Quit Smoking Menthol Cigarettes?
If you’re considering quitting smoking menthol cigarettes and you’re not sure where to start, then you’ve come to the right place!
There’s no easy way to quit smoking, just like there’s no right or wrong way to quit smoking. If you quit and don’t pick up a cigarette again, then you’ve managed to quit, and regardless of how you did it, you still accomplished something which many people find difficult and some find impossible.
If you have tried to quit smoking in the past and failed, then don’t be disheartened. Failure is a part of life specially when taking on the challenge of nicotine addiction. Even if it takes you multiple attempts before you manage to quit smoking, it will be worth it in the long run.
As an ex-smoker and vaper, I know how difficult it can be to quit. Having smoked for over twenty years, giving up cigarettes was a difficult and long journey filled with lots of backward steps and mistakes. I was quitting for months or weeks, only to pick up right where I left off for no real reason at all.
For others, quitting smoking can be as simple as throwing away their cigarettes and choosing never to smoke again. No two people are the same, and either is their journey to quit smoking. It’s because of this that there are so many different ways to quit smoking. In the following article, we’ll take a look at what to expect when you quit smoking, what you can do to help, and what are some of the most popular ways to quit smoking.

What To Expect When You First Quit Smoking Cigarettes
Tobacco product companies that their nicotine formulas are highly addictive which good for their bottom line. The recent ban on menthol cigarettes has these companies worried about their next quarterly profit report.
Don’t expect quitting smoking to be easy. If you were one of the lucky ones that managed to quit smoking easily, then congratulations, but you are definitely in the minority. For most of us, myself included, quitting smoking was a complete nightmare that took years to eventually succeed in.
The first few hours are going to be tough. While the nicotine is still in your system, your cravings for cigarettes can be quite intense. However, the health benefits from quitting smoking will begin within about 20 minutes after your last smoke. So, even if you fall back into smoking again, anytime you skip a cigarette is better for your health.
While many people believe that it’s the nicotine that is luring them back to smoking, after one to two days, it’s usually the habit of smoking rather than the nicotine which draws you back in.
· 20 Minutes After Your Last Cigarette – Within twenty minutes of your last cigarette, your blood pressure is going to return to normal. While many people feel like smoking relaxes them, it’s actually your blood pressure returning to normal levels, making you feel stressed out or anxious.
· 8 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – 8 hours after your last cigarette, your carbon monoxide levels will decrease, and your oxygen levels will start to return to normal.
· 24 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – Within a day of having your last cigarette, your chances of having a heart attack will have decreased. By the 24-hour mark, almost all traces of nicotine will have left your system.
· 48 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – Damaged nerve endings from smoking will begin to regrow after 48-hours. You’ll also notice that your sense of taste and smell will begin to improve, and many foods and drinks will taste different.
· 72 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – The bronchial tubes in your lungs will begin to open up, making it easier to breathe.
· One Week After Your Last Cigarette – People that make it to the one-week mark are nine times more likely to succeed in their mission to quit smoking.
· Two Weeks After Your Last Cigarette – You’ll be walking easier thanks to the improved oxygenation and circulation.
· One Month After Your Last Cigarette – Your lungs will start the process of regrowing, and you may notice that you aren’t suffering as much from shortness of breath whenever you exercise.
· Three Months After Your Last Cigarette – If you’re a lady, your fertility will begin to improve after the three-month mark.
· Six Months After Your Last Cigarette – You may start to notice that stressful events don’t leave you reaching for a cigarette after six months. It’s a slow process, but if you have made it this far, you’re going great!
· One Year After Your Last Cigarette – One year after your last smoke, your lungs will be experiencing much better capacity. You should also have noticed that you don’t get sick as often, it’s easier to breathe, and you’ve also saved yourself a lot of money!
7 Different Ways To Quit Smoking
- Going Cold Turkey This one doesn’t need a lot of explanation; it simply involves making the decision to quit smoking and then sticking with that decision. If you have strong willpower, the determination to quit, and you’re committed to quitting, then simply going cold turkey could be an option for you. However, remember that it’s one of the hardest ways to quit smoking.
- Nicotine Replacement Therapies Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs) are items such as nicotine gums, nicotine patches, nicotine sprays, nicotine lozenges, and much more. The idea behind NRTs is to replace the nicotine in cigarettes with another form of nicotine to help satisfy your cravings during the first few days. One of the drawbacks to nicotine therapy is it can be expensive and still keeps nicotine in your system without assisting with breaking the habit.
- Hypnotherapy If you have tried to quit smoking successfully, then hypnotherapy may be a great option if you have the time and money. It can be quite expensive, but after a few sessions, many people have found success quitting smoking using hypnotherapy. However, hypnotherapy isn’t for everyone, and you need to have an open mind if you’re going to consider this as an option to assist you in your mission to quit smoking.
- Team Up With A Buddy If you have tried several times to quit smoking and failed, then perhaps you need a little support? Having a friend quit smoking with you at the same time is a great way to get a little extra support. Being able to reassure each other when the cravings worsen, make a friendly bet, or even just spend some time together avoiding other smokers is a great way to get over the hurdle of those first few days, which are often the worst.
- Rewarding Yourself It doesn’t matter where you live; smoking costs a lot of money, but more so in some countries compared to others. Setting yourself a reward for smoking can be great motivation to finally give up smoking for good. Perhaps you’ve always wanted a new bike or something fancier like a new car or a vacation somewhere amazing. You’d be surprised at how quickly the money from quitting smoking adds up to a substantial amount, especially if multiple people in your home are quitting smoking.
- Medication If you have failed multiple times to quit smoking, then it could be time to speak to a medical professional about prescription medications that can help you quit smoking. Don’t ever take any prescription medications without first speaking to a professional health care specialist. While extremely effective, many of the different prescription medications which help you quit smoking also come with a long list of negative side effects, including mental health issues that can be dangerous if you don’t have the correct support network in place.
- CBD Hemp. What finally helped me to quit smoking cigarettes was CBD. I started off with smoking pre-rolled CBD cigarettes and that gradually reduced my urges for nicotine. Within about a month or two, I was leaving cigarettes at home more often than not and eventually got down to one or two cigarettes a day. Smoking hemp products isn’t for everyone, but anecdotal evidence from long-term smokers worldwide suggests that it’s an effective way to quit smoking and transition off cigarettes. Click here to learn more about how Hemp can help you quit smoking.
Quitting smoking, especially menthol cigarettes can be difficult. Hopefully, with the advice we’ve given you’ll be able to eventually add your name to those that have managed to successfully quit smoking for good.
However, if you relapse, don’t quit quitting! It can be disheartening and feel like you’ve failed, but it’s only a setback. With each attempt you’ll learn what triggers your urge to reach for a smoke and plan for it next time. Eventually, once you have given up smoking for good, your health and your wallet will thank you every day.
Remember, check your local health department for cessation information. Almost all countries have dedicated resources available for anyone that’s looking to quit smoking. If you have managed to quit smoking and have some helpful tips or tricks you’d like to share, then feel free to comment below with your positive advice to help others succeed in quitting smoking as you have!
References
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/What-to-expect-when-you-quit-smoking
https://blog.hif.com.au/healthy-lifestyle/6-ways-to-help-quit-smoking
https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/6-steps-to-quit-smoking.h26Z1591413.html
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319460#4.-Seek-behavioral-support
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking/in-depth/nicotine-craving/art-20045454
https://www.healthline.com/health/what-happens-when-you-quit-smoking#20-minutes