Smoking causes over 80% of all drug related deaths, far more than alcohol or illicit drugs! Did you know that 80% of young people who smoke regularly continue to smoke as adults? Nearly half of smokers under 30 started smoking by the age of 15.
Everyone knows the risks of smoking, but people are still starting to smoke, and continuing to smoke. So, why do they do it??
WHY PEOPE SMOKE CIGARETTES
Many people say that smoking makes them more alert and improves their concentration, while others believe that smoking calms them down, especially when they are feeling anxious or stressed.
Scientists believe this is because the chemicals in the cigarette (especially nicotine) have reduced the withdrawal symptoms that smokers get between one cigarette and the next. Smokers are 'addicted' to smoking!
SMOKING IS ADDICTIVE
Tobacco is more addictive than heroin or cocaine. Smokers become addicted to smoking in three different ways.
1. People who smoke out of habit find they smoke more at certain times or in certain situations. This includes smoking when they are talking on the phone, after eating, with coffee, with alcohol, or when sitting around with friends. These people automatically smoke when they are doing certain things, without really being aware of any real 'craving' for a cigarette.
2. Other people smoke more when they are under a lot of stress, or if they are angry, depressed, bored, or even when they are happy. Their urge to smoke is triggered by their feelings, and their need for an 'emotional boost'.
3. Most smokers find it hard to stop smoking because they are physically addicted to the nicotine in cigarette smoke. Nicotine addiction begins as soon as people start to smoke regularly.
People who tend to smoke around other people, often when drinking alcohol, consider themselves 'social smokers'. Social smokers often believe they are safer than regular smokers because they smoke less often. But dont be fooled into thinking you are 'not a real smoker'. Social smokers are at risk of all the dangers too.
It is possible to be addicted to smoking in any or all of the ways described above. The longer you have been smoking, and the more cigarettes you smoke a day, the harder it is to give them up.
WHY YOU SHOULD YOU GIVE UP SMOKING ?
Apart from the health risks, smoking is not seen as 'cool' any more. Its banned in so many places these days, that it can be hard to hang out with your friends.
Smoking is very likely to kill you.
Smoking turns your teeth and fingers yellow, and affects your skin and complexion.
Smokers get so used to the smell of stale tobacco smoke on their hair, clothes and breath, that they don't notice it anymore. But others do!
Smoking affects your sense of taste and smell, making both of them less sensitive.
Smoking can really harm your body! It is the most common cause of cancers of the lungs, throat and mouth.
Smoking makes you about 10 times more likely to die early from a major stroke or heart attack.
Smokers suffer more frequently from severe bronchitis and emphysema (a disease where the chemicals in tobacco smoke severely damage the lining of the lungs, and make it difficult to breathe).
Smoking increases the risk of developing diabetes.
You don't have to have bronchitis or emphysema for smoking to effect your breathing. Try swimming a few laps of a pool, playing a game of footy or netball or do an aerobic class as a smoker. Breathing while exercising the heart and lungs is a lot tougher if you're a smoker.
Smoking damages small blood vessels, and restricts blood flow to the hands and feet, can lead to gangrene and even the amputation of limbs.
Smoking harms unborn babies and young children.
Babies need to be kept away from cigarette smoke during pregnancy and for the first year of life at least
Smoking in the same house or car with children means they breathe in the smoke as well. These children get more colds, ear infections and chest problems such as asthma, if they live with a smoker.
The good news is that, if smokers quit smoking, the body repairs itself quite quickly.
Nicotine leaves the body in just two hours, and another deadly chemical, carbon monoxide, leaves the blood stream after only twelve hours.
Nicotine by-products are gone within two days.
Within two months, the blood flow to the arms and legs improves, and the lungs begin to repair themselves in about three months.
Your sense of taste and smell improves, your skin will lose the 'grey' look that smokers get, and your body will be free of that stale tobacco smell.
Your chance of getting heart disease and cancer begins to fall.
Another good reason for giving up smoking is the amount of money you save.
Smoking is expensive. Count up how much money it costs in a year. That amount of money
could pay for an overseas holiday, or buy a great sounding stereo system!
What if I just cut down on smoking?
There is no 'safe' level of smoking, and the reality is that 'cutting down' just doesn't work! It has been proven that, when people reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke, they take more 'drags' from each cigarette. They also take the smoke deeper into their lungs, and hold it in their lungs for a longer period of time. Light cigarettes will also be just as likely to make a smoker addicted.
How can I give up smoking?
No-one is pretending that giving up smoking will be easy, especially if you have been smoking regularly for a long time. You will probably have to deal with cravings to smoke triggered by habit and certain feelings (such as feeling stressed) as well as the addiction to nicotine itself. However, people are giving up smoking every day, and you can do it too!
The 4 'Ds'
QUIT, use the 4 'Ds' every time you feel the urge to smoke.
1. Most important of all is to 'Delay acting on the urge to smoke' until the craving has passed.
2. 'Deep breathing' will help to calm you down if you are feeling stressed or anxious, and will give you something to think about other than the need for a cigarette.
3. 'Drinking water' will freshen your mouth, and, if you sip it slowly, will give you something to do until the craving has passed.
4. 'Do something else', anything at all which will distract you and keep you from reaching for that cigarette but avoid over eating as the substitute. Research has shown that brisk exercise, like a walk for even five minutes, significantly reduces cravings.
While you are trying to give up smoking, it will help if you keep away from other people smoking, or smoky places. People often find it harder to resist smoking if they have been drinking alcohol.
It is also a good idea to have a plan to help you avoid times when you smoke out of habit. You could try going for a walk immediately after eating, or using the phone in another room where you don't normally smoke, anything to help break the old habit of smoking in certain situations.
Giving up smoking is not easy, and not everybody manages to quit on their first try. It seems that most people actually take a few tries before they manage to quit for good, and that it gets easier each time. Sometimes there can be relapses, say, if you're at a party you may have a cigarette or two.
Don't be too hard on yourself - accept this as an example of how hard it is to give up - not as an example of failure! Stop smoking again the next day or after the party.
Can I help someone else to give up smoking?
The main thing you can do to help someone who is trying to quit smoking is to offer plenty of support and encouragement. Try to be understanding if they are irritable or bad tempered, or feeling sick.
People will only be able to give up smoking if they want to do it for themselves. Even if you are really worried about their smoking, they will not be able to give up just because you want them to. Nagging is probably the worst thing you can do! The smoker is just likely to get defensive, and may become more determined to keep smoking! |
