Quitting Smoking Analysis Essay Example

of a smoker to go through these hallowing periods, I have seen, leads to reversion of the habit, and the vicious cycle starts. The intensity of the withdrawal symptoms has left many smokers with a notion that quitting smoking is difficult and impossible; I have enough reasons to believe they are mistaken. Some people might want to ask me, why do people want to quit smoking? I will give a few reasons for this. Smoking has for long been associated with bad effects in the body some of which are life threatening.

Smoking is astoundingly expensive too, I have heard my friends complain a lot, and also may lead to limitations in both formal and social interactions. Many of the non-smoking population often have an open non-preference for non-smoking and these restrict non-smoking zones campaign aimed at ridding the streets and all public places of smoking. It is these limitations that would be a major drive for smokers to contemplate quitting (Stratford D, 1998 p17). The most important factor, according to the smokers I have come across, would be the most talked about smoke related diseases.

Smoke has been largely identified as a resulting to lung, nutrition and heart complication. It is factual that smoke is the lead cause of living cancer. Browsing through the medical journals, I have come to understand that statistics indicate that over 90% of all lung cancers are as a result of cigarette smoking either from a direct or passive smoker. Other cancers that are caused by smoking range from cancer of the pancreas, tongue, bladder, mouth, and throat among many others. The more then our friends smoke

the more they increase their chances of getting lung cancer.

I pity a big proportion of the people who are smoking at the moment as they eventually might end up dying in the coming years. Quitting, however slowly and gradually, decreases the chances of getting lung cancer. The simple biology I have learnt in class has shown me that some chemicals contained in tobacco are known to destroy cells in the lungs leading to malignant tissues. After quitting these destroyed cells before they become cancerous are slowly replaced normally growing cells. As you can see hence, the risk of cancer decreases as time goes by and after a period of less than ten years the risk may have decreased by 25%.

Cigarette smoking has also been found to be a major contributor of cardiovascular diseases especially in the United States. In fact I would put it alongside high blood pressure, diabetes, lack in physical excises and obesity as some of the factors contributing to heart conditions (Kevin C, 2002,p 64). One disorder I have identified is a therosclerosis, if I would put it in simple words, it is an accumulation of fat and fatty elements in the arteries; this is what leads to a heart attack.

On itself, cigarette smoke has an ability of causing a heart condition, but it becomes even worse when other factors are at play. It is known to increase pressure of the blood and increased cases of blood clot. Heart ailments have mostly been found prevalent as age progresses especially from the age of 50 years and above. Women too have been found to be susceptible mostly

if they use contraceptives. Cigarette smoking exacerbates the situation to an extent that these women might experience cases of stroke at a rather tender age if continually exposed to cigarette smoke.

I am surprised at the impact of harmful chemicals and substances in cigarettes and tobacco in general on the nutrition aspect of a person. They tend to drain from the body many vital minerals and vitamins; furthermore, they reduce the ability of the body to take in these essential elements. We all know that vitamins are one of the key materials required by the body to protect and fight against diseases, hence I would be right to say that smoke can reduce consequently the ability of a person to maintain his/her immunity system intact.

The main vitamin targeted by smoke in this case is the vitamin C contained in cigarette smoking results to more loss from the bloodstream of these elements, causing damages. These damages require more vitamins to heal; this vitamin is not available because it has been held up by smoke. This means that the body continuously decreases its immunity as time goes by. It is only important that to cancel out this loss of immunity, a smoker would require taking loads and loads of more vitamins in additional to the non-smokers level, and addressing this shortfall.

I believe it is common knowledge that the suppression of immunity in smokers has a consequent result of making a person more prone and vulnerable to all sorts of ailments that otherwise would have been avoided easily, especially flu and colds. I am not yet done with negative effects of smoking; this

is because, in addition to health risks, smoking causes other inhibitions in the society. We all know that it is an open secret that insurance costs are done subjectively and can be increased where a smoker is involved.

Employers may too have a preference for non-smokers to avoid complications and inconveniences in the work place. (Warren K, 2000 p27) I have taken a look around and I have come to note that smokers might be restricted entry to some important places, vehicles and restaurants. I shudder at the thought of mothers who smoke, as I know that they are at a higher risk of giving birth to babies with low weight, respiratory complications, vomiting or tragically to a sudden infant death syndrome.

