The Fight on E-Cigs Moves to California . . .

In 2009, Senator Corbett from California attempted to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes in California with SB400. Likely for smokers switched e-smokers, Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed that Bill and noting,

While I support restricting access of electronic cigarettes to children under the age of 18, I cannot sign a measure that also declares them a federally regulated drug when the matter is currently being decided through pending litigation.

The classification of e-cigarettes is still being decided through pending litigation. It is unclear what Senator Corbett thinks has changed. However we can not rely on the Governor once again vetoing this new Bill. All Californian’s need to act. Senate Bill 882 states,

This bill would authorize action to halt the sale, distribution,
or offering for sale of electronic cigarettes that have not been
approved or cleared by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

If you live in California and use an electronic cigarette or know someone who does or don’t believe that the government should protect the tobacco cigarette market by limiting competition, please contact your Senator by visiting the California State Senate website and clicking “Your Senator” on the left side of the page. We recommend contacting your senator via phone, email, and snail mail if possible.

You may also wish to contact Governor Schwarzenegger and let him know about your experience with electronic cigarettes.

April Fool's! But Delaying Quittin Smoking is NO Joke!

Procrastination. I know it well. From taxes to yard work to
filing papers--you name it, I'm the expert procrastinator. I can
put off doing anything, with style and ease. I file tax return
extensions at 11:59 PM on April 15 without breaking a sweat.

Am I proud of this? Well, admittedly, sometimes yes. I pat
myself on the back and say "I have the amazing ability to get
things done at the last minute."

Do I usually end up regretting my procrastination? Almost
always. So I've had to learn ways to get things done now, on
time. I'm still learning and always will be. Procrastination is
a persistent thief!

Procrastination is an expensive way to spend your life. Waiting
until the last minute can even cost you your life. And when you
"spend" your life mired in procrastination, you don't truly
live. You are perpetually putting off living.

Focusing on quitting smoking, how many times have you said "I'm
not ready to quit," or "I'll quit tomorrow," or "I'll quit when
I'm not under so much stress"? What are you waiting for?

THE COSTS OF PROCRASTINATION

If you fail to file your taxes on time, you'll pay penalties and
interest. If you fail to quit smoking, you'll eventually pay
with your life.

Putting off almost anything will cost you more tomorrow than it
will today. I firmly believe that one of the main costs of
procrastination is the mental anguish you experience when you
know you have something you really should be doing. But most
procrastination also comes with a direct cost, whether it be
financial or health-related or otherwise.

You should take careful note of the cost of waiting "until
later" to quit smoking. Calculate how much cigarettes cost you
every day, month and year. Calculate how much of your life goes
up in smoke with each cigarette. Estimates range from three to
15 minutes of your life are lost for every single cigarette you
smoke. That's one to five hours per pack! Is the temporary
satisfaction (fix) worth that much to you? Plus smoking causes
countless fires, wastes billions of dollars in "smoking break"
time and costs billions of dollars for medical care. You pay for
this too!

CAUSES OF PROCRASTINATION

So, what causes procrastination? You do, simply put. But why?
Why do you procrastinate? Why do you put off doing something
that is beneficial to you?

Life and motivation and psychology are complex and sometimes not
rational.

What causes me to put off doing my taxes? I hate dealing with
forms and complicated tax laws and hundreds of difficult
decisions and paperwork and financial information. In my mind
these are all good reasons to "do it later." (But I bet you
never saw a Nike ad that said, "Just do it later.")

There are numerous causes and explanations for procrastination,
including, but not limited to:

1. Fear of failure
2. Fear of success
3. Fear of the unknown
4. Lack of interest or motivation
5. Lack of information
6. Too much information
7. Indecision
8. Not knowing where to start
9. Too busy
10. Laziness

Whatever the supposed cause may be, most times they are simply
excuses for waiting until later to do something that needs doing
now. What's your excuse for not quitting today?

