With tobacco taxes going up once again, quitting smoking looks like a quick way to save a dollar.
Cigarettes are the most popular form of tobacco in America, and also are the most popular tobacco product to tax.
On Wednesday, taxes on people who roll their own cigarettes will increase from $1.10 per pound of tobacco to $24.78 per pound.
Even when untaxed, cigarette smokers are still are faced with rising costs. This month the price of a pack of cigarettes rose 75 cents because of increased production cost.
All smoking-cessation aids are focused on one ingredient in cigarettes: nicotine. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance in tobacco products and helps users feel calm and satisfied while being awake and focused.
There are many options to help you quit smoking. Some respond to certain treatments better than others, so if one doesn’t work, don’t give up.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Gum, patch, lozenge
There are three types of products that can work independently or together to give smokers a small dose of nicotine to temporarily satisfy cravings.
None of these remedies should be used as the “cure all” to kicking the habit. The gum is intended to be a saving grace when sudden cravings attack. It comes in boxes of 110 to 170 pieces.
The patch is placed on the upper arm and is intended to be the main means to quit smoking by allowing nicotine to be absorbed through the skin.
Lozenges are another option when trying to fight the nicotine craving. It is a candy-like tablet that comes in many flavors.
No matter what product you choose, each one is supposed to deliver enough nicotine to beat cravings.
Source: CVS pharmacist
Pills
There are three pills on the market that claim to help users stop smoking. Zyban and Chantix are two prescriptions that help many stop smoking, and are approved by the FDA. Chantix was proven in six clinical studies to help people lose the urge to smoke.
A third remedy is Smoke Away. It is an all-natural herbal supplement that has received mixed reviews. Smoke Away is not FDA approved, but it is sold on some late-night infomercials.
Source: Food and Drug Administration
Support groups
Both federal and state governments have taken steps to set up support lines to assist those who want to kick the habit. In addition to the “Tobacco Stops with Me” campaign, the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline is set up in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help smokers of all ages. The number will put you in contact with a trained counselor.
Some support groups offer free nicotine replacement treatments such as those previously mentioned.
To reach the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
Source: Center for Disease Control: Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline
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JJanowiak 3 years, 1 month ago
Well, sure, but how are all of OU's smoking students supposed to look cool standing <10 feet from a building's entrance chewing nicotine gum? No, they need those cigarette's so we'll know they're intellectual and deep and stuff.