Breathing Happy Author

Smoking is Wasting Your Time

Most everyone knows that smokers live shorter lives, an average of 8 years shorter. But have you ever thought about how much time smoking takes up during your life? We live in a "time is money" culture. Not that that's how it should be, but people often put that kind of value on time…and wish they had more of it. A smoker might not even realize how much valuable time is taken up by this habit.

There's the mental energy and time wasted by thinking about when you'll be able to take a break, or step outside, or go for a drive, to have that smoke. There's the time spent worrying about the harm it's doing to you (and possibly to others you love). There's the time spent driving to the convenience store to buy smokes, or driving around to find a place to buy them, or thinking about where to buy them. Time wasted making sure one has matches, lighters, and cigs, and maybe something to drink with it or something to ash in.

Then there's the time wasted by the smoker that the non-smoker doesn't even have to worry about, such as the extra time it takes to heal from a cold or recover from an illness, because smokers take longer to get well after being ill, not to mention the extra time it takes to catch up at work because of being sick longer. There's more time spent at doctor's visits talking about smoking problems, and more time spent going to doctors due to more illness, and that's just when facing run-of-the-mill illnesses, we're not even talking yet about the time spent dealing with serious illnesses that can occur after years of heavy smoking such as cancer, emphysema, or loss of limbs, for example. There's also the extra time the smoker needs to sleep, to make up for the poor sleep s/he gets, since smoking affects sleep negatively.

There's the time spent cleaning up from the habit–cleaning ash trays, throwing away empty packs, more house cleaning if you actually look at the fact of the gray film and odor that smoking leaves on the walls, furniture, and every object in the home if smoking occurs inside.

Finally, there's the time spent actually smoking. It all adds up to a big fat waste of time. Your life is too precious, and time on this Earth too short and special, to waste one more moment of it on this addictive drug. Take the first step, do whatever you can, or keep doing what you are doing, to free yourself from the clutches of this time-sucking addiction.

Real Cravings of an Imaginary Smoker

Three days ago:  

So I was on this plane taking me from Dakar to Istanbul, an 11 hour flight, cramped in a unbelievably small seat. I was flanked by two stern -looking middle aged guys. How in the world is my time going to go by?.. I had stomach cramps all afternoon just before getting on the plane. No doubt,  it was in anticipation of this trip. It was the anxiety of someone who was going to be confined, deprived… Stress, stress, stress, cramps, cramps, cramps. All afternoon, it was the same symptoms any addict would have before involuntary rehab. Read more

Pleasure: My First Time

The first time I smoked, I was a rebel, angry and stupid. 

Whew, it felt weird writing that first sentence, but yes, it's true.

I smoked not because of peer pressure, but maybe because of a little bit of subliminal marketing from television ads. Okay, it was a lot. I don't blame my dad even though he was a chain smoker. He often smoked two to three packs of Phillip Morris a day. (May he rest in peace). For all that has been said and done, I made that dumb decision myself. 

Mostly, what brought me to that moment, to that decision, was a mixture of runaway emotions that are quite normal for rebellious and hormone infused teenagers. I was a curious, confused and hormone laden boy monkey. 

When I think about it today, I recall that moment of planning, of figuring out where to buy, how much they cost, where to smoke, and what brand. In hindsight these were pretty, pretty stupid and trivial matters, since I was caught!

Now, that was not part of the plan!

The brand that I chose was Philip Morris, the green menthol ones which are longer than Marlboros and quite cheaper. Why? Because I saw them a lot at home. I thought to myself: I'm going to start with something familiar. Besides, they were affordable at 20 pesos for a pack of 20. This was in the late 90s, so that was about 50 US cents a pack! The thought of stealing from my father's cigarette pack also crossed my mind, but I knew I'd get caught.

The first problem to overcome was where to buy them. We lived in a middle class subdivision in the Philippines and I was quite naive. (Okay, very naive.) I was thinking quite falsely and innocently

  • "What if the storekeep calls my parents right after I buy?"
  • "What if I go to jail for buying?"

So I came up with the insidious idea to say, "Somebody asked me to buy it for them" 

In my mind, I was reciting to myself an imaginary dialogue with my targeted store. 

  • Me: "I'd like to buy some cigarettes please," quite casually.
  • Storekeep: "May I see your license to buy cigarettes." said the storekeep quite sternly.
  • Me: Quite cooly "Oh, I don't have any, somebody just asked me to buy it for them."

As naive as the dialogue now sounds, that was my way of thinking about it then. 

To my surprise, it was actually easier. 

Nobody cared what you bought. Nobody asked any questions. None. 

