Every year, tobacco consumption contributes to nearly 700,000 deaths in the EU. Smokers often suffer from health problems, including cancer, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases. The average smoker dies 14 years prematurely compared to non-smokers.

Smoking is one of the hardest addictions to overcome. Therefore, it’s natural for people to look at different options to help them quit. Thousands of smokers turn to natural remedies in a bit to give up tobacco. However, some natural methods are more effective than others.

This piece will help those of you looking for natural alternatives to help you kick the habit.

Although we can’t guarantee that they will work, those who try multiple approaches to stopping smoking are generally more likely to succeed.

The following natural approaches could help you to quit smoking:

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a popular therapy for people trying to stop smoking.

Acupuncture needles are very tiny and thin, and they are inserted into pressure points located inside the ear. Once inside, they remain in place for around 20 minutes.

For support between sessions, most acupuncturists provide tiny metal balls, which are taped to the ear using invisible tape. When a smoker feels a craving for cigarettes, they are encouraged to press on the ball, stimulating the acupuncture point gently.

In 2016, a research paper was published based upon a five-year study in Hong Kong that forced on acupuncture and quitting smoking. The research studied 5,202 smokers, revealing that acupuncture is both an effective and safe method of kicking the habit.

The study notes that:

The number of cigarettes per day decreased and that the average time to relapse was 38.71 days, which was longer than 35 days in E-cigarette and 14 days in nicotine patch. 

The number of acupuncture sessions made a significant impact on success, with the majority of participants receiving eight sessions within the first month.

Ginseng

Ginseng has shown to prevent the nicotine-induced release of the neurotransmitter dopamine.

Dopamine is responsible for making smoker’s people feel good after smoking and is part of the addiction process.

Although this is interesting research, no studies to date have examined whether ginseng supplements can help people quit smoking.

Hypnotherapy

Many people try hypnotherapy as part of their journey towards quitting smoking. It’s seen as a positive alternative to OTC and prescription stop-smoking aids. 

But is hypnotherapy effective?

According to research, hypnotherapy is slightly more effective than behavioural relapse prevention intervention. When smokers quit for three days, they were placed in two groups. Those who received hypnotherapy reported a 29% success rate after one year. Those who received counselling revealed a 28% success rate.

A 2014 study compared hypnotherapy with popular nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs). 

The study concluded that hypnotised participants were over three times more likely to remain non-smokers 26 weeks after discharge, stating:

‘Hypnotherapy is more effective than NRT in improving smoking abstinence in patients hospitalised for a smoking-related illness, and could be an asset to post-discharge smoking cessation programs.’

Self-Help Books

There are hundreds of self-help smoking books currently available, with many claiming to provide efficient strategies for quitting smoking. The most popular and critically acclaimed is Allen Carr’s ‘Easy Way to Stop Smoking’.

This book has been endorsed by thousands of ex-smokers around the world and works on the ideology that stopping smoking is not a difficult process.

Easy Way MD and therapist Robin Hayley has said:

‘Once smokers lose their fear, it really is easy. The idea that smoking provides any genuine pleasure or crutch is a delusion.‘The stress that nicotine supposedly relieves is actually created by the nicotine itself – it’s a bit like putting on a tight pair of shoes just for the pleasure of taking them off again. We remove this delusion.’ 

With a 12-month success rate of over 50 per cent, this book is worth a try.

Using CBD to Quit Smoking

Although there is still more research to be done, CBD is has shown promise for people that want to stop smoking cigarettes.

Professor Yasim Hurd, director of the Addiction Institute at New York’s Mount Sinai hospital, has said:

“Taken together, these studies suggest that CBD could play a key role in helping people quit smoking.”

Vaping CBD products could significantly reduce your cigarette intake. 

Using some CBD in the mornings before your first cigarette could help reduce the influence of certain triggers that encourage you to light up.

Combined, the two could have a profound effect on your cigarette addiction.

While more research is warranted, CBD is showing potential for smokers who want to kick their habit forever.

For more information, or to view our unique range of premium CBD e-liquids, click here to contact a member of our customer care team today.