What is a Cigarette!

[MajestyJo]

Facts of Smoking:

What's in a Cigarette:

A cocktail of more than 3,700 substances hits your lungs: Many of them are cancer- causing, acting as vasoconstrictors, decreasing the diameter of the blood vessels, alter the circulation increasing the blood pressure, and simply poisons to the whole body, including the bones.

1- Nicotine, carried by tar, begins to feed the cycle of addiction.
Within 7 seconds of inhaling on a cigarette, the nicotine reaches your brain. This triggers various responses in your body; your heartbeat and breathing rate go up and blood vessels constrict, meaning it decreases the diameter of your blood vessels, making it more difficult for blood to flow through the body. This forces the heart to work harder and can lead to higher blood pressure. It may be one of the reasons for increased heart disease in long time smokers. More obvious indications are cold or clammy hands, as the extremities do not receive as much blood.

2- Poisonous compounds enter your bloodstream, like Carbon Monoxide, Ammonia gas, Cyanide, Arsenic, DDT-Dieldrin (insecticide), Benzene, Nitrous Oxide Phenols...

Health Consequences of Smoking:
Smokers die of lungs cancer, emphysema, heart disease, brain stroke... approximately half of all regular smokers that begin smoking during adolescence will be killed by tobacco.

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S.

Cancer:
- Lung cancer: 90% of lung cancer in man and 79% of in women is directly attributed to smoking.
- Laryngeal cancer: 82% of cases attributed to smoking.
- Oral cancer (mouth): Smoking accounting for 92% of these cancers in men and 61% in women.
- Esophageal cancer: Nearly 80% of all deaths are attributable to cigarette smoking
- Bladder and kidney: Close to 50% of all cancer deaths in men are caused by smoking
- Stomach cancer: About 20% of the mortality is attributable to smoking
- Approximately 30% of all deaths from pancreatic cancer are attributable to cigarette smoking
- Uterus: Cigarette smoking accounts for approximately 30% of cervical cancers deaths in the USA,
- Leukemia: Between 20% to 30% of leukemia cases are related to smoking.
Heart and Circulation... Strokes:
- Coronary artery disease, cerebro-vascular disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and peripheral vascular disease are all affected and may be triggered by smoking.
- Heart attacks: Coronary artery disease attributed to smoking in men under 65 years of age accounts for 45%
- Strokes: 50% of all strokes in the United States are directly attributable to cigarette smoking.
-Aneurysm: 59% of all aortic aneurysm is secondary to smoking.
- Hypertension: Approximately 15% of hypertension is attributable to smoking. Also, smoking interferes with the metabolism of multiple anti-hypertensive medications, neutralizing their effectiveness.
Bronchial Problems:
- Chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, asthma and emphysema. Smoking is the single most important risk factor in the development these diseases, contributing to 81.5% of all deaths.
- mortality from influenza and pneumonia is increased and this increase is directly proportional to the amount of cigarettes smoked.
Pregnancy:
- Smoking increases the rate of low birth weight babies, premature babies, spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, neonatal death, abruptio placenta, placenta previa, bleeding during pregnancy, prolonged rupture of membranes, and impaired development of the infant.
- Smoking accounts for 21% to 39% of all low birth weight babies (less than 2500 g) in the USA..
- Women smoking 10 or more cigarettes per day have 46% greater odds of aborting, while women smoking more than 20 cigarettes per day have 61% greater odds of aborting than nonsmoking women.
- The risk of congenital defect in the children of smoking women is 2 times greater than that of nonsmoking women.
- Women who smoke during pregnancy may pass on cancer to their unborn child. Click.
Peptic Ulcer:
- Smoking is associated with the development, delayed healing and recurrence of peptic ulcer, as well as, resistance to treatment.
Arthritis:
- Smoking is a risk factor for osteoporosis and increases bone fractures.

Health Consequences of Smoking

Addiction:

The nicotine in tobacco is highly addictive and teenagers are just as susceptible as adults to getting hooked.

