4 Tips to Finally Stop Smoking

April 09, 2023

According to Statista.com, 26.2% of the German population consists of smokers [2]. Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for serious chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases or cancer. Cardiovascular diseases alone are already the most common cause of death worldwide. In Germany it is estimated that 140,000 people die annually as a direct result of smoking [2, 3]. For these and other reasons, tobacco consumption has got a bad reputation and more and more people are looking for ways to stop smoking. Unfortunately, there is no easy way out.

Tip 1: Change your environment

The first step of becoming a non-smoker is to get rid of all remaining cigarettes, either by giving them away or even by throwing them into the garbage bin. Even though this is a good starting point, there is much more that can be done. Free yourself from everything that reminds you of smoking, including ashtrays, lighters and matches. Just putting them away is not enough; buying lighters and ashtrays can be a hurdle, which prevents you from smoking again once your desire kicks in.

Further, you should wash all clothes and textiles in your apartment, as even the fragrance of smoke inside curtains and pillows can be tempting. In extreme cases, you should even think about changing your wallpapers. Use air freshener and plants to get a feeling of how fresh air smells like.

Tip 2: Social support

Social occasions pose a big threat to everybody who has just started to stop smoking. In the first weeks it might be worthwhile to completely avoid social events where cigarettes are easily available. Further, you should ask close friends and people you spend time with to support you, which includes neither smoking around you nor offering cigarettes.

Another good opportunity to resist the acute desire is just to take a walk with someone, to go to the cinema or to engage in meaningful conversations – similar to food cravings, the desire for nicotine can also stem from boredom, as the brain’s reward center is asking for more stimulation. Therefore, smoking, sweets and junk food are easy ways to escape boredom on a short notice. Instead of giving in to these cravings, find other ways to entertain yourself.

Tip 3: Accept the desire

Desires usually come in waves, which means they come and go. Instead of fighting against them, try to accept your desires without giving in; knowing the feeling won’t last forever. If we can rationalize our emotions, coping with addiction becomes much easier.

Next time when you feel the urge to smoke, do not give in, as you know it is just a temporary feeling. Saying it out loud can help you gain the energy you need to cope with your addiction.

Tip 4: Use CBD products

Studies could reveal a direct relationship between CBD and cigarette consumption. A study of 2013 showed that smokers reduced their cigarette consumption by 40% when they additionally consumed CBD [4]. It is assumed that CBD reduces the enjoyment of smoking.

A more recent study also observed that smokers needed fewer cigarettes when consuming CBD [5]. In this experiment, 30 smokers directly took 800 mg of CBD in the morning after not smoking the night before. Then they reported a lesser desire by watching other people smoking cigarettes. CBD could help smokers to better control their stimulus.

Conclusion

To quit smoking is certainly not an easy task for most people. However, we all know that tobacco poses a big threat to our health. If you got a strong will and follow the four tips laid out in this article, you have all the necessary tools needed to stop smoking. Besides changing your environment and your own attitude towards smoking, our CBD products can offer additional help. In order to really say "goodbye" to cigarettes, make sure to follow all steps.

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services 2. Statista.com: “Rauchen - Statistiken und Zahlen”, https://de.statista.com/ 3. World Health Organisation (WHO): “Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)”, https://www.who.int/ 4. Morgan, Celia JA, et al. "Cannabidiol reduces cigarette consumption in tobacco smokers: preliminary findings." Addictive behaviors 38.9 (2013): 2433-2436. 5. Hindocha, Chandni, et al. "Cannabidiol reverses attentional bias to cigarette cues in a human experiment