Want To Quit Smoking? Here Are 3 Alternatives You Can Try
Smoking is known to have a detrimental impact on your health and wellbeing. It’s a major risk factor for multiple health conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and lung disease. It can also affect your appearance and hygiene.
Fortunately, Indians are thinking about the health implications associated with smoking much more nowadays. In our article from No Smoking Day in 2022, we reported that there’s been a decline in our tobacco consumption since 2019. In other words, the number of Indians quitting smoking is increasing — and you might even be thinking of doing so yourself.
However, quitting can be a very long and challenging process. Going about it gradually can help you deal with withdrawal symptoms better. For this reason, you can turn to a number of smoking alternatives. So, let’s dive into a few of them below.
Nicotine patches
Nicotine patch are very popular. They are essentially stickers that deliver nicotine through the skin and into the bloodstream. American researchers developed the patches in 1984. Today, nicotine patches can release nicotine in slow and steady amounts over the course of a day. This makes them vital in curbing nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind if you wish to use them. Insider emphasises that you should stop smoking first. Otherwise, you may experience side effects from the patches. It’s also recommended that you start out with patches that contain 15-22 mg of nicotine. Replace them every day over the course of 4-6 weeks. Start lowering your dosage at this point. By week 10, you should stop using them completely.
Nicotine Pouches
While nicotine pouches are relatively new on the market, they are starting to gain traction for a number of reasons. Unlike chewing tobacco, nicotine pouches are more hygienic because they don’t induce spitting. They can also be placed discreetly between your gums and upper lip, so you can handle withdrawal symptoms wherever you are. Finally, the effects of the pouch kick in instantly and last up to an hour, unlike nicotine patches that can take up to 8 hours to start working.
Pouches come in a variety of flavours — and, more crucially, different strengths. The strength you need depends on how many cigarettes you used to smoke before. For example, get extra-strength pouches if you smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day. Prilla recommends buying pouch mixpacks if you don’t know which ones to begin with.
Nicotine gum and lozenges
One thing you may crave when you quit smoking is the motion of sucking on a cigarette. Notably, relieving this symptom is something that neither nicotine patches nor pouches can do. For this, you can turn to nicotine gum and lozenges. Slowly sucking or chewing on them releases their nicotine content so your digestive system can absorb it. You’ll know when the nicotine is released once you feel a tingling sensation in your mouth.
Much like patches and pouches, nicotine gum and lozenges are a viable solution to quit smoking. WebMD even recommends using them to relieve the stress or anxiety that comes with nicotine withdrawal. However, it’s important to note that the effects of these products only last for half an hour, so you may want to use them alongside nicotine patches or pouches.
There are plenty of smoke- and tobacco-free options to turn to once you commit to quitting smoking. We hope this article helps you pick the alternative that best fits your needs.