So right after school, I bought a pack quite easily and also bought a lighter. Now the trick was to smoke when my parents were out of the house. That day, all of my plans seemed to be working out all right. Dad was not yet home, mom was shopping. So, I climbed on top of our water tank, which was as high as the roof of our two story house. 

The view was awesome.

It was like playing with Google Earth for the first time. I saw nearby cities and houses and neighbors' houses I hadn't yet met. I felt the power of the wind move my body gently. It was like a gentle nudge from an invisible force.

I am afraid of heights. Climbing that tower felt exciting and exhilirating. The throbbing in my chest felt stronger. Bright yellow and red imaginary exclamation points were popping up everytime I moved my arms or legs. It was a new, unknown and exciting feeling. 

After I soaked all of the new sensory inputs in, I sat down and got the cigarettes. 

You see, as stupid as I may have been at the time, at least I had the sense to think that smoke flies outwards and upwards. If I stayed on top of the water tank, I somehow felt that nobody would smell it at all. 

So I did this several times, timing whenever my parents were out. 

Finally, I got caught. 

Yes, the smoke does flow upward and outward, but the smell stuck to my clothes! As soon as my mother caught me,  she told me to go down the water tank, like, "Danny !%!%! Go down the water tank!"

A new type of exciting feeling came over me, but this time, it wasn't awe or that feeling of danger. It was fear!

"So, you want to smoke? Do you even have a job?" (I was a teenager)

No.

"This is what we give you money for?"

No. Sorry. 

"Give me your pack of cigarettes."

I don't have any. I lied.

"What do you take me for, they're in your pockets. See, it's bulging!"

Sorry. Here. 

"Now you want to be a big man?"

No.

"Here smoke them all at the same time!"

I shook my head.

Then my mom, tore all up the cigarettes like they were pieces of paper. 

Brown and white pieces scattered on the floor just beneath the base of the water tower. At the time, I was thinking, "What a waste." 

"Clean them up."

I did.

 

 

 

 

 

Reasons to Give up Smoking

Share your personal stories

Cigarette smoking is a deadly habit and should be the first thing that we should try to quit. But being an ex-smoker myself, I know we find reasons to delay giving up the habit thinking that we will give it up before we've done any damage, but in most cases long term damage is already done. Here are some of the top reasons to give up smoking and lead a healthier life.

Heart Disease or Stroke

Research has proven that smokers are four times more likely to develop heart disease than non smokers. In terms of stroke the numbers are also terrifying with smokers twice as likely to have a stroke than non smokers. These numbers should help you convince giving up smoking for good.

Lung cancer

The numbers for lung cancer are equally horrifying, the chances of smokers getting lung cancer are 23 times more for men and 13 times more for women than non smokers. Apart from lung cancer smokers are exposed to chronic obstructive lung disease 13 times more than non smokers.

Better Health

Leaving smoking has a great affect in your overall health, your lung capacity increases, you will have a stronger immune system which means that you will have less colds, coughs and ear infections. You will also have better energy and will be able to do your day to day functions with ease.

Better Outlook

Smoking causes damage to the skin and wrinkles so if the diseases don't scare you, do it for vanities sake. You will also have better smelling clothes and shinier teeth.

There are a million reasons to giving up smoking and its up to you to pick the reason and give up the habit for good.

Recent Study: Smoking Employees Cost More

With nerves frayed and a shaking yearning to get out of the constricted workspace, you wait until the clock strikes 12. 

You finger your pockets just to check whether your lighter or pack of Marlboro lights Gold is still there.  

“Just a few more seconds…” you mutter to yourself while watching the red hand of that clock in front of you make its arduous journey to the number 12. 

You automatically swallow and your fingers shake as you discover that the pack inside your pocket is actually empty. You loosen your tie a bit as you think about the nearest place you could buy cigarettes. Read more

Smoke Free Life Step Program Step 7

Smoking is not a habit and it does not exist. The real reason you continue to smoke is to feed the little nicotine monster inside your stomach. The nicotine in your body has to be fed regularly. You the smoker decide when to feed this monster. Normally when you smoke it is on four types of occasions or a combination of occasions. Read more

Second Hand Smoke

In 2012 there were an estimated 58.5 million U.S. residents that were smokers. Second hand smoke kills 53,800 non smokers annually. This makes it the third leading cause of preventable death in America.

Second hand smoke (SHS), contains over 4,000 chemical compounds, two hundred known poisons, and sixty carcinogens, some of which include: Lead, nickel, benzene, formaldehyde, chromium, cyanide, ethylene oxide, arsenic, polonium and carbon monoxide. These dangerous particles can linger in the air for hours, and smoke lowers the amount of oxygen in the blood. Residue left on a smoker's clothing can cause health problems, especially in children.

