Smoking is a universal problem. However, the habit of smoking has been experiencing a steady decline in most western countries. The same cannot be said of India. India is a third world country located in Southern Asia. It is the second most populated country in the world. A new study conducted on smoking in India by the New England Journal of Medicine shows that by the year 2010, there will be a million people dying every year through deaths that are caused by smoking related illnesses. India faces a smoking catastrophe.

By recent counts, there are about 94 million smokers in India. Of these, about 14 million are ill from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD is the fourth leading cause of adult deaths in India and it has been found to be mostly caused by smoking. Almost 5 percent of women and a third of all men aged between 30 and 69 in India smoke.

Because of these alarming statistics, the government of India has had to enforce stringent measures to try and curb tobacco use. It is thought that many smokers in India are ignorant of the health risks that smoking poses. Therefore, the first step is to educate mostly the poor and uneducated Indians about the risks associated with smoking. Banning of smoking has been done as well. Smoking related illnesses that are prevalent in India are lung diseases, Cancer, Tuberculosis and heart attacks. This is especially so because smokers in India start smoking when they are older than smokers in USA or Europe.

The study found that 61 percent and 62 percent of men and women respectively aged between 30 and 69 are likely to die from smoking related diseases. This study also made the following revelations

* That smoking 1 to 7 bidis and cigarettes heightened the risk of death by one third and doubled it respectively
* That smoking is the cause of most middle aged deaths on men
* That the risks that smoking poses are not selective they were found in the literate and the illiterate, those living in urban areas and those in rural areas.
* That only 2 percent of smokers in India quit smoking and it usually happens after they become sick

This study was conducted to inform people and educate them on these four facets; that the risks involved in smoking are much greater than people like to believe, that there is no such thing as safe smoking, that smoking decreases your life span and that quitting helps a lot in reversing the damage.

Every smoker would agree What makes smoking a hard habit to break is the addictive effect that nicotine, the main component in tobacco, has on smokers. Nicotine triggers the brain's reward system in the same way that other drugs like cocaine and amphetamine do, although to a lesser extent than these drugs. This reward system is responsible for the pleasure that one feels after having taken a puff. However, the bad news is that there are a large number of diseases caused by smoking. Nicotine is harmful for all the organs of the body, and weakens the immune system. Besides nicotine there are thousands of other harmful substances that cause cancer, damage to lungs, and a number of defects in children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy. These dangers of smoking form just the tip of the iceberg. The list just goes on and on. It is perhaps due to this reason that every smoker is on the look out for the best way to quit smoking. Here are a few effective ways to do just that.

Effective Ways to Quit Smoking

Nicotine Replacement Therapy: This therapy makes use of nicotine patches, gums and sprays that provide low doses of nicotine to the blood of user. While a nicotine patch needs to be worn on a hairless patch on the body like the chest, upper arm, upper back, or hip, nicotine gum is a simpler option that one needs to just chew. Besides supplying nicotine to blood, nicotine gum keeps the mouth engaged in chewing, which reduces the instances of smoking. As the system is getting nicotine, these therapies help one to deal with withdrawal symptoms more easily than when going cold turkey. These aids also cut down the supply of tar and other poisonous gases to the body. However, the fact remains that nicotine is still being supplied to the system. Although these therapies aim at aiding smoking cessation by slowly reducing the dose of nicotine, many times these aids themselves turn into an addiction.

Medicines: Wellbutrin, formerly known as Zyban, is a prescribed anti-depressant that provides about 35% success in the short term by reducing withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke. Another prescription medicine is Chantix, that reduces one's cravings to smoke. If one smokes while taking the medicine, it reduces the sensation of satisfaction that one gets on smoking.

Alternative Therapies: Alternative therapies like acupuncture, acupressure, aromatherapy, and meditation are also believed to be useful in helping a smoker to give up cigarettes. However, these have not been found to be very useful on their own. These seem to be helpful to those who have decided to go 'cold turkey' by positively reinforcing their determination to quit smoking. Some even resort to laser therapy to quit smoking. This therapy works by administering laser to specific points in the body that are associated with smoking addiction.

Herbs: The list of ailments that herbs help us to fight just seems to get longer. Yes, you guessed right. Herbs like garcinia cambogia, lobelia, and the Korean ginseng are a few of the herbs that provide us a natural way to quit smoking. These herbs help one to deal with the withdrawal symptoms and reduces the urge to smoke.

Hypnotherapy: In this method, a smoker willingly subjects himself to hypnotism. Through the hypnotherapy sessions, the therapist uses the method of auto suggestion to help the smokers build the will power to quit smoking.

Will Power: 'Where there is a will there is a way'. When it comes to how to quit smoking cigarettes, probably will power is the only way. One can quit smoking without the use of any therapy or smoking aids if one decides to do so. On the other hand, lack of will power would fail the best aid or therapy. Going 'cold turkey' is the best way, yet the most difficult way to quit smoking. In this, one just decides to stop smoking without the help of any aid or medicines.

It is the harmful effects of smoking that has made us come up with ways to quit smoking. Ask any smoker and he/she will tell you just how difficult it is to give up this habit. In my personal opinion, the best way to quit smoking is to have the will power to do so. I know it's difficult. Nevertheless I have seen people who have given up cigarettes with their will power as the only aid. For others there are other alternatives. Mix a little bit of will power and patience. If man could reach the moon and fly like a bird in the sky, why can't one give up smoking?