U.S. Smoking Laws encourage smoke free envronments

Smokers throuout the country will have an added incentive to quit as State and municipal governments increasingly implement no smoking laws that prohibit indoor smoking in public places including restaurants and bars. Non smokers reportedly are eleated. Federal law on smoking in public places already prohibits smoking in all buildings owned or operated by the federal government. Enforcement of the regulations, especially in the workplace, will will be a big help to those wanting to quit. Policy changes like the new smoking bans and recent increases in federal, state, and local cigarette tax increase will encourage many people to quit smoking. There are few exceptions to these regulations, but if you have any questions a good starting place to find answers would be your town or local governemnt.

Many smokers can use these no smoking in the workplace laws as the motivation they need to try to quit. To give them a better chance of succeeding than going "cold turkey," a leader in the smoking cessation field, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, has helped millions of smokers worldwide to quit smoking and recommend that they have access to counseling and behavioral support programs to deal with the psychological habit and FDA-approved safe and effective stop-smoking products to help wean the body off of their physical addiction to nicotine.

Nearly 70 percent of all smokers nationwide want to quit. However, many people wrongly believe they can simply put down their cigarettes and walk away forever. But while "cold turkey" is the most common method people try, it is also the least successful. In fact, 97 percent of all cold turkey quit attempts fail.

"There has never been a better time for any smokers to quit. Smokers need to realize they are fighting an addiction on two fronts -- a physical craving for nicotine and a sychological habit," said Dr. Joel Dunnington, associate professor of radiology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and healthcare spokesman.

"It's important to provide smokers who are interested in quitting with the right tools and products to address their physical addictions and an individualized quit plan to address the habit, to help them quit for good."

Quitters can double their chances of success by using nicotine replacement products to help reduce craving and nicotine withdrawal symptoms. GSK Consumer Healthcare's nicotine replacement products such as, Nicorette(R) gum, NicoDerm(R), CQ(R) patch, and Commit(R) lozenge are designed to provide a temporary alternative source of nicotine, without exposing the quitter to the more than 4,000 chemicals and at least 69 known or suspected carcinogens in tobacco smoke.

Anyone who is intersted in quitting smoking are encouraged to seek professional help in creating an individualized smoking cessation plan based upon their habits, behaviors, and motivations for smoking and quitting.

There are many educational websites, such as www.Way2Quit.com that enables smokers to develop an initial quit-smoking plan by completing various assessment tools online. The site includes helpful tips, quitting resources and virtual coaches, and access to Committed Quitters. Committed Quitters is a free, tailored Web-based behavioral support program that has been proven to increase a smoker's chances of quitting. Participants receive a customized smoking cessation plan after completing an online questionnaire that gathers information about their habits, behaviors and motivations for smoking and quitting.

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