If a person spends more than two hours in a room with a an individual smoking, the non-smoker inhales the equivalent of four cigarettes. The immediate health effects of SHS are coughing, nausea, headache, eye irritation, sore throat, dizziness, and difficulty in breathing. For those already suffering from asthma or other respitory disorders, this can be dangerous.

In adults, second hand smoke can trigger asthma and bronchitis, and is a known risk factor for lung cancer. It increases the risk of heart attacks, and is also a known risk factor for various  other types of cancer.

Children who live with smokers are more apt to develop middle ear and sinus infections. SHS is associated with 413 SIDS deaths in the US annually.

Exposure to SHS as a child is associated with a increased risk of developing Atopic dermatitis which is a chronic nflammation of the skin. A higher risk of tooth decay has also been associated with passive tobacco smoking.  Children who grow up around smokers have smaller lungs and decreased lung function than that of a child living in a non-smoking home. Children who are consistently exposed to SHS tend to develop childhood asthma.

When children are forced to be in proximity of SHS, such diseases as cystic fibrosis, bronchitis, and even pneumonia are worsened. These conditions are very difficult for small children to tolerate.  Middle ear infections are common in children inhaling second hand smoke. The smoke irritates the Eustachian tube, which connects the back of the nose to the middle ear. This causes fluid retention and can be very painful for the child. If diagnosed right away, these infections can be easily cured, but if treatment is delayed, it can lead to permanent reduction in hearing.

The possibility of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) increases when a mother smokes. Lower birth weight, as well as conditions such as cleft lip and palate are seen in instances of maternal smoking.

300,000 cases of toddlers and infants with respiratory diseases are reported yearly. Much of this could be avoided if parents were to think about the affects of their smoking on children.

 

 

 

 

Revised and updated from original posting @ Knoji.com

Trial and Error

My name is Amber and I am 23 years old. That picture above is of my husband and I. We have 4 beautiful children together. Our family consists of three little men and one little princess. They are 4 years old, 2 years old, 1 year old and six months old.

I am a smoker and I have been one since I was thirteen years old. I was pushed into smoking by two cousins of mine. As it turns out, family can be just as persuasive as your best friend. Family sometimes is much worse,  because they are supposed to love you.

Well I started because of them, and I have been smoking ever since. My entire family, the women at least, have no teeth.

I am now missing five teeth on top and one on bottom. I currently have stitches in the bottom part of my mouth. I just recently got all of these pulled. This included my front teeth. I am now wearing partial dentures. I have been told by family that it is because of having kids so close together.

I, however, do not think this is true. Perhaps this affected my dental health a little, but I"m quite certain that smoking has caused this problem for me. I no longer feel as pretty as I once did. I do not think I look as young as I really am, thanks to smoking. My mother is only 42 years old and she looks as if she is 65. This is no joke.

I have been reading up on some advice and tips on quitting. I have already lost some of my teeth, but I would like to keep what I do have. I want to be healthier for my children and my husband. They deserve me, and they deserve to have me around for a while. I do not want to go out the way my grandmother did.

My grandmother passed away having to be on oxygen and other medications. I already have asthma, and I do not want to add to that. I hope I have encouraged someone somewhere to quit with this blog. I am trying my hardest to quit myself.

Support to Help you Quit

Share your personal stories

Decided to quite smoking? You've made it through a long way.

Think you can do it all alone? You are not quite right.

Smoking cessation is easier said than done and you need the support of the people around you. Do not feel scared of failure. You'll fail. Again and again. Then one day, you'll succeed.

1) Take support from family and friends: tell them you want to quit. They'll be more than happy to help you out.

2) Get support from therapists and counselors: there are plenty of counselors out there who are there especially to help you kick the habit.

3) Take your physician into confidence: There are ways to quite smoking. Some drugs may help. Or so may a chewing gum in place of the cigar. Your physician can definitely help you out.

There are many different types of support. Someone can help you through their positive words or encouragement. Or maybe through counseling or prescribing medication. But one thing's for sure. You can do it, but you can't do it alone.

Read This if You Hate Yourself

Have you ever walked barefoot on soft and slippery mud, and had the soles of your feet pierced by the wonderfully beautiful bougainvillea thorn?

Have you ever gritted your teeth in pain as a hundred or maybe even a thousand fire ants, crawled inside your clothes, biting you from within with no recourse for you but to lose your mind forcing yourself not to shout at what fate has brought you?

If not, then ladies and gentlemen, I’d like you to meet pain.  Read more