Stop stress smoking with DoNation

Assignment time is upon us and the exams are approaching fast, stress smoking has begun. For those of us who double our nicotine intake, when faced with blank computer screens and the prospect of churning out 9000 words of degree standard work, don’t fall into the same old habits.

E-cig users I’m talking to you too. With an E-cig I think it’s so easy to fall into the trap of using it as an excuse to smoke inside, instead of a method to quit. I thought E-cig’s were a guilt free alternative to ‘real’ cigarettes. Apparently not…

• Nicotine is a pesticide?! I had no idea about this until I started to look into the topic and on its own can still cause lung disease, cancer and emphysema.
• Nicotine raises the heart beat and blood pressure, I personally don’t need any help in this department when deadlines are on their way.
• Men! Nicotine is the leading cause of erectile dysfunction for guys under 40! Urmm…
• In the long-term nicotine gives an increased risk of a heart attack, stroke or aneurism.

If you’re going to use an E-cig, I’d suggest setting up some ground rules to avoid ‘over using’ and start trying to reduce your reliability. E-liquids are generally sold by strength (low, medium, high) but that leaves a lot of guess work to figure out what your average nicotine intake is. Most people then over estimate, becoming even more addicted to a substance through a method of quitting:

• Don’t use them as an excuse to smoke indoors
• Work out what your original nicotine intake was from actual cigarettes: one cigarette= approx. 0.5mg of nicotine
• Try and stay away from the ‘fashionable flavours’ like fruits and sweets, you’re just going to be tempted to smoke more because they taste good!
• E-cig’s don’t burn out, don’t let this double your fag break time, its doubling your intake too!

When you’re at home, in the library, wherever it is your trying to get on with uni work, don’t let fag breaks be a means of escaping. If you need a break, take one; go grab a drink (non alcoholic!), go for a walk, call your more organised friend, who completed their deadlines weeks ago (yeah that annoying person!).

Why bother?

• Your health, you especially don’t want to feel bad when you need to be at your best
• Every penny counts, cutting down means saving pounds
• Your reducing your polluting effect as a ‘one man chimney’
• Less fag butts on the floor
• You’re setting a good example for other smokers. This might seem a bit of an odd one but think, especially if you’re in a study group or public place. When you nip out for a quick cigarette, you’re giving other people the opportunity to do the same, who may not need to.

By pledging to cut down on ‘fag ends’ at www.dg4b.com/sustainstaffs you will get updates on how to keep up cutting down, which could even help you to quit altogether.