What are nicotine-free cigarettes? Despite the active promotion of a healthy lifestyle, there are still many questions related to their use. To date, nicotine patches, special cigarettes and tablets have been actively used to combat smoking. They contain a small amount of the drug, which is enough to level the breaking.
But this is not enough to maintain a sufficient level of a substance in the blood, which means that the body begins to get used to function without it, and the dependence is gradually weakening. However, nicotine-free cigarettes - this is a completely different principle of action, which we now consider.
What is herbal cigarette?
This is the most accurate definition, because such products do not contain a drop of tobacco. Nicotine-free cigarettes in most cases look like ordinary products, although they can be made in the form of cigarettes, to go with or without a filter. In fact, you can make them yourself. Because these are simply dried herbs without the addition of tobacco, which are wrapped with tissue paper. Fans can even buy a pipe and fill it on their own. The set of herbs depends on the preferences of the smoker.
Doctors are in no hurry to approve of nicotine-free cigarettes, as among plants can be found those that can harm your health.
What is an electronic cigarette?
This is another smoking cessation aid, but its effect is very different. The electronic cigarette contains a special container, when puffed, it gives out a portion of vapor in which there is a dose of nicotine. Thus, withdrawal symptoms are relieved , and it is much easier for a person to transfer the first days after quitting smoking. And since the dosage of nicotine is much lower than in conventional cigarettes, not much is harmed by the body.
Varieties of Herbal Cigarettes
There are a lot of such products today, although they have come to the Russian market relatively recently. Herbless nicotine cigarettes form two large groups, each of which differs not only in composition but also in approach. If we talk about Indian cigarettes, it is important to make the right choice. The fact is that there are two types of them. The first is traditional Indian herbal cigarettes containing a large number of spicy plants and usually wrapped not in paper but in dried leaves, for example, eucalyptus leaves. Usually they include cinnamon and cloves, galangal and basil. These cigarettes are many centuries old, but today advertising has made them a novelty to get rid of nicotine addiction. They are sold under the name Nirdosh non-nicotine cigarettes.
However, there is another type of cigarette called bidi. They consist of tobacco plants that are wrapped in ebony leaves. They are no less harmful than traditional cigarettes, and the percentage of resins in them is even higher. Such products do not have a filter and are often sold in the form of a homemade self-roll, which is tied with thread. Specific flavors noticeably distinguish them from other cigarettes.
European herbal cigarettes
They enter the store in the usual container for us. In appearance, these are ordinary cigarettes in a convenient pack with a filter. They are designed to facilitate the transition from the life of a smoker to being a non-smoker. It remains possible to carry a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, go out with colleagues for a smoke break, smoke after eating or in order to relax. There is one difference - cigarettes do not contain nicotine, so slight discomfort is provided at first. The bulking agent typically includes neutral herbs. This is usually mint and thyme, clover and elecampane, which have a light taste and aroma. This is not to say that they will make withdrawal easier, but psychologically the period of giving up cigarettes will become easier.
Many smokers choose the “Profit” non-nicotine cigarettes. Reviews say that they taste very specific. That is why the next puff will want to do soon. Externally, the products are very similar to the most ordinary cigarettes. They have a filter and are packed in neat containers, but there is no nicotine in them. The composition contains oregano, thyme and sage. The taste is quite specific - few people like to smoke hay. But it is these three plants that suppress an acute desire to take a puff. Two types of such products are presented on the market - these are classic and line. Thus, profit-free nicotine cigarettes are divided into female and male. Their cost varies from 30 to 60 rubles.
There is also a brand on the market such as Meadowsweet. The composition of these cigarettes contains aromatic, fragrant herbs: horsetail, yarrow, motherwort, plantain, thyme, mint and eucalyptus. Flavors are also used: chocolate and vanilla. The cost is about 30 rubles per package, but the taste of this herb is very original.
Another popular brand is Nirdosh's nicotine-free cigarettes. They contain medicinal plants, because of which the manufacturer claims a healing effect on the body. Doctors are categorically against such a justification, since the products of combustion entering the lungs can not give a person anything useful. That is, the maximum that can be expected is that these cigarettes will not harm your health. So, in the composition of this product there is turmeric and basil, cloves, Indian cinnamon. The aroma from such a cigarette is much more spectacular than from the usual incense stick. At the same time, it does not look different from a regular cigarette, except perhaps in a slightly different color. In general, this is a smoking inhaler, which does not contain nicotine. Even the filter is made on the basis of plant components. The cost of such cigarettes is about 30 rubles per pack, that is, you begin to save already at this stage.
Psychological effect
Below we will talk about whether nicotine-free cigarettes are harmful. In for now, let's look at how justified their use is. Indeed, such smoking provides only psychological satisfaction. These products imitate the process as closely as possible, and an electronic cigarette cannot be compared with them. This is almost a real cigarette with smoldering, smoke and real puffs.
Every smoker knows that overcoming physical dependence on nicotine is quite simple - just a few days of abstinence, and the body returns to normal. But then psychological dependence begins to gain momentum. A man has nothing to take his hands at the bus stop while waiting for the bus, he reflexively searches for a pack of cigarettes and a lighter after lunch or during a break at work.
