If you are a smoker of anything, you have heard the advice 'give up smoking' at least once a week, if not every single day. Unless you live on another planet, the 'smoking is bad for your health' message has landed at your door frequently. There are so many statistics, scary pictures, and medical authorities delivering this message that even those in the most advanced stages of denial probably accept that smoking is bad for your health.

Smoking is pleasurable and also addictive. There have to be some pretty powerful reasons to stop smoking. This is your best friend, your comforter in times of stress, your first line of defense when threatened, so how can you turn your back on all that? The good news is that there are some really good products to help you, when you find the motivation to give up smoking.

For motivations let's look at the old carrot and stick. First the 'stick' points to consider. Hundreds of research studies on animals and humans prove that smoking is a leading cause of several cancers. Cancers eat you alive by robbing your cells of food. Cancers develop quickly in smokers because the toxins in the smoke block the cell's ability to fight. Whether the cancer starts in the mouth, throat, or lungs, it is ugly to the max. Not only physically ugly, but pain filled ugly, so painful that no amount of drugs can provide relief. If the very real possibility of cancer was not scary enough, there is emphysema. In this case the lungs gradually lose the ability to send oxygen to the body. Not only are all of the cells starved for oxygen, and screaming in pain, tremendous energy is used in just staying alive, so losing weight, strength and the ability to think all go with emphysema.

At the last the poor smoker simply smothers. Horrible! This is so bad for the smoker but considering that others that live with the smoker must contend with second hand smoke. It is reported to be even more dangerous than actually smoking. The child or spouse that you love with all your heart and soul is being killed by your smoking habit. How is that for motivation?

Now for the 'carrot' aspect of giving up smoking; more kisses and hugs when you no longer smell and taste like a dirty ashtray. Your home, car and office will no longer be coated in a yellow oily film that is the residue of the smoke you exhale. Your appearance will improve as the dryness of your face and the ensuing wrinkles gradually disappear. That puckered upper lip will gradually smooth out, making you seem years younger.

Several options are now available to assist you in the process. There are drugs like Chantix, hypnosis, patches, and fake cigarettes. Many of these are paid for by health insurance. Chantrix has a support program in which a real person, who understands the struggle with addiction, calls on the telephone to empathize with you. You are not a bad person, just a good person in need of a lot of support in the very difficult process to give up smoking.