The numbers in regards to tobacco are simply astonishing, more than 1 Billion of the world’s population are smokers!
It is estimated that a person dies every six seconds due to a tobacco related issue, that makes for almost half of all users being killed off by the habit.
This still does not deter users. If that was not enough, the people around cigarette smokers are also affected. About 600,000 people die every year due to exposure to second hand smoke.
The situation is so bad that people living below the poverty level still prefer to spend almost half their income on smokes. This leaves very little for other basic needs.
But that’s not to say they are too be blamed, as quitting smoking is one of the hardest habits to kick due to nicotine addiction. If you’ve ever tried to quit, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Today we are going to outline the varying reasons why people smoke in the first place, the difficulty of quitting, and much more! Plus, we are also going to be discussing how you can use cannabidiol (CBD) oil to kick your cigarette addiction to the curb!
Why Do People Smoke Cigarettes?
Nicotine is a chief alkanoid element in tobacco, and in small doses it is a stimulant but in larger doses becomes deterrent to nerve and muscle action.
Nicotine is said to be as addictive as other recreational drugs. Nicotine provides a temporary feeling of ecstasy, due to the hormone dopamine being released providing a momentary alteration in mood.
This effect does not last long which leads to craving another cigarette, resulting in a vicious cycle. The signs of addiction are similar to those of heroin, cocaine and other drugs.
Failed Attempt at Redemption
For you to consider yourself an addict, you have to have tried to quit seriously at least once and failed. This shows that quitting cannot be accomplished by resolve alone. The situation calls for some sort of external intervention.
Nicotine Withdrawals
Going a few hours without a smoke proves excruciating, the effects are felt both emotionally and physically. There is literally physical pain if you go a few hours or a day without your nicotine hit.
Withdrawal symptoms are characterized by moodiness, cravings and in some cases tummy aches and diarrhea.
It can get so bad that it just makes sense to get the fix instead of going through so much pain and suffering. It is at this point that most people revert and give up the endeavor to quit.
Ignorance of Health Problems
The logical step when something is causing health problems is to stay away from it, right? This is not the thought process of nicotine addicts.
It may be a thick painful cough, or it could also be night sweats and difficulty breathing. But despite suffering obvious signs of sickness from smoking, nicotine addicts will not stop.
They will power through the pain with a cigarette between their fingers, health risks be damned!
Factors That Heighten The Prevalence of Smoking
Smoking sometimes does not just happen on its own. There are risk factors that make you more prevalent to smoke and thus nicotine addiction. These life elements raise the risk of love for the smoke.
Parents who smoke are more likely to have children who are doomed to smoke in the future, as children aspire to be like their parents regardless of their age.
They will end up picking up the habit inadvertently, and in most cases, they will not even connect it to them. In another parentage related scenario, genetics. As some people, such as your parents may carry genes that affect your nicotine respondent receptors.
There is also the factor of friends who smoke, which is more common in teenagers. In addition, as you spend more time with a smoker you get more and more exposed to nicotine.
At some point, you will start getting your own fix instead of waiting secondary transmission. Studies have shown that people who practice drug and alcohol abuse are more likely to smoke too.
Quitting, The Only Way to Redemption
The effects of quitting will start to occur within hours. In the first twelve hours, regardless of possible withdrawal symptoms, the levels of carbon monoxide in your system will have subsided.
Further down the line in three months, your lung function, and blood circulation will be considerably better.
A year later, your risk of a heart attack will be down by half. In a maximum of fifteen years, your prevalence to stroke will be the same as that of a non-smoker.
Although the improvements are gradual, they are still significant and should not be ignored. Use these improved health benefits as motivation to help you stay on track to succesfully quitting smoking once and for all!
Need An Assist For Quitting Smoking?
The therapies used to help you quit smoking range from assisted reduction to medication. Nicotine replacement therapy uses other nicotine infused elements therefore eliminating the cigarette. Studies have shown a reduced need for nicotine without a cigarette.
Nicotine assisted reduction therapy aims to gradually reduce the number of cigs smoked a day and will eventually get to zero.
It uses the same implements as above between smokes, the period between cigarettes is increased systematically.
From then, the therapy works to eliminate nicotine from your system completely. There are meds but they have been found to have some very serious side effects most of which are similar to withdrawal.
