Wiesbaden, Germany Everyone knows that smoking is unhealthy for you. Nonetheless, reports the German Centre for Addiction Questions, one in every four German adults continues to smoke. Quitting is easier said than done. The problems are often underestimated, says Rainer Mathias Dunkel, a doctor of psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy in Wiesbaden. The danger of relapse is very high.
Men aged 35 to 45 are the most likely to smoke. In general, people have their first puff at age 13. But the number of young smokers is on the decline.
"In 2001, about a third of all 12 to 17-year-olds smoked. In 2008, it was 15 per cent," says Marita Volker-Albert of the German Federal Centre for Health Questions in Cologne.
Weaning people off nicotine has shown some promise in patients who suffer greatly from breathing problems, lung infections or recurrent illness.
It's best to try to find some help when on the path to becoming a non-smoker. There are numerous books on the topic, along with self- help groups and telephone hotlines.
The internet is another good place to go when seeking advice. One of the biggest portals for such questions in German-speaking areas is www.nichtraucher.de, which has about 60,000 members.
Sven Lubek, a Berlin businessman, set up the site in 2004. Lively forums seek to link people fighting the habit or exchange tips on giving up the smokes. It helps, says Lubek, who himself gave up smoking five years ago.
"There are always groupings of four to five people who quit together and then try to motivate one another to stick to the plan."
The worst phase usually lasts two to four weeks. Meanwhile, nicotine exits the system within a matter of days. A balanced diet, minimizing stress and exercise all help a person get through this phase.
Exercise is most important, since it has so many benefits. Like nicotine, activity can improve one's mood. It also boosts a person's sense of self-worth and burns calories. That's important because quitting usually leads to weight gain.
"Anyone who quits usually develops a huge appetite, especially for sweets," says Dunkel. Chocolate, chips and other snacks are often used to replace cigarettes as a quick pick-me-up.
Other problems when quitting can include disrupted sleeping, digestion problems, nervousness and coughing. Many ex-smokers often find the temptation for a cigarette overwhelming in the first weeks.
"Those acute spells usually lasts a maximum of five minutes," says Dunkel.
During this phase, it's best to go on a short walk or avoid tea. It's also a good idea to pamper yourself during this time, either with a health vacation or a trip to the sauna.
It's also a good idea to tell as many people as possible about your new life as a non-smoker. That makes it harder to backtrack. And relapses can happen even years after quitting. "Once an addicted smoker, always an addicted smoker," says Dunkel.