It also causes physical dependence characterized by a withdrawal syndrome that usually accompanies nicotine abstinence. Evidence about the addictive nature of nicotine has been accumulating since 1942 when a medical researcher first identified the problem.

Some physicians compare the addictive qualities of nicotine to heroin and barbiturates but others maintain that for many people cigarettes can be even more addictive than heroin, barbiturates or alcohol.

Eighty-five percent of teenagers who smoke two or more cigarettes completely, and overcome the initial discomforts of smoking, will become regular smokers.

In 1989, about 64% of teenagers who are current smokers had made at least one serious attempt to quit but could not... It takes an average of five attempts for an adult to successfully quit smoking.

Research Report on Nicotine Addiction

Health-care costs and lost productivity:
Smoking costs the United States approximately $97.2 billion each year in health-care costs and lost productivity.

Second-hand smoke:
The smoke from other people's cigarettes, can harm the health of nonsmokers.

Breathing in another person's smoke can cause many breathing problems in children and cancer and heart disease in adults.
For children, the damage can be more severe. Their lungs are still developing, and they breathe faster than adults do. The results can include sore throats, colds, ear infections, bronchitis and pneumonia.

In November 1999, the U.S.-based National Cancer Institute released the most comprehensive study ever done on second-hand smoke. The study confirms the link to lung cancer, heart disease, nasal sinus cancer and a range of other diseases.
The trend now is for public places and work places to go smoke free. This should help smokers make the move to quit and keep everyone's lungs healthier.

Cigarettes are so much a part of the American scene that many people think of them as "normal." They are easy to buy and inexpensive compared to other drugs.

But cigarettes aren't normal. They are very addictive and cause sickness and death. Their use is restricted in many places and it is illegal for minors to buy them in most parts of the U.S.

Tobacco?s a Big Industry:

And tobacco?s a big industry, producing about 1,000 cigarettes every year for each and every one of us. That?s six trillion cigarettes for six million people on earth.
Those kinds of numbers tell you there?s a lot of money at stake ? and there is. Worldwide, tobacco is a $200-billion industry. And the lion?s share of the profits are going to a handful of gigantic companies.
Here are the largest tobacco companies, and their market share:
- China National Tobacco Company 31 per cent
- Philip Morris 17 per cent
- British American Tobacco (BAT) 13 per cent
- RJR Reynolds 6 per cent
- Rothmans International 4

Tobacco Facts



Benefits of Quitting Smoking:
When smokers quit, within twenty minutes of smoking that last cigarette the body begins a series of changes.

At 20 minutes after quitting:
- blood pressure decreases
- pulse rate drops
- body temperature of hands and feet increases
At 8 hours:
- carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
- oxygen level in blood increases to normal
At 24 hours:
- chance of a heart attack decreases
At 48 hours:
- nerve endings start regrowing
- ability to smell and taste is enhanced
At 2 weeks to 3 months:
- circulation improves
- walking becomes easier
- lung function increases
1 to 9 months:
- coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decreases
1 year:
- excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker
At 5 years:
- from 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.
At 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 ulcer decreases
At 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

Tobacco Control- American Lung Association American Heart Association



Plan to Quit Smoking:

Stop the habit immediately. Completely stopping the negative behavior immediately is by far the most effective method of breaking the habit. Make a firm commitment and destroy anything(as much as allowable) what is related to smoking.
As a Medical Doctor and as a Christian I helped many to stop smoking. All who actually stopped smoking did it at once... those who tried to tamper it down usually failed.

This Plan includes both Divine Healing and a Medical Plan. If you are not a Christian, you may try just the Medical Plan.

1- Divine Healing:

I have seen people quitting smoking after doing a Christian Retreat: Charismatic Retreat, Cursillo in Christianity... and quitting it for good, for more than ten years.

The divine healing for smoking in the Bible follows the same guideline as for general Divine Healing of the Sick in the Bible as shown in the Book of Sirach 38:9-11 and James 5:14-16 (The book of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus is often not included in the Protestant Bibles).

