5 Smoking Gadgets That Might Help You Quit Smoking.
Smoking bans are becoming the norm. And everywhere you turn, there are articles and quit smoking campaigns explaining why and how you should give up. Giving up is definitely worth it, as Wade Meredith highlighted in his great article a couple of years back – What Happens to Your body if you stop smoking Right now?
But giving up ain’t easy. As an ex-smoker I’m well aware of this.
Over the years, companies have gathered huge profits by urging you to quit smoking through hypnosis, pills, patches, and gum.
Now high tech smoking gadgets are in the limelight. Here’s five that sound interesting…
1. The E-Cigarette
Looks like a cigarette. Feels like a cigarette. Acts like a cigarette. But isn’t as bad for your health. That’s the spiel that Golden Dragon Group Ltd, a Chinese company marketing this ‘electronic’ cigarette, claim.
The e-cigarette is battery operated and works by hearing and vaporizing tobacco instead of burning it. As a result, you get the nicotine fix and smoking experience without the harmful toxins.
You have to wonder, though, where these e-cigarettes will help you give up or simply create a surrogate for the real thing.
2. Nico-stopper
Looks like an MP3 player but don’t expect it to play your favorite songs. This nifty little gadget locks in your cigarettes and only releasaes them at preset intervals. And as the cigarette is released, the LCD screen flashes with self-help messages. (source)
3. Smoke Signals
Enlist your computer into helping you give up smoking with the Smoke Signals package that consists of
- a smart interactive case that holds a pack of cigarettes and monitors your habits and signals when to smoke.
- a personalized Quit Plan that is built to not only match your profile but also adjusts your profile as you progress.
- access to an online progress page which acts as your personal coach.
- daily emails and tips
- a DVD that offers a step-by-step guie to the Smoke Signal Process.
4. Quit Key
A handheld computer that creates a personal quit smoking program based on information that you provide.
5. Quit Smoking Plugin
Give up smoking by public exposure with the Quit Smoking Plugin. An interesting tool for those who have their own or are thinking of creating a word press blog. The plugin will display a counter on your blog showing all the relevant numbers – the time quit, how many not smoked, how much money saved, and how many lifetime hours regained.
So smokers, what do you think ?
I stopped smoking after 10 years in 2006. It was a piece of cake.
I’d tried tonnes of times before – with patches, inhalers – all sorts of nicotine and cigarrette replacement stuff. Managed a few months, but never more.
In July 2006 I read “Easyway” by Allen Carr. In October I stopped smoking. After a couple of weeks of grumpiness I had no side-effects. I’ve not come close to having a cigarrette since.
I find it hard to put into words how easy it was. I had found it ridiculously hard before, when trying to quit – Carr’s book taught me that it was simply a matter of nicotine addiction, nothing more, and from then on it was simple – I just stopped smoking.
I quit last year with Commit lozenges after about two weeks. For me it wasn’t so much addiction to nicotine but the habit. Breaking your habits and way of life was the hardest.
wow, those are interesting contraptions
Giving up smoking is such an individualized thing, both in deciding to give up and finding a way to make it happen…
As Scott says, it’s largely the need to break the habit and making some life changes. Little things like going out for coffee, drinks, even waking up in the morning have to take on a different focus when you decide to give up smoking.
Dave, the book by Allen Carr sounds interesting – I have heard others mention it as well but haven’t seen it myself…
Haven’t found anyone who’s tried any of the smoking gadgets that I mentioned in the post although I did run across someone the other day who said he was considering trying out the e-cigarette. I hope he does, cause would love to have a real good look at one and see how it works in reality.
I think it was Will Rogers who said quitting smoking was the easiest thing he had ever done, because he did it several times a day.
I quit 15 yrs ago and still find myself with a craving now and then. I used a patchwork of techniques going cold turkey from the Lung Assoc, “smoke enders” program, some from Rational Recovery, peer pressure (telling your smoker friends how great you feel and acting all smarmy) and my own(I think) “rule of 3’s” ; 3 hrs, 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 years (without a smoke).
“Patches, we don’t need no steekin’ patches!”
By the way, a really good movie
“Thank You For Smoking”.
Good luck to anyone trying to quit.
According to Mr. Carr, people who say ‘it was a piece of cake’ are just blocking out and forgetting how difficult it was and are in more danger of a relapse ;P I have the Easyway book and although it inspired me a lot I still haven’t managed to get free of the evil weed. Maybe if I read the book everytime I got a craving instead of lighting a cigarette it’d make life easier.
