HEY YOU, STOP SMOKING!

If you haven’t already thought about quitting smoking it’s about time you did. Smoking can be a very social concept, which may contribute to how fast people become addicted. Between the trips outside, the small breaks during the work day, or while your driving in the car, the urge to light one up comes involuntary. So what is it exactly that has people coming back for more? What type of people are the majority of the smokers? And how much are people willing to spend on cigarettes every day?

Did you know in Australia, a 20 pack of smokes will run you about $20? Their government discourages people from smoking with a 12.5% increase in cigarettes sales every September. I feel this is a great idea because it gives people time to quit, but gives them a significant reason to stay motivated in quitting. In the States, New York is responsible for the highest priced cigarettes at about $12, while Missouri has the lowest priced cigarettes at just under $5 per pack. Assuming your smoking a pack per day, and just for this hypothetical well say you live in a state where cigarettes cost about $8, you will spend $32 per month on cigarettes, $384 per year, and $1,920 every 5 years you smoke. With that money you could easily have used it to put towards a vacation, buy plane tickets, or put in savings.

In my opinion no good thing ever comes from smoking. So what causes people to pick up that first cigarette? Sometimes so many influences come from the people closest to you, including family and friends. A lot of times smoking is a social thing and goes hand in hand with drinking. This was how I first started smoking. You’re at the bar, drinking with friends, and they all leave to go smoke, and you choose to either stand there alone or join your friends. Smoking for me became very routine, like for example every time I drove somewhere, I’d have to have a smoke. Certain actions started to go hand in hand with smoking, which made it harder to quit in the end. My smoking habit only lasted a little over a year thanks to my husband who couldn’t stand the smell, but most people have smoked for 20+ years.

Is it possible that the reason so many people smoke, knowing the consequences is because the effects develop over time and sneak up on you? To someone who doesn’t smoke, you might not understand the desire, but I can tell you from experience it’s a strong one. For me it was the menthol taste that kept bringing me back, but its different for everyone. I actually used this desire to stop as well by swapping my smokes for

Altoids with a similar taste. Smoking cigarettes increase your risk for lung disease so much so that smokers are responsible for 90% of all lung cancer deaths. Cigarettes aren’t picky, and can cause cancer pretty much anywhere in the body. People who smoke are also very susceptible to cardiovascular disease due to smoking causing your blood vessel to become thick and narrow, limiting the amount of blood flow through out the body. This can lead to blood clots and strokes. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD is a lung disease that obstructs your airflow. COPD goes hand in hand with bronchitis and emphysema. Bronchitis is increased mucus and inflammation in the lungs and emphysema is the destruction and enlargement of the air sacs in the lungs. These diseases have no cure! There is no erasing the damage, but you can prevent it from getting worse.

Cigarettes contain a lot of chemicals, but what are they exactly? Nitrosamines is classified as a nitrogen containing organic compound. They are proven to cause DNA mutations and have many human carcinogens. Acetaldehyde is a chemical that is found naturally in some ripe fruits and cheeses, but is used in some disinfectants, drugs and perfumes. Formaldehyde is a chemical that is commonly known to aid in preserving a corpse. It changes human tissue on a molecule level so that bacteria is unable to break it down. Ingesting formaldehyde can be life threatening and long term exposure of this chemical in the air (such as smoking cigarettes) leads to respiratory issues and dermatitis. Aromatic amines is a compounds commonly found in pesticides, plastic and pharmaceutical drugs. This chemical is also a carcinogen which is known to cause bladder cancer. Benzene is a chemical that is natural formed from a natural occurrence such as a forest fire or a volcano. Benzene is a proven carcinogen and causes changes to chromosomes in bone marrow. And if you didn’t know bone marrow is responsible for producing new blood cells. Butadiene is another chemical found in some cigarettes which has been links to birth defects in women who are carrying. This is commonly used in making rubber goods such as tired and plastics.

So with all these consequences why can’t people quit it? Most cigarettes contain an ingredient called nicotine. When nicotine is absorbed into the body it releases a chemical known as dopamine to the brain which then teaches the brain to repeat the behavior. If nicotine is so bad, why hasn’t it been put in a higher schedule of drug and made illegal? Some are afraid that if nicotine is removed from cigarettes, people would find other, possibly more dangerous ways to obtain it. Some cigarettes have been retailed as “light” cigarettes claiming to have less dangerous chemicals such as tar and nicotine, but in reality the only difference between a light and a regular cigarette is the filter.

Is it safe to say stress is a significant factor in people who smoke? According to the CDC the most common type of person who smokes is a male in the age range of 25-64, who is divorced, who carries no more than a GED certificate, with an annual household income of 35,000 or less. Now these are just statistics but I cant help but make the assumption that stress has so much to do with it. While I was working in the hospital you wouldn’t believe how many nurses went out to smoke. Is it a coincidence that nurses who arguably hold one of the most stressful job titles, continue to smoke even after seeing firsthand the consequences that cigarettes do to the human body?

Unfortunately there is no erasing the permanent damage cigarettes can cause to your body however, you can prevent it from getting worse. Immediately after quitting your blood pressure will improve. After just 8 hours from not smoking, the amount of carbon monoxide in your blood stream gets cut in half. After just three days, some have said they have an easier time breathing. After 2-3 months circulation improves through out the body. After 1 year, your risk of having a heart attack is reduced in half. After 5 years your risk of having a stroke is the same as a non-smoker. After 10 years of not smoking, you risk of lung cancer is reduced to that of a non-smoker.

So how do you even begin the journey of quitting? This absolutely depends on the person. Some people believe cutting it out cold turkey works, however this most of the time leads to relapse when stress increases. Hypnosis is an interesting approach to quitting, and many doctors have began to prescribe more and more scripts for this treatment in recent years. A lot of friends have switched themselves to a “safer” method a smoking, vaping. Vaping has been used as an alternative to smoking, however there are many different types of vapes and oils used which still contain nicotine and other chemicals founds in cigarettes. Vaping is a newer concept and we don’t know all that much about it, however many people will slowly decrease their intake amount of nicotine, by buying “pods” or oils with less and less levels of nicotine, till they are weaned. Talking to your doctor about other methods of weaning such as NRT (nicotine replacement therapy), pills, patches and inhalers are other great alternatives. Your doctor can prescribe you nicotine weaning medications to use, and you may even be able to find some patches over the counter in most pharmacies and stores. Medications such as varenicline and bupropion are some pill form medications that can help you quit, if other forms don’t work for you. Some other great tips include swapping smoking for walks, or just taking some times to sit outside and focus on your breathing, or meditate for a few minutes. Having a few suckers or candies handy is a great alternative and can satisfy that oral fixation, a cigarette may give you. Drinking plenty of water will not only keep you hydrated but help decrease the desire for a smoke. Smoking severely effects the color and quality of your teeth so focusing on dental hygiene and flossing can not only maintain a healthy mouth but take the focus off smoking. Frozen grapes are a healthy snack that I always have in my freezer even as a former smoker, but could be a great healthier alternative to cigarettes. Chewing gum is also a great option, and you can even find gum geared on weaning you off nicotine. Don’t just limit yourself to

one or even two of these options. Try all of them, and be diligent. Other countries will include gruesome images of diseases caused by smoking, on their packaging of cigarettes, in hopes they will discourage sales. I’ll never forget when I learned of this. I was getting my nails done and my nail artist had a pack of smokes on his desk, and I couldn’t help but stare at it, as it had some bloody image on the front. He told me that his home country must include those images on each package. Would they stop you from buying them, because it didn’t stop my nail guy?