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Sunday, May 10, 2009

Quit Cigarette Smoking~The Decision To Quit Smoking

Quit Cigarette Smoking~The Decision To Quit Smoking

Even before you decide is to Quit Cigarette Smoking, you need to figure out why you want to quit smoking. From a non-smokers point of view this may seem obvious; health reasons. However, smokers don’t always Quit Cigarette Smoking for health reasons. While a smoker may think that this would be the best reason to stop smoking; it might not motivate them to stop for good. People in general like to be instantly gratified; they look for and act upon things that provide benefits that can be felt, seen, tasted and experienced now, not always things that will benefit them in the long run. I highly recommend you take a note pad and make two columns on a page. On the left side you should list the things that you enjoy about smoking (ex. Relaxing with my cup of tea after supper). On the right side you should list all the cons about smoking (ex. I run out of breath easily). I am sure when you complete this you should see a longer list on the right side and a shorter one on the left. This can help you get motivated to take the final step and quit.

The motivating factor for a smoker to Quit Cigarette Smoking varies greatly among people. For many it is for financial reasons. In some areas of the world, a pack of cigarettes run $8 per pack or more. This means smoking one pack per day will take $56 out of their pocket every week, $248 every month and a whopping $3,000 a year. I am sure anyone can find something better to do with that money. I often suggest to people that while they are quitting, bank the cash you WOULD be spending on cigarettes. It adds up very fast and when you are successful at quitting….take that dream trip, go on a shopping spree, pay down your mortgage….whatever you like. I just find that it is very motivational to visually see the numbers you’re wasting on cigarettes.

Other motivating reasons for quitting may also be: the smell on their clothing and hair, the smell of your car, it prevents excelling at a sport that they love, they want to sing better, their teeth are stained and it embarrasses them, the birth of a new child or many, many other non-health related reasons. In order to experience a permanent break from this habit, you need to determine the reasoning behind your decision. Once you determine why you want to quit, you can remind yourself on a daily basis why you’ve decided to Quit Cigarette Smoking. Here is another motivational thing you could do to help yourself along the way. When you find out why you want to quit you need to make a list of those reasons and post it on your fridge, near your desk, in the bathroom….wherever you will see it. You should read it at least once a day if not more to help you stay motivated!!

Here is a partial list of ingredients found in cigarettes:

Acetic Acid: in vinegar, hair dye and developer.
Acetone: main ingredient in paint and fingernail polish remover.
Ammonia: a typical household cleaner and glass cleaner. Scientists have discovered that ammonia lets you absorb more nicotine — keeping you hooked.
Arsenic: deadly poison that causes diarrhea, cramps, anemia, paralysis and malignant skin tumors. It is used in pesticides.
Benzene: found in rubber cement, pesticides, and gasoline.
Benzo (A) Pyrene: found in coal tar and cigarette smoke. It is one of the most potent cancer-causing chemicals in the world.
Butane: found in cigarette lighter fluid and gasoline. Highly flammable.
Cadmium: found in batteries, and artists’ oilpaint. It causes damage to the liver, kidneys and brain, and stays in the body for years.
Carbon Monoxide: a poisonous gas found in car exhaust.
DDT/Dieldrin: found in insecticides.
Fibreglass: a material often used to make the hulls of boats, as well as fibreglass pipes. Small particles of fibreglass are found in some cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Fibreglass is included in these products in order to cause tiny cuts in a smoker’s or chewer’s mouth, throat and lungs to ensure faster delivery of nicotine and other chemicals to the blood stream.
Formaldehyde: used to embalm dead bodies. It causes cancer, and can damage your lungs, skin and digestive system. This embalming fluid is also often used to embalm small animals in biology classes, so check with your science teachers to find this one.
Hydrazine: used in jet and rocket fuels.
Hydrogen Cyanide: used as a poison in gas chambers.
Lead: a highly poisonous metal that used to be found in some paints. Lead poisoning stunts your growth, makes you vomit and damages your brain.
Napthalenes: used in explosives, moth balls and paint pigments.
Nitrobenzene: a gasoline additive.
Phenol: found in disinfectants, plastics, and used in chemistry tests in laboratories.
Polonium: radiation dosage, equal to 300 chest x-rays in one year.
Propylene Glycol: lock de-icer.
Styrene: found in insulation material (Styrofoam).
Tar: a sticky brown substance composed of organic and inorganic chemicals that is the main cause of lung and throat cancer in smokers. Tar can also cause unsightly yellow-brown stains on fingers and teeth.
Toluene: found in paint thinner and embalmer’s glue. It is highly toxic.
Vinyl Chloride: found in garbage bags.

In general, people do not stop to think about what they are really putting into their bodies. As you can see the tobacco companies have gone to great lengths to keep you addicted for life......using chemicals that can eventually take your life. In my next post I plan on talking more about nicotine itself, how it works, what it does in your body and some of the withdrawal symptoms it produces when you quit!

Is this new information to you? Did it shock you? Does your new knowledge motivate you to take the step and quit?

Quit Cigarette Smoking~The Decision To Quit Smoking

2 comments:

Karunakar said...

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ZimPeople said...

It's amazing that millions of people who smoke and those who will start smoking tomorrow hardly know anything about the toxins found in tobacco cigarettes.

That's the greatest info barrier that tobacco companies continue to enjoy. I would estimate if all people who are currently smoking knew about these toxins probably over 50% would make an effort to quit and succeed.

Just my thoughts :)

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FACT: Smoking Relapse is normal