How to quit smoking

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), there are both immediate and long-term beneficial changes that have been reported after quitting smoking:

• The heart rate and blood pressure come back to normal within 20 minutes of quitting.
• The levels of carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas) in the blood drop to normal after 12 hours of quitting.
• There is an improvement in circulation and lung function after 2-12 weeks of quitting. At this stage, the heart and lungs start getting enough oxygen for proper function.
• There is a decrease in coughing and shortness of breath sometime after one month to nine months of quitting.
• The risk of getting cardiovascular disease (heart disease) halves to what it was while smoking, after one year of quitting.
• The risk of stroke minimises after five years of quitting.
• The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, as well as lung cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, and pancreatic cancer falls to about half to what it was while smoking, after 10 years of quitting.
• The risk of having coronary heart disease becomes equivalent to that of a nonsmoker's after 15 years of quitting.

Read more: 10 harmful effects of smoking

You have to be motivated, determined and focused enough to kick the habit of smoking.

• The first step towards quitting is to plan how and when to do it. Pick a date to quit: this will give you some time to prepare. Make sure that the date you have chosen is not a special day when you might get very busy or tempted (like at a party with friends). 
• The second step is to let your loved ones know that you’re quitting so that you can get their support. Tell them how they can help you quit smoking.
• Thirdly, get rid of the things that remind you of the habit. Throw away all the lighters and empty cigarette packets that can trigger your urge to smoke again.

No matter how hard you try, you might not be able to avoid all the cravings. So you need a plan to cope with the urge to smoke.

• Remind yourself about why you thought of quitting in the first place - be it for health, emotional or financial reasons. Also, think about the benefits of quitting smoking like getting healthier, sparing your loved ones from secondhand smoke and also saving money. 
• Do not fall into the trap of having just one cigarette to satisfy your craving, because you know there is no pause after that.
• Studies have shown that the craving lasts for 5-10 minutes, so all you need to do is delay. Tell yourself that you will have a smoke after 10 minutes and distract yourself for that time period. For instance, just go to a smoke-free zone and start talking to someone.
• Whenever you have a craving, munch on some nuts and seeds, like sunflower seeds, or raw carrots - they will not only help you avoid smoking but they are nutritious, too.
• When you feel the urge to smoke, indulge in some sort of physical activity. Go for a short run, walk around or run up and down the stairs a few times. A short burst of energy can help you avoid your craving.
• Contact your friends or family and talk to them. Share some old memory, share a laugh, distract your mind from the craving.

People who have been smoking for years might experience withdrawal symptoms like a desperate urge to smoke, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, anger, anxiety, sadness, increased hunger and sometimes depression. The withdrawal symptoms are the strongest in the first week after quitting. 

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) can help people deal with the withdrawal symptoms as it delivers a controlled amount of nicotine minus the harmful components of tobacco. One should be cautious about using nicotine replacements - like nicotine patches and nicotine gum - as excessive use of these NRT products can bring harmful consequences.

The possible side-effects of nicotine replacement therapy are coughing, mouth sores, throat irritation, nausea, nervousness, increased heart rate and headache.

Nicotine can be delivered in various forms like gums, lozenges, patches, inhalers and nasal spray.

Read more: Home remedies for nausea and vomiting

The medication to quit smoking works better when combined with counselling. For some people, messages of support by phone, email or text are significant, while others respond better to in-person support groups.

In-person counselling involves a doctor who assists the patient in their attempt to quit tobacco and also refers them to cessation services.

The initiative "Be Healthy Be Mobile" by the government of India in partnership with World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Telecommunications Union has been helping people to quit the habit of smoking by providing them with constant counselling and support since 2015.

The programme aims to reach out to all kinds of tobacco users who want to quit tobacco and support them towards successful quitting through constant text messaging on mobile phones.

Studies have claimed that certain yoga pranayamas and asanas can help in curbing the withdrawal symptoms of quitting smoking. 

A 5-minute session of breathing exercises (like pranayama) and seated meditation, followed by 45 minutes of asanas and 10 minutes of closing postures are said to help in relieving stress and distracting from the urge to smoke.

They help in improving breathing and circulation, reduce blood pressure, anxiety and stress. You can try some of these asanas in the presence of a trained instructor:

• Kapalbhati pranayama
• Alternate nostril breathing technique (Nadi Shodhan pranayama)
• Cobra pose (Bhujangasana)
• Bridge pose (Setu Bandhasana)
• Shoulder stand pose (Sarvangasana)
• Child pose (Shishuasana)
• Triangle pose (Trikonasana)
• Corpse pose (Shavasana)

Studies have shown that acupuncture along with some Chinese herbs and hypnotherapy (training of subconscious mind) may be helpful in the cessation of smoking.

There is a protocol called NADA (national acupuncture detoxification association) which says that a three to five point ear acupuncture helps in reducing cravings and irritability and improving the mood, bowel movements and sleep.

Certain natural elements like liquorice, cayenne pepper, green oats, ginseng, honey, ginger and grape juice are said to help quit smoking by relieving the withdrawal symptoms.

There isn’t enough research to back this claim, but there is no harm in trying them out.