1- Do not get impatient, trust in the Lord... always trust in God, in Jesus (Ecc.38:9).
BE ENCOURAGED: Neither be disturbed by what you see around you, nor by your own thoughts. Don't look at your own limitations, abilities, disabilities, or qualifications. The Lord desires your surrendered will. Give Him ALL your burdens, great and small. Give Him the opportunity to create something beautiful out of your frustrations, your disappointments, your grief, your troubles. Allow Him to heal, to restore, to deliver, to raise you up. Let Him change your weakness into strength. Become a VICTOR in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Grab the VICTORY in Jesus Christ.

2- Pray to the Lord, and He shall heal you!... that's a great promise!... and the first prayer should be of thanks-giving, giving thanks for your smoking habit!... because we have to give thanks to God for every thing and in all circumstances (Eph.5:20, 1Thes.5:16-18). (Ecc.38:9).

3- Call the elders of the Church, and let them pray over you, and anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord... and the prayer of faith will make you well, and will rise you up!... will stop your habit!... that's a big promise of Jam.5:15, alleluia!

4- Make a good Confession of Sins: "Turn away from sin and order thy hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all offence." (Ecc.38:10)... "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." (Jam.5:16, Jn.20:23)...
Confess all your sins, including smoking, and most specially the sins of rancor, resentment, hatred, grudge... because if we don't forgive others, we can't even pray the Our Father where we ask God to forgive us the way we forgive others (Mat.6:12-15, Jn.20:23).
Confess to God your sin, surrender your will to Him. Do what you can do and what you cannot do, let Him do it. Simple like that... If you mean business, He will do what is needed!!!.

5- Offer the Holy Mass, "Give a sweet sacrifice, and a memorial of fine flour, and make a fat offering" (Ecc.38:11)... the memorial we have in Christianity is the Holy Mass, to offer the Father the Lamb of God, Jesus crucified and risen, praise the Lord!.

6- Call the Physician, follow the Medical Plan (in Ecc.38:11-15)... it is usually the first thing we do, but it should be the last!... and in the quotation of James 5 it is not even mentioned!... by the time you go to the Doctor you may be already healed!, praise the Lord!.
Most of the times the habit will not be stopped by a miracle, this will be the extra-ordinary... the ordinary way, the usual way, it will be healed by God, but using yourself, your determination and will power, and the good care and compassion of a doctor, a nurse, of relatives, friends, neighbors...
No one can overcome a habit who doesn't really want to do so. You must seriously want to change before you will be motivated to take the steps to freedom.
We may be limited, but He can and will do the IMPOSSIBLE, if we surrender our ALL to Him. Selling out to Jesus Christ, is the way !
God does not need our abilities or qualifications to do things, He needs our surrendered will. He is quite capable of working everything out in our lives, if we allow Him to. Thank you Jesus !
Run the "race", that you may win. 1 Cor. 9:24
With God All things are possible. Matt. 19:26
We are more than conquerors through Him, who loved us. Romans 8:37
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. Phil.4: 13

The difference between the sin of smoking and a spirit of nicotine is sin can be confessed but a spirit compels a person to continue in the act and sometimes against his will.

A Slave of Nicotine Liberated Deliverance from Demons
Deliverance Center

2- The Medical Plan:
Following the advice of the U.S. Surgeon General Guidelines
Six Keys for Quitting:

Studies have shown that these six steps will help you quit and quit for good. You have the best chances of quitting if you use them together:

1- Get ready.
2- Get support.
3- Learn new skills and behaviors.
4- Get medication and use it correctly.
5- Be prepared for relapse or difficult situations.
6- Save $5-10 every day you don't smoke... in one year you will save enough to have a good trip!.
1. Get Ready:

- Set a quit date... Once you quit, don't smoke?NOT EVEN A PUFF!
- Change your environment.
1 -Get rid of ALL cigarettes and ashtrays in your home, car, and place of work.
2- Don't let people smoke in your home.

