After knowing all the health risks associated with smoking as well as the benefits of quitting, you may want to know how to quit. I know that most smokers want to kick this habit but don't know what to do. In the coming days, I will be posting some helpful tips as well as the many ways by which you can achieve the goal of being smoke-free.
For starters, look for support. Find people who support you in your decision to quit. However, make sure that they are 100 percent behind you. Your smoking buddies obviously wouldn't be happy with your decision to quit smoking, so leave them out. It would also be a good idea to find an "accountability buddy" or somebody who will call you out and get you back on track when you stray from your goal. It would also be a good idea to join online forums.
For more information, visit the following sites:
About.com Smoking Cessation Support Forum
Nicotine Anonymous
Quit Smoking Message Board
Quit Smokeless
The Stop Smoking Center
Friday, December 4, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Benefits of Quitting
- Nicotine leaves your body within 48 hours. You might not feel great but you will likely notice an improvement in your sense of smell and taste.
- You smell better. Your mouth and hair no longer smell of smoke.
- Cough disappears and phlegm production returns to normal.
- Energy level is higher. Stamina increases.
- Within 3 months your blood circulation will have improved. Your hands and feet will become warmer from improved circulation. Some people complain that they suffer a tingling sensation when they try to quit smoking. But this is a reason to rejoice since this is a sign that your blood is circulating again. Blood carries the nutrients and oxygen we need to survive, so it should be circulating rather instead of stagnating.
- Within two years, your chance of having a heart attack would be half that of a smoker. Blood pressure and pulse rate lower and become normal.
- In ten years after your last cigarette, you have cut the risk of contracting lung cancer in half than you would have done if you kept smoking. Risk of all diseases caused by smoking is reduced - emphysema, heart attacks, and cancers of all types.
- With the price of cigarettes and the other increased costs associated with being a smoker (higher life cover premiums, health insurance etc), you should be better off financially when you quit.
- You won't be putting your loved ones, especially your children, at risk. You won't have to worry about the effects of second and third hand smoke. You lessen their chance of losing you and you increase your chances of being there to witness the important milestones of their lives.
So the time to quit is now. Your loved ones and yourself will thank you for it.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
SMOKING AND YOUR CHILDREN'S HEALTH
Below is an article from the Voice of America website:
Before you light up another cigarette at home, think of the kids. They don't deserve to get sick.
Source:
Lingering 'Third-Hand' Cigarette Smoke Endangers Children
By Art Chimes
Washington
09 January 2009
The dangers of smoking tobacco have been well documented since the 1960s. For years, health experts have also warned about the dangers of second-hand smoke - breathing in other people's cigarette smoke. Now, some researchers are sounding the alarm over what they call "third-hand smoke."
Third-hand smoke is the tobacco contamination that remains after a cigarette is extinguished. Dr. Jonathan Winickoff of Harvard University has been studying it.
"What happens is, the smoker goes outside to smoke their cigarette. Then they come back inside. They're still contaminated with smoke," he says. "They offgas [give off] the smoke toxins from their clothes. They also exhale residual particulates into their home space so that there is still contamination inside the home that is detectable."
Winickoff says this third-hand smoke - the often-smelly residue that's left on carpets, furniture, clothing and so on - contains all the nasty toxic chemical material that's in cigarette smoke.
He says it includes "some of the most toxic compounds known to humankind."
"And we're talking about hydrogen cyanide, which is used in chemical weapons; carbon monoxide, car exhaust; ammonia, those are household cleaners; arsenic, which is used as a pesticide to kill mammals; lead; chromium, which is used to make steel; and, believe it or not, polonium 210, which is a highly radioactive and deadly compound."
Winickoff says that third-hand smoke can be harmful to anyone, but he says children are most at risk.
"Children have a higher metabolic rate than adults. They breathe faster. And they have less body mass. So for the same exposure, they'll get more of it into them, and they are more susceptible. Their susceptibility really stems from the fact that their tissues are developing. And their brains, especially, are developing."
In the January issue of the journal Pediatrics, Winickoff reports on a survey that found parents are more likely to ban smoking at home if they believe third-hand smoke is going to harm their children. As a result, he says it's important to get the word out.
"If the parent smells the smoke, then it's important for the parents to realize that it's really there. So where a parent smells that exposure, it's important that they remove the child from that space. For smokers, I think the message is really clear also: If you really want to protect non-smokers and children, then the best thing to do is continue on your process of quitting smoking."
Winickoff is also a practicing pediatrician. He says he got interested in the subject of third-hand smoke about 10 years ago when he was treating children for asthma and smelled tobacco smoke on their parents.
Before you light up another cigarette at home, think of the kids. They don't deserve to get sick.
