When quitting smoking comes into question, the answer may be in your head

Kicking the harmful habit of smoking is no easy task, but data show it’s a very important one.

According to government statistics, smoking and exposure to cigarette smoke are responsible for 480,000 premature deaths each year.

“it’s very hard, it’s very difficult for a lot of people to quit smoking.”, said Dr. Michel Samaha.

In a 2012 CDC study, just over 19% of Maryland adults were lighting up regularly, giving the state an 11th national ranking.

Compare that to the over 20% of Virginia adults, which placed the old-dominion at number 23.

Of the Delmarva states, Delaware ranked the highest at 28th, where 21% of adults are smokers.

Milford Memorial pulmonologist Dr. Michel Samaha tells 47 ABC that addiction to the nicotine plays a key role in why it’s so hard to quit. However, he says the key to quitting lies within the mental side rather than the physical.

“It usually takes several attempts to quit before you quit definitely but you have to keep trying.”, Said Dr. Samaha, “The bottom line is set a goal and follow that on a day-to-day basis.”

For years, doctors have suggested nicotine gum, but in recent years devices such as the e-cigarette and vaporizers have presented themselves as positive alternatives amongst many.

But that doesn’t mean they’re safe.

Still in their infancy, Dr. Samaha argues the unknowns are the reasons they cannot yet be trusted.

“Just like the cigarette started, we didn’t know what it did to our health until years later, we don’t know what this is going to do to our health years later and until we do we can’t recommend that as a mean to quit smoking.”

Unfortunately just because a smoker may stop smoking doesn’t mean cravings won’t persist.

“The rewards that you’re gonna have after you quit smoking are going to be tremendous. And after several months, you’re going to have less and less cravings.”

Dr. Samaha is strictly against e-cigs because of lack of research, but he supports weaning off smoking with gum or patches. He describes smoking each individual cigarette as playing Russian roulette.

Stating that each cigarette you light up could be the one that sparks a deadly disease inside your body.