How to quit smoking: the experience of Barack Obama, Jennifer Aniston and other stars

Unfortunately, smoking remains a widespread habit among Ukrainians. According to the Center for Public Health, 27% of the Ukrainian population over the age of 18 are smokers. Moreover, the number of tobacco consumers is on the rise.

We will not discuss the reasons why people start smoking or return to this addiction after a successful attempt to quit. Such reasons certainly exist, but the arguments against smoking are much more powerful.

There are hardly any smokers left who do not know that nicotine addiction can cause a number of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, tuberculosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In Ukraine, smoking takes an average of 130,000 lives per year. It increases the risk of stroke, angina, and myocardial infarction and the risk of sudden death by about 5 times.

Even with these risks, quitting can be extremely difficult for most smokers. Celebrities are no exception. But there are many of them who have successfully overcome barriers and managed to get rid of their addiction to tobacco.

KEITH RICHARDS. At the end of 2019, the star guitarist from The Rolling Stones finally gave up cigarettes and admitted that it was harder than giving up heroin. He coped with his addiction by reducing the number of cigarettes he smoked every day. And although his past is associated with alcohol and drugs, today the only weaknesses of 80-year-old Richards are rock and roll and a glass of pinot grigio.

PRINCE HARRY. The Duke of Sussex started smoking as a teenager and continued to do so even when the royal homes, including Buckingham Palace, were declared smoke-free in 2016. Harry quit smoking thanks to the positive influence of his wife Meghan Markle, who is a yoga practitioner and a supporter of a healthy lifestyle. He worked with a royal nutritional advisor to improve his diet, lose weight and give up cigarettes.

BARACK OBAMA. The former president, who has smoked since his teens, tried to quit during his 2008 election campaign and in the first years of his presidency. However, he only managed to successfully overcome his addiction in 2011. At the time, he joked that he did it because he was afraid of his wife. After all, Michelle Obama was working in the White House to promote a healthy lifestyle. Barack Obama used nicotine gum to quench his smoking cravings.

John Hamm, the Emmy Award-winning actor for his role as the philanderer, drunkard, and heavy smoker Don Draper in the TV series Mad Men, quit smoking at the age of 24. He noted that although it looks glamorous on screen, waking up and smelling like an ashtray is not really pleasant. Although his role required his character to smoke throughout all seven seasons of Mad Men, Hamm and other actors on the set chose herbal cigarettes rather than tobacco.

JENNIFER ANISTON. The star of the TV shows "Friends" and "The Morning Show" was a heavy smoker for many years and quit only in 2012. According to her, regular yoga classes helped her get rid of her addiction to cigarettes and caffeine.

Paul Rudd, an actor known for his roles in the TV series Friends and the films The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Ant-Man, and The Avengers: Endgame", was able to quit smoking with the help of hypnotherapy. The method of American hypnotherapist Kerry Gaynor helped him. It has worked for many other American stars, such as Heather Locklear, Aaron Eggart, Martin Sheen, and others.

GISELE BUNDCHEN. At the beginning of her career, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, drank a bottle of wine at night, and many cups of coffee throughout the day to keep herself going. But in 2003, she decided to make a healthy life choice. She took up yoga, meditation, and running, all of which helped her overcome her desire to smoke.

CHRISTY TARLINGTON. The supermodel started smoking as a teenager, not thinking that smoking was addictive. At the age of 18, she realized that this habit was negatively affecting her health: it became difficult for her to climb stairs and she felt broken. Turlington made several attempts to quit smoking. She finally succeeded because she was tired of not fulfilling her promise to herself.

KELLY RIPA. The actress quit smoking when she was pregnant, but got addicted to nicotine again while filming the sitcom Hope and Faith. She realized that she wanted to be in good health with her children and see them grow up, so she hired a trainer and started to exercise. Kelly also took the antidepressant bupropion for three weeks to help her get rid of her addiction.

ANTHONY HOPKINS. Years after the Oscar winner officially quit smoking, he still felt cravings for a cigarette or cigar from time to time. To get rid of this, Hopkins turned to Allen Carr's book The Easy Way to Quit Smoking, which helped him. Hopkins admitted that Carr's method, which is based on the belief that the cycle of fear prevents people from successfully quitting smoking, is not only easy but also incredibly enjoyable.