"Geoff Howard.

HAS any onc out,there
ever thought about
quitting smoking?

It’s NOT as hard as it
looks. All you need is a help-
ing hand. This helping hand is
about two inches squared and
goes anywhere on your upper

body. Yes... the nicotine
patch.

Everybody's heard of it,
But does it work?

Three weeks ago I made a
decision to do the impossible.
Pve. been smoking for the past
three years — the last year

“about a pack a day, Since i'd
pretty much get tred from

: going up a flight of stairs or
five minutes of playing Aussie
soccer with friends, I decided
to try the patch.

My mother once tried the
atch and it didn’t work for
er, but she made a pretty

good deal with me to’support
my new decision. Two weeks
worth of nicotine patches cost
$70. |.

My mother said, “I'll pay
tor them, but if you start up
-again, you pay me back.”

That seemed pretty reason-
able so f agreed. Let me tell
you, those patches work!

But there’s a certain atti-
tude you must commit to and
maintain in order for it to
work. Most people think that:
The Patch = Success,

WRONG! The equation is
actually: The Patch +
Motivation = Success

Without motivation on
your part, the patch is a waste
of money. On the other hand,
the motivation comes a lot
easier because the patch leaves
you not craving a cigarette.

The addiction to habit,
however, is still there. By this I
mean that pulling out a ciga-
rette, lighting it, and watching
the smoke billowing out of
your mouth is all part of the
addiction.

My simple remedy for this
was to cuta hollow pen down
to the size of a cigarette and
just hold it sometimes or even
pretend you’re smoking it. As
for watching the smoke bil-
lowing out of your mouth,
well... those of vou who read
nz last article will know there
are other ways to accomplish
this.

Some of you might be
wondering why the nicotine
patches aren’t covered by
Health Care. That’s where
mouvation comes in. Ifyou
could get it for free, like other
prescriptions, and you started
smoking again, what have you
lost? Nothing!

Paying $70 each two weeks
fora six week program will
help keep your motivation up.

When I talked to my doc-
tor three weeks ago, he pre-
scribed me Nicoderm 21. That

hances are,

means there are 21 milligrams
of nicotine going into my sys-
tem everyday. One pack of cig-
arettes contains 20 milligrams
of nicotine, so basically Pm
getting the same amount of
nicotine. You can also get
Nicoderm 20 and 22,

There are mild side effects
when on the patch. For
instance, abour five minutes
after you apply the patch, it

* Power locks

Pius ...

© AM/FM storeo CD

© Remote kaytess eztry
© Power root, fmt leather
© ani) much morn!

starts to buri a bit and itch.
But that just means the patch
is working. The sensation pass-
es in five or 10 minutes and
after that you don’t even know
it’s there. That's basically the
only side effect. Oh yeah, if
you smoke cigarettes while an
the patch, you risk having a
heart attack. Just another
motivational up-keep.

To anyone seriously con-

One Week Only

75.

Ends Décember 4th

DRIVE

Wednesday, November 27, 1996 — North Shore News — 35

beats cold turkey everytime

templating the BIG step of
quitting smoking, take it frum
me: the nicotine patch really
works,

Just think, if you smoke a
pack a day as | did, and you
quit, that would mean a new
CD every three days, or, eh
hem, anything else you can
find for $15. Cough cough.

For more Youth Views, see
page 39.

Yeoye)

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CORRECTION NOTICE

In our 811-1 Christmas flyer,
Mikasa Christmas Gifts, Christmas
Street Glass Angel Candlehoiders
& International Silver Christmes
Santa Collection on page 41
should have read “5 Days Only!
Wed., Nov. 27 to Sun., Dec. 1.”

Sorry for any inconvenience
this may have caused,

Wheels nor exacsly us shown

ER

me