In today's Philadelphia Inquirer Patrick McNally laments the treatment of smokers at Citizens Bank Field where the Phillies ply their trade.
A former smoker himself he 'sympathizes with the urge to light up even though...it's a dangerous habit."
Mr. McNally says: "Cigarettes are dangerous, but the same could be said of the hot dogs, pretzels, and beer sold in the ballpark. Yet I was able to buy them and walk back to my seat to enjoy my doughy, salty, fatty, alcoholic treats."
Hot dogs and pretzels are hardly health foods, but to compare them to an addictive drug that kills nearly 6,000,000 around the world every year is ridiculous. Smoking isn't a "dangerous habit", it's a drug addiction that kills half of the people that can't stop.
In addition, eating hot dogs and pretzels don't create dangers for other people. There is no second-hand trans-fat is there?
Mr. McNally should realize that it is smoking, not smokers, that is the target here.
If you are one of the 80% of smokers who want to quit, visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Smoking and stress relief
Today I wanted to take a look at an article about smokers from the Chicago Tribune. I'm happy that the media covers this important topic, but the fact that they just trot out the same illusions about smoking and quitting is a bit depressing...
In particular, the article focuses on smoking as a stress reliever.
Smoker Keith Shannon says that a break-in scuppered his most recent attempt to quit. "After getting hit over the head with a gun, I needed a cigarette." This is presumably based on the well known fact that smoking a cigarette is an excellent cure for being hit over the head with a gun.
"It helps calm my nerves" Mr. Shannon says of the drug that elevates heart rate and blood pressure and causes the release of cortisol (the stress hormone) and adrenaline (the 'fight or flight' chemical). Does that sound like 'calming the nerves' to you? Some stress relief! More like a recipe for a heart attack.
Three pack-a-day smoker Deborah Israel says "Cigarettes are just adult pacifiers, you stick 'em in your mouth when you get stressed." Three packs a day is a lot of stress relief isn't it? If the cigarette worked to relieve stress, then why is the chain-smoking Ms. Israel stressed at all? Ironically, she says that quitting smoking would be too expensive as her company plan does not cover quit smoking programs. This is somewhat ironic coming from someone who spends over $7,500 a year on buying smokes.
Smoking to relieve stress is like drinking alcohol to get sober. The problem is that the illusion of smoking and stress relief is a subtle one. When a smoker puts out a cigarette, they go into physical withdrawal from nicotine. This is a barely noticeable feeling, a bit like hunger or very mild anxiety. The longer the smoker goes without smoking, the more pronounced the feeling becomes. When the smoker lights up, this slightly anxious edgy feeling disappears - leading the smoker to think that smoking relieves stress, when in fact withdrawal from the previous cigarette created that additional stress in the first place.
Until smokers can see through that illusion, they will have a desire or perceived need to smoke whenever they are in a stressful situation. They will need to use willpower to overcome that desire. This creates a conflict: part of them wants to smoke, but part wants to quit and it is this mental conflict (not physical withdrawal) that makes quitting challenging for those using willpower.
Allen Carr's Easyway method removes the need for willpower by enabling smokers to change their belief that smoking releives stress. Eliminating this belief eliminates the desire to smoke in stressful situations and with no desire to smoke, it really doesn't take willpower not to.
To find out more about this simple, drug-free approach to quitting, visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
In particular, the article focuses on smoking as a stress reliever.
Smoker Keith Shannon says that a break-in scuppered his most recent attempt to quit. "After getting hit over the head with a gun, I needed a cigarette." This is presumably based on the well known fact that smoking a cigarette is an excellent cure for being hit over the head with a gun.
"It helps calm my nerves" Mr. Shannon says of the drug that elevates heart rate and blood pressure and causes the release of cortisol (the stress hormone) and adrenaline (the 'fight or flight' chemical). Does that sound like 'calming the nerves' to you? Some stress relief! More like a recipe for a heart attack.
Three pack-a-day smoker Deborah Israel says "Cigarettes are just adult pacifiers, you stick 'em in your mouth when you get stressed." Three packs a day is a lot of stress relief isn't it? If the cigarette worked to relieve stress, then why is the chain-smoking Ms. Israel stressed at all? Ironically, she says that quitting smoking would be too expensive as her company plan does not cover quit smoking programs. This is somewhat ironic coming from someone who spends over $7,500 a year on buying smokes.
Smoking to relieve stress is like drinking alcohol to get sober. The problem is that the illusion of smoking and stress relief is a subtle one. When a smoker puts out a cigarette, they go into physical withdrawal from nicotine. This is a barely noticeable feeling, a bit like hunger or very mild anxiety. The longer the smoker goes without smoking, the more pronounced the feeling becomes. When the smoker lights up, this slightly anxious edgy feeling disappears - leading the smoker to think that smoking relieves stress, when in fact withdrawal from the previous cigarette created that additional stress in the first place.
Until smokers can see through that illusion, they will have a desire or perceived need to smoke whenever they are in a stressful situation. They will need to use willpower to overcome that desire. This creates a conflict: part of them wants to smoke, but part wants to quit and it is this mental conflict (not physical withdrawal) that makes quitting challenging for those using willpower.
Allen Carr's Easyway method removes the need for willpower by enabling smokers to change their belief that smoking releives stress. Eliminating this belief eliminates the desire to smoke in stressful situations and with no desire to smoke, it really doesn't take willpower not to.