3 Ways to Quit Smoking!

Quitting the ever dangerous smoking has always been one of the most troublesome things in people's life. Lots of methods, strategies, steps have come and gone. Some have worked and others have failed. Here are three important things you must definitely know if you plan to quit smoking successfully.

First off, you must understand that your life is at stake here. You will require a tremendous will power to continuously and completely remove yourself from the craving for nicotine. The agent is addictive and the body's craving to the stuff grows to unmanageable amounts over a long period of time. Cultivating a really good mental will to abstain yourself from smoking is vital and indeed, the first step.

The next step is to choose a suitable regimen, which includes the best of the medication, strategy and steps. There are many old and new products and you can take a look at huge number of reviews written by experts in the field in order to find the one suitable for you. Of course, reliance on an expert is really a great advantage and at times very much recommended.

Finally, stick to the regimen no matter what. Consistency is a factor that you cannot miss out on.

When it comes to choosing products, try to go for all-natural products. You might want to take a look at Smoke Deter review and reviews of other such related all-natural products which do not lead to any side-effects. This not only provides you more information and insight, but also lets you know more about the methods and stuff involved in quitting smoking.

You Are Getting Sleepy . . . But Are You Quitting Smoking? - Using Hypnosis to Quit

People are generally skeptical about the power of hypnosis to quit smoking. This is mainly because hypnosis is never advertised like other quit smoking aids like nicotine patches, gums, inhalers etc.

To answer your question, does hypnosis work to quit smoking?

Yes it does. And many people (including me) have used hypnosis successfully to stop smoking forever.

Hypnosis is a rather unique technique that uses a very unique approach to assist in smoking cessation. It affects the sub conscious mind of the patient to inculcate a certain behavior in them. Just like smoking became a part of our life by repeated behavior over the years. But, hypnosis is method by which a new behavior can be inculcated in the sub conscious without the long and strenuous task of not smoking for years.

So when you use hypnosis to quit smoking, this behavior, which is essentially that of a non-smoker is seated so deep in your brain that you will hardly feel the need to smoke after a few sessions.

Hypnosis works by putting the patient in a relaxed state of mind. When in this sub conscious state, the hypnotist talks to the sub conscious mind and persuade it into thinking that you have been a non-smoker all along.

This procedure might seem to be over ambitious to those who have never tried hypnosis before. But it has been used by many and is a clinically proven method.

It has been proven that hypnosis is a legitimate technique and not some Hollywood fantasy. It is being used by the military, by the government, and even by top level scientists to study human behavior.

In the sub conscious state of mind, humans are able to reach the part of their brain that they cannot achieve while they are conscious. This is exactly what hypnotist do to make a person quit smoking.

Not only in smoking cessation, hypnosis has been used by millions to help them in many other problems of their lives. For example, weight loss, stress, self - confidence, procrastination etc.

If you are still skeptical about hypnosis, then I would suggest you just give it a try. It doesn't cost much to download a hypnosis tape from the internet. It will only take a few minutes of your time and you can feel the effect instantly.

You will never quit smoking unless you take action. Using hypnosis to quit smoking is taking action to achieve what you want.

After 10 years of smoking 2 packs a day, I was finally able to quit smoking for good. I used hypnosis to stop smoking and even you can finally quit this filthy habit using the same technique that I used. Your life is in your hands and if you don't take action to make it better then who will. Click here to find out more.

New Year's Resolution Got You Confused?

This post may be late, but I wanted to share this post on new year's resolution because it goes to the heart of what one needs to do to quit smoking:

2010 is here! And it is time to start on quitting smoking. But do you notice how your enthusiasm tends to fade away as February comes around, as you realize that quitting smoking is a lifetime goal and not something you can accomplish in a few weeks. If you really want to be successful, always keep 3 important things in mind.

