The makers of Smoke Away realize that the smoking cessation is very crowded. As well it should be, with an average of 400,000 people year dying from smokng related ilnesses and Big Tobacco continuing to manufacture cancer sticks, there is ample room for plenty of companies who want to help people quit smoking.

When Smoke Away was first created almost 10 years ago, it was with one thing in mind, and one thing only. That was, to help as many people as we could to quit smoking.  Over that period of time, we have learned a lot on what it takes to help keep people nicotine free. As much as Smoke Away helps, there is also a healthy dose of reality involved in helping you keep the quit. The reality being, if you don’t quit smoking now, today, this week, whatever, you will die eventually, that is the sad fact.

It has been written over and over and over. Smoking cigarettes will stunt your life. It will cause you to die sooner than if you did not smoke. Period. The sooner you get this thru to your thick skull, the sooner the makers of Smoke Away can help YOU quit smoking.

Sure you can try other smoking cessation methods and products. But chances are, the success that you have had is one of the reasons why your are reading this now. The reality? it didn’t work. That’s why you are here. You are looking for answers. Generally what we do is tell people who want to quit smoking, go visit Smoke Away Support and talk regular people just like you. It’s a forum with almost 3,000 people who have quit smoking, or are in the process of stopping smoking. Find out why Smoke Away worked for them, or maybe why it didn’t. The important thing is, start the dialogue now and find out why you need to ask yourself, Why not Smoke Away?

Smokers with lung disease require more than brief smoking cessation interventions to successfully quit, researchers in the Oregon Health & Science University Smoking Cessation Center report.

Quitting smoking can be difficult for some and almost impossible for others. The reason — your genes — New research has found that a certain gene can make the difference as to whether or not someone will start smoking and then become addicted to the nicotine. In two studies featured in this month’s American Psychological Association’s journal of Health Psychology, researchers discovered that people carrying a particular version of the dopamine transporter gene are less likely to start smoking before the age of 16 and are more likely to be able to quit smoking if they start.In their article, ”Evidence Suggesting the Role of Specific Genetic Factors in Cigarette Smoking,” psychologist Caryn Lerman, Ph.D., of the Georgetown University Medical Center and her co-authors demonstrated for the first time that a link exists between smoking behavior and the dopamine transporter gene. In their study of 289 smokers and 233 nonsmokers, they found that individuals with a that specific genotype were less likely to be smokers than individuals without that gene. Furthermore, those with that gene started smoking later and were able to quit for longer periods oftime than other smokers.

Although many smokers attempt to quit at some point in their lives, only 20 percent actually succeed in quitting, say researchers. In their article, ”A Genetic Association for Cigarette Smoking Behavior,’‘ Dean H. Hamer, Ph.D., of the National Cancer Institute and colleagues found from examining 1,107 nonsmokers, current smokers and former smokers that the above mentioned gene was associated with certain personality characteristics that influenced a person’s susceptibility of being able to start and stop smoking.

A person with that genotype was found to have lower novelty seeking traits than a person without this genotype, according to the study. And because novelty seeking has been associated with a desire to smoke, said Dr. Hamer, ”a low level of novelty seeking could be a predictor of smoking cessation. Indeed, average novelty seeking scores were found to be significantly lower in former smokers than in current smokers. Those with low levels of novelty seeking have an easier time giving up cigarettes than those with high levels of novelty seeking.”

”We found that individuals who have the SLC6A3-9 gene were one and a half times more likely to have quit smoking than individuals lacking this gene,” said Dr. Hamer. ”However,” he cautioned that, ”the SLC6A3-9 gene is not a strict determinant of the ability to quit smoking, but rather an influence on an individual’s general need and responsiveness to external stimuli, of which cigarette smoking is but one example. Hopefully, with more of an understanding of the genetics of cigarette smoking behavior, we can develop more effective, targeted pharmacological and psychoeducational cessation strategies that will take these individual differences into account.”

The bottom line is if you smoke you need to quit. The makers of Smoke Away do not care how you do it, you just need to do it. Today!

In our quest to make the world smoke free, the makers of Smoke Away provide you with a nother visual reminder of why you really need to quit smoking, today!

I wonder if this latest news was created by Big Tobacco?

A study by an award-winning cancer expert shows that cell phone use could kill more people than smoking, it is reported.

According to the U.K.’s Independent newspaper, the study, headed by Dr. Vini Khurana, shows that there is a growing body of evidence that using handsets for 10 years or more can double the risk of brain cancer.

Khurana — one of the world’s top neurosurgeons — based his assessment on the fact that three billion people now use the phones worldwide. That is three times higher than people who smoke. Smoking kills some five million globally each year.

He warned that people should avoid using handsets whenever possible and called on the phone industry to make them safer. France and Germany have already warned against the use of mobile phones, especially by children, it is reported.

The study is said to be the most damning indictment of cell phone use. According to the Independent, cancers take at least 10 years to develop, which has influenced earlier cancer studies showing relative safety when using cell phones.

“Earlier this year, the French government warned against the use of mobile phones, especially by children. Germany also advises its people to minimise handset use, and the European Environment Agency has called for exposures to be reduced.

Professor Khurana – a top neurosurgeon who has received 14 awards over the past 16 years, has published more than three dozen scientific papers – reviewed more than 100 studies on the effects of mobile phones. He has put the results on a brain surgery website, and a paper based on the research is currently being peer-reviewed for publication in a scientific journal.

