Key takeaways:
- Evidence shows that willpower alone isn’t enough to stop smoking for good.
- There are a range of smoking alternatives available to help with smoking cessation.
- - Nicotine-free prescription medications reduce cravings and the rewarding effects of nicotine
- - Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), such as patches and sprays, can double your chances of quitting
- - Vaping is one of the most popular alternatives with the highest success rates
- - Behavioural therapies and NHS resources are essential for overcoming psychological triggers and improving long-term success
- - Combining methods provides the strongest quit rates
The best alternative depends on your lifestyle, dependency and personal triggers
Contents:
- Why Do You Need An Alternative To Smoking?
- The Challenges Of Smoking Cessation
- Smoking Alternatives
- Combining Smoking Alternatives For Ultimate Effectiveness
- Choosing The Best Smoking Alternative
- How Long To Use Cigarette Alternatives
Giving up smoking can seem like a challenging task but, with its negative impact on life expectancy, it's a challenge worth taking on. Luckily there are plenty of alternatives to smoking that can help make it easier so you don’t have to rely on willpower alone. Dropping the cigs for good isn’t solely a case of managing nicotine cravings, but also means letting go of a deeply embedded habit.
In this guide, we talk about cigarette alternatives, the vast array of options available and the best smoking alternative for your needs.
WHY DO YOU NEED AN ALTERNATIVE TO SMOKING?
It might have crossed your mind to go cold turkey and simply stop smoking by yourself. This can be done, but incorporating an alternative to smoking is more likely to result in long term success. Evidence has shown that nearly half of people trying to quit who relied only on willpower significantly increased their risk of failure.
That’s where evidence-based smoking alternatives come in.
THE CHALLENGES OF SMOKING CESSATION
Quitting smoking is more than just putting down a cigarette. There is both a physical dependency and ingrained psychological habits to overcome. Let’s take a look at how these two factors affect smoking cessation.
1. Nicotine Withdrawal
Nicotine reaches your brain within seconds after inhaling a cigarette. This triggers the release of dopamine and creates a short burst of calm and enjoyment. Your body slowly becomes used to this temporary high and starts to crave it.
When you stop smoking, and no longer receive nicotine and its associated chemical effects, you start to experience withdrawal.
- Intense cravings
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Difficulty concentrating
- Restlessness
Whilst all of this might sound daunting, it actually means that your body is healing and readjusting.
2. BEHAVIOUR PATTERNS
Smoking is a ritualistic part of a smoker's daily life. The routines you create around it, from a cigarette with your morning coffee to taking a smoke break at work, all perpetuate the cycle.
Whether it's the hand-to-mouth motion or the familiar sensation of inhaling smoke, quitting smoking means as well as needing alternatives to smoking tobacco, you’ll also need strategies to manage these triggers.
