Hi, My name is Pam, I am glad that finally somebody is realizing and voicing how dangerous cigerettes really are. I went just the other day, before I saw the ABC program, to buy some "Quit smoking products". I was disgusted at how much is charged for these products. I now for me to quit smoking I will need at least 2 of the products. The patches and the gum or lozenges. For the 1st step of patches it was about $40. For the gum it was also about $40. I could not afford $80. But I could afford $4 for a pack of cigerettes, since I am already an addict. People that are low income and already hooked are not going to spend that kind of money on something that might not even work, especially if this is the zillionth time they have attempted to quit. When u are a heroin addict or meth addict or even an alcohal addict there is rehab. There is financial aid or insurance to help u go thru rehab. When u are a low income smoker it is quit "cold turkey" without all the benifits of meds to help your mental stability while going thru withdrawels. There is no intervention for nicotine addicts. As a parent, going thru a divorce, working as a waitress to make ends meet. I deffinetly choose to spend $4 a day in my addiction, than $80 on a product that might not work, especially when I like smoking and something in me still wants them even when I now what it is doing to me. I did a research paper on the effects of cigerette smoking, and during the research all I wanted was a cigerette even more. I don't think society really grasps what a hold it has. So I guess My question is if it is so important for America to kick the habit, why don't companies make it easier to quit by making it affordable to quit and worth our already addicted minds worth while?

GREED and PROFIT

I came online thinking about this very same thing. I am also disgusted and upset by this. I'm about to start working online, but still won't be making all that much. I live in FL and my boyfriend who lives in NY has told me that he sees one pack of cigarettes for 8 dollars and more. In FL I can get a pack anywhere from 1.50-4.00. I can and do buy a carton every week for 12-17 dollars. The most money I have at any one time is 20 dollars. I have wanted to quit for such a long time, but cold turkey didn't work for me the last 2 times I have tried and I know my best chance is with smoking cessations. But it frustrates me when I see that it is 40 dollars and up. I would gladly pay that if I had it but I don't. And it made me wonder about the fact that, the world at large wants people to stop smoking but the products to help are much more expensive. If I could quit cold turkey I wouldn't need the cessations, but I can't. And it seems like such a bad cycle.

I could not agree more. I live on a fixed income and with all of the other increases in basic goods, I cannot afford the smoking products which are sometimes more than 100% more than cigarettes

Forgot to add also that while I was on the phone with quitnow. My counselor tried to find out if there were any org. that would help or have discounts for cessations and over 20 min she couldnt find anything but quit smoking groups in hospitals and I heard her say to herself, wow those are expensive, much more than the cessations. It's so ridiculous.

I posted a message about hydroxizine. It cost me under $10 for a months supply in 1992. It is about $15 now and it really worked for me. I am sure that if it catches on, then it will be repackaged and sold for all the greedy bastards can get. Oh and the billions allocated for stop smoking campaigns is going for things like golf course improvements and bass fishing. No kidding.

I wonder if the price of a pack of cigarettes was as high as the cost of quit smoking aids if people would still smoke? Plus the fact that these products do not work for everyone. As with any withdrawal process you need to use all the resources at hand and there is information on that all over the net. I was only a pack a week smoker until I contracted pleurisy. After that painful and debilitating bout I quit and still had withdrawal symptoms. Aside from that why age yourself and expose your body to the risks of all sorts of fatal and debilitating diseases? Chocolate is a much safer addiction.

Hello, I also think that nicotine replacement therapy is quite expensive. However, it is important to note that many insurance companies may pay for replacement therapy. Medicaid (at least in my state) covers this, as do some private insurers. In my county, health department sponsored cessation programs provide the first two weeks of nicotine replacement product at no-charge as long as the participant does not have coverage and participates in the class. This gives the person two weeks to save what would have been spent on cigarettes and purchase additional product. A few organizations provide the full 8-10 weeks at no cost to those who qualify. A pack a day smoker who spends $4.50 - $5 per pack can save enough in two weeks. It is also important to note that the nicotine inhaler, nasal spray, and wellbutrin are often covered by insurance. One who pays less for cigarettes will pay more for the patch, gum, or lozenges, but consider that it's temporary and an up-front investment to save more than money in the long term. No replacement therapy is a guarantee. Nicotine replacement is only a method to assist with decreasing the physical withdrawl symptoms felt during the first month or so after quitting. The social and emotional addiction and habit must be addressed and behaviors changed, or no amount of nicotine replacement will work. The person finds themselves unable to handle triggers, and often begins smoking again. Too often, one states that the patch didn't work for them. I am not trying to downplay the expensive nature of nicotine replacement. Nor am I saying it is easy to quit or that I have all the answers. I am only pointing out that what sometimes is seen as a barrier isn't if one looks to resources that are available or, as may be the case here, becomes aware of available resources. I do believe that insurance coverage for NRT and cessation therapy is in the future, but unfortunately not in the immediate future. It doesn't make sense that chemotherapy would be covered, but methods to prevent it from happening wouldn't be. Preventative medicine is still in the early stages so to speak. When enough people speak out to insurers and employers who purchase the plans, NRT and cessation will become a covered benefit due to sheer demand and outcry. PS- consider generic gum or other NRT products. In my area, it is about $15 cheaper than the brand. Still costly, but not as much.

I avoided the whole mess by going cold turkey. There are so many sites all over the net (www.whyquit.com is the first one that comes to mind) to provide you with the support you need to get through the withdrawal period. I hate to tell you, but you're going to go through withdrawal with or without the NRT. At least with cold turkey you're getting all the nicotine out of you at once instead of delaying it by 1-3 months. I can't tell you how much money I wasted on NRT products. Cold turkey was the only thing that really worked. Think about it, people were quitting smoking long before NRT's came along. If cold turkey were impossible, quitting rates should have SKYROCKETED with the advent of NRT's. Guess what--they didn't. At the very least, give the idea some consideration. Blessings, Amy 10 months+ free of cigs and nicotine