1: Adjust Your Attitude To Work For You

If you have the wrong attitude about quitting smoking, you're already setting yourself up for failure. Most people look at quitting smoking as:

• A bad experience of cravings and urges

• A punishment or torment

• A loss of years of nurturing the habit

• An obligation to someone else

• Painful and suffering

• A waste of time

• Not sustainable at all

If any of these sound familiar, how long do you expect to stick with your resolution to quit smoking? Nobody wants to do something painful, boring or obligatory. So before you throw yourself at quitting smoking, sort out your attitudes about it and figure out whether these attitudes are true or just lies you've been telling yourself for years. Then, try a positive approach to quitting smoking and take it as:

• The best way to improve health and stamina right now

• The best thing you can do right now to ensure better health in the future

• A great way to dramatically boost your energy and mood

• A clear-cut way to save a few thousand bucks a year

• The most basic way to eliminate lingering cigarette smells

• The simplest way to get rid of cigarette butts and ash stain

• A chance to improve the overall quality of your life at once

Here are some key points about quitting smoking that you need to understand as well:

1. Willpower does not work. It is meant for short-term success, whereas long-term successrequires planning, discipline and seeking ways and methods to help and motivate yourself.

2. Motivation will not happen miraculously. And motivation changes from day to day. You have to recommit to your goals each day, twist them around to fit changes in your lifestyle and attitude and find new ways to motivate yourself over time.

3. Commitment means that you will do make it happen, even when you do not want to at times. Know that you will always have to work at it.

4. Plan to work and work your plan. Once you have made your own plan to quit smoking, figure out how you will make your plan work effectively.

2: Change Your Lifestyle

Did smoking creep up on you without you knowing? But then,

1. You can't smoke if your lifestyle doesn't support it.

2. You can't smoke if you haven't allowed yourself to.

3. You can't smoke if you've not made time and space for it.

Never forget that quitting smoking is a lifetime prospect. You will need to keep working on it to stay quit. But just like other lifetime commitments, staying quit will get easier and easier as you progress. Once you have molded staying quit as part of your lifestyle, it becomes a more natural and instinctive process.

Recognize the gravity of permanently quitting smoking for you will need to change your lifestyle to accommodate this goal.

Step by Step Guide to Quitting Smoking - 4 Easy Steps

Stopping smoking, whether it be cigarettes, cigars, or a pipe is not easy. Some "wag" made the remark "Quitting smoking is easy, I've done it 100 times." I don't remember who said it but I can tell you it is NOT easy.

The first step that every smoker must take is to say "I will quit." Any habit that has been shown to cause lung cancer and/or cardiovascular problems is a bad habit, and stopping may mean adding many years to your life.

In my own personal case, I had been smoking cigarettes from age 18 to about age 35, at which point my wife in an economy move suggested that I switch to smoking a pipe. I welcomed the move because many pipe smokers do not inhale the smoke, and this is a "biggy" from a health standpoint. Even smoking a pipe however is also addictive and a pipe smoker still gets the toxic nicotine in the system, mostly through the mouth. To tell you how bad the habit was for me: I can still remember the panic setting in when I realized I had used my last match, and I searched frantically through all the jacket and trouser pockets in hope of finding more. On some occasions I ended up lighting the pipe on an electric stove burner. If you've never tried it that's quite a trick. I had thought about quitting more than once but had trouble really decided for sure. You play those "mind games" with yourself where you say "I don't want to quit because I enjoy it so much." or "It keeps me calm, so why should I quit?" The turning point in my "smoking career" came when I was in a 1 on 1 meeting with my boss at the time. He had been an "All American" basketball player and had never smoked in his life, so far as I know. I lit my pipe and he started coughing.

He was very tolerant and didn't say a word to me, but at that moment I decided I was not only endangering my health, but maybe even my livelihood, so I said to my self " This is just a bad habit so I'm going to quit.

Step 2 - Set a time goal (a couple of weeks or so.) Having read some motivational material about how to get rid of bad habits, I remembered the advice of several guru's. They suggested that to change a bad habit, the habit should be replaced by another habit.