Nicotine vaccine development has been in the works for almost ten years now. In 2011, unfavorable results from first and second phase trials were reported making for a very disappointing endeavor.
However, The Scripps Research Institute has taken up the torch and is working to develop a more robust vaccine.
They are looking to fix bugs in the original model. So far, they have reported having a clear path to follow, but this will obviously take time.
But there is need for a remedy now, hence, the need to look into the super cannabinoid CBD.
CBD’s Action on Nicotine Addiction
Nicotine prompts the production of a feel good hormone providing you with temporary pleasure. With time as you smoke more, they create more memories of that pleasurable feeling.
Within time, your brain associates smoking with pleasure. This is dangerous because humans crave pleasure. Thus, addiction to nicotine develops.
CBD affects a brain process called consolidation. Where memories move from short term to long term, leaving a memory trace in the process.
The cannabidiol cannabinoid works to make that memory trace flexible, meaning it can be easily tweaked.
With CBD, you will not perceive nicotine as the highway to pleasure. The perception of smoking as a necessary activity will soon fade with continued use of CBD.
A study in London revealed that smokers who used cannabidiol reduced the amount of cigarettes they consumed by 40% within a week.
This is the only study conducted in this respect, there is also no mentioning the effects CBD has on withdrawal symptoms.
It is a super element that cures a myriad of symptoms from nausea to headache and anxiety. This helps make the process of quitting way easier.
Try These CBD Products to Help You Quit Smoking
Vape CBD Infused E-Liquid
Most people find vaping the best solution to quit a smoking habit. By choosing CBD vape juice you will be able to deliver the CBD into your system and still enjoy the oral fixation that comes with the bad habit of smoking.
It is akin to having to enjoying the joy of well-done juicy ribs without suffering the meat sweats later.
Vape newbies should tread lightly on this, but it is said that vaping is much safer than cigarettes. But it is only prudent that sufficient research is done on your part!
Learn how to make your own CBD infused vape juice at home!
CBD Patch
Remember the nicotine patch? Well, this is a lot like that except it does not carry the risks that a nicotine patch does.
See, when using a nicotine patch to assist reduction, the level of nicotine in your body can soar making you very sick.
Some people have reported quitting cigarettes but using the patch obsessively to get their nicotine fix.
This completely defeats the purpose of using NRT in the first place. A CBD patch works like the nicotine patch, except it delivers CBD through the dermis.
CBD Gum
Among all the CBD edibles, this has been chosen to stand for the nicotine gum. Nicotine gum can cause flatulence and other gastrointestinal issues, there have also been some cases of damaged gums due to long-term use.
The CBD gum does not subject you to these effects. Like the patch, it relieves you from the risk of increasing the level of nicotine in the system. Other cannabidiol edibles can also be used to combat nicotine addiction such as the CBD Hemp Gummy Bears by CBDFx or the Giraffe Nuts CBD Caramels to name a few.
CBD Oil and Tinctures
A drop in the mouth every day or as directed by dosage instructions will be very helpful in the management of your nicotine addiction.
When using CBD tinctures, the cannabidiol oil is absorbed by the oral mucosa into your system quickly and effectively. Plus, the effects will last for extended periods of time.
Use of nicotine is damaging to your teeth and gums, and it causes build up of tartar and discoloration of your teeth.
Your gums can also recede exposing the root, which is not covered as strongly as the rest of the tooth.
CBD in addition to stopping this habit that hurts your oral health will begin the process of repairing the oral health damage caused.
CBD in conjunction with some other natural herbs will have your teeth looking white and strong within no time.
CBD Capsules
Some have found this mode of consumption to be very effective. As CBD capsules allow for adjustment of dosage that can be carried out in a calculated manner therefore allowing you to reach the exact level of cannabidiol you require to be well.
Stick with It & Never Give Up On Quitting Smoking
There really is no specific product that will definitely get you on the course to immediately freeing yourself from the power of nicotine addiction. The trick is finding a product that works best for your preferences and delivers the therapy appropriately.
It is easy to give up after a week or two if the cravings and withdrawal symptoms are still there. You should not give up, but instead should be more determined to kick your nicotine habit. You should slowly adjust the dosage a little bit, until one day you experience the positive effects of reducing your nicotine withdrawal.