Source:
Sunday, November 8, 2009
The Lost Boy
This ad caused outrage because the child actor got scared for real. However, if you have kids, this should make you think. How would they feel if they lost you?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Graphic Anti-Smoking Ad
You may find the advertisement quite disturbing. It should disturb you, because this is reality staring at you in the face. Yes, quitting is hard, but not quitting is harder.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
HOW SMOKING AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH
There are the four surgeon General's Warnings that cigarette makers must rotate through on their packs:
Do you ever take them seriously?
You should. Why? Research shows that smoking has serious effects on your health. A lot of people ignore warning stuck on the label of every cigarette pack. I'm guessing that the power of suggestion which advertisers wield always wins out. Smokers are often portrayed as elegant, devil-may-care personalities that most people want to identify with. Once they pick up the habit, they develop physical, psychological, and emotional dependence on it, which makes it very hard for them to quit smoking. However, people need to be aware of the consequences of cigarette smoking.
HEALTH EFFECTS OF TOBACCO
Tobacco use leads most commonly to diseases affecting the heart and lungs, with smoking being a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and cancer (particularly lung cancer, cancers of the larynx and mouth, and pancreatic cancer).
The World Health Organization estimate that tobacco caused 5.4 million deaths in 2004[3] and 100 million deaths over the course of the 20th century. Similarly, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes tobacco use as "the single most important preventable risk to human health in developed countries and an important cause of premature death worldwide."
Smoke contains several carcinogenic pyrolytic products that bind to DNA and cause many genetic mutations. There are over 19 known chemical carcinogens in cigarette smoke. Tobacco also contains nicotine, which is a highly addictive psychoactive chemical. When tobacco is smoked, nicotine causes physical and psychological dependency. Tobacco use is a significant factor in miscarriages among pregnant smokers, it contributes to a number of other threats to the health of the fetus such as premature births and low birth weight and increases by 1.4 to 3 times the chance for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The result of scientific studies done in neonatal rats seems to indicate that exposure to cigarette smoke in the womb may reduce the fetal brain's ability to recognize hypoxic conditions, thus increasing the chance of accidental asphyxiation. Incidence of impotence is approximately 85 percent higher in male smokers compared to non-smokers, and it is a key cause of erectile dysfunction (ED).
STUDIES
In 1938 a study by a John Hopkins University scientist suggested a strongly negative correlation between smoking and lifespan. In 1950 five studies were published in which "smoking was powerfully implicated in the causation of lung cancer". These included the now classic paper "Smoking and Carcinoma of the Lung" which appeared in the British Medical Journal. This paper reported that "heavy smokers were fifty times as likely as non-smokers to contract lung cancer".
A team of British scientists headed by Richard Doll carried out a longitudinal study of 34,439 medical specialists from 1951 to 2001, generally called the "British doctors study." The study demonstrated that smoking decreased life expectancy by up to 10 years and that almost half of the smokers died from diseases possibly caused by smoking (cancer, heart disease, and stroke).
After a ban on smoking in all enclosed public places was introduced in Scotland in March 2006, there was a 17 percent reduction in hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome. 67% of the decrease occurred in non-smokers.
The health effects of tobacco have been significant for the development of the science of epidemiology. As the mechanism of carcinogenicity is radiomimetic or radiological, the effects are stochastic. Definite statements may be made only on probabilities of contracting disease. When considered philosophically and theoretically, it is — in principle — impossible to prove a direct causative link between exposure to a radiomimetic poison such as tobacco smoke and the cancer that follows. Tobacco companies have capitalized on this philosophical objection and exploited the doubts of clinicians, who consider only individual cases, on the causal link in the stochastic expression of the toxicity as actual disease.
There have been multiple court cases on the issue that tobacco companies have researched the health effects of tobacco, but suppressed the findings or formatted them to imply lessened or no hazard.
SMOKING AND CANCER
Most scientists involved in cancer research believe that the environmental factors, which include anything the people interact with such as lifestyle choices, their diet, natural and medical radiation, sunlight exposure, workplace exposure, and socioeconomic factors that affect exposures and susceptibility—may be a major contributor to the development of cancer. Other factors that play a major role in cancer development are infectious diseases, aging, and individual susceptibility such as genetic predisposition. Because of these confounding variables, it is difficult to distinguish which factor or condition contributes to the development of cancencer. For example, smoking tobacco is known to cause cancer in humans, but not all people who smoke develop smoking-related cancer; however, with some substances or exposure circumstances, cancer may develop after even brief exposure.
