It's so reassuring to know that even after 15 minutes there's a positive change! I can't wait until my stats add up. Something to look forward to and the reward - better health! Thanks for sharing! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]2/3/2008 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 0 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 0 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $0.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 2 [B]Mins:[/B] 15 [B]Seconds:[/B] 8

Deck, Sorry, I did not mean to down play the addictive effects of nicotine. Nicotine is an extremely, if not one of the most addictive substances and one of the hardest addictions to break. If it were not, we would not all be here today! Nicotine is also a harmful substance. When smoked in a cigarette, it is distributed through the body via the blood stream in approximately seven seconds and crosses the blood-brain barrier causing a variety of effects in the body. Nicotine acts on the brain to increase adrenaline which in turn causes constrictions in blood vessels increasing heart rate, blood pressure, respiration and blood glucose levels. When smoked in cigarettes, nicotine also rapidly increases dopamine levels in the body producing feeling of relaxation, calmness and alertness. When used as a therapeutic; in the case of NRTs, controlled levels of nicotine are released into the body and make their way into the blood stream more gradually and steadily throughout the day. In response to Faith�s question, if your using the patch, does it change any of the health benefits of quitting, the answer is no, not really except for those that are directly related to nicotine. Many of the harmful effects of cigarettes are not caused by nicotine but by the many other substances and chemicals that are in cigarettes such as carbon monoxide, tar, formaldehyde, benzene and arsenic. Nicotine is the substance that causes the addiction to cigarettes so you are all on the right track here fighting the Nicodemon to rid your bodies of the many other harmful substances found in cigarettes. Many of the health benefits described above are still seen even when using an NRT. Brenna, Bilingual Health Educator

I have to stand with Deck on this discussion. Nicotine is an addictive and dangerous substance, and made more so by additives in processed tobacco. Unaltered it causes increased stress response including higher blood pressure, higher heart rate and faster respirations. It also interferes with neurotransmitters, such a serotonin. resulting in symptoms of mental illness for some. I have also seen situations where full seizures were caused by tobacco alone, as well as high fevers in infants. I think we have to look at the NRTs as aids to asissist us with getting rid of the behavioural aspects of the addiction first, and then wean the NRTs in measured amounts to deal withe the nicotine addiction addiction itself. I am fairly confident that the NRT manufacturers never intended to substitute for tobacco for the long term. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]1/27/2008 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 3 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 75 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $33.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 41 [B]Seconds:[/B] 34

Brenna I am not sure I quite agree with your statement that it is the 3999 other ingredients in cigarettes that cause the harm not the nicotine. Here we all are fighting the Nicodemon and now you tell us it does us no harm. Hell if it weren't for the addictive powers of the nicotine would we be in the situation we are? I have seen numerous accounts of the effects of nicotine on our metabolism, heart rate, etc etc, to end up believing now that this causes no harm. Are you telling us we are fighting the wrong demon and that nicotine intake is good for us? [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]1/6/2008 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 24 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 840 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $312.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 4 [B]Hrs:[/B] 4 [B]Mins:[/B] 29 [B]Seconds:[/B] 6

Faith, Most of these benefits are applicable even if you are using an NRT. The only difference would be that you still have nicotine in your body. In each cigarette there are 4000 chemicals! It is the 3999 other chemicals that cause the harm in your body, not the nicotine. So, rest easy knowing that you have taken 3999 chemicals out of your body, 50 of which are carcinogenic. Brenna, Bilingual Health Educator

Ya know what, I think I miss understood the question. For some reason I though you meant the rewards we do on this site. Sorry about that. I am not sure about the other benefits. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/1/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 335 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 8,375 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,675.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 36 [B]Hrs:[/B] 14 [B]Mins:[/B] 35 [B]Seconds:[/B] 51

No, the benefits don't change. As long as you are not smoking. Just about everyone here has used something to help them quit. Although I do know that there is a great deal of "cold turkey" going on. Wish you the best on your quit. Keep up the good work! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/1/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 335 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 8,375 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,675.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 36 [B]Hrs:[/B] 14 [B]Mins:[/B] 34 [B]Seconds:[/B] 35

I'm just curious ... if you're using the patch does it change any of those benefits? Faith [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]12/23/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 38 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 950 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $456.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 4 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 5 [B]Seconds:[/B] 6

Thanks for this, Its always good to remind ourselves what we have done and how great it is! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/1/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 335 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 8,375 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,675.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 36 [B]Hrs:[/B] 14 [B]Mins:[/B] 20 [B]Seconds:[/B] 38

Did you know that by quitting smoking you have already improved your health, improved your finances and increased your lifespan, just to name a few. Here�s a complete list of all your benefits, so read on and be proud! 20 minutes after the last cigarette � Blood pressure drops to normal. � Pulse rate drops to normal. � Hand and foot temperature rises to normal. 8 hours after the last cigarette � Blood carbon monoxide levels drop to normal. � Blood oxygen level increases to normal. 1 day after the last cigarette: � Chances of heart attack and stroke start decreasing. 2 days after the last cigarette: � Sense of taste and smell begin to heighten. � Certain nerve endings begin to re-grow. � Nicotine by-products are removed from the body. 3 days after the last cigarette � Bronchial tubes start to relax, making breathing easier. � Lung capacity begins to improve. 2 to 12 weeks after the last cigarette � Walking and aerobic exercises become easier. 1 month after the last cigarette � Circulation improves. � You experience more energy. 1 to 3 months after the last cigarette � Lung function increases up to 30 percent. � Bronchial cilia begin to re-grow, there is an increased ability to clean lungs, chances of infection are reduced, and pollutants are cleared. � Overall body energy increases. 1 to 12 months after the last cigarette � Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease. 2 to 4 after the last cigarette � The risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease reduces by 5%. 1 year after the last cigarette � The risk of developing Coronary Heart Disease reduces by 50%. 2 years after the last cigarette � The risk is reduced for recurrence of ulcers. � The ability for short-term healing is improved. � The risk of death from heart disease declines 24%. 3 years after the last cigarette � The risk of heart attack and stroke approaches that of someone who has never smoked. 5 years after the last cigarette � The risk of developing mouth, esophageal, throat and bladder cancer reduces by 50%. 5 to 15 years after the last cigarette � The risk of stroke reduces to that of someone who has smoked. 10 years after the last cigarette � Pre-cancerous cells are replaced by healthy, normal cells. � There is a 50% to 70% reduction in the risk of developing lung cancer. � The risk of pancreatic cancer is reduced. 10 to 14 years after the last cigarette � The risk of developing Heart Disease drops to that of someone who never smoked. 15 years after your last cigarette � The risk of developing lung cancer is the same as non-smokers. � For Congestive Heart Disease, the risk reduces to the same as someone who has never smoked. � Life expectancy is as long as that of a non-smoker! Brenna, Bilingual Health Educator