He admits that mobiles can save lives in emergencies, but concludes that “there is a significant and increasing body of evidence for a link between mobile phone usage and certain brain tumours”. He believes this will be “definitively proven” in the next decade.

Noting that malignant brain tumours represent “a life-ending diagnosis”, he adds: “We are currently experiencing a reactively unchecked and dangerous situation.” He fears that “unless the industry and governments take immediate and decisive steps”, the incidence of malignant brain tumours and associated death rate will be observed to rise globally within a decade from now, by which time it may be far too late to intervene medically.

“It is anticipated that this danger has far broader public health ramifications than asbestos and smoking,” says Professor Khurana, who told the IoS his assessment is partly based on the fact that three billion people now use the phones worldwide, three times as many as smoke. Smoking kills some five million worldwide each year, and exposure to asbestos is responsible for as many deaths in Britain as road accidents.

Late last week, the Mobile Operators Association dismissed Khurana’s study as “a selective discussion of scientific literature by one individual”. It believes he “does not present a balanced analysis” of the published science, and “reaches opposite conclusions to the WHO and more than 30 other independent expert scientific reviews”.

Reading news like this almost gives smokers a new reason to keep smoking. Or better yet, why don’t they just smoke and talk on their cell phones at the same time? Listen, if you are serious about quitting smoking, then why not at least try something, anything. The makers of Smoke Away would love for you to use their product, but if you don’t, thats ok. Just quit smoking!

Despite the well-known dangers of tobacco, more than a billion people worldwide still smoke cigarettes. On Thursday, in its first report on global tobacco use and control efforts, the World Health Organization helped shed light on why the number of smokers remains so high. Though tobacco is the world’s leading preventable cause of death—killing an estimated 5.4 million people a year (more than tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined)—the WHO report found that, while 152 countries have pledged to implement recommended tobacco-control policies, only a handful have taken strong action already. Governments around the world still take in, on average, more than 500 times as much from tobacco taxes as they spend on tobacco control.

—can governments help turn the tide?

How to Quit Smoking With the Help of Smoke Away

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
When trying to quit smoking its important to realize you will need more than just a commercially available product such as Smoke Away. Here is a list of steps and tips to help you with your quit. Remember that quitting smoking is the goal here, so make sure that you have buy in from your family and friends.

Steps

1. Make an honest list of all the things you like about smoking.
2. Make another list of why quitting won’t be easy.
3. Set a quit date.
4. Write all your reasons for quitting on an index card
5. Stop buying cartons of cigarettes as you’re getting ready to quit.
6. Keep a list of when you smoke, what you’re doing at the time, and how bad the craving is
7. Prepare a list of things to do when a craving hits.
8. Throw out anything that reminds you of smoking when your quit date arrives.
9. Play a game of solitaire on your computer instead of a cigarette break at work.

Tips

• Switch to a cup of herbal tea whenever you usually have a cigarette
• Switch your cigarette habit for a nut habit
• Carry some cinnamon-flavored toothpicks with you
• Make an appointment with an acupuncturist
• Swing by the health food store for some Avena sativa (oat) extract
• Think of difficult things you have done in the past
• To minimize cravings, change your routine
• Tell your friends, coworkers, boss, partner, kids, etc
• If you relapse, just start again
• Put all the money you’re saving on cigarettes in a large glass jar
• Switch to decaf until you’ve been cigarette-free for two months
• Create a smoke-free zone.
• Find a healthy snack food you
• Quit when you’re in a good mood
• Post this list in a visible location in your house

Warnings

Whenever you’re tempted to light up, take a look at all the ways smoking can damage your health:

• Increases risk of lung, bladder, pancreatic, mouth, esophageal, and other cancers, including leukemia
• Reduces fertility
• Contributes to thin bones
• Affects mental capacity and memory
• Reduces levels of folate, low levels of which can increase the risk of heart disease, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease
• Increases likelihood of impotence
• Affects ability to smell and taste
• Results in low-birth-weight, premature babies
• Increases risk of depression in adolescents
• Increases risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure
• Increases risk of diabetes
• Increases your child’s risk of obesity and diabetes later in life if you smoked while pregnant

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Quit Smoking With the Help of Smoke Away. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

The makers of Smoke Away would like to drive the point home visually for those of you out there who just don’t get it. So we start by saying, “What the hell is your problem?” Are you the type of person that reads something like this and says,”Hmmm, that’s not a bad idea!”

Or maybe this looks really sexy to you and makes your mouth water at the prospect of puttting another cancer stick in your mouth?

mmmm.. yummy isn’t it? or perhaps you are the type of person where one of these phrases makes sense to you? What is it going to take to get through to you?

Ohhhh ok we get it, you don’t think there’s really anything bad in a cigarette other than the nicotine…OK then don’t worry about the butane, the cadmium, the stearic acid, the industrial solvent, the insecticide and the toilet cleaner, the vinegar, the sewer gas, the arsenic, the carbon monoxide, and the rocket fuel that is in each and every cigarette.

But what are a couple of cigarettes going to do to me? Well lets look at the anatomy of your typical female. Now keep in mind, cigarettes are not choosy, they’ll poison and pounce on anyone who chooses to light up. But lets look shall we?

