Quit Smoking

© Nishant Baxi, 2019

ISBN 978-5-0050-6441-7

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Nishant Baxi

Quit smoking

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Nishant Baxi

Quit Smoking

HEALTH DISCLAIMER

THE QUIT SMOKING EBOOK

MAKES EVERY EFFORT TO MAINTAIN THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE BUT CANNOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY PREJUDICE, LOSS OR DAMAGE WHICH MAY OCCUR FROM USE OF THE INFORMATION. THE MATERIAL CONTAINED ON THIS WEB SITE ARE PRESENTED SOLELY WITH THE INTENT OF PROVIDING PUBLIC SERVICE INFORMATION ON HEALTH, HEALTH SERVICES AND HEALTH-RELATED ISSUES. THE QUIT

SMOKING EBOOK

ALL INFORMATION IS PRESENTED AS A PUBLIC SERVICE FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY – ALL MATERIALS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SECONDARY DATA SOURCE AND ALL MATERIALS WHICH ARE USED IN DECISION MAKING PROCESSES SHOULD BE CONFIRMED WITH OUTSIDE EXPERTS. THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED NOR IS IMPLIED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTH PROVIDER PRIOR TO STARTING ANY NEW TREATMENT OR WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING A MEDICAL CONDITION.

DISCLAIMER:

THE AUTHOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE USE OR MISUSE OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE BOOK IS FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. IT IS NOT INTENDED AS PROFESSIONAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO ACT.

Quit Smoking

HAS NO DIRECT OR INDIRECT CONTROL OVER THE ACCURACY OR NATURE OF MATERIALS PRESENTED WITHIN THE MATERIAL, ALTHOUGH WE STRIVE TO MAINTAIN OUR MATERIAL WITH ONLY WITH SITES THAT HAVE AN ESTABLISHED STANDARD.

INTRODUCTION

W E ’ RE C REATURES OF H ABIT

T HE U GLY T RUTH

IS IT WORTH SMOKING?

10 R EASONS FOR P ICKING THE H ABIT U P

S MOKING A IN ’ T C OOL

F ACTS A BOUT T OBACCO IN A MERICA

S MOKE AND P AY THE C ONSEQUENCES

HOW TO QUIT SMOKING

HEALTH RISKS FROM SMOKING

BENEFITS OF QUITTING SMOKING

WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

HOW TO STAY QUIT AFTER QUITTING

THERAPIES AFTER QUITTING

H YPNOSIS

M EDITATION

C OUNSELING

N ICOTINE R EPLACEMENT T HERAPY

H OMEOPATHIC T REATMENT

INITIATIVES FROM THE GOVERNMENTS

I RON H ANDS OF LAWS

E FFORTS IN A MERICA

S OME IMMEDIATE Y IELD

S TEPS UNDERTAKEN BY AHCPR

A PPREHENSION OF N ATIONAL C ANCER I NSTITUTE

P ROHIBITION FOR THE FUTURE GENERATION

T HE SILVER LINING!

R EDUCING THE APPEAL OF S MOKING

A ND SOME MORE…

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

27

BOOKS & SOFTWARE

OTHER WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT…

FINAL WORDS

Quit Smoking

Introduction

We’re Creatures of Habit

«Form good habits… be a good person» is the universal motherly advice every one of us can recall when we scratch the realm of our memories. Tiny tots and youngsters are forever bound, protected and guided by their seniors and elderly in order to help them on to tread the path laid on time tested principles of honesty and good behavior. Yet sometimes unknowingly they take the forbidden route just to prove things for the heck of it.

Due to the extreme stress, strain and stretch of the competitive world around any person today is more susceptible to succumb to pressure and buckle under it. Here’s where the need for addiction in any form arises which however provides only temporary solace rather than erasing the real cause. We sometimes latch on to it and slowly get further and further suck into its false whirlpool leading us to lose our will power.

An addiction simply adheres itself to our self-belief eroding it gradually by digging into it. We just remain a shade of our previous selves hereby taking a short cut to a track that leads us to more acute physical and mental problems. Any addiction can be overcome, any bad patch overridden if only we could endure it by facing it head-on keeping the following lines from Kipling in mind —

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds worth of distance run

Yours is the earth and everything that’s in it

And – which is more – you’ll be a MAN!

Quit Smoking

The Ugly Truth

Tobacco usage causes more than 430,000 adult deaths per year in the United States.

Around 5 million under 18 years will die prematurely from smoking-related diseases.

More than 4,000 chemicals have been identified in tobacco smoke of which at least 43 cause cancer in humans and animals

Exposure to passive smoking, 3,000 nonsmokers die of lung cancer every year.

150,000 to 300,000 infants and children less than 18 months experience lower respiratory tract infections. Asthma and other respiratory conditions often are triggered or worsened by tobacco smoke.

Smoking among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders varies between 18% to 40% (including 9% to 13% females)

Tobacco use is linked with numerous adverse health outcomes, disability, and death across a spectrum, including heart disease, cancer, and chronic lung disease.

Quit Smoking

Is it Worth Smoking?

