Can you kick it? Yes you can... (NiQuitin CQ)

Member Name: Marcus_T

Product:	NiQuitin CQ
Date:	30/01/01 (320 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Small and easy to use.

Disadvantages: None whatsoever.

Exactly 2 years ago I decided it was time to give up smoking after 15 years of 20-30 medium strength cigarettes per day; I was 32.

The Niquitin CQ patch programme consists of 3 stages spread over 10 weeks and is designed to cater for light, medium and heavy smokers. You buy them in 7 day packs, start with the highest strength patch and, like other patch programmes, you simply place it on an unhairy part of your body eg side of chest, upper arm etc and wear it for 24 hours. You should ideally put a new one on first thing each morning. They are relatively waterproof and they now come in a transparent format so you should be able to continue with your normal activities like sport, swimming etc without anyone noticing you are wearing a patch (not that you should be embarrassed about it!! You have made one of the most important decisions in your life).

Stage 1 is the highest strength patch and is worn for the first 6 weeks. Stages 2 and 3 contain gradually decreasing amounts of nicotine replacement and last for 2 weeks each.

They do cost quite a lot - about £20 for a week's supply but this is cheaper than buying cigarettes and you will be healthier and richer in the long run. One of the main things to remember here is even the highest strength patch only gives about half of the nicotine provided by cigarettes so you WILL experience cravings and some discomfort as you come off the nicotine addiction. There can also be no getting away from the fact that just using a patch will not make you a non-smoker overnight; you have to WANT to give up.. this is paramount. The patches provide a lot of help but willpower is needed too.

I bought my patches from the same shop each week and tried to be served by the same assistant to keep continuity. She is a non smoker and asked supporting questions each week and this helped too. After 6 weeks, I joined my local gym and started a programme which helped further in getting fit again.

There i
s no doubt in my mind that these patches helped me to kick a dirty, expensive and extremely unhealthy habit. 2 years later, I am proud to still be a non smoker and have no desire to start again mainly down my willpower which keeps on working. Giving up cigarettes is NOT immediate like flicking a light switch but it CAN be done and, believe me, it is VERY worthwhile.

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