Stopping the Habit Quitting tobacco is no easy task, but assistance is available. Most importantly, a person has to be motivated to stop. Nicotine gum, patches or new nasal sprays may help with withdrawal symptoms when used over a month or two to taper down the amount of nicotine absorbed by the body. The most effective strategies, Dr. Grossman says, include counseling or smoking cessation classes to help decrease the psychological dependency on tobacco and to help modify lifestyle habits that perpetuate usage. The good news is that the overall rate at which people are smoking is declining, and more men are either quitting smoking or not starting at all.
Young girls seem to start smoking cigarettes for a variety of reasons, including weight management.
Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor in the development of lung cancer. The longer you smoke and the more cigarettes you smoke, the likelier it is to be lethal. Symptoms often do not appear until the cancer is incurable. In addition to lung cancer, smoking increases the risk of cancer of the bladder, cervix, mouth, throat, pancreas, kidney and stomach. It also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, osteoporosis and chronic lung disease.