Be Smart, Don’t Start: No Smoking Day 11 March

Posted by on Mar 10, 2015 in Swavalamban Blog

don’t be a fool, smoking is not cool
 

Nowadays Smoking is a part of everyday life, although, it has only recently become so and it would be unheard of for people not to smoke

There are over one thousand million smokers throughout the world, which is an astonishing number, considering the harm smoking does to your body, which we are all well aware of.
Thus, more and more governments are trying to make people aware of the health risks and consequences of smoking. Some governments have even banned smoking in all indoor public places.

Cigarettes are widely available and in many countries fairly inexpensive to buy. For this reason, buying cigarettes is no longer a luxury only for those who can afford to buy them, but a product that is widely attainable by most people.

No Smoking Day 11 March is celebrated as an awareness program in almost all over the world against tobacco consumption among the people. The main objective of the day is to spread awareness about the harmful health effects of tobacco consumption through cigarette and other modes.


Study after study shows a link between smoking and a host of health problems, including heart disease, lung disease and cancer: 1 in 10 adults — more than five million per year — dies from tobacco-related illnesses.

And despite all of the scientific evidence of tobacco’s health dangers, and in the face of millions of dollars’ worth of public health advertising, nonsmokers are still being persuaded to take that first drag that can lead to lifelong addiction.

 

Why do people Smoke??

1. While there are certainly other influences that can lead a smoker into the habit, peer pressure is one of the biggest. A large part of the reason peer pressure comes under scrutiny is that one of the groups most likely to begin smoking — young teenagers — is also one of the most susceptible to peer pressure.
If a child in a social circle starts experimenting with tobacco, it’s all too easy for him or her to lead peers into smoking as well — the smoker doesn’t want to be alone, and the not-yet-smokers don’t want to be seen as afraid to try something risky or boundary-pushing.

2. For people not suffering from severe mental illness, cigarettes may still become a form of self-medication. Many people experiencing much lower levels of stress — in a high-pressure job, for example — may start to smoke as a way to manage the tension and nerves associated with the situation. The tobacco becomes a psychological — as well as chemical — crutch, as any potentially stressful situation sends them instinctively reaching for a cigarette. The tool they had used to alleviate stress suddenly becomes a stressor in itself, as they shift from fighting through a difficult situation with the help of nicotine to fighting the nicotine itself

3. Worldwide, tobacco advertising plays a role in the number of people who start or stop smoking. This is not news for public health officials, who, in many nations, began fighting smoking-related illness by restricting tobacco advertising.
Studies have suggested that when young viewers see a main character smoking, they’re more likely to see smoking as something socially acceptable, stylish and desirable.

4. This reason for smoking is tied to peer pressure, although it’s a little more complex and has the potential to affect more than just peer-pressure-sensitive teens. In short, social rewards are the “gifts” people feel they receive when participating in a group activity. Most often, this means some form of acceptance: Smokers at an office building who take cigarette breaks at similar times may bond while they smoke.
As smoking becomes more and more restricted, smokers find common ground in complaints over dirty looks and occasional ridicule from the nonsmoking public and the increasing limits on when and where they can smoke.

5. There’s a thrill that comes from breaking rules. Combine that with the natural tendency of many teenagers to push the limits of rules imposed by school, parents and their communities, and it’s no wonder that many young people will instinctively push against any limit. Teens get thrill after thrill from breaking so many rules, enough so that the rush can overcome the sickening effects of those first few cigarettes.

6. Children of active smokers are more likely to start smoking than children of nonsmokers, or children of parents who quit smoking. Even nonsmoking parents can act in ways that inadvertently make it easier for their children to start smoking.
Studies have found that parents who place few restrictions on movies, allowing their children to watch films that depict heavy smoking and drinking, may be setting their children up to be smokers. Likewise, parents who react to smoking as a socially acceptable behavior — even if they don’t smoke — can leave the door open for their children to experiment with tobacco.
If a tendency toward addiction is seen along family lines or within certain ethnic groups, public health officials can use that information to target their efforts toward populations that have the highest risk for tobacco addiction.

