DO YOU HAVE A SMOKING PERSONALITY?
GROUND REALITY
· Most persons start smoking in their teens, and a third of them die prematurely because of this.
· A single cigarette shortens a smoker’s life by around 11 minutes.
· A cigarette contains around 4800 harmful chemicals, 69 being cancerous.
· Smokeless tobacco forms are quid and snuff.
· The top six cancers in men are all tobacco-related: lung, mouth, larynx, gullet, pharynx and bone.
· In women, tobacco use causes cancers of the cervix, mouth, gullet, lung and bone.
· It also causes heart disease, bronchitis, asthma, impotence, depressed immunity, poor healing, fatigue, osteoporosis, fractures, tendon and rotor cuff tear, muscle cramps and low backache.
· Smoking prematurely ages your skin and hair, and doubles age-related eye degeneration.
· Women smokers risk conceiving, birth defects and growth retardation of babies.
· Inhaling ‘second-hand’ smoke also affects innocent persons.
· Smoking generates free radicals that result in a damaging chain reaction in all body cells.
· The main symptoms are unexplained weight loss, fatigue, cough for more than 3 weeks, blood-stained sputum, breathing difficulty, chest discomfort, wheezing, and hoarseness in voice.
· Tobacco users may also develop patches in the mouth, limited mouth opening and burning sensation.
· A 30-year old smoker pays 40-60% higher premium for his life insurance, besides medical expenses.
· Insurance companies may also refuse to cover tobacco users with poor health.
· Your career prospects may also get affected if you fall sick frequently due to smoking.
· It can be even more disastrous if you are self-employed and your family’s sole breadwinner.
1. The Stress Smoker
· For you, smoking is a way to ease tension when you have a problem at work or at home.
· Exercise can help you banish your cravings and stress.
· Exercising also releases adrenaline in a positive way to help boost energy and mood levels.
2. The Nicotine Junkie
· Upon waking, your first thought is ‘cigarette’ and you smoke regularly throughout the day, feeling jittery if you miss one.
· Nicotine replacement therapy may help you, for breaking your addiction as painlessly as possible.
· One painless way is nicotine patches, gums or sprays that are available on medical prescription.
· Battery-operated electronic cigarettes imitate smoking and convert purified doses of nicotine into vapour, but without cancer-causing chemicals.
· However, they could be harmful if taken without a medical prescription, as nicotine is itself highly poisonous.
3. The Social Smoker
· You forget about cigarettes when alone, but as soon as you’re with other smokers, you succumb.
· You need to make quitting a social activity with external support, like quitting at the same time as a friend or relative.
· You can also try to remain with a circle of friends who do not smoke or have quit smoking.
4. The Habitual Smoker
· For you, smoking has been part of your day for years, from your morning tea to watching night TV.
· You need to break the cigarette-associated habits by forming new, healthier habits in their place.
· Hypnotherapy can also be helpful in your case.
5. The Serial Quitter
· You’ve tried giving up many times, using a variety of methods, but without any luck.
· Don’t feel discouraged by your track record, be prepared for a relapse, but keep trying.
· You just need a way to boost your sheer will power and resolve, with support of family and friends.
· The two main enemies of will power are low glucose levels from lack of food, and being tired.
· So never go for more than 2 hours without a healthy snack, and get 8 hours of sleep per night.
· Decide on a date and quit completely; reducing doesn’t help.
· Keep yourself busy from the day you quit.
· Avoid any temptation when your cravings start getting weaker.
· Reward your non-tobacco success with a healthy treat after a month.
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