The Nicotine Patch and Electronic Cigarette: Two of the Many Tools to Help People Quit Smoking
Ξ August 2nd, 2010 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Nicotine |
Americans who would like to quit smoking have an increasingly broad array of products and services available to help them break their addiction to cigarettes. Among the most effective options are the administration of a nicotine patch, the use of an electronic cigarette, and participation in hypnosis or acupuncture.
Nicotine patches are self-adhesive patches that have been available by prescription since the early 1990s. Starting in 1996, consumers have been able to buy them over-the-counter. The nicotine patch is also known as the nicotine transdermal system. Application of the patch to the skin permits nicotine to enter the bloodstream at a fixed and constant rate throughout the day. The patch is effective because it is convenient and available in a variety of strengths, permitting people to gradually reduce the amount of nicotine received until eventually the addiction to nicotine is broken.
Another product that can help people quit smoking is the electronic cigarette. Also known as an e cigarette or personal vaporizer, the appearance of the electronic cigarette resembles that of an actual cigarette or cigar. Electronic cigarettes are battery operated, and available in both disposable and reusable versions. They supply the consumer with a vaporized solution of nicotine through inhalation. The electronic cigarette provides the user with a sensation that is similar to that obtained through smoking, even though actual smoke is not an element of the device.
Smokers who wish to quit can also enlist the help of trained hypnotists and acupuncuturists. Hypnosis involves putting an individual into a state of deep relaxation during which negative thoughts about cigarettes are strengthened along with the smoker’s desire to quit smoking. Acupuncture reduces cravings for cigarettes through the insertion of very thin needles into the smoker’s skin at strategically identified points across the body.
In sum, there is a variety of tools and services available for smokers who wish to cease smoking cigarettes. The nicotine patch, the electronic cigarette, hypnosis, and acupuncture represent four of the many available treatment options that can help people quit smoking.