America's Number One Sin: Nicotine

Around the world millions of people are falling into the addiction of cigarettes. In cigarettes there are 599 ingredients, the most addictive being nicotine. Just in the smoke alone is over 4,000 chemicals, causing second hand smoke to be extremely harmful to the human body as well as the consumer. Smoking causes one in five deaths from heart disease, that is 20 out of 100 people dying from just smoking cigarettes. The risks of smoking for pregnant women are extremely harmful to the baby. Smoking can cause low birth weight, premature birth, bleeding, and possibly fetal death. The symptoms that nicotine causes when inhaled is increased heart rate and blood pressure. Once you make the decision to quit smoking cigarettes, you will find that there is a variety of products and other options to help you quit. One of them being the nicotine patch. The patch sends a specific amount of nicotine into your blood stream in a 24 hour period. The nicotine you receive through the patch is less then what you get by smoking one cigarette. Patches come in three different strengths, 21mg, 14mg, and 7mg. For the most effective outcome, start with the 21mg for one to two weeks, and gradually work yourself into the 7mg patch. While a large variety of patches are left on for 24 hours, there are a select few that are worn through out the day, and taken off before you go to bed. Another option to quit smoking is nicotine gum. Nicotine gum is a self explanatory product, it is up to you on the amount of pieces you consume in a day. The recommended is 10-15 pieces, never any more then 30. Chewing gum gives you the same effect of smoking a cigarette, despite the peppery taste and tingling sensation. To use gum as your quitting method, you must make a decision to decrease your intake every few days or weeks, whatever is most comfortable for you. Choosing to chew the same amount continuously everyday, will not lessen your cravings or your bodies tolerance to nicotine. The side effects to chewing nicotine gum is, headaches, increased salvia production, and mouth sores in the beginning. Quitting smoking cold turkey is the most difficult way to quit. While the nicotine patch and gum slowly weans you off nicotine, to decrease your chances of withdrawal symptoms, quitting cold turkey only increases them. When quitting cold turkey, it is best for you and your body to keep away from stressful situations that might cause you to relapse. Withdrawal symptoms from nicotine includes, decreased heart rate,anxiety, restlessness, hostility and impatience. A variety of people will tell themselves that they can just have one cigarette a day. But that one turns into two, then three and soon enough you will be back where you started. The main key is stay confident, and not let yourself slide back into your previous smoking routine. Once you have made it through the first few days, it will only get easier from there.