pressreturn

OK, so those who want to quit smoking – why on earth would you trade “nicotine dependence at $5 per pack per day” for “nicotine dependence at $55 per pack per week”?

I’m talking, of course, about “The Patch”. I just don’t get it. As far as I’m concerned, the best thing you can do with these things is to stick them over your mouth so that you can’t get the cigarettes in.

Just what is the point? The reason people smoke is because they’re addicted to nicotine. It’s painful not to smoke: nicotine withdrawal sets in within a few hours of your last cigarette. The pain, however, only lasts about 3 days – after which pretty much all the nicotine is gone and the worst is behind you (I’m on day 4, as I type)

The patch propaganda tells you that you’ll be a lot more comfortable when you quit smoking by using the patch. They’ve got to be right, too: the subject is still addicted to nicotine – and they’re still getting it! It’s just being administered in a different way – they’re now addicted to patches rather than cigarettes.

There’s still the withdrawal to go through. Now, even if these things “taper” you down to zero nicotine over the course of 3 months, 6 months, 12 months – whatever – you still have to go through the withdrawal – and it’s going to be painful one way or the other.

I don’t know about you – but I’d rather just get through the 3 days and get it over with. I just did, as it happens, and I really feel that I’m over the hump. Coffee is starting to taste different. The air smells a little different. And I haven’t been to the ATM since last Friday – that’s a sure sign that something’s changing!