Cigarette smoking has profound implications for your health. Over the years your body has learned not only to tolerate the chemicals in cigarette smoke but also to depend upon some of them.
Quitting smoking is a big change in your life. Don't downplay it.
Review your past attempts to quit. Think about what worked and what did not.
2. Get Support and Encouragement:

Studies have shown that you have a better chance of being successful if you have help. You can get support in many ways:
- Tell your family, friends, and coworkers that you are going to quit and want their support. Ask them not to smoke around you or leave cigarettes out.
- Talk to your health care provider (for example, doctor, dentist, nurse, pharmacist, psychologist, or smoking counselor).
- Get individual, group, or telephone counseling. The more counseling you have, the better your chances are of quitting. Programs are given at local hospitals and health centers. Call your local health department for information about programs in your area.
3. Learn New Skills and Behaviors:

- Try to distract yourself from urges to smoke. Talk to someone, go for a walk, or get busy with a task.
- When you first try to quit, change your routine. Use a different route to work. Drink tea instead of coffee. Eat breakfast in a different place.
- Do something to reduce your stress. Take a hot bath, exercise, or read a book.
- Plan something enjoyable to do every day.
- Drink a lot of water and other fluids... no alcohol!.
4. Get Medication and Use It Correctly:

Medications can help you stop smoking and lessen the urge to smoke.

* The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved five medications to help you quit smoking:
1- Bupropion SR, tablets?Available by prescription.
2- Nicotine gum?Available over-the-counter.
3- Nicotine inhaler?Available by prescription.
4- Nicotine nasal spray?Available by prescription.
5- Nicotine patch?Available by prescription and over-the-counter.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Although not the universal cure that it was thought to be when first introduced, nicotine replacement therapy in the form of both the patch and gum has proved effective.
Quitting smoking is a two-step process that includes:
1- breaking the smoking habit
2- overcoming the physical addiction to nicotine
The basic idea is to allow the smoker to break the cigarette habit before attempting to actually get off the nicotine. This separates some of the difficulty of quitting from the physical withdrawal and lets you do it in two stages.
Later the dosage is lowered and the smoker is slowly weaned off the nicotine replacement.

Bupropion (Wellbutrin/Zyban):
Bupropion is the generic name for the drug marketed as "Zyban," which is an anti-depressant... taking a pill twice daily.
Treatment with bupropion begins while the user is still smoking, one week prior to the quit date. Treatment is then continued for 7 to 12 weeks.

The Patch:
The patch works by maintaining a steady level of nicotine in the bloodstream throughout the entire day... It does let you concentrate on your habit before breaking the physical addiction.
You quit in two stages: First, you brake the habit, using the pack... Second, the addiction, taping off the patch.
It is available in strengths: 21mg, 14mg and 7mg/day... usually it needs a medical prescription.
The patch is probably not a good option for people who smoke a half pack or less of light cigarettes a day, as the patch itself would actually be an increase in nicotine intake.
What the patch does not do:
- It doesn't work equally well for everyone.
- It doesn't eliminate withdrawal symptoms entirely.
- It doesn't give you any more willpower.

Nicotine Gum:
It differs from the patch primarily in that it delivers nicotine on demand.
Many people find that its unpleasant taste and inconvenience make it difficult to use.
For very light smokers, or people who smoke for stimulation it may help.
Nicotine gum is available in two strengths, 2mg and 4mg.... usually it doesn't need a medical prescription.

Nicotine Inhaler:
The nicotine inhaler, also nicknamed "the puffer". By puffing on the cartridge, nicotine vapor is extracted and absorbed through the lining of the mouth. It takes at least 80 puffs to obtain the equivalent amount of nicotine delivered by one cigarette. Needs medical prescription.

Nicotine Nasal Spray:
It reduces nicotine cravings within several minutes of dosing. Compared to gum and the patch, nasal spray takes effect more rapidly, and allows the user to self-dose as necessary. You should be aware, however, that the dependency potential is greater with the nicotine nasal spray than with nicotine gum or the nicotine patch.
Users administer 1-2 doses per hour. One spray to each nostril constitutes a "dose." Needs medical prescription.,

A doctor should be contacted to discuss the use of these products and whether they are right for you.