To find out more about this simple, drug-free approach to quitting, visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Sad, weak editorial from Kansas
Today the Topeka Capital Journal announced that it was opposing Councilwoman Deborah Swank's proposal to drag Topeka into the 21st century by banning smoking in workplaces.
They believe instead that 'the marketplace' should decide. Presumably they mean that the millions spent by the tobacco industry on lobbying to fight this type of legislation should decide. Having public health policy driven by companies whose products kill an estimated 400,000 Americans every year is less than ideal.
Just because there is a market for something doesn't mean that the market should 'decide' what is right and wrong. There is a market for crack and crystal meth, but no-one is suggesting that crack dealers should develop public drug policy. Public health for the large majority should trump an individual's 'right' to smoke.
As a reader pointed out: "So, when I get lung cancer from breathing all the second-hand smoke lingering in public places, just exactly which part of the marketplace will pay for my lost health and health care?"
Newspapers need to get with the program - smokers have. Recent research shows that over 70% want to quit. To quit smoking easily and enjoyably, visit www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
They believe instead that 'the marketplace' should decide. Presumably they mean that the millions spent by the tobacco industry on lobbying to fight this type of legislation should decide. Having public health policy driven by companies whose products kill an estimated 400,000 Americans every year is less than ideal.
Just because there is a market for something doesn't mean that the market should 'decide' what is right and wrong. There is a market for crack and crystal meth, but no-one is suggesting that crack dealers should develop public drug policy. Public health for the large majority should trump an individual's 'right' to smoke.
As a reader pointed out: "So, when I get lung cancer from breathing all the second-hand smoke lingering in public places, just exactly which part of the marketplace will pay for my lost health and health care?"
Newspapers need to get with the program - smokers have. Recent research shows that over 70% want to quit. To quit smoking easily and enjoyably, visit www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
Monday, August 24, 2009
Allen Carr seminars now available in Denver, Houston and Dallas
Allen Carr North America is delighted to announce the launch of our seminar program in Denver, Houston and Dallas.
The seminars are conducted by Denver-native Collene Curran, who quit smoking using Allen Carr's Easyway method in 2005.
To find out dates and locations please visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com.
The seminars are conducted by Denver-native Collene Curran, who quit smoking using Allen Carr's Easyway method in 2005.
To find out dates and locations please visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com.
Friday, August 21, 2009
More BS from Britain's NHS
Britain's National Health Service (NHS) has just issued a self-congratualtory press release about its quit smoking service, claiming a 40% "success rate". This is spin, laid on top of spin, with a bit of spin on the side.
Quit smoking success rates are usually measured at 6 months. The NHS's 40% "success rate" is after just four weeks. And it gets worse...as the NHS's primary recommendation is to use nictoine replacement therapy (NRT), that a large proportion of the 40% of "successful" quitters are still using nicotine!
Research shows that with smokers quitting using willpower or NRT there is significant relapse rates between 4 weeks and 6 months, so the real life success rate is likely to be closer to the 5-7% suggested by the independent, evidence-based resource Cochrane's.
In addition, the 40% success rate is of all smokers who set a quit date with the NHS service. What about those that didn't? Ah, well, we'll just forget those shall we?
And in terms of value for money the NHS service gets worse, not better, with their cost per quitter up 26% vs. 2008.
For a no-BS, drug-free, pain-free quit smoking method, visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
Quit smoking success rates are usually measured at 6 months. The NHS's 40% "success rate" is after just four weeks. And it gets worse...as the NHS's primary recommendation is to use nictoine replacement therapy (NRT), that a large proportion of the 40% of "successful" quitters are still using nicotine!
Research shows that with smokers quitting using willpower or NRT there is significant relapse rates between 4 weeks and 6 months, so the real life success rate is likely to be closer to the 5-7% suggested by the independent, evidence-based resource Cochrane's.
In addition, the 40% success rate is of all smokers who set a quit date with the NHS service. What about those that didn't? Ah, well, we'll just forget those shall we?
And in terms of value for money the NHS service gets worse, not better, with their cost per quitter up 26% vs. 2008.
For a no-BS, drug-free, pain-free quit smoking method, visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Talk about self-interest...
The Winston-Salem Journal actually believes that the tobacco industry should remain unregulated by the FDA. In an editorial dated October 29th, it describes the efforts to have a product that kills 450,000 Americans every year regulated like every other drug in the country as "wrongheaded government intervention".
So presumably it is also wrong to regulate other harmful (or potentially harmful) products like heroin, cars, airlines, medications and guns? These products kill far fewer than smoking but are rightly subject to regulation or prohibition because of their potential for harm.
It is morally and ethically bankrupt to put the business interests of drug dealers before the lives of their victims. I know Winston-Salem is in the heart of tobacco country but DON'T THEY GET IT? The Journal should be ashamed of itself...
If you want sense instead of nonsense, visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
So presumably it is also wrong to regulate other harmful (or potentially harmful) products like heroin, cars, airlines, medications and guns? These products kill far fewer than smoking but are rightly subject to regulation or prohibition because of their potential for harm.
It is morally and ethically bankrupt to put the business interests of drug dealers before the lives of their victims. I know Winston-Salem is in the heart of tobacco country but DON'T THEY GET IT? The Journal should be ashamed of itself...
If you want sense instead of nonsense, visit us at www.theeasywaytostopsmoking.com
Smoking and the recession
Quit smoking and start saving. To quit smoking with no willpower, no weight gain and no withdrawal pangs, visit www.TheEasywayToStopSmoking.com
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