I figured it might be a little fun to list the top ten slogans I found over the internet about anti-smoking. These are fun to use on a smoker, to convince yourself to quit, or to simply just enjoy. In no particular order, here we go:

1. Tobacco: the day- and night-time, cancer causing, throat clogging pollutant drug, to help you look uglier the next morning… medicine
2. I don’t mind you smoking, if you don’t mind me farting up your nose
3. A kitten dies every time you light up
4. Be smart, don’t start
5. The marlboro man died of cancer
6. Too much smoke will leave you broke
7. Cough twice for Philip Morris
8. If you can’t stop smoking, cancer will
9. Put it out before it puts you out
10. Smokers don’t get to smoke, they have to smoke

Nicotine Gum is very similar to the nicotine patch, in the sense that it aids the smoker quit by supplying him/her with the nicotine they are addicted to. The nicotine is absorbed through the tissues in the mouth, and into the bloodstream, satisfying the smoker with nicotine while preventing them from smoking all the toxins in a cigarette.

Each cigarette contains around 1mg of nicotine, and nicotine gum usually contains between 2mg-4mg of nicotine (the equivalency of 2-4 cigarettes). Before the late 1990s, nicotine gum was only available through a prescription, now you can buy it over the counter at almost every pharmacy in North America and Europe.

There is a method to using the gum which will increase its potential. First, you should only chew the gum whenever you are absolutely craving a cigarette. You chew the gum until you notice a “peppery tingle”, and that is when you press the gum between your cheeks and gums. This is to allow the nicotine to enter your bloodstream through the tissues in your gums and cheeks, rather than your tongue (it is a lot more difficult for the nicotine to travel through your tongue to your bloodstream, than your cheeks/gums to your bloodstream). When the “peppery tingle” stops, you must start chewing again to get it back. Once it is back, once again you press it against your cheeks and gums but this time in a different area of your mouth. You repeat this method until there is no more “peppery tingle” senstation (usually about 25-40 minutes after you begin chewing), and this means that there is no more nicotine left in the gum.

While using this method, you are still addicted to nicotine and in the end, your will power is still what will make you overcome your addiction. There is a potential to becoming addicted to the gum itself because the gum does not eliminate your nicotine addiction. With proper doses of the gum, and some will power, you should be able to overcome your addiction.

**NOTE: These are general guidelines on how to use the nicotine gum. KickSmokingASAP.com is not responsible for any mishaps that may occur by using the nicotine gum. Make sure you consult a doctor before using the gum.

As a parent, one of the worst things that can happen is finding out that your teenager smokes. You feel that you are supposed to be protecting them from harm, and somehow they started smoking. You may immediately feel anger, or you may feel guilt. You also may feel hopeless and not know what to do.

You do not need to worry however, this is a common problem. Most people start smoking in their teen years. Some are just undergoing a phase and quit, and some grow to be addicted for decades to come. Studies show that most teenagers believe that they can quit whenever they want to, and they will quit within five years. Luckily, most of these teenagers do end up quitting, however some end up addicted.

As a parent who knows that their child smokes, your responsibility is to help them overcome their cigarette addiction (or phase if they are not addicted yet). The first thing you will NOT want to do is yell at or demoralize them. Teenagers already feel as if their parents don’t understand them and cannot relate, so you do not want to push them away. It is much better if you actually talk to them, try to understand why they started in the first place.

Remind your teen the consequences of smoking but do not simply just tell them “smoking is bad, it causes lung cancer, etc.” One of the scariest parts about teen smoking is that teens are AWARE of the hazards of smoking but they still do it. Teenagers live in the “now” not the future. The best way to remind them the consequences is not to focus too much on the future (but still mention the serious health effects). Try to speak in terms they will understand.

Start with talking to them about all the money they spend on smoking. If they even buy one pack a week, that’s one night out at the movies that they miss a week. Tell them that their breath and clothes stink and that guys/girls won’t want to be near that smell, and that their teeth are going yellow. Ask them if the plan to quit within the next five years. If they do, remind them that the longer they smoke that harder it gets. If your teen is a “rebel” or politically conscious, tell them about how the corporations exploit teens into getting them to smoke and how buying cigarettes is evil big business.

Rather than punishing your child for smoking, try rewarding them for NOT smoking. If they do not smoke for X amount of time, you will reward them with a gift. Tell them that all the money they save from NOT buying cigarettes, you will match that amount after X amount of time. Your teenager doesn’t hate you if you understand them. Odds are that if they are interested in the gifts and trust you, they will actually quit smoking to gain your trust back.