7. Smokers who are addicted to tobacco report a range of positive sensations that come from smoking a cigarette. These range from reduced tension or appetite to a heightened sense of well-being. For some, smoking is essentially a way to self-medicate for illnesses that cause tension and pain. Patients suffering from some forms of mental illness, such as depression or anxiety disorders, may take up smoking because it can help mitigate some of their symptoms .
using nicotine to manage medical conditions comes with a host of negative side effects. Beyond addiction, the risks of lung disease, cancer, heart disease and early death mean nicotine.

Effects of Tobacco Smoking on body: 

Central Nervous system

– One of the ingredients in tobacco is a mood-altering drug called nicotine. Nicotine reaches your brain in mere seconds. It’s a central nervous system stimulant, so it makes you feel more energized for a little while.

side effects of nicotine on body

– As that effect subsides, you feel tired and crave more. Nicotine is habit forming.
Smoking increases risk of macular degeneration, cataracts, and poor eyesight. It can also weaken your sense of taste and sense of smell, so food may become less enjoyable.

– Your body has a stress hormone called corticosterone, which lowers the effects of nicotine. If you’re under a lot of stress, you’ll need more nicotine to get the same effect.

– Physical withdrawal from smoking can impair your cognitive functioning and make you feel anxious, irritated, and depressed. Withdrawal can also cause headaches and sleep problems.

Respiratory System
– When you inhale smoke, you’re taking in substances that can damage your lungs. Over time, your lungs lose their ability to filter harmful chemicals. Coughing can’t clear out the toxins sufficiently, so these toxins get trapped in the lungs.
– Smokers have a higher risk of respiratory infections, colds, and flu.
– Children whose parents smoke are more prone to coughing, wheezing, and asthma attacks than children whose parents don’t. They also tend to have more ear infections.
– Children of smokers have higher rates of pneumonia and bronchitis.
Cardiovascular System 
– Smoking damages your entire cardiovascular system. When nicotine hits your body, it gives your blood sugar a boost. After a short time, you’re left feeling tired and craving more.
-Nicotine causes blood vessels to tighten, which restricts the flow of blood (peripheral artery disease). Smoking lowers good cholesterol levels and raises blood pressure, which can result in stretching of the arteries and a buildup of bad cholesterol (atherosclerosis).
– Smoking raises the risk of forming blood clots.Blood clots and weakened blood vessels in the brain increase a smoker’s risk of stroke.
– Smokers who have heart bypass surgery are at increased risk of recurrent coronary heart disease. In the long term, smokers are at greater risk of blood cancer (leukemia).
Skin, Nails and Hairs
– Smoking causes skin discoloration, wrinkles, and premature aging. Your fingernails and the skin on your fingers may have yellow staining from holding cigarettes.
– Smokers usually develop yellow or brown stains on their teeth. Hair holds on to the smell of tobacco long after you put your cigarette out.
Digestive System
– Smokers are at great risk of developing oral problems. Tobacco use can cause gum inflammation (gingivitis) or infection. These problems can lead to tooth decay, tooth loss, and bad breath.
Smoking also increases risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, and esophagus.
-Smokers have higher rates of kidney cancer and pancreatic cancer. Even cigar smokers who don’t inhale are at increased risk of mouth cancer.
– Smoking also has an effect on insulin, making it more likely that you’ll develop insulin resistance. That puts you at increased risk of type 2 diabetes. When it comes to diabetes, smokers tend to develop complications at a faster rate than nonsmokers. Smoking also depresses appetite, so you may not be getting all the nutrients your body needs.
– Withdrawal from tobacco products can cause nausea.
Sexual and Reproductive System
– Restricted blood flow can affect a man’s ability to get an erection.
– Both men and women who smoke may have difficulty achieving orgasm and are at higher risk of infertility.
– Women who smoke may experience menopause at an earlier age than nonsmoking women. Smoking increases a woman’s risk of cervical cancer.
– Smokers experience more complications of pregnancy, including miscarriage, problems with the placenta, and premature delivery.
Whatever the reasons people have to start smoking in the first place, the majority of them quickly become addicted and continue to smoke for a long period of time.
Some manage to quit, probably after many unsuccessful attempts, whilst others will smoke for the rest of their lives, however long or short that may be.
It is a fact however, that over 50% of smokers wish that they didn’t smoke and that they could give up tomorrow.
Therefore, it should be apparent that most people smoke because they are addicted to nicotine. For them, not to smoke would need an immense amount of willpower, a huge amount of s