People think that to quit smoking, all they have to do is to replace the nicotine supplied by the cigarette. There are numerous of products out there, many over the counter, that provide an ample supply of replacement nicotine. However, they aren’t very effective. The reason why people continue steadily to smoke is due to the Psychological Smoking Mechanism, not just a need for nicotine.
In this article, we shall look at some research on the potency of nicotine patches and gum.
The Nicotine Model of Smoking
Back the 1990’s, nicotine got labeled as an extremely addictive substance. It was blamed for the reason why people find it hard to give up smoking. Yet, using tobacco does not fit this is of a chemical addiction.
In the nicotine model, craving nicotine is what keeps an individual smoking. It followed that when nicotine could possibly be provided from the source apart from cigarettes, the smoker would not crave cigarettes. Thus, the individual would quit smoking cigarettes by replacing the source of nicotine with a nicotine patch or nicotine gum. Then, the brand new source of nicotine could be gradually reduced over time before smoker’s “addiction” to nicotine was removed.
This would be a nice, simple solution if nicotine was the real driving force to smoke cigars. However, when there is various other reason people smoke, such as the Psychological Smoking Mechanism, supplying nicotine will not be a highly effective substitute. Let’s look at some research on the effectiveness of nicotine patches and gum.
The Research
Two products that follow the chemical addiction model of using tobacco are nicotine patches and nicotine gum. They are superb products and do just what they say; they provide a very ample way to obtain nicotine. Since the smoker is getting generous levels of nicotine, that they are supposedly craving, the patches should be incredibly effective and remove the desire to have a cigarette. But how effective are they?
Some research shows, (Davidson, M., Epstein, M., Burt, R., Schaefer, C., Whitworth, G. & McDonald, A. (1998)), only 19% of individuals on nicotine patches had stopped smoking at six weeks and it was reduced to 9.2% at half a year. Looking at it another way, at 6 weeks, 81% of the people using nicotine patches were still smoking and at 6 months, about 91% were still smoking. Yes, 10% of these that had stopped were back at it again.
The results for the gum was about the same. Despite the fact that the gum was providing the smoker with a lot of nicotine, at 6 weeks, 84% of individuals were still smoking and at 6 months, 92% were smoking.
The study showed that the 8% – 9% of the people who had stop smoking using the nicotine patches and gum were highly motivated to quit smoking! Quite simply, these were removing their Psychological Smoking Mechanism.
A GENUINE Life Example
A radio host was interviewing me concerning the Psychological Smoking Mechanism and in the course of the interview he explained that he was an ex-smoker. He said he had used nicotine gum to give up and it had taken him 2 yrs until he was finally off of cigarettes. TWO YEARS!
Consider that for an instant. The nicotine gum was providing a large supply of nicotine in the same way it is designed to do. Yet, this man was smoking AND chewing the nicotine gum. Quite simply, the gum, packed with nicotine was not substituting for the cigarette since it theoretical should have done.
Since the man wanted to quit, he finally stopped after two years. Nonetheless it wasn’t the gum, it had been him changing his Psychological Smoking Mechanism without even realizing consciously what he was doing. Just like the 8% – 9% of the people in the study study mentioned above.
Nicotine isn’t the Motivator to Smoke
The quantity of nicotine a smoker gets in a single cigarette is very small. Compare the cigarette to your body mass; it’s tiny therefore is the level of nicotine it contains.
However, these very effective nicotine dispensing products, nicotine patches and gum contain nicotine. That’s what they are designed to do; put adequate nicotine in to the smokers system to, theoretically at least, replace the need to smoke a cigarette. However, most smokers have effects to these products because they are getting more nicotine than they ever did smoking. What does all this extra nicotine do?
Based on the American Lung Association, side effects with the nicotine patch are:
Headache
Dizziness
Upset stomach
Weakness
Blurred vision
Vivid dreams
Mild itching and burning on your skin
Diarrhea
Yes, nicotine has an effect on the smokers body. However, with the items that smoking does to the smoker, it doesn’t produce the effects mentioned by the American Lung Association. This is another clue that nicotine isn’t the motivator to smoke.
Conclusion
If you pass the nicotine model to give up smoking, you will be disappointed. The only way to quit smoking would be to remove the Psychological Smoking Mechanism through the use of proven, psychological techniques. When the mechanism is gone, so is smoking.
� Copyright 2010, R. Michael Stone
R. nikotiinipussit netistä Michael Stone, M.S. – Counselor
33 years experience with subconscious communication and subconscious programming techniques.
Creator of The Unlearn Smoking Success System? – The program that gives you the powerful psychological tools necessary to disassemble the Psychological Smoking Mechanism. This easy 28 day program can help you become, no ex-smoker, but a Non-smoker. Find out how this program will let you permanently remove cigarettes from your own life.
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