Starting from the head on down we have wrinkles, the inability to smell properly, bad breath, yellow teeth, the inability to taste correctly, gum disease,  a persistent hacking cough, a nice persistent back ache, more fat, the inability to go to the bathroom properly, lower chance of  having a child, and slower wound healing. Mmm.. makes you want to run right out and smoke doesn’t it?

Lastly lets look at some quick statistics of just what cigarettes and second hand smoke and its ilk do to people. Choose to pick your poison?

Listen, we don’t care HOW you quit smoking. In fact, the makers of Smoke Away would love for you to use our product, but more importantly, we want you to quit smoking using ANY product. Just quit. Not for us, for you, your family and your friends. If you want to talk to some people that have stopped smoking using our product, or people that are still in the throws of quitting, or people who have just plain quit, Try the Smoke Away Support site. Good Luck.

Perhaps these warning shots that are now coming across the bow of every smoker will hit home. In an effort to stem the growth of smoking globally, governments are now slapping warning labels on the packs of all cigarettes. Check them out:

In early 2006 a new initiative was introduced in Australia, with graphic images depicting the effects of smoking  cigarettes to be displayed on cigarette packets.  Warnings must cover 30% of the front and 90% of the back of the box. The 10% of the back not occupied by a warning is used by the message “Sale to underage persons prohibited”.

For cigarette packets, warnings include: Smoking causes peripheral vascular disease Smoking causes emphysema Smoking causes mouth and throat cancer Smoking clogs your arteries Don’t let children breath your smoke Smoking - A leading cause of death Quitting will improve your health Smoking harms unborn babies Smoking causes blindness Smoking causes lung cancer Smoking causes heart disease Smoking doubles your risk of stroke Smoking is addictive Tobacco smoke is toxic

With each warning is an accompanying graphic, and detailed information on the back of the packet. In addition, cigar and loose tobacco packets show other, slightly altered warnings. These warnings target the misconception that alternative, non-cigarette tobacco products are less harmful.

In Germany, the message is more of the same but less graphical, with the following messages printed on the labels and packs: Smoking is lethal, Smoking severely harms you and the people around you, Smokers die sooner, Smoking leads to clogging of arteries and causes heart attacks and strokes, Smoking while pregnant harms your child, Protect children - don’t let them breathe your tobacco smoke! Your doctor or pharmacist can help you to give up smoking. Smoking is very quickly addictive: Don’t start in the first place, Giving up smoking reduces the risk of fatal heart and lung diseases. Smoking can lead to a slow and painful death. Smoking can lead to blood circulation disorders and causes impotence. Smoking makes your skin age. Smoking can damage spermatozoa and decreases your fertility. Smoke contains benzene, nitrosamine, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide. Talk about driving the point home! We can’t think of anything more effective in the fight to stop smoking world wide, then the cold hard facts about what smoking can do to you! Here is Germanys label:

The Canadian Tobacco Act requires warnings to be printed on all tobacco products sold in Canada.

Each warning is printed along with a short explanation and is accompanied by a picture illustrating that particular warning, for example:

WARNING
CIGARETTES CAUSE LUNG CANCER
85% of lung cancers are caused by smoking.
80% of lung cancer victims die within three years.

Accompanied by a picture of a human lung detailing cancerous growths.

In France, the warnings are similar to Germany with: Smokers die prematurely, Smoking clogs arteries and causes heart attacks and strokes, Smoking causes fatal lung cancer, Smoking during pregnancy harms your child’s health, Help yourself quit smoking: call 0 825 309 310.

In Hong Kong, thery are even more adamant in their usage of warnings.

Packaging must indicate the amount of nicotine and tar is present in cigarette boxes in addition to graphics depicting different health problems caused by smoking in the size and ratio as prescribed by law. The warnings are to be published in both official languages, Traditional Chinese and English.

Warning begins with the phrase ‘HKSAR GOVERNMENT WARNING’ and then one of the following in all caps.

• Smoking causes lung cancer
• Smoking kills
• Smoking harms your family
• Smoking causes Peripheral Vascular Diseases
• Smoking may cause impotence
• Smoking can accelerate aging of skin

In addition, any print advertisement must give minimum 20% coverage of the following warnings: HKSAR GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING

• January -February SMOKING KILLS
• March- April SMOKING CAUSES CANCER
• May- June SMOKING CAUSES HEART DISEASE
• July- August SMOKING CAUSES LUNG CANCER
• September- October SMOKING CAUSES RESPIRATORY DISEASES
• November - December SMOKING HARMS YOUR CHILDREN

In Italy, the message is more of the same but with some variance in the delivery. Smoking kills / Smoking may kill, Smoking heavily damages you and whoever is near you, Smokers die early, Smoking clogs arteries and causes heart diseases and strokes, Smoking causes fatal lung cancer, Smoking during pregnancy injures the baby, Protect the kids, don’t smoke in their presence, Your doctor or your pharmacist may help you quit smoking, Specialists in the medical profession may help you quit smoking, Smoking is highly addictive, don’t start, Quitting smoking reduces the risk of deadly cardiovascular and lung diseases, Smoking causes oral cancer.

In Latvia, here is their label.

The Netherlands.