It is rather sad that smoke related complications are very prevalent in the society and yet they are avoidable. I see many people fighting nail and tooth to get out of nicotine addiction, live healthily and decrease their risks of getting the afore mentioned diseases. I have always wondered, and many I know will agree with me, if there are such risks, then why do people smoke? I have talked to a couple of smokers and they gave me a couple of reasons why people smoke, with or without knowing the dangers associated with the habit.

Some people told me that the youngsters and the naive smoke to look fancy and be in line with the trends. I agreed with him. Almost everyone who smokes if frank will confirm that he/she started smoking in the belief that he will appear fancy and modern. As young boy, my friends used to

do it to be manly and be accepted in their various gangs and peer groups. Ladies do it to look sexy and appear trendy. All these people, you will agree with me, do it out of total ignorance of the repercussions of smoking. (Kristi J, 1992 p53)

Others, as I have over time come to learn, do it in the name of reducing stress. They give a few reasons for this. It emanates from the fact that smoking is a relaxant and is known to induce positive changes in the smoker’s mood. I have seen my friends, especially when faced with a hard and demanding task take to smoking to relax their minds. This however has been strongly refuted by health experts. Apparently high dependency on nicotine is highly depressing and increases a smokers stress further. The stress being reduced in the first shall have emanated from a dependency of nicotine.

The level of nicotine when it goes below the normal measure in a smoker’s body will lead to stress, an urge develops that leads to the smoker inhaling more nicotine and reduce that stress. The belief that smoking reduces stress is a fallacy in itself. It does not alleviate the problem but rather will lead to increasing the stress level eventually as a result of the addiction (Daniel F, 1999 p63). This is because every smoker addicted to nicotine will most often than not need to replenish the nicotine stock to maintain his usual mood that shall have fallen in between the smoke.

This belief in the relaxant power of cigarettes is what leads to chain-smoking situations, as the cycle has

to recur over time, to counter any withdrawal symptoms that might emerge. In today’s modern world, the society has imbedded stereotypes and beliefs in people’s minds that being slim is being cool. People are struggling with all manner of exercises and medications to shed excess weight, and be in tune with times. One such method and habit people belief is a remedy to reducing weight is through cigarette smoking. This is common especially in women. People are smoking their way to death in the bid to conform to societal norms and beliefs.

I am amazed that some still believe that cigarette smoking may lead to reduced weight due to one fact; that it hinders and affects negatively an individual’s appetite and craving for food decreases. They believe that excessive craving for food is suppressed by the equally competing longing for smoke and once the individual smokes there is a feeling of relieve. To me this is foolhardy. This weight loss situation is worsened by the unfounded belief that smoking cessation will immediately lead to weight gain which might result to weight-related complication.

I must however admit that this is partly believable, as studies have found cases of weight gain upon withdrawal of smoking. However to counter this gain, I would advise those wishing to quit to channel their effort towards countering the resultant weight gained and should not use this as an excuse to continue smoking. I would highly recommend a change of eating and living habit (Franklin B et al, 2005 p 33). The withdrawal symptoms are touted as the key factors that discourage quitting in smokers. Getting out of any addiction

is itself a difficult and engaging experience that requires more than a strong body will.

An addiction in cigarettes is likened with an addiction in hard drugs like heroin and marijuana. The best method for quitting any addiction should be one that is able to cope with the withdrawal symptoms. In smoking, although there are stiff opposition to it’s proven functionability; the best way to quit smoking, I am convinced, is through what many people refer to as “cold turkey”. This simply refers to abrupt quitting of smoking with no prior thoughts or any elaborate preparations. This stems from the thought that cold turkeys do not require any lengthy preparations (Fred H, 2004).

Opponents of this method cite its very difficulties and challenging experiences. However, they recognize its cost effectiveness and its realistic nature with no extensive side effects. I have come to establish that the success of this method depends on how committed and dedicated the smoker is to seeing that he/she emerges successfully. One must also be able to cope with the disturbing withdrawal symptoms. It requires an individual to take in a lot of water. These liquids are meant to help the body to remove unwanted toxic elements caused by years of cigarette smoking.

I must agree that an understanding of the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms is an effective requirement; these will only take a few days after they will subside to a negligible level. This method also requires an individual to be extra-ordinarily busy and not to entertain any smoking thoughts or pay attention to the withdrawal symptoms. When the craving climbs to an unmanageable level it

is advisable to hold a cigarette substitute and even go ahead and inhale fresh air deeply. It is also advisable to seek group solidarity and support. Interact with other people who have made it a resolution to quit smoking.