There are many ways in which people can come out of nicotine addiction. However before we even start with, the smoker has to have the will power and determination to quit smoking. It is this drive that is going to make any treatment for tobacco addiction a success.  Nicotine Replacement Treatments Nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), such as nicotine gum and nicotine patch, were the first pharmacological treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in smoking cessation therapy. NRTs are used to relieve withdrawal symptoms. An added benefit is that these forms of nicotine have little abuse potential since they do not produce the pleasurable effects of tobacco products, nor do they contain the carcinogens and gases associated with tobacco smoke.

Nicotine gum provides some smokers with the desired control over the dosage and the ability to relieve cravings. In 1996 a nicotine nasal sprays, and in 1998 a nicotine inhaler, also became available by prescription, thus meeting the needs of many additional tobacco users. All the NRT products—gum, patch, spray, and inhaler—appear to be equally effective.

Although the primary focus of pharmacological treatments for tobacco addiction has been nicotine replacement, other treatments are also available. For example, the antidepressant bupropion was approved by the FDA in 1997 to help people quit smoking. Varenicline tartrate (Chantix) is a medication that recently received FDA approval for smoking cessation. This medication, which acts at the sites in the brain affected by nicotine, may help people quit by easing withdrawal symptoms and blocking the effects of nicotine if people resume smoking.

Scientists are also investigating the potential of a vaccine that targets nicotine for use in relapse prevention. The nicotine vaccine is designed to stimulate the production of antibodies that would block access of nicotine to the brain and prevent nicotine’s reinforcing effects.

Behavioural interventions play an integral role in smoking cessation treatment; either it is combined with medication or alone. A variety of methods can assist smokers with quitting, ranging from self-help materials to individual cognitive-behavioural therapy. These involvements teach individuals to recognize high-risk smoking situations, develop alternative coping strategies, manage stress, improve problem solving skills, and increase social support. Research has also shown that the more therapy is customised to a person’s situation, the greater the chances are for success.

Over the past decade, however, researchers have been adapting these behavioural approaches through mail, telephone, and Internet formats, which can be more acceptable and accessible to smokers who are trying to quit. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) established a national toll-free number, to serve as a single access point for smokers seeking information and assistance in quitting. In addition, a new web site (www.smokefree.gov) offers online advice and downloadable information to make cessation easier.

Quitting smoking can be smooth sailing with the correct mind set and attitude for the smoker and with the right guidance .Research has now shown that extending treatment beyond the typical duration of a smoking cessation program can produce quit rates as high as 50 percent at 1 year.

With some changes in the everyday food habit also, a person can stop smoking to a great extent. For instance, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, as opposed to dairy, meat, and sweet food products will aid in stopping to smoke. A study at Duke University has shown that eating fruits and vegetables help flush nicotine from the body faster. They also make cigarettes taste much worse than normal. So in order to quit smoking, one has to develop the habit of snacking on carrots, celery, and apples. Smokers have to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables into their diet, especially at the end of a meal and during key craving periods.

In concurrence with the intake of fruits and vegetables, one needs to concentrate on the physical activity of the people. Raising the heart rate, breathing rate and energy consumption through exercise and physical activity is a biological helper to curb nicotine cravings. Not only will the body be busy jogging, walking, rollerblading, or just picking weeds in the yard as a hobby to stay away from smoking cigarettes, but the endorphins, as well as the myriad of other hormones and chemicals exercise releases help to directly curb nicotine cravings and lower the body’s dependence on chemicals.

Physical activity and exercise is a great way to keep the mind and body busy and not to smoke during key craving times of the day as well as lower the nicotine dependence in general through an innumerable of extra endorphins and hormones. Physical exercise can also minimize the sudden weight gain typical with people who quit smoking.

After resorting to these kinds of mind and body change, one also has to ensure that he or she is not reminded again about cigarettes in the future to avoid temptations to smoke. To achieve this, a person has to take out anything in the surroundings and life that reminds of smoking. Only when a person takes smoking out of their mind, can he or she flush out the nicotine out of the body. It is better to wash, dry clean, vacuum, and scrub anything that might smell like cigarettes. One also has to be wary of the TV shows with cigarettes in them.

Like the famous saying, ‘Out of sight, out of mind’, one has to eradicate smoking out of their life as much as possible. As soon as the person see a cigarette, hear the sound of a lighter, smell tobacco smoke, taste something similar to smoking, the numerous subconscious trained physical responses will kick in inside the brain and body. Any reminders of smoking trigger nicotine cravings from the way the body has been heavily trained and conditioned from many years of nicotine addiction. Thus to eliminate cigarette from one’s life style, one has to remove over half of the cravings that would have triggered responses to references in the brain.

Smoking cigarettes are one such addiction that people fall a prey to and find it very difficult to get rid of the habitual addiction. There are many harmful chemicals that are present in cigarettes and one most important ingredient is Nicotine. In fact, nicotine is regarded as one of the toughest stimulants ever identified. So, nicotine is one of the most common factors that lead to smoking addiction.

Basically the nicotine level is directly infused into the brain, when a person smokes. This helps the smokers to have some relief from tension. The problem is that the anxiety sets back in with greater intensity after several tension-free minutes, and demands for more doses of stress-relievers i.e. nicotine.

Nicotine is the drug in tobacco that causes addiction. It is absorbed and enters the bloodstream, through the lungs when smoke is inhaled. Nicotine is a psychoactive drug with stimulant effects on the electrical activity of the brain. It also has calming effects, especially at times of stress, as well as effects on hormonal and other systems throughout the body.

The satisfaction a person gets whenever they inhale nicotine is totally rewarding for the smoker. This is because the discharge of the dopamine, which is the “pleasure hormone”. Dopamine is very abrupt and immediate. For this reason people get immediate relief from tension whenever they smoke.

Studies even revealed how nicotine is even more powerful than the other drugs. They said that when a person injects heroin into his or her body, they may only burst up four times a day and may experience unstable conditions.

In this way the smoking addiction starts. People who smoke as a way to release tension are already addicted to smoking. They slowly increase the number of cigarettes. This shows the person’s dependency on the cigarette already.

Smokers develop tolerance to nicotine and can take higher doses without feeling sick than when they first started smoking. Many of the unpleasant effects of cigarette withdrawal are due to lack of nicotine and are reversed or alleviated by nicotine replacement (for example, nicotine chewing gum or the nicotine patch).

As with other addictions, it is difficult to give up smoking, and without help most smokers fail despite trying many times. Even after stopping successfully for a while, most relapse within 2 to 3 months. More alarming perhaps than the strength of the addiction is the ease with which it develops.

Smoking addiction is a point of concern, since it is a cause for many cancers, heart diseases and other health ailments. It is important for people to give immediate priority to smoking addiction and quit as early as possible for a healthy today, tomorrow!