Portugal

South Korea, with a bit of a twist on the message: Smoking causes lung cancer and other dieseases and it is especially dangerous for teenagers and pregnant women and It is illegal to sell cigarettes to people under 19! It hurts your children’s health. Smoking damages your health. Once you start smoking, it is very difficult to quit.

In the United Kingdom, the message is quite clear. One of the following general warnings must be displayed, covering at least 30% of the surface of the pack:

• Smoking kills
• Smoking seriously harms you and others around you

Additionally, one of the following additional warnings must be displayed, covering at least 40% of the surface of the pack:

• Smokers die younger
• Smoking clogs the arteries and causes heart attacks and strokes
• Smoking causes fatal lung cancer
• Smoking when pregnant harms your baby
• Protect children: don’t make them breathe your smoke
• Your doctor or your pharmacist can help you stop smoking
• Smoking is highly addictive, don’t start
• Stopping smoking reduces the risk of fatal heart and lung diseases
• Smoking can cause a slow and painful death
• Get help to stop smoking: telephone/postal address/internet address/consult your doctor/pharmacist
• Smoking may reduce the blood flow and cause impotence
• Smoking causes ageing of the skin
• Smoking can damage the sperm and decreases fertility
• Smoke contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.

The first written warnings on packets in Britain appeared in 2003, and shocking warning pictures are set to appear on British packets in 2008 alongside the written messages, revealed Alan Johnson, Secretary of Health in August 2007.

In conclusion, the makers of Smoke Away certainly applaud the efforts of other countries, but it is not enough. Developing nations are smoking more and more and something needs to be done to provide some type of free resource to help these people quit. There are certainly many avenues and channels to acquire cigarettes, but how many exist to help people quit smoking?

For more information on how to quit smoking or to talk to people who have quit smoking with or without the help of Smoke Away, log onto the Smoke Away support site to talk with people just like you!

Here are 25 triggers that make you feel like you want to smoke.  But…Here are 18 ways to avoid the triggers.  But first lets look at the acronym, HALT.

HALT = Hunger, Anger, Lonely, Tired

Hunger - It is amazing how our minds will tell us that everything’s wrong when all we really need to do is eat.

Anger - If we are angry, our minds tell us we need a cigarette to cope. Until your mind learns that it doesn’t need a cigarette to cope, try to avoid upsetting situations. Avoid certain people that may bother you. If you can’t get some time off, quit smoking on a long weekend.

Lonely - It is good to know some people who are going through the same thing. (Come to chat!!!!)

Tired - If we are tired, it is easy to become irritated and when we get irritated our minds will tell us that a cigarette will help. Our overall resistance becomes weak and it is easy to say, “Oh well, I guess I’ll have a smoke.”

Other common triggers: 

	After sex
	With alcoholic beverages
	Stressful work situations
	Social functions
	Boredom
	With coffee
	While driving
	End of a workday
	Enjoying a sense of accomplishment
	Facing a family crisis
	Finishing a meal
	Getting out of bed
	Playing cards
	Reading
	Friends who smoke
	Talking on the telephone
	Waiting for someone or something
	Watching TV
	Work breaks
	Out of habit - for no reason whatsoever

Make note of your triggers. When do you smoke? Is it associated with any of the above triggers? Maybe you have others. It is very important for you to prepare for any of your triggers. Know how you will handle them. Those triggers can quickly overwhelm the unprepared quitter, but a good plan of your own will carry you through all of them. As we head into the final days of 2007. Now is the time to set your sites on 2008 as the year that quit smoking. Smoke Away knows that you want to quit. We want you to quit. Best of all, whether you use our product or not, the bottom line is that YOU are making an effort to something about your addiction to nicotine. Below are ways to combat your triggers:

Substitution Suggestions:

34 Tips to Help You Quit Smoking Successfully

1.Wake up! We all know that smoking is bad for us, but if you’re like most smokers, you avoid looking at the destruction smoking causes whenever possible. Take the blinders off and read everything you can get your hands on about smoking. It will help you start to make the mental shift necessary to quit smoking.

2. Write it down.  Writing down what you’re going through is a useful tool for anyone trying to quit smoking. Start with your list of reasons for quitting. Include everything from big to small, and leave room to add to it. Think about the pros and cons of smoking and make your list as detailed as possible. Be honest with yourself.

3. Reaffirmation We have a way of believing what we tell ourselves over and over. Your journal will help you cement these goals. Prompt yourself with present-tense messages like: “I am a nonsmoker” or “I am strong and healthy”, and commit them to paper. Daily affirmations will plant the seeds of change in your mind, and it won’t be long before your actions are following your thoughts.

4. Lean on Someone  Having others who are interested in your success is very important. The Smoking Cessation Forum here at Smoke Away is a thriving, active group of people who can give you the help and encouragement you need. Sign in as a guest to browse and read posts from other quitters, or register(free) to post messages of your own.

5. Start taking your body back. Smoking cessation throws our bodies into shock initially. If you take care to give your body the fuel it needs to run properly, you’ll find that you’re better able to cope with the discomforts of nicotine withdrawal. Have the right foods within easy reach and you’ll minimize weight gain due to quitting.

6. Listen to your body. When you’re tired, cravings to smoke will seem stronger while you feel less able to manage them. Fit a full 8 hours of sleep in every night, and a nap here and there if you need it. If you have trouble sleeping when you first quit smoking, try taking a long walk a couple of hours before bed. Most importantly, you have been abusing your body with nicotine for so long, it’s time to repair it.

