Kick the habit now

Kick the habit now

73% of UK smokers are currently trying to cut down or would like to, but it's just not happening for them. A lot of people according to the research don't think there is enough support to help them through, but we speak to two experts about cutting down. 

Dr Funke Baffour, a clinical psychologist and expert in the psychology of habitual behaviour, speaks about the findings and Helen McIlhargey an expert on NiQuitin Minis from GSK, talks about how NRT can help smokers cut down to reduce harm.

Tell us a little about the new findings regarding smoking: (Helen McIlhargey – GSK Brand Manager)

We know from our research into smokers that there are more people that are looking to cut down and manage their habit that way, than looking to quit, as many smokers don’t feel ready for a quit attempt but still want to do something positive for their health. New guidance NICE (the Government body which develops guidance for healthcare professionals) recommends harm reduction using nicotine replacement products as a way to manage your habit if you’re not ready or able to quit.

However 60% of people who are looking to cut down are feeling like there’s not much available to help them: there’s little information and they are not sure what products are there to help them if they are not ready to fully quit, so we wanted to provide people who are looking to manage their cut down with a product to support them. NiQuitin Minis are a product that can support smokers looking to cut down – they are small, discreet, fast acting and can be used to replace different cigarettes during the day.

Our research shows that of those who have managed to cut down, there are lots of benefits. Over a third feel healthier and over a quarter feel physically fitter and feel more in control of their smoking as a result of successfully cutting down. There are some cigarettes that people feel they can’t – or don’t want to give up – but Minis can help by being a substitute for the ‘easier’ ones to replace, to allow smokers to take positive steps towards cutting down in a manageable way. They can simply replace some of the cigarettes they smoke through the day with a NiQuitin Minis instead. 

NiQuitin Minis are very effective at relieving cravings – the 4mg can relieve cravings in just 3 minutes and we’ve tested this in a challenging environment for smokers. We stop people from smoking for a few hours, ask them to light their preferred brand, hold it for a few minutes lit and then extinguish it without smoking it, so we’ve promoted a craving before they take the product.

People obviously want to quit for health reasons – what’s the main reason for doing this? (Helen McIlhargey – GSK Brand Manager)

Our research has found that cutting down on smoking not only makes smokers feel healthier and fitter, but it also has a positive impact on other areas of their life – many say they have more willpower as a result, and this can impact other areas of their life positively and help them feel more in control. Many more say they feel like they’ve achieved something more worthwhile for themselves.

A lot of people don’t think nicotine replacement products, like NiQuitin Minis, can help them cut down – they see them as purely a quitting device – but actually, NiQuitin Minis are there to allow smokers to replace the cigarettes they don’t want to smoke and help them achieve their cut-down goal and feel good about it.

What are the downsides to habitual behaviour? (Dr Funke Baffour)

The downside to habitual behaviour is that it often impacts on your health – smokers, for example, often feel physically unfit. Habits are hard to break if you don’t know how, so rather than setting a long term goal – like to quit smoking altogether – a short term goal like cutting down feels more manageable. It’s always best to have a framework in mind, and to get your support systems to break down those habits.

How can you break habits? (Dr Funke Baffour)

The first step is identifying why you want to break them – often, it’s that the habit is affecting your total wellbeing and therefore impacting on your life. Habits are often based on aspects of our lives. If it’s a case that you’re smoking when you’re stressed and you feel you have no control, actually it’s about having the willpower to break the habit that’s crucial.

Willpower means being focussed on what it is that you want to achieve. Keep focussed and motivated – motivation is the basis of willpower – and set out a plan to succeed. If you do have an extra cigarette, that’s fine – don’t let guilt break the willpower you have. The NiQuitin Minis survey showed that those who had cut down, felt that they had more willpower to use in other areas of their lives, which means the positive impact will have a ripple effect into your total wellbeing. 

Are there any good habits we should keep up or take up? (Dr Funke Baffour)

We shouldn’t be fixated on good and bad habits. Of course there are healthier things you can do - exercise, healthy eating – but one thing NiQuitin Minis found was that when smokers did cut down they did feel healthier. So breaking one habit can have a positive impact elsewhere.

How can people realise they have habitual behaviour? (Dr Funke Baffour)

When you’re doing something more often and it’s not making you feel good, that’s habitual behaviour. It often happens under emotional states – when you’re stressed, anxious or bored. When you’re not enjoying what you’re engaging in, that’s when you know you’ve got a habit, and that you should look to cut down on that activity, be it smoking, eating badly or anything else.

NiQuitin Minis surveyed over 1,000 smokers in the UK to understand attitudes to cutting down on smoking and the benefits smokers have seen as a result of cutting down. NiQuitin Minis 4mg are a Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) product in the form of a lozenge proven to relieve nicotine cravings in those trying to stop smoking or cut down on cigarettes www.niquitin.co.uk/products/niquitin-minis


by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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