A person's increased risk of contracting disease is directly proportional to the length of time that a person continues to smoke as well as the amount smoked. However, if someone stops smoking, then these chances gradually decrease as the damage to their body is repaired. A year after quitting, the risk of contracting heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker.The health risks of smoking are not uniform across all smokers. Risks vary according to amount of tobacco smoked, with those who smoke more at greater risk. Light smoking is still a health risk. Likewise, smoking "light" cigarettes does not reduce the risks.
Tobacco use most commonly leads to diseases affecting the heart and lungs, with smoking being a major risk factor for heart attacks, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), emphysema, and cancer, particularly lung cancer, cancers of the larynx and mouth, and pancreatic cancer. Overall life expectancy is also reduced in regular smokers, with estimates ranging from 2.5 to 10 years fewer than nonsmokers. About half of male smokers will die of illness due to smoking. The association of smoking with lung cancer is strongest, both in the public perception and etiologically. People who have smoked tobacco at some point have about a one in ten chance of developing lung cancer during their lifetime. If one looks at men who continue to smoke tobacco, the risk increases to one in six. Historically, lung cancer was considered to be a rare disease prior to World War I and was perceived as something most physicians would never see during their career. With the postwar rise in popularity of cigarette smoking came a virtual epidemic of lung cancer.
A person's increased risk of contracting disease is directly proportional to the length of time that a person smokes, as well as to the amount smoked, and doctors use the approximation "pack years" in assessing the likelihood of smoking-related illness. However, if someone stops smoking, then their risk declines over time, and the reduction in their lung function will stop.
MORTALITY
Male and female smokers lose an average of 13.2 and 14.5 years of life, respectively. According to the results of a 50 year study of 34,439 male British doctors, at least half of all lifelong smokers die earlier as a result of smoking.
In the United States, cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke results in at least 443,000 premature deaths annually.
Even insurance companies know the health risks of smoking. Most insurance companies have higher premium rates for smokers than for non-smokers, meaning if you smoke, you pay more to get insured for a certain amount.
So think twice before lighting a stick. Your life may literally be going up in smoke.
Source:
- SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy.
- SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health.
- SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking By Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury, Premature Birth, And Low Birth Weight.
- SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide.
Do you ever take them seriously?
You should. Why? Research shows that smoking has serious effects on your health. A lot of people ignore warning stuck on the label of every cigarette pack. I'm guessing that the power of suggestion which advertisers wield always wins out. Smokers are often portrayed as elegant, devil-may-care personalities that most people want to identify with. Once they pick up the habit, they develop physical, psychological, and emotional dependence on it, which makes it very hard for them to quit smoking. However, people need to be aware of the consequences of cigarette smoking.
HEALTH EFFECTS OF TOBACCO
Tobacco use leads most commonly to diseases affecting the heart and lungs, with smoking being a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and cancer (particularly lung cancer, cancers of the larynx and mouth, and pancreatic cancer).
The World Health Organization estimate that tobacco caused 5.4 million deaths in 2004[3] and 100 million deaths over the course of the 20th century. Similarly, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes tobacco use as "the single most important preventable risk to human health in developed countries and an important cause of premature death worldwide."
Smoke contains several carcinogenic pyrolytic products that bind to DNA and cause many genetic mutations. There are over 19 known chemical carcinogens in cigarette smoke. Tobacco also contains nicotine, which is a highly addictive psychoactive chemical. When tobacco is smoked, nicotine causes physical and psychological dependency. Tobacco use is a significant factor in miscarriages among pregnant smokers, it contributes to a number of other threats to the health of the fetus such as premature births and low birth weight and increases by 1.4 to 3 times the chance for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The result of scientific studies done in neonatal rats seems to indicate that exposure to cigarette smoke in the womb may reduce the fetal brain's ability to recognize hypoxic conditions, thus increasing the chance of accidental asphyxiation. Incidence of impotence is approximately 85 percent higher in male smokers compared to non-smokers, and it is a key cause of erectile dysfunction (ED).
STUDIES
In 1938 a study by a John Hopkins University scientist suggested a strongly negative correlation between smoking and lifespan. In 1950 five studies were published in which "smoking was powerfully implicated in the causation of lung cancer". These included the now classic paper "Smoking and Carcinoma of the Lung" which appeared in the British Medical Journal. This paper reported that "heavy smokers were fifty times as likely as non-smokers to contract lung cancer".
A team of British scientists headed by Richard Doll carried out a longitudinal study of 34,439 medical specialists from 1951 to 2001, generally called the "British doctors study." The study demonstrated that smoking decreased life expectancy by up to 10 years and that almost half of the smokers died from diseases possibly caused by smoking (cancer, heart disease, and stroke).
After a ban on smoking in all enclosed public places was introduced in Scotland in March 2006, there was a 17 percent reduction in hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome. 67% of the decrease occurred in non-smokers.