7. Water You’d be surprised what water can do. It will help to flush residual toxins out of your system, and beat back cravings to smoke. When you’re well-hydrated, you’ll feel better in general, which is a plus when you’re going through nicotine withdrawal.

8. Get back in the groove. If you already have a daily exercise regimen, good for you! If not, start now. Choose something you enjoy doing, and you’ll be more likely to stick with it. Aim for a half hour of exercise every day. Walking is a great way to move and it’s a quick fix for the urge to smoke. Get out for a 15 minute walk around the block and you’ll come back refreshed and relaxed.  Chances are if you start seeing an impvovement, you’ll want to keep it going. But you have to start.

9. Be Determined. Your determination to quit smoking is built one day at a time. Every smoke free day makes you stronger, and when you consciously take time to reflect and rejoice in the value of what you’re doing, you’re working to fortify your will to make this the quit that lasts you a lifetime.

10. Be grateful that you still have a chance to change things.Think about the blessings in your life. We all have them. Be thankful for the freedom you’re creating for yourself today. Remember that you’ve wanted to quit smoking for a long time and you’re finally doing something about it. List out the benefits you see in your health and overall being due to quitting tobacco. Make gratitude a daily conscious part of your life.

11. Know that it’s hard and accept the challenge. Relax into your quit and embrace cravings to smoke as they come. Don’t fight - lean into urges and ride them out. Most cravings last 3-5 minutes. Think of them as signs that your body is healing - that is just what they are.

12. Don’t long for the old you. Quitting tobacco is a gift, not a sacrifice. Don’t sabatoge yourself by feeling sorry that you can’t smoke. You are choosing not to smoke because you want to be free of this killer of an addiction. Keep your perspective!

13. It doesn’t happen overnight. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, people don’t quit smoking in a day either. Most of us had 20 years or more of smoking under our belts before we quit. Give yourself the gift of time and patience. Work to undo old patterns and replace them with newer, healthier choices. Each day you complete smoke free brings you closer to lasting freedom.

14. Make this the year  We all vow to do it, but we let lifes challenges knock us off track. But remember, life’s challenges are easier to deal with when you are not chained to nicotine addiction. You can quit smoking for good!  and Shed the chains of addiction and take back your life.

15. Decide Right Now to Believe that You CAN Quit Smoking

Studies of smokers who successfully quit smoking show that one of the most important traits of a successful quitter is their belief that they have the ability to quit smoking.

Do you believe that you can quit? If you don’t, you will have a much harder time trying to quit. The best action you can take right now to start the quitting process is to fix in your mind the belief that you have the ability to quit smoking. You might say that you can’t change your belief, but you can.

Believing you can quit is so important because your belief will guide everything you do in your attempt to quit. The way you think, the research you do, the steps you take, the people you talk to, the help you seek–all these will be influenced by the belief you have in your ability to give up cigarettes.

16. One little smoke does make a difference. If you don’t truly believe you can quit, you’ll probably find yourself saying, “What’s one little cigarette? I’ve got a headache. I just can’t quit like other people.” If you believe you can quit, instead you’ll be saying “My head is hurting from withdrawal, but I can make it through this. I know the headache and other withdrawal symptoms will go away in a few days. My life is more important than a stupid cigarette.”

17. Believing shapes everything you do. So does not believing. If you believe something strongly enough your mind will give you the correct thoughts to help your body take you in the direction of your belief. You must believe that you can quit smoking, even if it takes 10,000 attempts. 

• Realize that your old belief was founded on old ideas and circumstances and that your new belief is based on new information and your newfound desire to quit smoking now.
• On 3X5 cards, write out several positive statements about your ability to quit. Read your cards three times a day: morning, noon and bedtime. Some statements to use: “I believe that I have the ability to quit smoking,” “I am a non-smoker,” “I no longer need cigarettes in my life,” “I happily quit smoking,” “It’s easy to quit smoking,” “I am a powerful, self-directed person,” “I control my own life.” Make up some of your own statements. Make them positive, as if you have already completed the task.
• Post a sign on your bathroom mirror with one of the above statements on it.
• Repeat the above statements to yourself, whenever you have a free moment.
• Use visualization techniques  to visualize yourself mastering your smoking habit and winning the fight.
• Ask your family and friends to encourage you with positive statements about your ability to quit smoking.

18. Create a “Quit Plan” Successful people in all walks of life become successful through planning. The same is true for smokers who successfully quit smoking. You must create a plan that you will follow daily, so that you quit smoking purposefully, not haphazardly.PLan your work and work your plan.

19. Take the plan seriously. This is your life we are talking about! Study this report and write down how you will mentally prepare yourself to quit smoking. Don’t try to quit until you feel you are ready.

20. Set a quit date. Decide on a specific date that you will quit. Write down your “quit date.” Make sure your quit date comes after you have completed step “a” above. Also, choose a quit date that occurs during a relatively low stress time. Don’t try to quit during a stressful time at work or during the break-up of a relationship, for example.

21. Hold yourself to the date. Quitting on a specific date is preferable to slowly reducing the number of cigarettes that you smoke. By going “cold turkey” you won’t have to keep track of how many cigarettes you smoked yesterday and how many you will smoke today. You will also remove the temptation to cheat and smoke too many. By using this report to prepare yourself for your quit date you will be ready to quit, and going cold turkey won’t be so difficult.

