#6786 TOBACCO ABUSE BY US TROOPS IN IRAQ TWICE NATIONAL AVERAGE The prevalence of tobacco use by US military deployed to Iraq is more than twice the national average. Researcher Michael A. Wilson of the United States Navy surveyed 408 Marines and sailors deployed in Iraq to assess the prevalence of tobacco abuse and usage patterns related to service. Overall, 260 (64 percent) of the Marines and sailors surveyed used some form of tobacco.

Addiction to nicotine has reached a 15 year high in the United States, where nearly three quarters of people asking to be treated for tobacco dependence are classed as highly dependent, said lung disease researchers at a conference in Philadelphia on Tuesday. They suggested that the less nicotine-dependent smokers have already given up, leaving a hard core of highly nicotine-dependent smokers who can only be helped with new smoking cessation strategies.

Who wants to put on a patch to help you quit the nicotine, that has nicotine in it? Nah, it’s not the way to go. You can certainly quit smoking without all of the pain associated with quitting with traditional methods.

As any smoker can verify, giving up – and staying smoke-free – is one of the most difficult things to do. But if you can successfully give up smoking, it is not only one of the healthiest steps you can take, it also decreases your chances of dying from smoking or any related diseases. An estimated 400,000 Americans die every year from the effects of smoking and in general, a smoker has about twice as much chance of a heart attack as a non-smoker.

Quitting smoking is not an easy task, there are a lot of smokers out there that are serious about breaking the nicotine habit. Let’s be totally up front, we are talking about a very addictive habit. Like any addiction it is never going to be easy to break, that’s why so many smokers search for answers to the How to Quit Smoking question.

Don’t let smoking keep such a hold on your life, think about quitting smoking for good. Smoking cessation is possible for you and the benefits are truly too many to list. Get started toward a healthier lifestyle today and whether you choose hypnosis to stop smoking, Zyban for smoking cessation (or another effective medication) or acupuncture, there are many alternatives to the unhealthy choice of smoking.