Paul,
that Will Rogers quote pretty much sums up how difficult it is to give up smoking…when I quit years ago, I quit every day for almost a month. Each morning I would go out and buy a pack of cigarettes, smoke a couple and tear the rest of the pack up…would last the rest of the day without a cigarette and then wake up the next morning and so desperately need a cigarette that I would go out and buy another pack and then do the same thing…until one day, I didn’t go out and buy a pack of cigarettes…
have heard of the movie ‘thank you for not smoking’ but haven’t seen it yet. Will check it out.
harley,
all I can say is keep on trying. It ain’t easy and i wouldn’t call it a piece of cake. Everyone’s different when it comes to breaking an addiction and you have to find the way that works for you.
Wishing you all the best with breaking the smoking chain.
Well it’s been 5 days since the last smoke, some days I tell myself this is easy but when the craving hit, it’s very difficult not to pick up a smoke. I really want to stop. Please help
helpful
as the comment above states, i also quit smoking using “the easy way to stop smoking” by allen carr. lifesaver.
Finally, after roughly 25 years, I quit smoking. Hardest thing ever. Chantix, the oral medication, made it possible. It still required determination on my part but Chantix took away the insane urges I’ve had before when trying to quit. I can highly recommend Chantix to anyone who has tried to quit before and failed.
Hey everyone, congrats on your stop smoking success. As an ex-smoker for many years, I know how hard it is in the beginning but it does get better….
I am going on 80 hrs without a smoke. I decided to google the positive affects of quitting because I am going thru a rough craving right now and needed some reinforcement. I found this site, thank you for your post exsmokers, they are helping. For the first time that I can remember I could smell the old smoke in my vehicle this morning. Its a start…
Actually, Ruyan is the original inventor of electronic cigarette(e-cigarette) and Ruyan has registered patents in more than 40 countries since 2003 . They have a variety of product series, such as e-cigarette,e-pipe and e-cigars, etc.Their official website address is http://www.ruyan.com.cn.
correct ruyan website address is:http://www.ruyan.com.cn
My last cigarette was at 11:00pm Aug. 7. I also came to this site to read about the positive immediate effects that happen when you decide to stop. Reading this really helps. I’m using Commit lozenges and they seem to really help. Keep posting everyone..
Been on Nicoderm CQ for 4 wks. today…….so far it’s “ok”….However I am also taking Paxil, and I think the combo of both help make it easier. I smoked for 45 years…….this is NOT easy mainly because I so enjoyed a cigarette……..and know if I smoked just one, I would be right back at it…
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i smocked for 7yrs but trying to quit in the middle many times. the longest time i quitted was for 5 months. I quited now for 4 weeks, but im so anxious about a relapse. even now while i write this, i feel z craving very much. it was on my 30th birthday that i sworn not to smock anymore, but now after 4 weeks the craving is becoming so tense& i feel like i have to commit suicide, if i don’t have any choice. And in my country im afraid there isanything like medical centers for such problems. So, pls help me- anyone who read this.pls pls.
+ 1 Non-smoker-newbie here too. I also am using the Chantix program along with their online GETQUIT cessation program.
Today begins week #2 of my quit with zero/nada slips. The first three days were hard, but they got a little easier each day with the GETQUIT support activities and tips. I still haunt my old smoking place, but now I exercise my hands, do the hand-to-mouth thing, put my lips around my little finger, and take a few deep breaths whenever the URGE hits. Five minutes later, its gone and I’m movin’ on with my quit.
))
I quit 8 days ago! I have tried many times and failed. Butr this time I know I will never smoke again. I am a christian woman and I have felt very guilty smoking while trying to live for God. So 8 days ago I finally gave it to the Lord, I prayed to God that “I can’t do this smoking thing no more, I need your help Lord to do this. “And guess what he answered my prayers, as he always does. If you are a Christian and when you really decide to give it up then take it to God in prayer and you will be able to quit, remember all things are possible with God. But God gives us free will so he can;t help you untill you really want it. I still get cravings of course and it isn’t easy but every time it hits me I pray and read the Bible and instantly the cravings are gone. I already notice I can breath better. And I don’t have that smoker’s cough as bad already. God Bless you all. Don’t give up, you can make it!!! All you need is faith. Have you ever heard the phrase “Faith can move the mountains”?