Lay down ground rules such as they cannot smoke in the house, porch, driveway, etc. or whenever you are around. Understand your teen is old enough to make these decisions. If you can work WITH them to have them quit smoking before they are addicted, you will be more successful than if you put pressure on them to quit by being an “enemy”.

People who are new to tobacco may experience nausea, dizziness, and a few other unpleasant mental effects. These effects diminish over time with repetitive use however tobacco’s main mental effect which never goes away is the nicotine addiction.

Is is argued that nicotine is more addictive that cocaine or heroin. The reason behind this claim is that because once you have gotten your first dose of nicotine, you open a door in your brain which will never be closed and you will crave nicotine your entire life. Other reasons why people find tobacco so appealing is the smell and taste, however over time these effects are obsolete.

Nicotine is similar to caffeine in the sense that it may increase your concentration for a small amount of time, it makes you feel relaxed, and makes you feel happy. However, in tests where nicotine was removed from smokers, many experiences a rapid heart beat, irritability, short temper and anxiety. Some even experienced stress, mild depression and insomnia.

The mental effects of tobacco are often decreased substantially after 20-30 days since the last intake of nicotine, and smokers will not feel the withdrawal symptoms, however the nicotine addiction will still exist a little bit. There is also a high number of people suffering from schizophrenia who smoke, so scientists are currently determining whether there is an actual link between the two or not. It is said that smoking may also trigger other mental diseases.

Tobacco and smoking are mental addictions which are difficult to stop, but that being said, it is not impossible. Quitting smoking is something millions of people do everyday and it is just a matter of willpower to overcome these effects.

Check out the Kick Smoking ASAP eBook, or Kick the Habit - Quit Smoking eBook to learn how to quit smoking!

The number of smokers has drastically decreased decade by decade, however there is a new phenomenon; the social smoker. Social smokers do not classify themselves as smokers per se, but rather as a whole new group altogether social smokers. In a way, it may make sense that if social drinkers do not call themselves alcoholics, why should social smokers classify themselves as smokers? But also, social drinkers feel the same effects of being drunk as alcoholics, the same way that social smokers feel the same effects of smoking as smokers.

No one starts smoking a pack a day right from the beginning, they always start with one here and there until eventually they are classifying themselves as actual smokers. Technically, every smoker starts off as a social smoker. The term “social smoker” is similar to the term “chipper”. A chipper, for those of you who don’t know, is a drug user (street drug as in heroine, cocaine, methqu, etc.) who infrequently takes small doses to avoid addiction. Now, addiction is a mental issue, not a physical one. If you haven’t smoked in days, but have been craving a cigarette that whole time, you are still addicted.

Some social smokers are smoking over a pack within a weekend partying, yet still do not consider themselves an actual smoker. The real problem is that many people who consider themselves social smokers are smoking numerous cigarettes a day. They may have been social smokers once upon a time, however they have taken a transition into habitual smoking but have not taken a step back to notice that they are not social smokers any more and are actual smokers.

Social smoking is not as bad as regular smoking, but it adds up. Having a total of a pack a week for 5 years is almost as much as a regular smoker who smokes a pack per day for a year. The effects eventually add up, so the answer to Is Social Smoking Bad? is yes. Obviously, social smoking is not as bad as habitual smoking, but only as long as you are honest with yourself and actually a SOCIAL smoker. Either way, smoking at any point of time has its effects, and is not recommended regardless.

Tobacco and smoking are detrimental to the development of your muscles. Smoking causes respiratory problems, meaning that it is harder for smokers to breathe than non-smokers. If you have trouble breathing, there is less oxygen going to your muscles and you have less energy. If you have less energy, than it is harder for you to develop your muscles. Smoking means that you cannot train your muscles for as long.

Smoking in general destroys pretty much all types of body cells, which include your muscle cells. Your heart itself is a muscle, and tobacco/smoking create numerous problems for your heart and lead to diseases. Smokers are also more likely to have back and muscle pain than non smokers, because their cells are constantly being damaged. Smokers also have a reduced blood flow, so there is less blood coming/going to the bones and muscles.

Smokers are more likely to develop lupus than non smokers. Lupus is a disease which effects the joints, and will make it more difficult for you to move. Smokers are also more likely to develop arthritis, which is similar to lupus and effects your joints.

Overall, smoking does not directly damage your muscle system, however it causes numerous other diseases and problems which end up creating a problem for your muscles. If you are a body builder or athlete, smoking is something you should quit immediately because it is holding you back from your full physical potential and you will never reach the level you are capable of if you continue to smoke.