At some point, every smoker has thought about quitting.
Maybe they've even made a commitment to do it; always at some precise point in the very near future, saying something like: "I'll just finish this pack and start cutting down" or "I'll quit in the New Year". It's usually sparked off in conversation with a fellow smoker, reeling at the latest price of a pack of cigarettes, or perhaps in response to a non-smokers questioning of the rationale of continuing to smoke cigarettes in the face of, what has become widespread knowledge, their destructive health effects.
But, you can't make a smoker stop simply by giving them facts and figures about what continuing to smoke is doing to their health. In the UK alone, it's reported that approximately 100,000 people die every year from the effects of smoking. These deaths are mainly attributed to cancers and also heart and pulmonary disease. That's a lot of people, even in these modern globalised times of instant access to health care information, support and research.
But, even armed with the knowledge that, if you smoke, you're likely to live about 10 years less than the rest of the non smoking population, it's hard to take a walk down the street without seeing plenty of people lighting up or stood in the entrance ways of office buildings or at the back doors of shops and restaurants. It's an ever familiar sight nowadays, as many public buildings have become smoke free zones in response to changing legislation; forcing smoking out into the open.
So, why does anyone still smoke?
Quitting smoking is hard work! Nicotine is highly addictive and the longer someone has continued to smoke, the harder it will be to break the habit and become cigarette free. Making a decision to stop smoking should not be taken lightly, especially if this will be another in a long line of attempts for you.
There are many websites on the internet, news and current affairs articles on the television and radio that will provide you with a whole host of facts and figures about the dangers and affects of smoking. There are many smoking cessation aids available, like nicotine replacement patches and chewing gum for example. Your doctor can also provide medical help and support for you.
What there hasn't been many of, are plans or instructions to follow, laid down by those that have successfully walked ahead before you, into a permanent smoke free future.
Think about it for a second. If you wanted to lose weight for example, there's a multitude of different popular plans you could follow, such as the Atkins Diet or Weight Watchers plan. So, why could this not be equally applied to smoking cessation? It's far easier to be successful and feel like you're making progress, when you're following a plan that someone else has used to quit smoking cigarettes permanently.
And so, that's what I aim to provide you with here. A straightforward plan that you can follow to quit smoking cigarettes and remain smoke free, in addition to a supportive community of fellow quitters.
But before you begin your journey towards a permanent smoke free life, you need to ask yourself an important question: Do you really want to quit now?
In order to successfully quit and remain cigarette free permanently; you have to believe that you want to do it now. Make no mistake, it will not be easy, more so if you have been smoking for a long time, so you need to be prepared and ready.
It's no good if your only reason for quitting is because continuing to smoke costs too much financially or many public paces like restaurants and shopping centres are smoke free zones now. Those are all good supporting reasons and benefits from quitting but, you have to want to stop smoking permanently and believe that you are ready to do it.
That's the first step: Quitting is believing.
