Quitting Smoking & Vaping For Dummies Paperback – January 22, 2020

Honest to god, read this, read Allen Carr, make 20 attempts, figure out what you messed up on and learn from your mistakes, just do it. Easily the best 20 bucks and couple weeks you can spend in your life.

BookReview: Quitting Smoking & Vaping for Dummies. Charles H. Elliot and Laura L. SmithCharles H. Elliot and Laura L. Smith offer the reader a clear explanation of smoking and vaping addiction, followed by practical, evidenced-based advice on stopping. Their coverage of vaping--what is known and (importantly) what is not-- will be a godsend to parents of vaping teens as well as vapers who want to quit. Or even vapers who just want to know what they have gotten themselves into. All this is delivered in the breezy, pleasant style to which readers of Elliot and Smith have become accustomed.As a clinician, I keep Elliot and Smith dummies books in my office for any client who may benefit from reading them. But I especially like this book, for several good reasons.First, Elliot and Smith understand that dummies are busy, pragmatic people, so they invite the reader to skip to those sections of special interest. They identify wonkish paragraphs, tips and warnings with logos.Second, they don’t oversell, freely admitting that many of the chemicals in e-liquids may be FDA-approved (for eating, not inhaling!) or that many just haven’t been tested. They list vape components whose names alone give rise to panic, like Acetaldehyde, Benzene, and Formaldehyde, then observe that some chemicals are not listed on the labels of e-juices.Third, they make clear that vaping, more than tobacco smoking, is a powerful nicotine delivery system and that nicotine, while not a carcinogen, is highly addictive. The effects of nicotine addiction on the undeveloped teen brain include priming the brain for other addictions, and causing problems with impulse control, learning, and mood.Fourth, they explain that addiction is more than just a physical response to an addictive substance. It is also a habit, so both the physical addiction to nicotine and the pleasurable habit of smoking or vaping must be addressed. They lay out the panoply of options (nicotine patches, lozenges, gum, and drugs like Chantix) to aid withdrawal. Then they explain how the habit has to be broken, using cognitive behavioral techniques, positive psychology, motivational interviewing, and adjuncts such as quitting apps and quit lines.Elliot and Smith excel with their analysis of the quitting process, urging the reader to declare a clear intent, create a quit-day plan, cope with lapses and relapses, and develop a lifestyle free of addiction through a realistic approach. They teach the reader how to nurture willpower and to look out for “quit-busting thoughts” and triggers leading to lapses.Like good therapists, Elliot and Smith gently remind the reader that lapse does not mean failure and that self-blame can be replaced with hope. Their chapters on strengthening resilience, mindfulness, and developing self-compassion are exemplars of positive mental health.The person quitting nicotine has a challenging route ahead. This book should be fitted into your backpack and reviewed at every juncture.Frank L. Spring, PhD, JD

Public campaigns about cigarette smoking led to its decline, but in the mid 2010s vaping became popular. Now it's likely vaping is worse than cigarette smoking for teens and people in their 20s. This book has practical advice for people who have lost control of their cigarette or vaping habits and hobbies. Americans don't want to allow vaping to lead to something worse, like marijuana laced with opioids. On the other hand, cigarettes and vaping, by themselves and used moderately, are not nearly as bad as heroin and fentanyl. Numerous features of American society have at times gone from normal to abnormal (ex. social smoking of cigarettes to high use vaping leading to lung damage), so advice books like these have a role and can benefit many people.

Quitting Smoking & Vaping for Dummies, by Charles Elliot, PhD and Laura Smith, PhD (2020, Wiley & Sons, NJ), is a comprehensive and well-organized resource to assist adults and teens seeking to rid themselves of these unhealthy and often fatal habits. They note half a million people die of smoking-related illnesses annually, and nearly six million of today’s teens are predicted to die prematurely from smoking.Elliott and Smith take the reader through the myths and facts about smoking, vaping, and e-cigarettes. For the parent, the chapter, “What Parents Need to Know About Vaping” is especially instructive. While many evidence-based approaches are cited, as one approach does not fit all, Elliot and Smith devote a sizable section to “Personalizing Your Quit Plan,” with examples provided. Mindful of recidivism rates of would-be smoking quitters, the last section addresses “Living After Smoking.”There are helpful icons in the margins, denoting “Remember,” “Tip,” “Warning,” “Example,” and even “Technical Stuff,” which the authors note can be skipped unless one wants "to know everything” about the subject. By typing “Quitting Smoking & Vaping For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box at www.dummies.com, one can acquire the Cheat Sheet, a good reminder after one has begun a Quit Plan. The authors go generously beyond any other self-help book authors I know in providing their email address in the book. And even if you do not smoke but wish to know “Ten Ways to Help Someone You Care About Quit,” see Chapter 23.Elliott & Smith, as they’ve done with so many of their previous books (e.g., Anger Management for Dummies, Depression for Dummies) distill the best of scientific research in pragmatic, down-to-earth, readable language. This is a great resource for adults, teens, and parents. I’ve recommended Elliott and Smith write Intelligence for Dummies, but then the entire Dummies series would go up in smoke.

Whether you're a smoker/vaper, the friend or relative of one, or concerned and curious, this book is valuable. Clearly presented, with lots of places to mark and go back to as needed, it also uses humor and real-life analogies to explain complex concepts. Addiction to nicotine is real and overcoming it is incredibly difficult (I lost a beloved aunt to lung cancer after she quit dozens of times over the years). This book provides the background on why it's so hard to quit, and why you should do so, as well as excellent advice on how to find a way for YOU to quit, to deal with the almost inevitable lapses, and to move forward after you quit. The chapter for parents of vapers is particularly timely and informative. Drs. Elliott and Smith have done a service to us all with this excellent addition to the always helpful "for Dummies" series.