I quit exactly one year ago today. I had tried and failed on numerous occassions until I read Alan Carr’s books – The Easy Way to Quit Smoking and The Only Way to Quit Smoking Permanently. I feel great. I have a renewed enthusiasm for sports and being active and for taking care of myself. My breathing and senses of taste & smell have improved substantially. And I am proud that I am no longer a slave to the ugly addiction. Anyone who genuinely wants to quit should not put off reading either of these books. You don’t have to quit before you read the books – in fact, Carr encourages you to smoke as you read the books. What is the worst thing that can happen if you read the books? You continue to smoke – so you have nothing to lose. You owe it to yourself to try it – you can buy the book for $10 on amazon. Good luck to you.
I too used Allen Carrs “Easy Way”. I have not smoked in weeks. After day 6 I have not had one serious craving. The facts are simple the only way to quit smoking IS TO GIVE UP NICOTINE!
I dunno what to say but thank you to the economy crisis now I really counting every and each buck. I recently purchased the CigaretteTracker application for my iPhone from iTunes, and I must say that it is a great application. I can store the amount of cigarettes I have smoked on a daily basis at any point of time, and it keeps track of every day’s data. If I smoked, only half a cigarette, all I have to do is touch a button that denotes half a cigarette and it adds it to the total. I can also store the cost of every pack I buy in this application by selecting the day I bought the pack and the price. It keeps track of all the prices as well. There is a statistics page which shows how many cigarettes I have smoked all day, all month, in the previous month, all year and in the previous year. Since I have been using this application only for a few days, I can still find it beneficial to see the quantity I have smoked today and all this month. Over time I guess the yearly totals will make sense. It also acts as an accounting tool since it shows me how much I have spent on buying cigarettes this month, the previous month and all year. This way if I feel that I have spent a lot already this month, or smoked a lot already this month, I can start cutting back on the smoking. The best part is the daily average, which shows me since the day I started storing data, on an average how many cigarettes I have smoked on a daily basis. I think I have decided to reduce my daily average from 4.0 to 3.5, slowly and steadily, and it is clearly doable. This application is definitely going to help me cut down on my smoking and also help me look at how much money I spend on it. I hope I’ll QUIT!
Oh…forgot to mention…you can find it in iTunes store or at http://meninshades.com. That’s it!
8 DAYS. USING THE NICATROL INHALER. I LOVE IT NO SLIPS, CRAVINGS? YES BUT NOT AS BAD AS USING THE PATCH OR CHANTEX. I RECENTLY TURNED 40 STARTED WHEN I WAS 16. TRIED MANY TIMES..MY MOTHER DIED OF CHF 5 YEARS AGO. YA THINK THAT WOULD HAVE MADE ME QUIT. I AM BLESSED FOR 8 DAYS AND WILL CONTINUE WITH THE 1 DAY AT A TIME. I GET IT AS IAM SOBER FOR 22 MONTHS TOO. DO NOT GIVE UP ON ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT BETTER FOR YOUR LIFE.
Quit 2 days ago… Been having serious urges but somehow I haven’t smoked yet. I’m not using anything either to help me…. I don’t believe in all that quit smoking shit because.. well.. how is it going to help you quit if it only gives you more nicotine? Who wants to be addicted to a patch? Actually nevermind what I just said. If you feel like it helps you then more power to ya. So… yeah.. cold turkey. Every time I get that urge to go smoke I just breathe deeply a couple times and it goes away. I’m also able to think and smell and do everything better. Also.. whenever I REALLY feel like smoking, like the kind of urge that the next second you will find yourself out there smoking, I just stop whatever I’m doing and tell myself NO. I know if I smoke I will just fall into the routine again. Just tell yourself you don’t need it, and just…. don’t smoke. That’s it. No matter what urge you get, no matter how much you feel like you need it, if you want to quit there’s nothing that can stop you.
Quit Jan. 28th, 2009…Cold turkey…So far so good….It really is all in our heads…or so they
say. I feel that I can do this…I know that I can
kick this habit…..
A few people were curious about e-cigarettes, how they work, and ‘if’ they work…so here’s my experience. I never post anything … but e-cigarettes have literally given me hope…after attempting to quit multiple times, using multiple methods – for the first time I feel it can be done.
I purchased my first e-cigarette mid-december 2008. At first I was a bit hesitant to give up tobacco – so I switched back and forth for about a week. After that, I stopped using tobacco for four days just to see if I could do it…and it worked great.
