People think that to give up smoking, all they have to do is to replace the nicotine supplied by the cigarette. There are numerous of products that you can buy, many over the counter, that provide an ample way to obtain replacement nicotine. However, they aren’t very effective. The reason people continue to smoke is because of the Psychological Smoking Mechanism, not just a need for nicotine.
In this article, we will look at some research on the potency of nicotine patches and gum.
The Nicotine Model of Smoking
Back in the 1990’s, nicotine got labeled as a highly addictive substance. It had been blamed for the reason why people find it hard to give up smoking. nikotiinipussit netistä Yet, using tobacco does not fit this is of a chemical addiction.
In the nicotine model, craving nicotine is what keeps a person smoking. It followed that when nicotine could be provided from the source other than cigarettes, the smoker would not crave cigarettes. Thus, the person would quit smoking cigarettes by replacing the foundation of nicotine with a nicotine patch or nicotine gum. Then, the new source of nicotine could be gradually reduced as time passes before smoker’s “addiction” to nicotine was removed.
This would be a nice, simple solution if nicotine was the true driving force to smoke cigarettes. However, when there is various other reason people smoke, including the Psychological Smoking Mechanism, supplying nicotine will never be an 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 style of cigarette smoking are nicotine patches and nicotine gum. They are superb products and do precisely what they say; they provide a very ample supply of nicotine. Because the smoker gets generous amounts of nicotine, which they are supposedly craving, the patches should be incredibly effective and take away 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. Considering it another way, at 6 weeks, 81% of individuals using nicotine patches were still smoking and at six months, about 91% were still smoking. Yes, 10% of those that had stopped were back at it again.
The results for the gum was about the same. Even though the gum was providing the smoker with plenty 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 quit smoking utilizing the nicotine patches and gum were highly motivated to give up smoking! Quite simply, these were removing their Psychological Smoking Mechanism.
A GENUINE Life Example
A radio host was interviewing me about the Psychological Smoking Mechanism and throughout the interview he explained he was an ex-smoker. He said he had used nicotine gum to give up also it had taken him two years until he was finally off of cigarettes. TWO YEARS!
Consider that for a moment. The nicotine gum was providing a large supply of nicotine just as it is designed to do. Yet, this man was smoking AND chewing the nicotine gum. Quite simply, the gum, packed with nicotine had not been substituting for the cigarette as it theoretical should have done.
Since the man wished to quit, he finally stopped after 2 yrs. But 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 individuals in the study study mentioned above.
Nicotine isn’t the Motivator to Smoke
The amount of nicotine a smoker gets in a single cigarette is quite 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 the very least, replace the necessity to smoke a cigarette. However, most smokers have effects to these products because they’re getting more nicotine than they ever did smoking. What does all this extra nicotine do?
In line with 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 the skin
Diarrhea
Yes, nicotine does have an impact on the smokers body. However, with the things that smoking does to the smoker, it doesn’t produce the consequences mentioned by the American Lung Association. This is another clue that nicotine isn’t the motivator to smoke.
Conclusion
If you go by the nicotine model to quit smoking, you will definitely be disappointed. The only way to quit smoking would be to take away the Psychological Smoking Mechanism through the use of proven, psychological techniques. Once the mechanism is gone, so is smoking.
� Copyright 2010, R. Michael Stone
R. 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 provides you the powerful psychological tools necessary to disassemble the Psychological Smoking Mechanism. This easy 28 day program can help you become, not an ex-smoker, but a Non-smoker. Learn how this program can help YOU permanently remove cigarettes from your own life.
