Smoking is strange behaviour. Almost every smoker knows that it's bad for his health, but many smokers continue the habit for decades, each year experiencing a further decline in health and well-being. Looked at rationally, smoking is quite disgusting. It stains the teeth and the fingers, causes bad breath, and creates an unpleasant environment for non-smokers.
It must be pleasurable, though, otherwise nobody would put up with the negative side of smoking. Most smokers admit that they enjoy cigarettes, and those that have managed to quit often feel that they have lost an old friend.
Tobacco is an addictive substance so it's understandable that people find it hard to quit. Less understandable is what motivates people to take their first cigarette. What is behind that decision to start smoking?
Many people start smoking when they are teenagers. The desire to fit in and be one of the 'crowd' is particularly strong during adolescence. Of course, this desire is also present in adults and can be a motivating factor behind much human behaviour. Many teenagers begin smoking because they want to be cool. If their friends smoke there's a lot of subtle (and not-so-subtle) pressure to take up the habit.
Young people may also feel that smoking makes them 'grown up' or it may be a form of rebellion against their parents and teachers. Most young people are already aware of the dangers of smoking so lecturing them about how they are harming their health can be futile.
Appealing advertising is also a big motivator in the desire to take up smoking. Tobacco ads usually depict young healthy active people taking part in fun group activities. The message is clear -- Smoke X brand and you can have this much fun too.
Adults are just as susceptible to popular images surrounding smoking. They are usually self-aware enough to know that smoking will not be the deciding factor behind social acceptance, but there is still the powerful image of the smoker as the rebel -- cool and independent. This can be alluring for some young adults, especially those who see themselves as being on the fringe.
Perhaps certain individuals are more drawn to smoking than others. There is evidence that people with a long-term outlook on life are less likely to start smoking because they know that smoking will shorten their life span and cause future health problems. On the contrary, those with shorter outlooks are more likely to smoke.
Other people turn to smoking because they are looking for a way to relieve stress. Even though tobacco is ineffective for handling stress in the long run, it does provide short-term relief. Those who have stressful jobs or who are in difficult life situations may decide to take up smoking.
Most smokers will come to a point in life where they want to quit. They may face increasing health problems and finally come to the decision to give up the habit. Unfortunately, the addictive nature of tobacco makes this a difficult task.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Becoming A Smoker
Dangers Of Smoking
Almost everybody knows that smoking is bad for the health. Images of blackened lungs line school hallways and hospital waiting rooms, but despite this people continue to take up smoking. This may have to do with the pervasive romantic image of smoking -- an image that has nothing in common with reality.
There are many ways to take tobacco. You can chew it, inhale it through the nose, and smoke it in the form of cigars or cigarettes. No matter how it's taken it is dangerous, but because smoking is the most popular way to consume tobacco it has also received the greatest attention from the medical field and the media.
When a smoker inhales a puff of cigarette smoke the large surface area of the lungs allows nicotine to pass into the blood stream almost immediately. It is this nicotine "hit" that smokers crave, but there is a lot more to smoke than just nicotine. In fact, there are more than 4000 chemical substances that make up cigarette smoke and many of them are toxic.
Cigarette smoke is composed of 43 carcinogenic substances and more than 400 other toxins that can also be found in wood varnish, nail polish remover, and rat poison. All of these substances accumulate in the body and can cause serious problems to the heart and lungs.
Cancer is the most common disease associated with smoking. Smoking is the cause of 90% of lung cancer cases and is related to 30% of all cancer fatalities. Other smoking-related cancers include cancers of the mouth, pancreas, urinary bladder, kidney, stomach, esophagus, and larynx.
Besides cancer, smoking is also related to several other diseases of the lungs. Emphysema and bronchitis can be fatal and 75% of all deaths from these diseases are linked to smoking.
Smokers have shorter lives than non-smokers. On average, smoking takes 15 years off your life span. This can be explained by the high rate of exposure to toxic substances which are found in cigarette smoke.
Smokers also put others at risk. The dangers of breathing in second-hand smoke are well known. Smokers harm their loved ones by exposing them to the smoke they exhale. All sorts of health problems are related to breathing in second-hand smoke. Children are especially susceptible to the dangers of second-hand smoke because their internal organs are still developing. Children exposed to second-hand smoke are more vulnerable to asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, bronchitis, pneumonia, and ear infections.
