Quit Smoking Injection-- Can it Really Be that Easy?

Any smoker will tell you that it is not about willpower. A lot of smokers have the willpower, but the addiction to the nicotine in the cigarette is what keeps them chained to the habit.

Anyone who has ever tried to quit smoking knows that the first few hours after quitting smoking are the easiest. You make your resolve to quit and throw away your cigarettes. But then what happens next? After a few hours you begin feeling anxious, nervous, and irritable and may even start pacing looking for something to eat or put in your mouth. You are experiencing the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.

What is nicotine and why is it addicting?

Nicotine is found in the leaves of the tobacco plant. The continuous supply of nicotine in the body from smoking is what makes it addicting. When you quit smoking, you cut off that supply of nicotine and your body will start to react to it. Nicotine is like any other addicting substance, your body gets used to its affects over time and when it is gone, withdrawal sets in. These withdrawal symptoms can be very intense in severity.

What quit smoking products can help someone to quit?
Many products on the market are being used to help people quit smoking. There are stop smoking pills, gum, transdermal patches and herbal products designed to ease the withdrawal symptoms and lessen the urge to smoke. Two prescription medicines are Zyban and Chantix, the ingredient in them both is Wellbutrine, a drug used to treat symptoms of depression. Some have had success with this method but say it is still hard to quit even with the medication.

An estimated 13 million people smoke, and the government tries to encourage people to stop by making the cigarettes cost more or make them harder to get, but without much success. If cigarettes were illegal, people would just find other ways to get them. In order for someone to quit smoking they have to want to quit in the first place and you must remove the addiction to nicotine for them to be successful.

The benefits of quitting smoking:

When you quit smoking your body begins to heal itself 12 hours after you have smoked your last cigarette. Your body starts repairing the damage done to the heart, lungs and nervous system. The nicotine should be completely gone from the body within 3 days.

A new treatment being tested for use with quitting smoking is a quit smoking injection called CYT002-NicQb. CYT002-NicQb is a vaccine for the treatment of nicotine addiction. The main ingredient is Scopolamine, a drug that is used to treat heroin addiction.

How does the treatment work?

The main ingredient in the injection is Scopolamine, a drug that is used to treat heroin addiction. It acts as an inhibitor in the brain, blocking the nicotine receptors in the brain. No withdrawal, no anxiousness, and the treatment is often only 1 injection.

The stop smoking treatment consists of one to three injections of scopolamine. During the 2 weeks the patient is given a scopolamine patch to wear behind the ear and a dose of Atropine to be taken daily.

How effective is the injection for quitting smoking?

The scopolamine injection is about 80% effective for helping patients to stop smoking. Tested in Switzerland by medical professionals, the outlook for it success is very good. The quit smoking injection is very affordable. The cost is much less compared to what you spend on cigarettes over time and since it is considered a medical treatment, it is covered by insurance.

resources:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopolamine
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/24420.php