The health effects of tobacco have been significant for the development of the science of epidemiology. As the mechanism of carcinogenicity is radiomimetic or radiological, the effects are stochastic. Definite statements may be made only on probabilities of contracting disease. When considered philosophically and theoretically, it is — in principle — impossible to prove a direct causative link between exposure to a radiomimetic poison such as tobacco smoke and the cancer that follows. Tobacco companies have capitalized on this philosophical objection and exploited the doubts of clinicians, who consider only individual cases, on the causal link in the stochastic expression of the toxicity as actual disease.
There have been multiple court cases on the issue that tobacco companies have researched the health effects of tobacco, but suppressed the findings or formatted them to imply lessened or no hazard.
SMOKING AND CANCER
Most scientists involved in cancer research believe that the environmental factors, which include anything the people interact with such as lifestyle choices, their diet, natural and medical radiation, sunlight exposure, workplace exposure, and socioeconomic factors that affect exposures and susceptibility—may be a major contributor to the development of cancer. Other factors that play a major role in cancer development are infectious diseases, aging, and individual susceptibility such as genetic predisposition. Because of these confounding variables, it is difficult to distinguish which factor or condition contributes to the development of cancencer. For example, smoking tobacco is known to cause cancer in humans, but not all people who smoke develop smoking-related cancer; however, with some substances or exposure circumstances, cancer may develop after even brief exposure.
A person's increased risk of contracting disease is directly proportional to the length of time that a person continues to smoke as well as the amount smoked. However, if someone stops smoking, then these chances gradually decrease as the damage to their body is repaired. A year after quitting, the risk of contracting heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker.The health risks of smoking are not uniform across all smokers. Risks vary according to amount of tobacco smoked, with those who smoke more at greater risk. Light smoking is still a health risk. Likewise, smoking "light" cigarettes does not reduce the risks.
Tobacco use most commonly leads to diseases affecting the heart and lungs, with smoking being a major risk factor for heart attacks, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), emphysema, and cancer, particularly lung cancer, cancers of the larynx and mouth, and pancreatic cancer. Overall life expectancy is also reduced in regular smokers, with estimates ranging from 2.5 to 10 years fewer than nonsmokers. About half of male smokers will die of illness due to smoking. The association of smoking with lung cancer is strongest, both in the public perception and etiologically. People who have smoked tobacco at some point have about a one in ten chance of developing lung cancer during their lifetime. If one looks at men who continue to smoke tobacco, the risk increases to one in six. Historically, lung cancer was considered to be a rare disease prior to World War I and was perceived as something most physicians would never see during their career. With the postwar rise in popularity of cigarette smoking came a virtual epidemic of lung cancer.
A person's increased risk of contracting disease is directly proportional to the length of time that a person smokes, as well as to the amount smoked, and doctors use the approximation "pack years" in assessing the likelihood of smoking-related illness. However, if someone stops smoking, then their risk declines over time, and the reduction in their lung function will stop.
MORTALITY
Male and female smokers lose an average of 13.2 and 14.5 years of life, respectively. According to the results of a 50 year study of 34,439 male British doctors, at least half of all lifelong smokers die earlier as a result of smoking.
In the United States, cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke results in at least 443,000 premature deaths annually.
Even insurance companies know the health risks of smoking. Most insurance companies have higher premium rates for smokers than for non-smokers, meaning if you smoke, you pay more to get insured for a certain amount.
So think twice before lighting a stick. Your life may literally be going up in smoke.
Source:
Sunday, November 1, 2009
WHY DO PEOPLE SMOKE?
For people to take steps to quit smoking, it is necessary for them to understand why they got into the habit in the first place.
Wisconsin researchers have found a surprisingly wide array of reasons why people smoke cigarettes, from being around others who do it to stress relief. The study by University of Wisconsin researchers, known as the Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives, also reveals which type of smoker is most likely to relapse. Previous measures concentrated primarily on physical dependence, including questions about number of cigarettes smoked, smoking upon waking and smoking when ill.
The inventory, though, evaluated smoker motivation in 13 areas, including emotional attachment to smoking, response to other smokers, smoking to relieve stress, smoking for mental stimulation and smoking automatically.
Novice smokers seemed to be more influenced by environment and sensation. Their motivations to smoke included being in a smoking environment, visual and olfactory cues that encourage someone to smoke, and the taste and sensation of smoking.
Experienced smokers were more influenced by cravings, automatic smoking, the need to smoke even when knowing the negative health effects, the use of smoking to enhance mental activity, and emotional attachment to smoking.
The inventory also found that motives most connected to smoking relapse were automatic smoking, smoking to enhance mental activity, smoking to alleviate distress, and being in a smoking environment.
Have you ever asked yourself why you smoke?
Source:
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