22. Think about the upside. Write down all the things you will enjoy doing after you quit smoking (long walks, eating out without being restricted to the smoking section, taking a vacation with the money you will save, etc.). This step is very important, so spend extra time dreaming up your “smoke-free future.”

23. Remember the triggers. Write down the times and occasions when you are most likely to smoke. Write down what “triggers” your desire to smoke. You may be surprised to find that you have organized your day around smoking.

24. Plan your new life. Write down five to ten things you will do instead of smoking, whenever you feel a cigarette craving coming on. For example, you might drink a glass of water, go for a short walk, type a letter, do some filing, call a friend, read a book, or mow the grass. Plan how you will distract yourself. Try to distract yourself with something healthy and/or beneficial. Match the distractions you’ve created in this step with the times and occasions your wrote down in step “d” above.

25. Identify your support network. Write down the names of three people whom you trust to support your efforts to quit smoking. Contact them and ask for their support. Make sure you tell them that you want only positive support. Ask them to call you each day and give you positive encouragement. Also, ask them if you can call them if you need help.

26. Purge the old. Write down a list of all the items that you use when smoking: cigarettes, lighters, matches, ashtrays, etc. Make notes about where every single item is. Then on your “quit date” track down each item and throw them away. Don’t forget to clean out your car and your office at work.

27. Reward yourself. Write down a list of rewards that you will give yourself. Be sure to reward yourself as you go longer and longer without smoking. For example: End of Day One — long, hot bubble bath. End of Week One — see a Movie. End of Week Three — dinner at an exclusive restaurant. End of Month Two — take a day off from work. End of Six Months — take a weekend getaway. End of Year One — take a 7-day vacation. Whenever possible, write down the specific date that you will reward yourself. By the way, these rewards won’t cost you much, if anything, because you’ll be saving hundreds of dollars by not smoking!

28. Go see your doctor. Make an appointment to see your doctor. You need to know about you. What are you waiting for? 

29. You must Take Action You can’t win the battle if you don’t start the battle. The problem with too many unmet goals and plans is that no action was ever taken to start down the road to achieving the goal or plan. If you created your “Quit Plan” above (you did create a “Quit Plan”, didn’t you?) you now have a plan for quitting. What is the first step  of your Quit Plan? Have you done it yet? Do it now! You must put your plan into action. Getting started on your plan is difficult, but once you get started it’s hard to stop. So get started today!

30. Prepare Yourself Mentally  While most of the media attention surrounding the smoking addiction focuses on chemical addictions to nicotine, you are in reality “multi-addicted.” You are addicted to the feel of the cigarette in your hand and mouth. You are addicted to the actions of lighting your cigarette, moving your cigarette up to your mouth, flicking ashes from the cigarette and holding your cigarette between your fingers. You’ve also become addicted to the visual appeal of cigarettes: the flame, the smoke, even a dirty ashtray. You’re also addicted to the deep inhalations and exhalations you take as you puff on your cigarettes. You may have become addicted to smoking buddies at your workplace. All these stimuli serve to meet some physical, psychological or emotional need within you.

31. Understand why you like cigarettes. Part of preparing yourself mentally is understanding, studying and attacking your addictions. Think about the pleasures you derive from smoking. Does it make you feel “cool”? Do you get a lift or relax? Do you need to have something in your mouth or hands? Do you enjoy breathing deeply when you smoke? Do you feel a compulsion to head out to socialize with your smoking buddies every morning at 10:30?

Think through how you feel when you smoke. Are you happy, sad, soothed, or more alert? The next time you smoke a cigarette, notice all these things. Jot down your observations, then re-read them regularly. Study your own addiction so you understand what you must overcome. As Socrates said, “Know thyself.”

32. Seek Help and Support from Family and Friends constantly. Sure we said indentify your support network but sometimes our family and friends can be our worst enemies when we are attempting something very difficult or “different.” If your family or friends don’t smoke, they may not understand your desire to quit. Nor will they understand the extreme difficulty of overcoming your addiction.

If your family and friends do smoke, they may have attempted to quit themselves, but failed. Or they may not want to quit at all, thereby placing pressure on you not to quit also. Human nature causes people to try to “hold others back” when someone close to them begins to move in a direction different from the norm. If you quit, you will place pressure and the spotlight on family and friends who are still smoking.

Your challenge will be to let others around you know that you are doing this for YOU. Let them know that if they will not encourage you, then they should “keep quiet while you quit.” But by all means encourage others to encourage you.

Ask your family and friends to give you positive encouragement. Make sure they know that you do not want them to point out your faults, mistakes and slips. Ask them to praise your victories, large or small. Ask them to be understanding during the times that you may be less than friendly or patient. Ask them to be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.

33.  Find a Quit Buddy Chances are you know another smoker who wants to quit. Suggest to that smoker that you help each other “douse the flames” forever. Studies show that smokers who partner with a Quit Buddy to provide mutual support are more successful when giving up cigarettes than are smokers who try to quit on their own.

If you can’t readily find a Quit Buddy, try contacting some of the resources listed at the end of this report. Also, many local hospitals and churches have quit-smoking programs and you may be able to find a Quit Buddy or even a Quit Group there.