Step 3 - Pick a substitute. My first thought was the "Lifesaver" (TM) candies. I went out an bought about 20 rolls, which I though would be enough to last me through the ordeal, which I thought might take a couple of weeks.

Step 4 - Start using the substitute every time you get the urge to smoke. At the end of the first week my teeth were hurting so bad from all the sugar, I thought they might all drop out. At this point I switched over to pretzels, figuring the extra salt wouldn't be as bad as the extra sugar. This worked, and after about 2 weeks as I recall I was really over the smoking habit. I have not had so much as one cigarette, pipe load, or cigar, since that time. I am rather strong willed and determined, so it may not be as easy for you unless you are really strong in that respect. It is a FREE cure, because you will save way more, money-wise from not buying the smoking products, than the cost of the pretzels. If you can't tolerate either sugar or salt, then try raw vegetable sticks, like carrots, celery, or broccoli. If you try this FREE way and it doesn't work, my suggestion is that you try one of the patches or hypnosis, whatever it takes.

Step 1 - Decide you are going to quit (this IMO is the hardest step)
Step 2 - Set a time goal (I would guess a couple of weeks from smoking to not-smoking)
Step 3 - Pick a substitute for smoking (some edible product is easiest)
Step 4 - Start using the substitute every time you feel like smoking.

Note - DO NOT try to "taper off" instead of quitting "cold turkey" because for most people it simply will NOT work.

FDA's Missteps in Tobacco Regulation

A major policy shift is underway, and it is bound to have a dangerous unintended consequence. The new team at the FDA has slapped a black box warning on an important class of drugs that treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and colitis.

The cancer risk highlighted by this new bold warning has been known for years — and hasn’t gotten worse. We already knew of the cancer risk in children and adolescents, and responsible doctors were cautious in using them. The new warning signals only a change in perception of risk, not any change in actual risk.

Physicians should still give due consideration to the benefits of the drugs, especially in light of the paucity of other treatments for debilitating and often dangerous inflammatory diseases. Consider the benefit versus risk analysis for inflammatory diseases with secondary risks.

For example, by not using these drugs out of possibly inflated concerns due to the new additional cancer warning, might inflammatory bowel disease patients face a higher risk of colon cancer as a result of years of inflammation? You won’t see that risk in bold print. But it is just as real. And this is precisely the problem with the FDA’s new policy, which is based on the assumption that erring on the side of more warnings is the safest way to go.

Similarly, this summer, the FDA warned about the safety of e-cigarettes, a product many smokers are using to quit smoking real cigarettes. E-cigarettes are devices that supply users with vaporized nicotine and look like cigarettes, many even having an LED light at the tip. These products, which contain no tobacco and are non-combustible, eliminate virtually all the risks of smoking. For the vast majority of smokers unable to quit even with the help of drugs and counseling, e-cigarettes could be a lifesaver.

Yet the FDA found tiny levels of carcinogens in the product and warned smokers to stay away, essentially telling them to go back to deadly cigarettes.

Unfortunately, it is no surprise that the new leadership at the FDA is taking a more aggressive stance with regard to warnings.

These warnings are a harbinger of how the agency will weigh benefits versus risks: with a thumb weighing down the risk side. This distorted approach has numerous downsides:

• Fewer patients will get the treatment they need, out of an “abundance of caution” and physicians’ fear of litigation.

• Black box warnings, originally meant for only the most dangerous drugs, will become more widespread but less meaningful.

• The FDA, newly armed with regulatory power over tobacco, will make it harder for people to quit smoking cigarettes by warning them away from disfavored alternatives.

• Investors and researchers (innovative drug companies) will have less incentive to pursue new medications that may attract scary warnings.

The old adage “better safe than sorry” is too simplistic in today’s world to be the guiding principle at the FDA.