. The user is able to inhale this vapor and get the nicotine without the other 4,000 chemicals present in tobacco cigarette smoke (Schroeder). Nicotine is a chemical that is produced by the tobacco plant. People have discovered that by smoking the leaves of a tobacco plant the nicotine in the leaves is delivered into the bloodstream. Nicotine by itself is not an awful drug as far as drugs go, although it is highly addictive, it is the tar in cigarettes that does so much damage. Tobacco use remains the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S. with 480,000 Americans dying prematurely from tobacco related disease. Kicking this habit remains difficult for most (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Mark Twain once wrote “It’s easy to quit smoking, I’ve done it hundreds of times.”

These can be taken by themselves or with one of the above programs. There are a few prescriptions available: Zyban, Chantix, nasal spray, or an inhalers. The price on these depends on if you have insurance and if they cover it, and how much your copay might be. The success rate from one study shows 36% initially and 30% after one year. There are three options available over the counter: nicotine patch, gum and lozenges. The previous study shows a 23% success rate on the patch, and if you combine this with the prescription, the results are 39% initially and 35.5% after one year. This study also states if you don’t use any program you will have a 5% success rate, but if you combine with one of these replacement therapies your success will triple. (http://www.tobaccofree.org/quitlinks.htm). These products are available in various locations, including supermarkets and drug stores. Walmart sells a generic version of the gum with 170 pieces for $30.98 and the brand name Nicorette for 170 pieces at $57.98. For the patch, they sell their generic version for 14 count at $25.98 and the name brand NicoDerm 14 count at $38.98. With the lozenges, they sell their version with 108 pieces for $30.98 and Nicorette for 81 pieces at $35.37. Several of the manufactures of these products also offer telephone

The powerful addictive properties of nicotine and of the ritualistic behaviour of smoking make smoking cessation a difficult task. Currently-approved products for smoking cessation have low long-term quit rates, with nicotine replacement therapy having less than 7% sustained abstinence rate, while oral medications have less than 20% quit rate at one year. Therefore, tobacco harm reduction strategies and products have been developed, with the goal to reduce smoking-related morbidity and mortality burden by providing nicotine in a less harmful form. Electronic cigarettes are tobacco harm reduction products that may deal with both chemical through nicotine delivery and behavioural through motor simulation and sensory stimulation addiction to smoking. Awareness and use of Electronic cigarettes are growing exponentially, but there is controversy over their potential as smoking substitutes. Surveys have shown that they may be

The most common and convenient program available for smoking cessation is telephone quit lines. There are several options available and they provide a number of resources to help the smoker. These programs are also free to the smoker.

Nicotine addiction is a most common addiction faced by adults and teens in today’s society, which could gradually lead to death eventually. A tobacco product such as a cigarettes, cigars, and pipes contains nicotine and 4,000 more different chemicals that are toxic to the body and brain physically and psychologically (CDC). Teen are pressured by their peers into start using nicotine products at early age in order to fit into a society or a group where it is symbolized as “Cool kids actions” to use this product, while adult use tobacco products because they are addicted. According to CDC more than 480,000 deaths annually are tobacco related death in which person was addicted to tobacco or victim of second hand smoke.

Smoking is an addiction that risks one’s health which in turn can lead to death. As time advances, both smokers and non-smokers have begun understand the harm in this deadly habit as it doesn’t only affect the smokers, but anyone who encounters second-hand smoke. Since people have become aware of the health risks of smoking, cessation tools such as nicotine replacement therapy were invented to help cigarette smokers terminate their desires to smoke. As technology improves, smoking tools are created, like the electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) that was invented in 2003 (Rahman, Hann, Wilson, & Worrall-Carter, 2014). Electronic cigarettes can deliver low doses of nicotine to ease withdrawal symptoms. Furthermore, as electronic cigarettes increase in popularity the question arises if these devices can be used for smoking cessation purposes like nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). After discussing the topics of e-cigarettes and smoking cessation, one will conclude that electronic cigarettes can be compared to nicotine replacement therapy as a successful quitting method. Furthermore, the use of electronic cigarettes can be an effective method of smoking cessation.

Smoking cessation is the process of quitting tobacco smoking. Studies have shown that smoking is a preventable cause of death worldwide. The ability to quit tobacco has immediate and long term health benefits for all users. By quitting, there is a significant reduction from the risk of death that comes from tobacco-related diseases, most notably, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, difficulty breathing, or chronic obstructive airways disease, as well as tumors of the mouth, throat, esophagus, lungs and bladder. Other neoplastic and respiratory causes of death affect neonates and infants secondary to maternal smoking, cigarette-caused fires and second hand smoke.

One of the study conducted by the smoking cessation clinic at the Rochester, Minnesota salvation army good Samaritan health clinic (GHSU) also conducted a study approach on cessation of smoking and have also proved that the cessation program was successful in individuals with nicotine replacement program and this results showed that nicotine replacement therapy along with bupropion effect was lower than just under bupropion. (2)

To begin, cold turkey is the most efficient way to end a habit, but also the hardest. However, it’s the most rewarding. This requires the person to stop the habit and not look back. Furthermore, it demands a strong mind-set and can be very draining to force oneself

For this week, I chose to do my discussion on the presentation presented by Selenia Lopez. The title of her presentation was “Pharmacologic and Non­Pharmacologic Smoking Cessation Methods”. The main objective of her research was to review both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic smoking cessation methods, the success rate, mechanism of action and the cost and understand the hazard of smoking and the benefits of quitting. She has also discussed the difficulties faced by an individual when they stop smoking and what makes it so hard to stop. Smoking a cigarette can lead to many health hazards and could cause smoking related diseases such as COPD. It is hard to quit smoking as some people may have nicotine withdrawal symptoms but the end result

Quitting smoking abruptly is also referred to as quitting “cold turkey.” This form of smoking cessation involves no tapering off of nicotine, just