Stop Smoking

by Olivia Quintela and Bolette Rahder
on Friday, May 27, 2011 12:00 AM

May 1 marked the first day that China began enforcing a new law prohibiting smoking within public indoor places. Although some are doubtful of the efficacy of this new policy, it still represents a huge step forward in a country where tobacco is omnipresent.

Is smoking typically Chinese? The Middle Kingdom did not invent the cigarette, but it has completely assimilated it, so much so that it has become a part of modern Chinese culture. With 300 million smokers, China is the number-one consumer of cigarettes, accounting for one third of the smoking population in the world. So what's the best way to kick the habit?

Nicotine gum/patch: Nicotine gum and patches are probably two of the most common ways to quit smoking, providing the body with the chemical in cigarettes that causes addiction. Both methods help to cope with cravings by disseminating nicotine in the body. Whereas the gum delivers the substance through the tissues of the tongue, the patch goes through the skin.

Prescription medication: In terms of medication, there are two main products. Available on prescription only, Chantix and Zyban constitute another option for smokers willing to change their habits. Chantix releases chemical substances that reduce the pleasure triggered by the nicotine.
Progressively, smokers feel less uncomfortable with the withdrawal. Zyban is an anti-depressant medicine that works without nicotine. Both methods must be used carefully and can provoke several side effects.

Acupuncture: A very common Chinese method of quitting smoking is acupuncture. It is a physical treatment and the technique has a long history of utility. Acupuncture is about stimulating certain points of the body by using tiny needles. Most commonly, the needles are placed in the ears, the feet and the top of the head, but the stimulating points vary from person to person.

Meditation: Those who use meditation gain the same relaxing feeling that nicotine induces without the actual chemical, calming the body as well as the mind. In this way, smokers can learn to control their thoughts, and deal with stress and other psychological issues. Meditation focuses on breathing practice: you have to sit comfortably, and rhythmically inhale and exhale.

Hypnosis: Hypnosis is a treatment to help your mind relax. A therapist hypnotizes you and takes you to the "alpha state", a state of mind we enter when falling asleep. Then the therapist tries to gain an insight into your past, attempting to break the connection between the addiction to cigarettes and replace it with something healthy.
According to Jeff Tan, owner of REV Training & Coaching, "Hypnosis is a very useful tool to use as we deal with the unconscious or hidden desires for smoking. This way, the urge to smoke is far less than before."