10 Reasons for Picking the Habit Up

A sudden rise of energy level to combat stress, stretch and strain of our daily schedule

A concentration pill

To overcome frustration due to the indomitable desire of achieving the very best even beyond our limits

To bridge the gap between our desired aspirations and hard core reality

Already Addicted and finds no valid reason to quit

A style in the society

The additional energy level for repeated sexual interaction in a row

To avoid boredom

Its a tradition and doctor’s advise is a foolish notion

Just to enjoy

The smokers treat all the above as valid points and the non-smokers feel these to be

Smoking Ain’t Cool

The following factors induct the youth into tobacco usage in which nicotine is found which results in addiction. These are responsible for initiation of the adolescent amongst whom 76% of the daily smokers believe that in 5 years they would not be smoking. However the trend shows that 5 to 6 years later 73 percent of these persons continue to smoke having built up yet another make believe resolution to quit smoking in another 5 years when life would cool down a bit. 46 percent of the daily smokers however do succeed in having stopped smoking for at least some periods during the first 5-year phase. Yet remarkable there is a less than 3 percent population though insignificant who stop smoking permanently.

Quit Smoking

Tragically this habit that starts as a style spreads its roots from an age when most people just begin to give shape to their dreams, ambitions and careers. This «style becomes killer’ tip toeing on the sands of time snuffing out lives leaving behind in its trail more than 5 million years of potential life lost every year the world over.

Socio demographic factors like coming from a family with low socioeconomic status.

Environmental factors include easy accessibility and availability of tobacco products, cigarette advertising and promotion by legends and stars and the widespread affordability of tobacco due to its low price.

Personal factors include borrowed perceptions from peers and siblings that

«tobacco use is normal’ and lack of parental involvement.

Low self-esteem and the lack of ability to refuse offers to use tobacco further fuels the wrong notion that tobacco use benefits.

Facts About Tobacco in America

Men are more susceptible to smoking than women.

American Indians or Alaska Natives are more likely to smoke than other ethnic groups.

Hispanics and Asians or Pacific Islanders are more prone than the rest.

Highest smoking levels are found amongst the Vietnamese and Korean Asian Americans

Gay men and lesbians smoke more frequently than heterosexuals.

While individuals with 16 or more years of education or in middle or high income groups have the lowest smoking rates

Quit Smoking

Smoke and Pay the Consequences

Smoke from ALL CIGARETTES damage the human body, as any amount of it is injurious to health. Surprisingly cigarettes are perhaps the only advertised products whose consumption causes CANCER.

It is a completely wrong notion that smoking fewer filtered cigarettes has no negative impact whatsoever. Even a habit of 1 to 4 cigarettes a day has serious consequences making an individual more prone, with a high chance of dying at an earlier age.

It is hardly relevant whether one puffs a high-tar, low-tar or high-nicotine, low-nicotine brand, as the risks remain same. Moreover under the belief of the alternates being safer one ends up smoking more number of cigarettes than the usual. The harm caused remains same as the individual often ends up taking deeper puffs more frequently to a shorter butt length. Hence the dose of the intoxicating nicotine that is the addictive drug remains unchanged. Studies confirm that chances of lung cancer are in no way lower in low-tar or low-nicotine smokers. Nicotine taken in small amounts attacks the brain and central nervous system giving rise to pleasant sensations affecting the mood of the smoker and enhancing his nature of wanting to smoke more. Thus an individual becomes absolutely dependent resulting in physical withdrawal symptoms when he tries to overcome his near fatal injurious to health habit. Whenever an individual looses his calm, relaxed self artificially attained through smoking he feels nervous and restless, the direct output of non-smoking.

Quit Smoking

How to Quit Smoking

The big billboard of Los Angeles displays to the passers by the casualty caused due to smoking has not drawn your attention then perhaps you have been influenced by some very sensational relationship or your house physician or may be even some ghastly advertisement has triggered you of to quit smoking. Experts find some sudden incidental outcome or emotional outburst to be the key-triggering event for quitting smoking.

The smokerfree.gov (http://www.smokefree.gov/guide/basic_steps.html) has nicely translated the steps for Quit Smoking as START

S = Set a quit date.

T = Tell family, friends, and co-workers that you plan to quit.

A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges you’ll face while quitting.

R = Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car, and work.

T = Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.

Now let us define the steps in our own way.

First of all, you must be aware of the triggering event of your life, which has propelled you to take a decision to quit smoking. You must be sensitive to this as this will change your life in the long run like being reborn yet again. What we suggest you only announce your plan to a specific near or dear person. Again we suggest that there is no alternative to a sudden outburst. So, may be due to a very close and emotional ambience you have decided to throw the cigarette from the grip of the fingers, may be half finished or may be the after the last puff. Please for God’s sake, don’t worry about wasting the rest of the packet. The money you

Quit Smoking

are loosing for the leftover cigarette is really negligible to the amount you are going to save in the forthcoming days because of your revolutionary decision.

The coolest way of taking a decision and announcing it to public involves the risk of postponing the date even for trifle incidents. Remember there are many people who will advise you NOT to leave smoking, might be because of jealousy or even for fear of isolation due to loosing a smoking partner. The only positive side of such an announcement is that it may build up an additional pressure on you for keeping up commitments. In an ambience, where the majority are smokers, who will remind you about your commitments – and your chance of being ashamed due to the failure of commitment goes mostly unnoticed. So, we advise you to take random decisions.

The online edition of BBC News reports that «researchers at University College London interviewed more than 1,900 smokers and ex-smokers about their attempts to quit and found that two-thirds of smokers who stopped suddenly succeeded for at least six months, compared to under half of those who planned it in detail.» (http://www.medindia.net/)