In this case, nicotine-free cigarettes are ideal. Reviews say that, despite the unusual taste, these products help resist the temptation to smoke. Best if you get the most out of your work. So you get distracted and suffer less. And if in the evening you got into a smoking company, then an herbal cigarette will help you maintain the general atmosphere and not break.
Benefit or harm
This is a question that does not have a clear answer. On the one hand, the body no longer receives nicotine, and this is an indisputable plus. The smoker can safely part with his usual cigarettes, since at the most difficult moment the grass will help him out. However, the opinions of doctors and manufacturers of these nicotine-free analogues are very different.
Companies producing such products insist that it is completely safe and, even with prolonged and regular use, cannot harm a person. Some go even further, assuring the consumer that smoking herbal cigarettes is an ancient tradition, a ritual that not only does not harm, but also, on the contrary, heals the body. However, we tend to believe more about the doubts of doctors.
How can an herbal cigarette harm the body?
There really is no nicotine in it, but does this component only make cigarettes harmful? On any pack you can read that the composition contains resins. We hasten to certify that herbal cigarettes are no exception. Depending on the composition, the resin content can be much higher than in conventional products. In addition, carbon monoxide and combustion products that penetrate directly into the lungs cannot be discounted. Therefore, cigarettes without a filter are especially dangerous. The composition of herbal cigarettes is not subjected to strict control, so it can differ significantly from what is indicated on the package. It is possible that some component may not suit you or cause irritation.
Secondary addiction - myth or reality
Psychologists are well aware of the phenomenon of sublimation, that is, the substitution of one subject, feeling, sensation with something else. Roughly the same thing happens here. A person replaces one addiction with another, perhaps a little less harmful, but does not completely get rid of the addiction. Usually, things are even worse. A person buys phyto-cigarettes in order to stop smoking, and as a result also receives psychological dependence on them. That is, such products are not a panacea. Their function is only to help take the first and difficult step in quitting smoking. You can use such cigarettes only as a last resort and with a very strong need. The rest of the time you need to occupy yourself to distract from thoughts about smoking.
Practical experience of smokers
Indeed, you need to ask those who have already tried nicotine-free cigarettes. The reviews of these people are ambiguous, apparently this option is not suitable for everyone. According to users, the contribution of herbal cigarettes to the fight against smoking is quite doubtful. They do not eliminate the smoking process itself, nor the need for it. That is, judging by numerous reviews, a phyto-cigarette can become an assistant in an emergency when you already feel that you are giving up and there is no other choice. However, you will need to throw away all the usual cigarettes, but hide herbal ones in case of emergency. At the same time, get ready for disappointment - the phyto-cigarette will not relieve nervous tension, but only increase the desire to completely stop smoking, as it has an unusual taste.
Summing up their experience, smokers say that even if you gradually switch from regular cigarettes to herbal cigarettes, you still can not move away from the very ritual of smoking. At the same time, the risk remains that the transitional link in the form of phyto products will become another habit, the need to inhale smoke. Soon, this will only strengthen your addiction to smoking. In addition, phyto cigarettes do not relieve withdrawal syndrome - with approximately the same success, you can use candies or chewing gum, ascorbic acid and other popular methods.
How to use nicotine-free cigarettes
At first glance, everything is very simple - struck a cigarette lighter and inhaled fragrant smoke. But you quit smoking, have you forgotten? So you need to do everything so that such rituals are as few as possible. Have you met nicotine-free cigarettes on sale? Photos show products of the usual form, but with a different content. If the desire to smoke is not too strong, manufacturers recommend getting a cigarette, sniffing it and, without lighting, bring it to your mouth, simulating smoking.
Only if desire becomes unbearable can you safely set it on fire. But in this case, try not to inhale the smoke, but only fill it with the oral cavity. Especially interesting in this regard is the brand "Meadowsweet". The nicotine-free cigarettes of this series are produced in seven varieties, for example, antistress, appetite control and many others. You can choose the one that suits you best.
Contraindications
The best on the market today are considered to be the Nirdos nicotine-free cigarettes. Reviews of former smokers suggest that if your desire to quit smoking is strong enough, then they can help. You need to quit addiction as follows: first replace half of the smoked cigarettes with non-nicotine cigarettes, then reduce their number one per day. However, this gentle method also has its contraindications. These include pregnancy and lactation, as well as cardiovascular disease. Nicotine-free cigarettes are not recommended for persons under the age of majority.
To summarize
Nicotine-free cigarettes are not a panacea for smoking. In any case, you yourself need to make an effort to get rid of addiction. But this is a way to survive in the most difficult situations, when the hand automatically reaches for a cigarette. If you are able to tolerate, it is better to do just that. However, if there is a choice between regular and phyto-cigarette, it is better to choose the second option. This will give you a chance to continue the path to getting rid of addiction.
Do not forget that phyto-cigarettes are not harmless, which means that they can not be used constantly. This is only a temporary measure, and whenever possible you should try to reduce the time it takes to use herbal cigarettes. The most important thing is to remember your goal, because you first of all want to get rid of a habit that costs you health and well-being. And for this, any means are good.