Quit Buddies can provide support by way of daily or even hourly phone calls. Make yourself available to your Buddy whenever he or she needs help making it through the tougher moments. Provide positive encouragement when your Buddy succeeds. Do your best to ignore any relapse your Buddy may have. Don’t try to “shame” or coerce your Buddy into quitting. Studies show that negative feedback does not improve quit-smoking success rates.

Plan outings and activities together. As previously mentioned, you might exercise with your Quit Buddy. Sign contracts with each other stating that you will quit smoking and provide your Buddy with support while they quit.

34. Don’t Give Up Many smokers who have successfully given up cigarettes have made several attempts to quit before they finally kicked the habit. You should know going in that quitting may be a lengthy, or even life-long, process. There is no failure as long as you  (Believe). If you believe you will quit, you will! It may take three or four attempts before your quitting “sticks.” If you quit for a short time then resume smoking, you are one step closer to quitting for good. Just quit again. Keep doing it Until. Until you win, until you quit for life.

You may find that after a first or second attempt to quit you have reduced the number of cigarettes that you smoke each day. That’s great! You are no longer as dependent! Now, go for the gold!

Smoke Away realizes that you want to quit, hopefully with the help of these tips, it can help spur you to finally quit smoking and get on with the rest of your life.

** Article © Copyright Fred Kelley of QuitSmoking.com. Visit the web site at http://www.quitsmoking.com
for great information and products designed to help you quit smoking

Study: Developing countries embracing lifestyle habits linked to disease

About 7.6 million people will die this year worldwide from various types of cancer, with lung cancer — heavily driven by smoking — killing 975,000 men and 376,000 women, the American Cancer Society said Monday.

Cancer also is increasing in developing countries as people embrace habits linked to cancer such as smoking and fattier diets, American Cancer Society epidemiologist Ahmedin Jemal said in a telephone interview.

In all, about 12.3 million people will develop cancer this year, the organization projected, using data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization.

About 20,000 people die of cancer every day worldwide, the report showed. Smoking was heavily responsible for the lung cancer scourge.

Cancer’s burden is on the rise in developing countries as deaths from infectious diseases and child mortality fall and more people live longer, Jemal said. Cancer is more common as people get older, Jemal noted.

Lower survival rates
The report estimated 5.4 million people will get cancer and 2.9 million will die of cancer in developed nations, with 6.7 million cases and 4.7 million deaths in developing nations.

Overall, 75 percent of children with cancer live for five years in Europe and North America, compared to three-year survival rates of only 48 to 62 percent in Central American countries.

Cancers related to infections, such as stomach, liver and cervical cancer, were more common in developing countries, the group said. Fewer people survive cancer in developing countries due to lack of availability of early detection and treatment services, according to the report.

Globally, 15 percent of all cancers are caused by infections. The Helicobacter pylori bacteria causes stomach cancer, human papillomavirus causes cervical cancer and hepatitis can cause liver cancer.

Breast cancer scourge
Among men, the three most commonly diagnosed cancers are prostate, lung and colorectal cancer in developed countries and lung, stomach and liver cancer in developing countries.

Among women, the three most common cancers are lung, breast and colorectal in developed countries and breast, cervical and stomach cancer in developing countries.

About 465,000 women will die of breast cancer this year, making it the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide, the group said.

Smoke Away still trusts that you will decide between now and the end of the year to decide to quit smoking. Stopping smoking is hard but the reality of it is, if you don’t stop smoking. bad things will happen. It’s inevitable. Do it today. Either with Smoke Away or without. it’s your choice!

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In Smoke Away’s efforts to push for you to be smoke free and loving it before the new year, whether it’s with our quit smoking product or not, we have found another option for you provided by the American Lung Association. 

Freedom From Smoking® Online
www.ffsonline.org
This online smoking cessation program sponsored by the American Lung Association is an interactive course designed to educate and modify the behavior patterns of a smoker. Freedom From Smoking Online can be accessed day or night, seven days a week, on any schedule the smoker chooses.  It is ready whenever a smoker wants to start the process of quitting and it’s free of charge (registration is required).

What to Expect with Freedom From Smoking®

Module 1:

In Module 1 you will get information about the FFS program, how it works, and what to expect. We help you determine your readiness to quit smoking, and to reduce your ambivalence about quitting. This week we also help you begin believing that you actually can quit smoking.

Module 2:

During Module 2 you will begin to understand your learned habit. You will learn some stress management/relaxation techniques. And you will begin to build you confidence and motivation to quit.

Module 3:

You will come to a deeper understanding of your particular smoking habit. Then we will begin to look at substitute behaviors to smoking. You will make specific plans to cope with you trigger situations. This will help you avoid relapse. We will give you some information on nicotine reduction therapy, and you will make general preparations for quitting. On your chosen Quit Day you will make a firm decision to go smoke free. There will be a special way to say good-bye to your cigarettes on the message boards.

Module 4:

This module covers physical and psychological recovery symptoms. We will look at the medical and non-medical benefits of quitting. You will spend time on the message boards discussing particular problems, fears and successes. And we will cover the dynamics of stress and some options to healthier stress management techniques.

Module 5:

During Module 5 we dive into long term strategies for maintaining a smoke free lifestyle. We will deal specifically with weight control issues, and saying, “No” to cigarettes in social situations.