I decided to make it my New Year’s resolution and haven’t picked up a cigarette since New Year’s Eve…and I owe it all to the E-cigarette technology.
If you’re considering an e-cig – here’s how they work, and a few links to get you started. I highly recommend them – it is the only ’stop-smoking product’ that actually replaces EVERYTHING I enjoyed about smoking…without the Tar, Carcinogens and the 2000+ chemicals cigarette manufacturers use. But…understand that they are not marketed in the US as a ‘stop-smoking’ product…but as a safer alternative to that nasty tobacco.
It’ll cost you around 100 dollars to get started…but after that, it will only cost you about 30 bucks a month. A LOT cheaper than most people’s smoking habit.
Here’s a list of things I recommend – along with links of online stores I use frequently.
PureSmoker.com is the one of the most popular US sellers of e-cigs. They cost about 50 bucks for a starter pack – and everything you order arrives in just a few days. I highly recommend the “Pocket Mini”…it is the best value by far…if you get the “PeeWee” – don’t get mad at me if you’re disappointed. I purchased the PeeWee first because I wanted it to “look like a cigarette” – but you give up performance because of its compact size…so get over the “looks are everything” and pick a Pocket-Mini or the Classic Pen Style.
In order to save on cost – you will want to refill your own cartridges…depending on the type of e-cig you get, a cartridge will last between 4-10 cigarettes worth of nicotine before you need to refill it.
They are easy to refill (just need a dropper bottle with some nicotine liquid). I get all my ‘juice’ from JohnsonCreekSmokeJuice.com Their flavors are great – and their service is just as fast as PureSmoker’s.
So – what to order right? Here’s what I have recommended to everyone I know – and everyone has been very happy so far.
1. Pocket Mini Starter Kit
2. Extra Battery (get at least 1)
3. Extra Atomizer (get at least 1)
4. Extra Charger (for recharging batteries at work)
5. Various flavors of e-liquid.
Batteries: Self explanatory…you don’t want to run out of power and have to go back to tobacco…
Atomizer: This is the work-horse of the e-cig. It is what ‘vaporizes’ the liquid/nicotine solution. This piece will eventually ‘burn out’ or ‘clog’…not having a replacement will put you right back where you started…smoking tobacco…and we don’t want that.
Nicotine Liquid Strengths: there are different strengths of liquid – and you’ll want to choose the appropriate level depending on your habit…here’s what I recommend…however, understand that everyone is different.
If you smoke:
Less than 1 pack a day: Go with the Low Strength (11mg)
1 pack a day: start with Medium Strength (18mg)
More than 1 Pack/Day: start with High Strength (24mg)
When your new e-cig arrives – give it a few days…It smokes ‘almost’ like a real cigarette, but is going to take a little getting used to before you get those perfect drags.
Cleaning: periodically clean your e-cig atomizer. Cleaning it is simple, just run hot water through it every 4 days or so…this will extend the life of the atomizer and give you better ‘drags’.
I hope this helps – e-cigs have surely helped me…I smoked a pack and a half a day for 19 years and was able to stop smoking tobacco in just a few short weeks…it is, however, possible to just switch to the e-cig immediately…I was just scared it wouldn’t work…just like all the other products I’ve tried. :-/
-slapHappy
Thanks for all your comments! I am going on 24 hours right about now and did a search to find out the benefits of quitting to keep me motivated but it’s nice to read that I’m not alone in this. That’s more motivating than anything.
I’m trying the Nicorette gum to help me. I tried Chantix about a year ago and that worked wonders for curbing the cravings but I ended up getting really depressed while taking it (one of the side effects) and had to give it up. Still ended up depressed for another few months after that. The gum seems to be working a lot better.
Oh, and thanks to Andrew for posting about the iPhone app. I never even thought of checking on my phone to see what was out there to help. I added an app. that tracks how long I’ve stopped and how much I’ve saved so far.
blu is the smallest electronic cigarette in the world; it is 94mm long and 5mm wide. i smoke them at my desk everyday, havent smoke a regular cigarette since
Today is my day to quit!
hi i been smoking for 40 years ,i am trying it cold turkey i cant see where spending money on things to help me quit ,helps anymore then just smoking if someone has the allen carr book and willing to sell it contact me Amanda if you can give me any ideas to help i’d appreciate it ,iam having craving bad but so far havent smoke except to smoke a puff off ciggerette but not inhale it if you could give any ideas to help it will be tried thanks ,,,dobie