Traditional Cigarettes a Thing of the Past

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Cigarettes are killers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports, “More than 16 million Americans are living with a disease caused by smoking.”

Cigarette smoking leads to cancer, heart problems, respiratory failure, chronic obstructive disease (COPD), emphysema, and more disabling and deadly diseases.
In the U.S., 480,00 people die each year from cigarette smoking, including 41,000 from secondhand exposure.

But, smokers have options if they want to quit. They can go “cold turkey,” and many people do so successfully. Others seek professional help in a smoking-cessation therapeutic program and group support.

But, if you want a nicotine-free lifestyle —

These 3 legal drugs are making traditional cigarettes a thing of the past.

Doctors can prescribe these legal drugs to assist you in finding a nicotine-free lifestyle. They each have a different mechanism of action, but they work at reducing the anxieties that accompany smoking and those that arise from abstinence.

  1. Oral Varenicline is marketed as Chantix® to stop smoking in conjunction with a stop-smoking therapeutic program. According to WebMD, “Varenicline works by blocking nicotine’s effects in the brain that make you want to smoke.”

Pregnant women and people with kidney problems are warned not to use this drug. And, users may experience nausea, headache, vomiting, drowsiness, gas, and more side effects.

  1. Oral Bupropion sells as Wellbutrin, Zyban®, and other brands. MayoClinic says, “Bupropion is used to treat depression and to prevent depression in patients with the seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is sometimes called winter depression. It is also used as part of a support program to help people stop smoking.”

Users are warned about possible interactions with a score of other prescription meds and of side-effects that include anxiety, dry mouth, hyperventilation, irregular heartbeats, irritability, and restlessness.

  1. Medical Cannabis delivers cannabinoids that are key chemical components that treat many medical conditions and provide relief from many symptoms. It has successfully treated the acute and chronic pain caused by arthritis and fibromyalgia. It reduces muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis, Tourette’s syndrome, and Parkinson’s. New research shows its value in PTSD, opioid addiction, sleep disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, and epilepsy.

A 2013 study published in Addictive Behaviors concluded, “those treated with CBD significantly reduced the number of cigarettes smoked by ~ 40% during treatment.” The results also indicated CBD’s value as a potential treatment for nicotine addiction.

Administered as an oil, edibles, topical, or vaping, the CBD benefits of cannabis are a convenient solution to the anxieties attached to smoking cessation. And, medical cannabis produces no significant or negative side effects.

A nicotine-free lifestyle

The Aleafia Medical Cannabis Care official website is dedicated to increasing the understanding of medical cannabis’ many benefits. They provide information and direction to the most advanced doctor and patient support with further insight into cannabis’ many uses, ensuring appropriate and safe patient consumption.

With such resources and the advice of a medical professional, you can stop smoking with ease. And, once you stop, your health improves immediately. The pulse returns to normal within 20 minutes; the nicotine disappears from your system within three days; and, your lung function returns to normal within a month.

Smokers can break their addiction with determination, resources, support, and help from the legal drugs that are making traditional cigarettes a thing of the past.

About The Author:

Stacey Smith is the freelance health writer. She is passionate to write about women’s health, dental health, diabetes, endocrinology and nutrition and provide in-depth features on the latest in health news for medical clinics and health magazines.

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