Module 6:

We will continue with maintenance issues as we offer information about staying smoke free. We will talk about your new, nonsmoking, self image. We’ll cover fitness and exercise, and teach a plan for beginning a walking program. You will also learn some assertive communication techniques.

Module 7:

This is truly a time for celebration! We will cover the effects of secondhand smoke. We will also review your nonsmoking status. We cover how long the recovery process takes, what you can continue to expect, and then we ask you to evaluate the program.

From time to time the makers of Smoke Away come across sites that just blow us away in regards to  their efforts in helping all people try and quit smoking. We all realize that  getting people to stop smoking is the ultimate goal for all sites. So in that vein we present the following website. Become An Ex

What does it take to BECOME AN EX?

Tobacco addiction is complex, and over time it works its way into almost every aspect of your life. Digging it out will take some thinking, a plan and then effort.Being ready to quit means committing to it without any reservations. There can be no loopholes in the agreement with yourself, no rationalizations like “I’ll quit as long as I can keep my temper” or “I’ll quit as long as I don’t gain one pound.” You won’t make it if you hold on to any other thought except that of quitting and by using any means necessary.Being ready means being willing to align a lot of things in your life to achieve success in this one goal. For you, this could mean:

• Trying a nicotine replacement medication like the patch or the gum or a nonnicotine replacement medication
• Studying your smoking behaviors: learning when, where and why you smoke
• Working with a “quitting coach”
• Avoiding things you associate with smoking
• Making some changes in your lifestyle
• Finding ways to relax that don’t involve cigarettes
• Getting some exercise
• Asking friends and family for support
• Making a comprehensive plan that fights the addiction on every front where it can attack you: physical, behavioral, psychological and spiritual

What is EX?

EX is a method of freeing yourself from addiction to tobacco. It was created as a collaborative effort between the American Legacy Foundation and the Mayo Clinic, specifically for people who are really ready to quit and are looking for a better way. If you’re ready to try, you’re in the right place.

What you need is a plan.

Our EX Quit Plan is a comprehensive approach, one that comes at this addiction from all sides: the physical, the behavioral, the psychological and the spiritual. All of these need to be addressed. In fact, we’ve found that the more personalized your plan and the more tools you have to work with, the more likely you are to succeed.

EX offers a variety of tools that will help with your quit attempt – a step by step Online personalized quit plan, a free EX Quit Plan book that you can order and follow on your own, or a toll-free number that will connect to state tobacco quit lines for free cessation information.

You can get started on the Online personalized EX Quit Plan by clicking on the link below.  If you aren’t ready just yet, you can take preview tour of the Online EX Quit Plan program.  We also encourage you to read what former smokers said about their experience with the Online EX Quit Plan

Here is a story that we always knew was true. It’s similar to the makers of light beer. At the end of the day it’s still beer and at the end of the day, it’s still a cigarette.The nation’s largest tobacco company knew as early as the 1970s that smokers of light cigarettes took larger puffs that delivered greater amounts of tar, according to a newly released memo.

The 1975 Philip Morris USA correspondence was released by the Senate Commerce Committee in advance of a hearing Tuesday examining the rating system that allows tobacco companies to market cigarettes as regular, light or ultra-light.

The current rating system gives smokers a false sense that cigarettes with less tar and nicotine are healthier, according to a memorandum produced by Democratic congressional staffers.

The Federal Trade Commission allows companies to make statements about tar and nicotine levels as long as they’re based on a standardized system. That system uses a machine that smokes every cigarette the same way.

People, however, don’t smoke the same way. Some breathe in more deeply. Others hold their fingers over the cigarette’s vent holes, which increases smoke intake. Research has shown that smokers of “light” cigarettes take longer, deeper puffs and smoke more cigarettes a day to compensate for the lower level of nicotine.

“In a lot of ways switching to light cigarettes can be more deadly,” said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.

Lautenberg, a member of the committee, sponsored legislation last year that would prohibit manufacturers from using descriptions such as “light” or “low tar” on a package label or in advertising. He hopes the hearing could generate more support for banning such labels.

Among the documents to be reviewed is the one from Philip Morris, which said the larger puffs taken by smokers of light cigarettes “increased the delivery of the cigarette’s particulate matter,” which consists mostly of tar.

Philip Morris, part of Altria Group Inc., acknowledges on its Web site that smokers should not assume that light or ultra light cigarettes are safer than full-flavor brands.

“There is no safe cigarette. ‘Medium,’ ‘mild,’ ‘light’ and ‘ultra light’ cigarettes are no exception,” the company’s Web site says. Despite the warnings, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids says tobacco companies aggressively market light cigarettes to smokers concerned about their health. And smokers of those products feel that their brands offer fewer risks than regular cigarettes.

The National Cancer Institute has for several years called for a change in the way that cigarettes are labeled. In 2001, it said people most concerned about smoking risks are those most likely to use brands labeled as light or ultra light.

“Choosing lower-yield cigarettes is not likely to reduce tar intake and resulting disease risks. Furthermore, marketing and promotion of reduced yield products may delay genuine attempts to quit,” the agency said. “There is no evidence that switching to light or ultra-light cigarettes actually assists smokers in quitting.”

In the opinion of Smoke Away, if you continue to smoke, regardless of the type of cigarette, or cigar or whatever, the outcome will always be the same. To talk to more people about their experience with quitting smoking, log onto the Smoke Away Support site.