Smoking can also be dangerous for unborn children. Mothers who smoke are more likely to suffer from miscarriages, bleeding and nausea, and babies of smoking mothers have reduced birth weights or may be premature. These babies are more susceptible to sudden infant death syndrome and may also have lifelong health complications due to chest infections and asthma.
It is never too late to give up smoking, even those who have smoked for 20 years or more can realize tremendous health benefits from giving up the habit.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Quit Smoking By Facing Your Psychological Addiction
When you’ve been addicted to nicotine, the thought of trying to quit smoking can be intimidating. Aside from the physical withdrawal symptoms, there’s a psychological addiction to the habit-forming drug.
If you’re setting out on a mission to quit smoking, make sure you implement a plan to attack your mental habit as well as face the withdrawal of nicotine physically from your body. Medications and counseling can contribute to an easier time when you quit smoking, because it’s an emotional and social habit as well as just a habit of motion, taking your fingers to and from your mouth to inhale a cigarette.
There are many ways to get psychological help for your addiction. They need to be done in conjunction with the physical removal of nicotine, not just before or after you’ve quit smoking.
You may opt for phone counseling, which you can find through the American Cancer Society’s Quitline. This way you’re connected with a trained counselor whenever you need help with your plans to quit smoking.
There are some common traps counselors can help you avoid that usually cause someone who has quit smoking to return to the nasty habit. Phone counseling is a convenient way to reach out for support because it’s available at all times, from anywhere you have a phone connection.
Some people who want to quit smoking need to do nothing more than turn to family and friends in their time of need. It’s especially helpful if there’s someone you know who has already quit smoking and will understand what you’re going through.
There are also programs organized specifically for people who want to quit smoking. Being a part of a group can be beneficial in giving you the extra support you need to break the habit once and for all.
You may discover that you prefer individual counseling over group meetings, but either way, counseling helps people quit smoking more than those who try to go it alone. Some organizations will be intense, and others more flexible. The more intense it is, the higher your chance of success to quit smoking.
If you feel like your addiction is strong, then try to find a frequent meeting that lasts at least half an hour. Try to find those with experience to help you with you quit smoking. Never fall for the quick and easy claims some groups make just to take your money.
What Are The Immediate Benefits When I Quit Smoking?
Everyone knows that it’s obviously healthier for you to quit smoking than it is to continue your addiction to nicotine. But there are more than just long-term health benefits. Your body is immediately improved when you start inhaling clean air as opposed to the smoke from a cigarette.
Within 20 minutes after you quit smoking your last cigarette, changes begin to take place in your overall health. Your heart rate and blood pressure drop to a healthier level. Half a day later, your blood shows normal levels of carbon monoxide.
Just a couple of months after you quit smoking, you’ll notice your lung function increases. Maybe you can now walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for air. Plus, your circulation is improved.
During the first nine months after you quit smoking, you’ll notice you no longer cough as much and you’re capable of taking deep breaths. This is because the cilia in your lungs are able to move the mucus out of your lungs so they function better to clean them out and clear out infections.
When you’re celebrating your first year after quitting smoking, you should toast to the fact that your risk of coronary heart disease is cut in half from what it was when you were labeled a smoker.
Over the course of the next five years and decade after you quit smoking, your stroke risk is reduced, too. Lung cancer death rate is half that of a smoker’s and other cancers, such as those of the throat, mouth, bladder, and pancreas are cut as well.
While health is obviously an important factor in why people quit smoking, there are other immediate benefits as well. Tobacco may have damaged your physical appearance, such as causing premature aging, yellowing of the nails and teeth, and a foul odor clinging to your hair and clothes.
When you quit smoking, your skin immediately begins to repair itself and the bad smell goes away. Your breath smells fresh and you can take action to whiten your teeth using over the counter teeth whiteners.
You’ll also notice improvements in other areas of your life after you quit smoking. For instance, you’ll be able to taste food better than before and your sense of smell will be sharpened. Your reasons may be listed within this article, or you may have your own personal reasons to quit smoking. Either way, you’ll reap the rewards of your efforts once you say goodbye to tobacco for good.
