Effective Smoking Cessation Tool Or A New Way For Children

     Nicotine is addictive! Most smokers use tobacco regularly because they are addicted to the nicotine. You can be addicted to the nicotine in a physical and physological addiction. Addiction is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, even if they are in the risk of health problems. It is well documented that most smokers identify tobacco as harmful and express a desire to reduce or stop using it, and nearly 35 million of them make a serious attempt to quit. Unfortunately, 7% of those who try to quit in their own achieve more than 1 year of abstinence; most relapse within a few days of trying to quit. Some of the other factors besides nicotine addictive properties include its high level of availability, the small number of legal consequences of using the tobacco, and the advertising methods used by companies. What most people do not realize is that the

One of my first memories in the United States was taking a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) class. I was in sixth grade and a top student, as talking about drugs and alcohol and the way they affect us was fascinating to me. This is why, the following year, I volunteered to become a peer educator in Teens Against Tobacco Use (T.A.T.U). For a couple of years, I gave presentations to young students which included facts, demonstrations, and games, to spread the knowledge that tobacco is harmful and that staying away from smoking prolongs life expectancy and increases the quality of life. It should come as no surprise, then, that I consider myself a big proponent of staying tobacco-free and encouraging others to quit smoking as a great way to promote health. I remember watching my mom and sister as they took part in their nightly ritual of smoking a few cigarettes to unwind. “Did you know that a main component of cigarettes is used as rocket fuel?” I would ask them, as I opened the window and they stared back at me blankly. “We know, we know” was the answer every time. I knew that convincing them to quit was no easy task, but I was committed. Day after day, I proudly stated a new fact about the evils of smoking. Finally one day, they quit. At first, they attributed it to the cost. Since we had just immigrated to the United States, the cost of cigarettes was simply not something they could afford. I didn’t believe it. I proudly

Quitting rates of participants who are unwilling to stop smoking at all using electronic cigarettes shows how much of an effective cessation method they are. For nicotine replacement therapy to work, smokers would have to volunteer to quit and seek help, while with electronic cigarettes cessation just happens.

Of the roughly 42 million adults in the US that use tobacco, nearly 69% of smokers want to quit and more than 42% of those wishing to quit will make the attempt through various methods(1). These methods range from the "cold turkey" method, nicotine replacement therapy, behavioural therapy and even medicine. Each method has it's unique strengths and weaknesses as well as varying success rates. There are many reasons to quit and many ways in which to do so, either with methods that involve slowly weaning off of nicotine, like gums and patches from replacement therapy, to nicotine-free methods which require support from various sources.

Although they might be slightly more effective than nicotine patches and other aids in helping people quit smoking, electronic cigarettes still stand as a gateway to nicotine addiction. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests more children and teens from middle school to high school are trying these new devices. About 1.8 million children admitted puffing on an e-cigarette with 160,000 of them doing so with never having tried an ordinary cigarette before. These implications mean electronic cigarettes have been getting a lot of attention lately from the community. The CDC indicates this trend as a serious concern.

So, it is perfectly rational to call smoking an “addiction” in my policy above. The main topic of 1988 US Surgeon General’s Report was if tobacco was addictive. It stated three main conclusions. First, it said that cigarettes and other forms of tobacco are addictive. Second, it stated that the reason they are addictive is because of the nicotine found in them. Thirdly, it stated that this addictiveness is much like heroin or cocaine. Prior to this report and since then there have been other studies and experiments stating the addictiveness of tobacco and the effects of nicotine on the body. It is known that nicotine increases the levels of dopamine in the brain and causes a burst of adrenaline. This burst of adrenaline is pleasurable and is what is known as the “rush” or “kick” from smoking. DeNoble and Mele figured out that rats would rather have nicotine than food and water once they were addicted. Phillip Morris stopped them from publishing their findings in 1983. In 1995, Stoleman and Jarvis did a study on nicotine’s addictiveness and found that there are many different withdrawal symptoms people go through when they are deprived of nicotine. They also found that this withdrawal is only relieved by a nicotine and not a smoking placebo. This again furthers the fact that smoking is addictive. Once a person starts smoking it quickly becomes an

As FDA analysis indicated, e-cigarettes contain the same toxic substances and carcinogens found in traditional cigarettes, which contradicts the statement made by e-cigarette advocates that e-cigarettes are safer. Recently, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that about 47.1 percent of the cigarette and e-cigarette exposure-calls to poison control centers are now due to e-cigarettes (Kucinich, 2014). Therefore, I do not think it is reasonable to promote e-cigarettes to the public as safer alternatives to traditional tobacco cigarettes, let alone smoking cessation aids. Additionally, health experts have repeatedly mentioned that e-cigarettes maybe potential gateway drugs for many individuals, particularly the young. Pepper and colleagues (2013) reported that nearly 1 in 5 adolescent males in their study were willing to try e-cigarettes if offered to them; and being a smoker increased the willingness to try e-cigarettes. As teens are highly inclined to try e-cigarettes, extensive public promotion of e-cigarettes may mislead them into thinking that e-cigarettes are safe to use. The false claim may even spark teenagers’ curiosity and motivate them to try e-cigarettes and other tobacco products haphazardly. It is highly likely that the effort to promote smoke cessation through e-cigarettes could create an entirely new problem: e-cigarette abuse in teens. Overall, I take the stand against e-cigarettes. I

