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What You need to know about Quit Smoking |
By Derick Kunhill
 Smoking is an obsession. Cigarrete smoke contains nicotine, a drug that is addictive and can make it very challenging, but not impossible, to quit. More than 400,000 deaths in the U.S. each year are from smoking-related illnesses. As said already it's not impossible to quit smoking. More Facts on Quit Smoking:
*Smoking considerably raises your risk for lung cancer and many other cancers.
* Smoking troubles not just the smoker, but also family members, co-workers, and others who breathe the smoker's cigarette smoke, called secondhand smoke.
* Among infants to 18 months of age, secondhand smoke is associated with as many as 300,000 cases of bronchitis and pneumonia each year.
* Secondhand smoke from a parent's cigarette increases a child's chances for middle ear problems, causes coughing and wheezing, and worsens asthma conditions.
* If both parents smoke, a teenager is more than twice as likely to smoke than a young person whose parents are both non-smokers. In households where only one parent smokes, young people are also more likely to start smoking.
* Pregnant women who smoke are more likely to deliver babies whose weights are too low. If all women quit smoking during pregnancy, about 4,000 new babies would not die each year.
Smoking can cause:
1. Stained teeth, fingers, and hair
2. Increased frequency of colds, particularly chest colds and bronchitis
3. Asthma
4. Neuralgia
5. Gastrointestinal difficulties, constipation, diarrhea, and colitis
6. Headaches
7. Nausea
8. Convulsions
9. smoker's patch
10. Insomnia
11. Heart murmur
12. inflammation of blood vessel linings
13. Shortness of breath
14. Arthritis
15. Smoker's hack
16. Nervousness
17. Wrinkles and premature aging
18. Tension
19. Gastric, duodenal, and peptic ulcers
20. Lung cancer
21. Cancer of the lip, tongue, pharynx, larynx, and bladder
22.Emphysema
23.High blood pressure
24. Heart disease
25. Artherosclerosis & arteriosclerosis (thickening and loss of elasticity of the blood vessels with lessened blood flow)
26. Inflammation of the sinus passages
27. Tobacco angina (nicotine angina pectoris)
28. Pneumonia
29. Influenza
30. Pulmonary tuberculosis
31. Tobacco amblyopia
32. impared hearing
33. Decreased sexual activity
34. Mental depression
Counter Facts
If you quit smoking changes are seen within minutes in your body!!
After 8 hrs Nicotine and Carbon Monoxide level reduce by 50%, oxygen levels return to normal
After 24 hrs Carbon Monoxide removed from the body. Lungs start to clear out mucus and debris.
After 48 hrs There is no nictotine left in the body. Ability to smell and taste greatly improved.
After 72 hrs Breathing becomes easier. Bronchial tubes begin to relax and energy levels increase.
After 2-12 wks Circulation improves, making walking and running a lot easier.
After 3-9 months Coughs, wheezing and breathing problems improve.
After 1 year Your excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker after one year.
After 2 year Your chance of achieving long-term success with quitting tobacco increases significantly after two years.
After 5 years From 5 to 15 years after quitting tobacco, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.
After 10 years * Risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
* Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases
* Risk of ulcers decreases
After 15 years * Risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked
* Risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked
Quitting Tip
When you want a cigarette, wait a few minutes. Try to think of something to do instead of smoking; you might chew gum or drink a glass of water. Be with a person you fear or like someone who should not know you smoke ;).
If you'd like to learn more about Quit Smoking steps please visit Quit Smoking website or quit smoking counter.
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