American columnist, Abigail Van Buren once said, “Kissing power is stronger than willpower.”

This quote can be used to describe the way many people feel when kissing someone they love. We’ve all had those moments of weakness when a kiss is not just a kiss.

Two lips locking together can be an extremely romantic moment, and some people even use the first kiss with a new love interest to decide whether the relationship will go on or will slowly fizzle out.

Others (i.e. Julia Roberts’ character in “Pretty Woman”) think of kissing as being more intimate than sex. And apparently, a couple states view kissing as an intimate way to show another person affection. Certain states still have laws on the books prohibiting particular kisses.

In Logan County, Colo., it is illegal for a man to kiss a woman while she is sleeping. Hartford, Conn., prohibits men from kissing their wives on Sundays. In Eureka, Nev., a man with a moustache is forbidden from kissing any woman, and in Wisconsin it is illegal to kiss on a train.

Unfortunately though, many couples involved in long-term relationships forget how important kissing is, and only passionately kiss before making love. Rather than the routine peck with a partner, one might use a long, deep kiss as a signal for something more.

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Whether you are involved in a new relationship and want to impress your crush with your kissing abilities, or if you are in a long-term relationship and want your smooches to mean more, here is a little advice.

In “The Art of Kissing,” William Cane asked women what their advice for men was. Among the tips was to slow down, tease a bit, don’t slobber, and to be gentle and sensual. The men’s advice for women was to use more passion, use touching, and get more into kissing.

According to Cane, though, a couple can overdo it when kissing. Sharing a smooch for long periods of time, approximately an hour, can lead to a decrease in the pleasure.

Everyone enjoys different ways to kiss, but some suggestions to avoid the dullness of a simple French kiss are to gently lick the lips of your partner, suck on his or her tongue, or to gently bite the lower lip (and I mean gently; nothing is worse than having a fat lip from a kissing session).

Also, try to remember that if you’re not enjoying a kiss, the person you’re kissing probably isn’t either. Try to help the situation by kissing other areas on the face like the eyes or ears and using your hands to direct your partner’s face into positions that are more suitable for you.

In any case, if the romantic aspect of kissing isn’t enough for you, here are other reasons kissing is important. According to the website www.datingmatchmakers.com, kissing relieves tension, prevents tooth decay, helps you lose weight, slows the aging process, increases fitness levels and boosts self-esteem.