Schools around the world, including Freeburg Community High School, have had to install nicotine detectors to catch those who sneak in Vapes or Juuls, e-cigarettes, into school bathrooms and classrooms. “E-cigarettes are devices that heat a liquid into an aerosol that the user inhales. The liquid usually has nicotine and flavoring in it, and other additives. The nicotine in e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes is addictive. E-cigarettes are considered tobacco products because most of them contain nicotine, which comes from tobacco,” (Know the Risks: E-Cigarettes & Young People). E-cigarettes are just as harmful as regular cigarettes and should not be sold.

While more research on electronic cigarettes is necessary, there’s significant evidence that e-cigarettes are helping many people. Further, there’s no evidence that non-smokers, such as children, are choosing to use e-cigarettes as a gateway to regular cigarettes. To compare e-cigarettes to tobacco just as a precaution is incorrect, harmful and immoral when millions of people have the chance to move away from the known and severe harms of smoking

tobacco users in the future. Education plays a critical role in early use of e -cigarettes

Fact: cigarette smoke kills on average 1,300 people everyday. That’s over 480,000 deaths each year, even worse nearly 50,000 die annually from inhalation of secondhand smoke. Over 16% of Americans fall to the addition of nicotine (CDC). Although that number is declining, it still needs to fall, and there is one safe and effective way to do so. Using smokeless tobacco to wean off of an addiction to nicotine is safe and effective. It is proven through real life trials. Some even in your own community. Also the risk of getting oral cancer is comparably less from smokeless tobacco than from cigarettes. Finally nicotine levels can be altered on vapor products. This can help smokers wean off the addiction. Smokeless tobacco is safer than regular

Angela shared that she did not have much luck with the nicotine patch in the past. At “two to three packs of cigarettes per day,” Angela could benefit from the aid of Nicotrol, a prescribed oral inhaler. Because Angela described how she consistently lodges a cigarette “between the index and middle fingers of her right hand” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2012), it is my belief that she may find the Nicotrol inhaler appealing since it is a “cigarette-shaped” device that mimics the appearance of an actual cigarette (Perry, Alexander, Liskow & DeVane, 2007). This design is most likely intended to help with the hand-to-mouth habit of smoking. In this manner, the dosage of Nicotrol is delivered through a number of puffs with the purpose of aiding the individual’s quest to end his or her addiction. With the help of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for the mental aspects of Angela’s addiction, as originally suggested and desired, the recruitment of Nicotrol could pair rather nicely with her commitment to treatment because it can also present help with the behavioral side of cigarette addiction (Ebbert, Hays, & Hurt, 2010; Preston et al., 2013; Pfizer, Inc.,

Both of these methods could be used individually or combined depending on the outcomes. The pharmacologic treatments for tobacco dependence include nicotine replacement therapy, Bupropion (Zyban), and Varenicline (Chantix), all are FDA approved. Some of the treatments are available over the counter while some require doctor’s prescription. Nicotine patch (Nicoderm CQ), nicotine gum (Nicorette), and lozenge are available over the counter whereas nicotine inhaler (Nicotrol), nicotine nasal spray (Nicotrol NS), Bupropion (Zyban), and Varenicline (Chantix) require doctor’s prescription. The non-pharmacologic method includes patient education, behavioral therapy, self-help materials, and telephone counseling. There are also several health organizations and resources available for those who are willing to quit smoking completely such as American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health and much more. Upon reading the success rate and the cost described for both the therapies, I believe non-pharmacologic therapy is the most cost-effective therapy. The physicians providing non-pharmacologic therapy should provide support within the clinic by encouraging the patients in the cessation attempt and talk to them about the cessation process, the success they have achieved, and the difficulties encountered while

Nowadays students are not only being pressured to smoke by their peers and by their surrounding, but they are also watching their parents smoke. Many teens have been influenced by

One of the largest issues today is adolescent smoking. According to a heath based website, nearly 90% of adult smokers start while they are still teens and they never intend to get hooked. They may start by bumming a cigarette or two from a friend at a party, and then go on to buying an occasional pack. Soon they realize that they can't go without that pack. They've gotten used to reaching for a cigarette first thing in the morning, after meals, or during any stressful time. They become addicted, both physically and psychologically. According to the American Lung Association, each day 6,000 children under the age of 18 smoke their first cigarette. Almost 2,000 of them will become regular smokers – that’s 757, 000 new smokers annually!