How to Quit Smoking Using Electronic Cigarettes

"As smokers, we learn early on to put up a mental wall of denial between our smoking habit and the harsh reality of the damage we're inflicting on ourselves with every cigarette smoked." (Martin)

I used to smoke a pack a week my senior year of high school through my first year of college. It become a disgusting habit that I regretting becoming addicted to, as did my family. I would come home smelling like an ashtray that would stain my clothes for weeks and make me go to great lengths to cover up the smoke in my car and on my clothes. Not only would I buy a pack a week, I would also stock up on breath mints and deodorizers just to make my habit more justifiable and friendly to those around me.

Not only is second hand smoke a real issue for everyone's health, but according to an online article called "Health Effects of Smoking on the Body", "The list of diseases caused by smoking has been expanded to include abdominal aortic aneurysm, acute myeloid leukemia, cataract, cervical cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, pneumonia, periodontitis, and stomach cancer."

Now, there are many different methods of quitting smoking; the most heard of being nicotine gums and nicotine patches. However, these methods have a statistical success rate of only 7%, and only an 11% success rate of going cold turkey (Polito). With this knowledge, it is hard to imagine how anyone can quit, but it is possible, and it can be easy, and I'm going to tell you how.

I took it upon myself to quit. Going cold turkey would only last for a couple months as I greatly missed the look and feel of smoking. This is where I stumbled upon electronic cigarettes. At first I didn't believe there could ever be a safe alternative to smoking; but as I investigated further I found that the only ingredients this device contained were nicotine, a vaporizing agent (also found in asthma inhalers) and flavor. No tobacco, no tar, no second hand smoke or nasty smell.

As Martin explains, "The electronic cigarette is the new way to smoke without tar, smoke, fire, or smell. You get all the flavor and satisfaction with electronic cigarettes but without the part that makes smoking so offensive to others and tough on the lungs." Without any toxins or poisons, the electronic cigarette is the most efficient alternative to smoking as it produces a smokeless vapor filled with a selective amount of nicotine and flavor to produce a smoking sensation that hits the back of your throat the same way a traditional cigarette would without any cancer causing agents.

Is this too good to be true? No. Doctors have released testimonies stating that patients who had switched to electronic cigarettes had dramatically increased health comparable to the health of someone who quit smoking entirely. ("Electronic Cigarette receives good reviews on "The Doctors"")

Yes, it is possible to quit smoking without quitting the smoking behavior or sensation. I would highly recommend this product to any current smoker.

Works Cited

"Electronic Cigarette receives good reviews on "The Doctors"" Electronic Cigarettes by Instead: 2009

"Health Effects of Smoking on the Body." Healthy Living. n.d. 7 Oct. 2009

Martin, Terry. "20 Shocking Smoking Facts." quitsmoking 2008: About http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/tobaccostatistics/a/tobaccofacts.htm

Polito, John. "Real-World." Real World nicotine Patch and Gum Rates 2002: Imagine Laserworks Inc.