Life After Smoking!
Every organ in your body will suffer from the effects of inhaling the poisonous toxins every cigarette holds inside. It is not easy to quit smoking, but it can be done. There are a variety of little helpers on the market which can assist in controlling the initial cravings to light up!
Let’s take a look at some of these commonly known toxins
- Benzene, found in pesticides and gasoline.
- Formaldehyde, this chemical is used to preserve dead bodies.
- Vinyl Chloride, a man made chemical used to make plastics, this can be found in cigarette filters.
- Arsenic, a poison used in pest control; especially rats.
- Carbon Monoxide, found inside the vehicle exhaust.
- Nicotine, chemical used in pesticides.
- Ammonia, used in fertilizers and cleaning products.
These are just a few toxins, there are many more.
What Help is There?
The NHS (UK) have a free program to help and guide the smoker on their journey to becoming a non-smoker! Check it out here for more information. Other aids include chewing gum, patches, lozenges, nasal and mouth sprays. Your doctor can prescribe tablets, and these are controlled with appointments to monitor patient progress.
How Can I Help Myself? The smoker genuinely needs to want to give up the habit, and have the determination to move forward and become smoke free. Completely changing the day to day routine will help. For instance, if waking up and going down stairs for coffee or tea, and the first cigarette of the day is usual, stop! Wake up and shower first, and by the time you get downstairs some of the cravings will have diminished. If it is normal to smoke after a meal (this is quite common in smokers), clear up first, and keep busy to help eliminate the urge to light up. Try to refrain from drinking alcohol is the early days, this will decrease the willpower.
Health Problems Smoking, causes cancers, heart attack, stroke, and bronchitis. Other smoke related health problems include: high blood pressure, damaged blood vessels (peripheral vascular disease), cerebrovascular disease; the arteries that supply blood to the brain have become damaged. Emphysema; damage to the airways, pneumonia; lung inflammation.
Giving up smoking will increase your chance of living longer, you will feel and look better, and your body will thank you for it!
Financial Cost Cigarettes burn money! For example a smoker on twenty a day at £6 per packet is paying £42 pounds every seven days. Annually, £42 x 52, works out at a staggering £2,184 going up in smoke!
Socially Socially, smoking is becoming less popular and unwelcome. Public houses, restaurants, shops, the work place, company vehicles, bus shelters, are all no smoking zones.
Would parents who are smoke free, want their children visiting the home of parents who smoke. Second hand smoke is just as lethal! People who smoke have bad breath, their hair and clothes smell of stale smoke.
The Cost of Life -Terminal Illness At this moment in time there is a choice to either give up or remain a smoker. That choice may change one day, if you are told you are terminally because of your smoking habit!
Put the fresh air back into your body and make the decision to give up, and start enjoying life after smoking!
Janice Horner