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Monday, April 20, 2009

Quit Cigarette Smoking~Why Do People Start Smoking?

Quit Cigarette Smoking~Why Do People Start Smoking?

You may be shocked to find out that tobacco smoke contains not only nicotine but more than 4000 chemicals. At the minimum 50 of those chemicals are highly poisonous and directly linked to cancer. The manufacturers have spent millions perfecting cigarettes that taste and smell good to the average smoker. They also spend millions making sure that the cigarettes they make have a sufficient amount of necessary ingredients to keep you addicted. Most of the addiction is a result of the nicotine. The manufacturers want to ensure that when a person smokes they get the most nicotine possible. There is actually ammonia in the filters of cigarettes because it allows more nicotine to pass through the filter making it even more addictive. These companies are not advertising to smokers....they are advertising to non-smokers to encourage them to start. They know when someone starts it is very hard to quit.

Most people start smoking their first cigarettes either given or taken from older friends or family. Part of the reason they smoke is to be a part of the crowd that they admire or people they aspire to emulate. If something is seen as cool or fashionable then there will be many people who will do it simply to be accepted by their peers. Clever advertising campaigns from tobacco companies depicting happy, healthy looking smokers enjoying life don't help either!

It is about image more than anything else as most people would agree that the first cigarette is certainly not pleasant. If food tasted that bad we would surely never eat it again. I remember my first cigarette and not even having a clue about inhaling. Can you imagine...we were 15 years old or younger, about 4 of us sitting in a room SWALLOWING the drags we took. We were almost throwing up. My younger cousin popped in and caught us. He was a smoker so he explained and demonstrated INHALING for us. We thought it was funny until we smoked enough days to get hooked. We seriously thought we were pretty cool. Then we found out what withdrawal was and cravings. In the long run....I wish that day never happened. Statistics show that the majority of people who smoke wished they had never started and if they could wind back the clock they would certainly never try it again. The only good I can see coming from the fact that I smoked is that maybe I can help others make better choices or changes, like quitting.

The majority of people find that smoking tastes bad, makes them feel bad and it is only after they get accustomed to the taste that those feelings disappear. By that time they can't give up due to their smoking addiction and a new problem presents itself. It is only the addictive nature of tobacco that makes so many people continue to smoke long after they realize the way it is affecting their health and encroaching on their lifestyle.

Fortunately as more and more people see the dangers that smoking brings to their health and longevity, more are quitting. Quitting is getting easier now that there are many methods to quit smoking. Smoking is becoming a more unacceptable practice and not seen as fashionable in many areas of society.

Interesting news in Ontario, Canada this past week:
Smoking ban with kids in car now a go. Drivers face $250 fine under new law launched on Weedless Wednesday! No more smoking in cars with children present. The Ontario Medical Association said that even with windows open and ventilation fans on, smoking makes air in the small cabin of a car at least 13 times dirtier than the air outside. Smoking concentrations in a car can be 20 times worse than in a smoky bar. Studies suggest cigarette smoking in cars can expose children to concentrations of toxins that are 27 times stronger than in the home. This has caused some great debates as smokers fearing the next step is a ban in your own personal homes. They banned smoking in bars and restaurants a few years ago too.
What do you think? Is this a fair law? Do you think people will really to Quit Cigarette Smoking?

Quit Cigarette Smoking~Why Do People Start Smoking?

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