Nicotine Won’t Let You Quit Smoking
Does nicotine have a strong hold over you? It’s one of the most addictives substances on the planet - found naturally in tobacco. Although not illegal, it’s equally as addictive as cocaine or heroine, two illegal drugs known for their strong addictive qualities.
When you use nicotine, your body begins to rely on it both mentally and physically. You can’t quit smoking because you have to face both the psychological and physical issues facing you at this point, which is often overwhelming for anyone.
It’s not the smoke itself that wreaks havoc on your addictions and makes it nearly impossible for you to quit smoking – it’s the nicotine that gets carried in the smoke deep into your lungs where it plants itself in your bloodstream and then moves to every available part of your body to affect your internal health.
Your heart and blood vessels, your brain, your hormones, and your metabolism are all directly affected by nicotine. Even though you may logically know the damage being done, your ability to quit smoking is diminished because the drug has the same effect as endorphins, releasing mood-elevating feelings that cause you to crave more.
But nicotine has another result. When you try to quit smoking, or even stay at the same number of cigarettes you currently smoke, your body triggers you to smoke more, telling you that you’ve become tolerant of your current usage. Nicotine can cause your body to react faster than if you were given a drug intravenously.
If you are able to quit smoking, nicotine will still reside in your body for up to four days after you stop using it. Your body will go into withdrawal, which is both a mental and physical obstacle you have to overcome.
While the physical portion of the addiction has to be dealt with through symptoms such as sleep disturbance, headaches, and dizziness, when someone quits smoking, the mental portion is noticeable when the newly ex-smoker starts dealing with depression, frustration, and anger that results from nicotine withdrawal.
Because of the pressure felt in both the mind and body, many smokers return to the bad habit so that the nicotine will erase the symptoms they’re feeling. The dilemma of withdrawal symptoms when someone quits smoking can last for days or weeks, depending on the severity of the addiction.
Eventually, the symptoms disappear and the strong hold nicotine has over the user loosens up its grip and allows the ex-smoker to break the habit for good. Most smokers have to try several times before they’re able to quit smoking forever, although many do it on the first try using smoking cessation aids.
Quit Smoking To Save Money
Health isn’t the only factor in why people are planning to quit smoking now or in the near future. The cost of smoking has a direct impact on their way of life, limiting the amount of money they can contribute to the living expenses of the household.
Smoking is a very expensive habit, and it’s worse when you smoke more than one pack per day. Smokers may start out smoking relatively few cigarettes per day, but as the addiction goes on, they start upping the number of cigarettes they need to use each day in order to feel the mood enhancement, so the cost of their habit goes up accordingly until they make the decision to quit smoking.
Right now, you can calculate the money you spend by figuring out how many packs per day you smoke and multiplying that number by 365. That’s your monthly cost of the nicotine habit, which would fall to zero if you quit smoking instead.
For instance, if you live in a state where a pack of cigarettes is approximately $3.58, which is low compared to many state prices, and you smoke one pack per day, then you’re racking up a $1,306.70 a year habit.
Wouldn’t you rather quit smoking and do something extravagant with $13,067 in ten years than have health complications from a smoking habit? Of course those who are up to 3 packs per day in a state where the cost of cigarettes is well over $5 per pack, see an even bigger impact on their finances.
If you were to quit smoking a pack a day today and put the money you’re using toward cigarettes into a 401(k) that earns you at least 9% interest, then you’d have a quarter of a million dollars within the next 30 years.
If you don’t quit smoking, then you’ll also be paying other costs associated with your habit. For instance, smokers have a heftier bill for teeth cleanings and dry cleaning, just to get the stains and odors out.
Until you quit smoking, you’re also plagued with higher insurance costs because health care providers know the impact smoking causes on the health economy of our nation.
Need to sell your car? If you’ve been smoking in it, you won’t get as much for your trade-in as you would if you had quit smoking. Plus, studies have shown that smokers earn less and risk being unemployable by companies with a no-smoking policy.
These costs don’t even factor in the healthcare costs associated with smoking. When you consider the health impact smoking has, the cost is even greater. Quit smoking for your health, but also to reduce your financial waste and put that money toward your lifelong dreams.