Stop Smoking Today and Invest In Your Health
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Stop smoking Smoking is responsible for 3 million deaths a year worldwide. So, one of the single and positive steps you can take to safeguard your health is to stop smoking. It is now accepted that smoking can shorten your life by as much as 24 years. Up to 40 per cent of deaths caused by coronary artery disease each year are smoking-related.
If you are a heavy smoker, you have 15 times the risk of dying from a heart attack before the age of 45 than a non-smoker. One third of all smokers die of a smoking related disease, such as lung cancer, heart attack or stroke – half of these before the age of 70! If you are a hardened smoker and these facts alone aren’t enough to make you want to stop smoking, just bear in mind that you’re probably not the only person who will suffer. Passive smoking, inhaling another person’s cigarette fumes, increases the risk of lung cancer in non smokers by 30 per cent. Smoking triggers the release of the stress hormone Adrenaline, which speeds up the heart rate and raises blood pressure with consequent long-term effects on health. It is also the most potent promoter of free radicals known; not only does it encourage your body to create free radicals, but also cigarettes smoke itself is rich in free radicals. There is no evidence that low-tar brands of cigarettes are less damaging to the lungs; they are just as harmful to the heart. While pipe and cigar smoking are generally considered slightly safer than cigarettes, because less tobacco smoke is inhaled, they still carry major health risks. Cigar and pipe smokers run a higher risk of developing mouth and throat cancers than cigarette smokers. Marijuana smoke can be especially harmful to the lungs because it is usually inhaled unfiltered. It may also contain more cancer causing agents than tobacco.
Studies have shown that nicotine is one of the world’s most addictive substances; it’s on a par with Cocaine and Heroin. If you’ve smoked for a long time, stopping may be the hardest thing you will ever do. Nicotine is a powerful and highly addictive stimulant that reaches the brain within seconds of inhaling tobacco smoke. The good news is, is that when you do manage to kick the habit you’ll start to enjoy the health benefits almost immediately. The level of oxygen-depleting carbon monoxide in the blood will decline right away so you’ll very quickly have lots more energy and stamina. Studies have also shown that only five years after giving up cigarettes, the risk of stroke is equal to people who have never smoked.
Ways to Stop Smoking
• Use Nicotine replacement therapy - or NRT. You can try nicotine chewing gum, patches, inhalator or a nasal spray. All of these products have been scientifically tested and shown to double your chances of stopping. NRT works by getting nicotine into your system without the tar, carbon monoxide and all of the other poisonous chemicals you get from tobacco smoke. So whilst you’re becoming a non – smoker and breaking the habitual part of the addiction, your body will still receive nicotine from NRT. Once you’re comfortable not smoking, you can cut out the NRT gradually with lowering doses.
• Avoid stimulants such as coffee, tea, alcohol and chocolate in the early weeks of your stop smoking campaign as they can increase your desire for a cigarette. Instead, drink lots of fruit juices or water.
• Join a local support group, which can provide advice and encouragement as you need it. • Giving up smoking can make you want to snack more, so instead of eating sweets and high-fat junk food, fill yourself up with fruit and vegetables. Buy healthy snacks that you can nibble on during the day. Chewing gum can also help you to resist the urge for unhealthy snacks. • Avoid having even just a few puffs of a cigarette, as it may dissolve your determination. If you do give in to temptation, then don’t despair. Simply tell yourself that you've had a momentary lapse. If you fail on your first attempt just don’t give up, keep trying until you eventually succeed. • Keep busy – don’t sit around bored and wanting a cigarette. Take up activities like walking, jogging, swimming or cycling. Research shows that ex smokers who exercise regularly are less likely to smoke.
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