Tobacco has been used in Native American spiritual practices for centuries, but the popularity of tobacco began with European colonization of North American and exploded worldwide in the 20th century. It wasn't until the latter half of the 20th century that scientific proof emerged of the severe dangers associated with smoking tobacco, causing many smokers to want to quit to preserve their health. Unfortunately, ceasing smoking is complicated by nicotine, the highly addictive substance within tobacco that makes smoking so pleasurable — and makes quitting so difficult.
Nicotine Withdrawal
Nicotine addiction, notes the National Institutes of Health's MedlinePlus website, is similar to that experienced by people who become addicted to cocaine, alcohol and morphine. When a nicotine addict doesn't get the required "fix," the ensuing withdrawal results in a host of physical and psychological symptoms. These include anxiety, irritability, headaches and an increased appetite, all of which accompany the overpowering craving for more nicotine until your body is completely free of nicotine. Physical symptoms typically peak about two or three days after your last cigarette, although psychological symptoms can last far longer.
Quitting
According to MedlinePlus, the benefits of quitting begin almost immediately, when your body begins cleansing itself of nicotine. About 20 minutes after quitting, blood pressure and pulse rate drop to normal levels, while blood oxygen levels return to normal levels within eight hours of quitting. Within 48 hours of quitting, damaged nerve endings begin to regenerate, and your senses of smell and taste start normalizing. Between two weeks and three months after quitting, your circulation improves. After a few months, it's not uncommon for an ex-smoker to find that his lung function has improved by as much as 30 per cent.
Drug Testing
Because the terms of employment for some jobs prohibit smoking and insurance rates are higher for smokers than nonsmokers, a smoker required to take a blood test for these and other purposes may turn to a nicotine cleanse to quickly purge nicotine from his system. A number of different products are on the market, such as those offered at DrugTest.org. Among these is a four-day program that rids the entire system of all detectable traces of nicotine. In addition to cleansing nicotine for drug tests, these kits — which also include products such as the 30-day Smokers' Cleanse — also purport to be an effective way to actually stop smoking, claiming the cleansing process will reduce the desire to smoke.
Detox Cleansing
These cleansing programs are typically based on detox cleansing diets such as the Master Cleanse, also known as the Lemonade Diet. The Lemonade Diet claims to rid the body of toxins that have accumulated over time through a process of fasting, with your sole source of nourishment coming from a concoction of filtered water, cayenne pepper, fresh lemon juice and maple syrup. According to the Lemonade Cleanse website, this detoxification process may actually assist the process of quitting smoking, as the Master Cleanse prohibits the use of nicotine while you detoxify your system. However, it's also important to note that there is no scientific evidence to back up claims that these detox diets are in any way beneficial to your health.
