Smoking cessation

Smoking, as the saying goes, has become a ‘hard habit to break’. In today’s society, a lot of smokers claim of having the difficulty to quit. This is due to addiction to nicotine, a component of cigarettes, as identified by the US Surgeon General since 1988. Moreover, according to the Royal College of Physicians, nicotine is also similar to heroin and cocaine, as being an addictive substance. But what causes a person to smoke? It has been revealed that people smoke for a number of reasons. People would want to experience pleasure, joy or euphoria. People smoke when dealing with life issues like stress in work. Some smokers would report that smoking cigarettes can calm them when experiencing stress in work and that it can also help them concentrate and do the job more effectively (Jarvis, 2004). Moreover, people smoke to alter levels of consciousness and to avoid feeling pain due to tension and anxiety from personal problems. In teens, smoking is prevalent due to peer pressure (Goldberg, 2006). So this drug nicotine, a psychoactive drug, affects the nervous system by acting to modify emotions, feelings and thoughts. In addition, as compared to other psychoactive drugs, nicotine in cigarettes is considered licit or legal, which makes it the most convenient one to use (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2008).
Now, the world is faced with the detrimental effects of smoking. Globally, smoking can kill one in ten adults due to smoking-related diseases. It is believed that in 2030, if current trends continue, the rate will become one in six people (World Health Organization. 2002). Smoking is a primary factor in today’s diseases such as chronic lung disease and heart disease. Moreover, it can also cause cancer of the larynx, lungs, oesophagus, bladder, mouth, and some other types of cancers. Mortality rates show that at least a quarter of all deaths come from heart diseases and about three-quarters of world's chronic bronchitis are related to smoking (WHO. 2002). Obviously, smoking is a modifiable and preventable factor in order to prevent these kinds of diseases and in order to promote a healthy life (WHO. 2002).
People who have been smoking however become faced with issues which make them quit it. First is social pressure. While smoking is once considered as sophisticated, now it is seen as offensive and disgusting. Habitual smokers now become scorned by their non-smoking peers. Moreover, some smokers finally realize the harmful effects of smoking to their body. At present, several ways have been identified to help people stop smoking. These methods include Behavioral therapy and Medication therapy such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and varenicline.
Cognitive behaviour therapy takes on methods that influence thoughts and behaviours (Herrick & Marianne, 2010, p. 117). It has been known to be effective for smoking cessation, even with or without the use of medications. Moreover it takes on a goal-oriented approach of solving matters by conquering distortions of thoughts that lead to maladaptive behaviours. World wide, there are a number of cognitive behavioural therapy techniques being used which has the common goal of empowering a smoker to quit and maintain abstinence from smoking. One example is the ‘Quit for life’ program from United Kingdom which aims to achieve a gradual reduction over a 10-day period (Herrick & Marianne, 2010, p.118). Smokers may use the quitting methods they find most suitable and comfortable. It can be self-help, community or group interventions, healthcare provider counselling and alternative approaches like hypnosis. A self-help method may include the use of a self-help package including a hand book or guidebook with reduction cards and progress charts. A brief advice from a healthcare professional is also done, which is usually a face to face counselling. A known technique done with a healthcare provider is the use of aversion. However, due to the nature of this method, it is only recommended after all other initial efforts made have failed. Aversion is identified as a likely suitable behavioural therapy for smoking due to the fact that nicotine itself is toxic. This is simply done by letting the smoker smoke rapidly for a long time, at a rapid pace. Rapid smoking has long been known as an effective behavior therapy to quit smoking (McRobbie & Hajek, 2007). During this therapy, the client is told to smoke and take a puff every 6-8 seconds. This method of rapid smoking will make the smoker eventually feel uncomfortable and miserable and will never wish to have another cigarette for the rest of his life (Coon & Mitterer, 2010). However, this is can only be safe for healthy subject...