Smoking causes a number of fatal diseases like cancers of the lung and esophagus, heart trouble, and tuberculosis among others. Smoking accounts of nearly four million deaths annually, but experts believe this number will double by 2020 if the current trend continues.

Smoking cessation is not easy – nicotine is the most addictive substance known to man. It is far more addictive than drugs like heroine and cocaine. Scientists have found as many as 4,000 different chemicals in cigarette smoke, each deadlier than the other. All of these ensure a smoker remains stuck to nicotine for life – only the strictest treatments and toughest willed ones succeed in their efforts of smoking cessation. Most others tend to return to smoking in a short while.

However with modern anti-smoking medications, smoking cessation has become very much a possibility. Unlike traditional methods of getting a smoker to quit smoking, new generation medications like Champix and Chantix not only de-addict the smoker from nicotine, they also spoil the pleasure a smoker derives from smoking.

These modern drugs actually block the nicotine receptors in the brain to take the fun out of smoking. Both Chantix and Champix are manufactured by Pfizer and are prescription medications. While Chantix is approved in the UK, Europe and the US, Champix has only recently received approval in the UK and Europe but is pending approval from the FDA.

These anti-smoking medications are unique in the sense that they don’t contain nicotine. Moreover they carry very few side effects and also ease the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. This makes them preferred treatments for smoking cessation.

Take a firm decision today and consult your doctor; he/she will provide you the right prescription to get you started on your smoking cessation program.