Quitting Smoking the Healthy Way: Cigarette Alternatives

Smoking has been a habit for many people for years, and it’s no secret that it’s harmful to health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco kills up to half of its users, and smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide. Quitting smoking can be a challenging task, but it’s not impossible, and there are ways to make it less difficult. In this article, we will discuss cigarette alternatives that can help you quit smoking the healthy way.

Why Is Smoking Harmful?

Before we jump into cigarette alternatives, it’s important to understand why smoking is harmful in the first place. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals, including nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide. 

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that makes you crave cigarettes. Tar is the sticky goo left behind in your lungs when you smoke, and it damages your lungs and airways. Finally, carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that interferes with your blood’s ability to carry oxygen, making it harder for your body to function properly.

Smoking causes many health problems, including lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory diseases like chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It also affects your appearance, causing premature skin aging, wrinkles, and stains on your teeth and fingers.

The Most Popular Smoking Alternatives 

Pharmaceutical corporations, health organizations, and even tobacco companies themselves have been working to come up with various smoking alternatives for decades now. While a lot of them aren’t as good at emulating the smoking ritual and delivering nicotine, some of the more recent inventions, like vapes and heated tobacco products were able to get tens of thousands of smokers to quit cigarettes. 

Nicotine Gum

Nicotine gum is a type of chewing gum that contains nicotine. It’s an over-the-counter product that can help reduce your cravings for cigarettes. The gum delivers nicotine into your bloodstream through the lining of your mouth. It’s available in different strengths, and you can gradually reduce the strength as you progress in quitting smoking.

Nicotine gum can cause side effects such as hiccups, indigestion, and sore throat. It’s not recommended for people with jaw problems or who have dentures.

Nicotine Patches

Nicotine patches are transdermal patches that deliver nicotine into your bloodstream through your skin. They’re available in different strengths and can be worn for up to 24 hours. Nicotine patches are easy to use and don’t require any special skills. They can help reduce your cravings for cigarettes and withdrawal symptoms like irritability, anxiety, and restlessness.

Nicotine patches are known to cause skin irritation, and it’s important to rotate the patch’s location to avoid irritation. They’re not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Heated Tobacco

Heated tobacco is a recent alternative to smoking that heats tobacco instead of burning it. The device heats the tobacco to a specific temperature, producing a vapor that you inhale. The vapor contains nicotine, but it doesn’t produce smoke or tar, reducing the harmful effects of smoking.

A wide array of rechargeable heated tobacco devices and sticks (or cartridges) are available on the market right now. In some places, they might not be as widely available as other cigarette alternatives, and they’re usually more expensive in the long run.

Vaping

Vaping is a popular alternative to smoking that involves inhaling vapor from an electronic cigarette. The e-cigarette contains a liquid that’s heated to produce vapor that you inhale. The liquid usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals. Vaping is less harmful than smoking since it doesn’t produce smoke or tar.

Vaping devices are available in different shapes and sizes, and they’re rechargeable. They come in many flavors, and you can gradually reduce the nicotine strength as you progress in quitting smoking. Vaping can cause side effects such as dry mouth, sore throat, and coughing.

Can You Quit Smoking Cold Turkey?

Quitting smoking cold turkey means stopping smoking abruptly without any help from smoking alternatives or nicotine replacement therapy. It’s a challenging method since smoking is highly addictive, and withdrawal symptoms can be severe. Withdrawal symptoms include:

• irritability, 
• anxiety, 
• restlessness, 
• headaches, 
• difficulty concentrating.

Quitting smoking cold turkey is possible, but it requires determination and willpower. It’s important to have a support system and to find ways to distract yourself from cravings. Exercise, meditation, and breathing exercises can help reduce stress and anxiety.

NEAFS: A New, Tobacco-Free Alternative 

While the smoking alternatives outlined above have all proven to be effective in getting people to quit this harmful habit, the most popular two, namely vaping and heated tobacco, are still reliant on either tobacco itself or large amounts of nicotine to get people to abandon traditional cigarettes. 

That’s where NEAFS comes in. Our offer is composed of low-nicotine (only 1.5%) heated sticks that are still capable of providing you with that mild headrush and pleasurable feeling of satisfying your cravings, while weaning you off the substance at the same time. Once you’re ready to take the next step and remove nicotine from your life, our range of flavoured, zero-nicotine products will help you get there without forcing you to give up the pleasure of taking those sweet, sweet puffs. 

Our TEO heating device works similarly to most heated tobacco tools on the market, and comes in a range of cool, eye-catching colors. Moreover, even if you’re not ready to give up on tobacco just yet, the TEO is compatible with heated tobacco sticks produced by other brands, so you can freely use it with their sticks, as well! The same goes for our plant-based cigarette sticks: if you already own a heated tobacco device, you can safely use it with our products. 

Final Thoughts

Quitting smoking is a personal decision that requires commitment and perseverance. Cigarette alternatives like the ones we’ve outlined in this article can help reduce your cravings for cigarettes and make quitting smoking less difficult. It’s important to consult your doctor before using any of these alternatives, especially if you have any health conditions or are taking medication. Remember that quitting smoking is a journey, and it’s okay to slip up occasionally. Keep trying, and don’t give up. Your health is worth it.