Myths About Quitting Smoking

We want to give you the facts and bust these myths. Because quitting is hard enough and having the right information can help you.

Myth 1: You’ll Gain Weight

There’s some truth to the common fear - if you stop smoking, you’ll gain weight. However, it’s nicotine that speeds up your metabolism and helps suppress your appetite. That’s where Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), like NICORETTE^®, plays a part. It gives you a controlled dose of nicotine to help you quit smoking, while helping to deal with your metabolism and appetite.

You may be tempted to eat more when you quit for two reasons:

• You miss the hand-to-mouth action of smoking.

• You confuse cigarette cravings with hunger pangs.

To combat those two things, try to:

• Use the time and money you save by not smoking to plan and cook healthy meals.

• Limit sugary treats such as drinks, lollies, biscuits and cakes.

• Fill your fridge with healthy snacks such as carrot sticks and whole fruits (not fruit juice).

• Limit your intake of alcoholic drinks as not only do they contain a lot of calories, but also, they can weaken your stop-smoking resolve.

• Try not to miss meals, especially breakfast.

• Be realistic and allow yourself a small treat now and again.

• Take a quick walk round the block to take your mind off food!

• Use the NICORETTE® Gum

Myth 2: Smoking Relieves Stress

Smoking actually increases anxiety and tension because it elevates your heart rate. It’s the action of smoking that relieves stress because most smokers are tense until their next cigarette.

NICORETTE^® gives you a controlled dose of nicotine to help you wean off cigarettes. Instead, you can find new ways to relax and deal with stress – even the stress associated with quitting.

Myth 3: Willpower is the Best Way to Quit

In fact, people who try quitting cold turkey have less chance of stopping smoking for good compared to people who use NRT. Quitting cold turkey can be especially hard because you’re dealing with the physical withdrawal symptoms at the same time as you’re kicking the habit. Instead, using a NRT product like NICORETTE^® can double your chances of successfully quitting smoking versus willpower alone.

Myth 4: Nicotine is Bad for You

Some people worry that using Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to help them quit will be just as bad for their health as smoking cigarettes. It’s not true.

It’s cigarette smoke’s harmful chemicals, such as tar and carbon monoxide that are bad for you. Those ingredients can lead to health problems like heart disease and lung cancer.

Nicotine causes you to become addicted to smoking, and using NRT lets you reduce the cigarettes you smoke. By reducing the amount of tobacco smoke you inhale, you also reduce the associated health risks.

Myth 5: NRT is More Expensive Than Smoking

Lots of smokers are unaware of how much their smoking habit costs. The figures can be shocking when you add up how much you spend over a decade. Yes, NRT costs money, but it’s very unlikely that it’s as expensive as smoking.

Certain NRT products may cost more per packet than cigarettes, but in the long run they’ll add up to far less. The costs of NRT only apply in the short term, because it’s designed to help you wean off nicotine. Just think of what you can do with the money you save in the long run.