* Ask your health care provider for advice and carefully read the information on the package.
* All of these medications will more or less double your chances of quitting and quitting for good.
* Everyone who is trying to quit may benefit from using a medication. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, nursing, under age 18, smoking fewer than 10 cigarettes per day, or have a medical condition, talk to your doctor or other health care provider before taking medications.

5. Be Prepared for Relapse or Difficult Situations:

Most relapses occur within the first 3 months after quitting. Don't be discouraged if you start smoking again. Remember, most people try several times before they finally quit. Here are some difficult situations to watch for:

- Avoid drinking alcohol. Drinking lowers your chances of success.
- Being around smoking can make you want to smoke.
- Weight gain. Many smokers will gain weight when they quit, usually less than 10 pounds. Eat a healthy diet and stay active. Don't let weight gain distract you from your main goal?quitting smoking. Some quit-smoking medications may help delay weight gain.
- Bad mood or depression. There are a lot of ways to improve your mood other than smoking.

If you are having problems with any of these situations, talk to your doctor or other health care provider.

Special Situations or Conditions

Studies suggest that everyone can quit smoking. Your situation or condition can give you a special reason to quit.
- Pregnant women/new mothers: By quitting, you protect your baby's health and your own.
- Hospitalized patients: By quitting, you reduce health problems and help healing.
- Heart attack patients: By quitting, you reduce your risk of a second heart attack.
- Lung, head, and neck cancer patients: By quitting, you reduce your chance of a second cancer.
- Parents of children and adolescents: By quitting, you protect your children and adolescents from illnesses caused by second-hand smoke.
Withdrawal Symptoms

- Craving:
The most familiar and the most common. This your body's physical addiction calling out. Just keep in mind that this usually passes within a week.
- Difficulty Concentrating:
Nicotine is used by many people to help focus their attention. Common examples are chain-smoking writers or baseball pitchers with a big wad of chew in their cheek. After a while this becomes a crutch, it may take a couple of weeks for you to become accustomed to working without nicotine.
Some people report feeling that sounds are louder, or external stimuli are somehow more palpable. Nicotine actually seems to affect people's concentration by decreasing peripheral vision and hearing. If the baby seems to cry louder, or people seem to walk by your office more often, it's probably just that you notice it more without the numbing effect of nicotine.
- Fatigue:
Nicotine increases your metabolism to an abnormally high rate. When you stop smoking your metabolism drops back to normal and you may find that your energy level drops. Also, you aren't regularly receiving a stimulant (nicotine) that you had become accustomed to. This will go away. It just takes time.

If you slip:
Feelings of failure after slipping are so common that there is even a term for them: the Abstinence Violation Effect. This refers to the very powerful feelings of guilt, depression and failure that often come when a new ex-smoker slips and has a cigarette.
... But this is not, in any way, an excuse to smoke again. Don't ever let yourself think that just one won't hurt -- it will.
Remember:
- A slip is just a mistake, not a lifestyle change or a national referendum on your willpower. Think about what happened and how to prevent it from ever happening again.
- One cigarette does not make you a smoker again.
- Remember all your reasons for quitting and how far you've come.
- Remember not to smoke the next cigarette. You don't have to smoke another cigarette just because you had one.
Tobacco Control- American Lung Association QuitNet's Original Guide

You can do it!... you can get rid of the enormity of the tobacco holocaust... for your health... for the good of your relatives and friends... to stop feeding the big business of tobacco...

God Bless You.

Nicotine Anonymous

Nicotine Anonymous is doing a great jog to stop smoking. I earnestly advice you to joint it.

Partly taken from:
Minister Dr. Trudy Veerman, a Christian Counselor's site... a good one
achristiancounselor.com
religion-cults.com/deliverance/smoking.htm

They say you can't scare an alcoholic/addict. I know I couldn't quit until I became willing to do so and then I applied the N/A program to my life. My drug of choice was Nicotine.