Smoking is a health risk

Anti-Tobacco Campaign Month, May 2010

We often hear that smoking is bad for our health, but this doesn't seem to stop many people from doing it. Many of us take up smoking because we think it suits us, looks good and won't really harm us. In fact while the affects of long-term smoking may not be obvious, it can cause a lot of damage to one's body. Healthcare practitioners advise that smoking is best avoided if you are not already a smoker, and that you should give it up if you do smoke.

Smoking is not a very clever thing to do if you consider the harm it does to one's body. Doctors give many reasons why people should not smoke including the fact that smoking can greatly increase an individual's chances of having a heart attack and developing diabetes as well as a whole range of cancers.  It can also lower the body's resistance to diseases such as TB and negatively affect a man's sexual performance.

As part of the Government Employees Medical Scheme's (GEMS) ongoing effort to educate our members and future members on a range of healthcare topics, we would like to provide you with some information on smoking and advice on how to give up.

Given that smoking is bad for us why is it that so many of us still do it? And why do so many people find it so difficult to give up? Many people and especially youngsters take up smoking because their friends do it and they want to fit in.  They feel that other people look tough and ‘cool' doing it so they try it too.

One of the problems with smoking is that tobacco contains nicotine, which is a highly addictive drug.  You may not think you are addicted to it, but try to do without cigarettes for a while and see if you crave them. If you do crave them you are no doubt addicted. Many smokers find such an addiction very difficult to break.

When you puff on a cigarette the smoke is drawn into the lungs and the nicotine enters the bloodstream. The nicotine affects the brain within a matter of seconds causing it to release ‘feel -good' hormones. So what happens is that when we smoke we cause our brain to feel slightly ‘high' and when we don't smoke we come off the high and experience a withdrawal from the nicotine. Soon our bodies and brains start to need the nicotine in order to feel good and we become addicted to smoking. We start to think cigarettes make us feel good but they do not, they actually sap one's energy and health. They only give you a temporary pickup during and just after you smoke.

Being addicted to tobacco wouldn't be such a problem if smoking was not so unhealthy. As noted previously, smoking can cause a very wide range of health problems. Indeed, smoking kills people younger and if they smoke they are very likely to die 15 to 20 years before they should have.

Your cigarette contains as many as 4000 separate chemicals many of which are considered highly toxic. Benzene, for example, is a toxic industrial solvent that is thought to cause leukaemia in some smokers. Cadmium is found in batteries and damages the kidneys and arteries. Cigarette smoke also contains other toxins that can be found in rat poison, varnish and nail polish remover. 

Nicotine causes blood vessels to constrict increasing blood pressure in many people and resulting in the heart having to work harder. This can place them at an increased risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure and a possible stroke. Smokers are twice as likely to die from a heart attack as non-smokers.

The narrowing of blood vessels, which occurs over a period of time, has other negative effects on health as well. For example it results in decreased blood flow to the tissues of the body and negatively affects its ability to heal. It is also often an important factor in causing male impotence, ruining some people's sex lives. In women it has been associated with infertility.

The smoke you inhale from a cigarette contains no fewer than 43 carcinogenic, or cancer causing, substances and has been shown to cause a range of cancers. Some 90% of lung cancers and 30% of all cancer fatalities are thought by some experts to be caused by smoking. Besides lung cancer it has been associated with throat, mouth, kidney, stomach and prostate cancers to name just a few.

One's smoke can harm other people too. Second hand smoke has been shown to increase the risk of illnesses such asthma in children and cancer.

So how do you kick the habit? Some people find it easier than others and there are a number of ways that it can be done. Different approaches work for different people. The important thing is to give up as there are a lot of health benefits. Among these is a decreased risk of heart failure and of developing cancer.

Those who have a lot of willpower and strong desire to give up can go ‘cold turkey' or, in other words, stop smoking without extra help or first cutting down. Some people are not as addicted to nicotine as others and they often enjoy more success with this approach.

Another approach is to cut down smoking slowly over time. This involves gradually smoking fewer cigarettes each day until one is entirely free of the habit. It is best to make a plan regarding how you are going to do this and then stick to it. You may decide, for instance, to smoke one cigarette fewer every day or every week until you have stopped completely, or you may rather follow an approach such as having a cigarette an hour later every day until you are eventually having none. Whatever approach you choose, this can be an effective way to reduce the nicotine in your body over time.

Nicotine substitutes in the form of gum, patches or sprays can also be very helpful in helping one to give up. They contain nicotine and are used to reduce the craving for nicotine and take away much of the desire to smoke. They can be very useful aids in the battle to give up smoking. 

Drug treatments are now also available and can be very effective. These help reduce withdrawal symptoms and are only available through a doctor.

Smoking is dangerous and is not recommended for anyone. While it is best not to start smoking in the first place, there are many benefits to giving up. You may need a little willpower to get through those first days, but you will find yourself growing increasingly stronger and less dependent on this drug with each passing day. If you need help in order to give up do not hesitate to find it. It is best to get all the support you need in order to overcome this unhealthy habit.

If you have any more questions regarding smoking you can phone the GEMS call centre on     0860 00 4367 or send a SMS to 083 450 4367. GEMS will assist you in every way possible to ensure your family's health and well-being.

Sources:
The Dangers of Smoking and Quit Smoking Methods, www.quittersguide.com.
The Dangers of Tobacco, www.tobacco-facts.info/dangers_of_tobacco.htm.