Anchorman inspires smokers to quit
Tool Time
When you embark on a difficult project, your chances of success improve dramatically if you have the proper tools. Today I offer a toolbox filled with useful tools, and there are a lot of people out there who are going to need them.
I’m sure that many of you were as saddened as I was to hear that ABC News anchorman Peter Jennings had died of lung cancer. Thousands of people sent e-mails and notes of condolences to ABC, and apparently quite a few said they had been inspired to quit smoking. In one of the messages read on-air, the writer stated that whenever she has an urge to smoke, she’ll think of Jennings to help curb her desire.
That’s a touching sentiment, but with all due respect I believe she’ll need more support than that to overcome her addiction.
I know. I was once addicted to cigarettes. And as anyone who has successfully kicked the habit knows, it’s easy to underestimate the overwhelming power of that addiction. But I’m here to tell you that it can be overcome. You just need the proper tools and support.
Desire
In several e-Alerts last year I discussed various methods that can help smokers put the smoking life behind them. A number of HSI members wrote to describe techniques that had worked well for them.
A member named Buddy did it the old fashioned way: “I simply stopped cold turkey. I don’t think any other approach would have worked for me. Whatever ‘crutch’ one might use may be wasted if you’re not truly ready to quit. The key element is DESIRE. The desire to quit simply has to outweigh the perceived pleasure derived from smoking.”
Joy says that during her 18 years as a smoker, “I tried MANY ways to quit and all failed until one day I thought I could wait another 15 minutes for my next cigarette, and there began the method I used to quit. I moved from waiting 15 minutes to 30 minutes and so on. Finally I KNEW it was the time to stop, and I did.”
A member named Kathy overcame a 13-year habit by “talking to myself.” She writes: “Every time I craved a cigarette I would tell myself ‘I don’t smoke, smoking taste terrible and it is a disgusting habit.’ This really worked for me. I kept the ‘last pack of ciggys’ in an obscure cupboard and once in a while I would look in there and then sigh and start my ‘mantra’ all over again ‘I don’t smoke’ So go ahead and quit and start talking to yourself, it won’t hurt a bit!”
Natural helpers
Sometimes you need a little help to quit. A member named Noel, who’s also a naturopath, used a hypnosis, or “guided imagery” technique called the Goen Method to kick his smoking habit. Noel writes: “Understanding the mechanism of addiction in the brain that causes the cravings was a powerful lesson.”
Noel was also helped enormously by using lobelia; an herb that contains a substance called lobeline, which has a chemical structure similar to nicotine, but is non-addictive. Noel says, “Using Lobelia and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), the neurotransmitters are calmed until the body begins to produce the N-acetylcysteine again, which is about a 45 day process.”
As I’ve noted in other e-Alerts, NAC is an invaluable amino acid that enhances the production of glutathione, one of the body’s most powerful antioxidant enzymes. Some animal studies have shown that NAC may help prevent DNA damage of cells caused by chemicals in cigarette smoke.
Another botanical that’s been shown to help smokers is Plantago Major. In the December 2000 HSI Members Alert, we told you about a 1982 study in which Plantago Major reduced chronic bronchitis in 80 percent of the patients tested.
Almost 15 years ago, Dr. Mary Cody, a physician and researcher, found that Plantago Major creates a natural aversion to tobacco when inhaled or ingested. In a 1992 study, 24 heavy smokers were given Plantago Major tincture in a nasal spray and then instructed to smoke. More than 80 percent of the subjects reported an aversion to tobacco shortly after receiving the dose, and the effect lasted as long as 24 hours for some of the subjects.
Dr. Cody’s Plantago Major formula was patented shortly after that trial and is now available as a product called CIG-NO. Unlike nicotine patches or nicotine gum, which deliver the exact chemical you’re trying to avoid, CIG-NO (which is sprayed under the tongue) creates an almost immediate reduction in cigarette cravings, with no reported side effects. You can find more information at cigno.com.
Enjoy your rewards
For me, the key to success in quitting came through a combination of two things: Quitting with someone (my husband), and a reward system. Two days after quitting, I rewarded myself with a new lipstick. When I reached one week, I bought a new sweater.
Under the system we used, the reward intervals were: 2 days; 7 days; 2 weeks; 1 month; 3 months; 6 months and a year. By the end of the year, we never actually bought our rewards because we didn’t need to. One note about the rewards: they shouldn’t be food or alcohol, unless it’s something very special, like a bottle of expensive champagne for your one-year anniversary.
I also knew that in order to succeed I would have to commit to never smoke again – not even one puff. Having quit at least four times before (once for 18 months) I originally thought I might be able to smoke occasionally while I was out with friends or something, and then stop again, but I couldn’t.
Here’s one last motivator. My husband and I both stopped smoking about 12 years ago. We estimate that with the money we’ve saved by not buying cigarettes we could take a two-week, around-the-world vacation, with first-class airfare and deluxe accommodations the whole way. Now THERE’S an effective reward system!
If one of your friends or family members is a smoker, please share this e-Alert with them and let them know that when they’re ready to quit, support and useful tools are right at hand.
