It was big news a couple of weeks ago, but now that the
novelty’s worn off, nobody’s talking about recent findings that nicotine
patches and gum aren’t very effective.
According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health
and the University of Massachusetts in Boston, about a third of those who
relied on the self-prescribed patch/gum treatment relapsed. Whether the former
smoker did or didn’t have professional counseling made no difference. One in
three just couldn’t quit.
That’s sad, but if it proves one thing, it’s that there’s no
easy road to breaking any bad habit.
I quit smoking in 1966, after a four-year, two-pack-a-day
habit. Cold turkey. One day, I just crumbled up my remaining pack of Pall Mall
non-filters and flushed them down the toilet. It was harder to get rid of the
cigarettes than it was not to smoke. And it was all for one reason: The wife
asked me to stop.
I’m glad I quit – I’d be spending a fortune to keep it up
today. A pack costs at least $8 today; that’s $16 a day, nearly $5,700 a year.
So, no nicotine patches or gum needed in this house. But … I
guess if it’s the only way to a person to cut back on smoking, then what the
heck, do it.
3 comments:
From a nonsmoker I say whatever helps someone even psychologically, is a good thing. Whatever works for them.
Good job, sir! And thanks for setting a very good example to the community. Will does play a huge role in quitting smoking; yet even that is subject to past history and tendencies on the part of the victim. Perhaps, certain strategies can be explored, which may help a cigarette addict go through those histories and build up their resistance from there.
MakeTheShiftNow.com
There are cases when going cold turkey on cigarettes led to more problems, particularly when the person smoked in high amounts before. For those situations, tapering or looking for an alternate source of nicotine seems the best solutions. As you’ve said, whatever helps them quit is a good plan as long as they stick to it.
Rey
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