Research Paper

Elisha R. Evangelista

IV-Jacinto

SMOKING

Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke breathed in to be tasted or inhaled. Most commonly the substance is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant which has been rolled into rice paper into a small, round cylinder called a "cigarette". This is primarily practiced as a route of administration for what has come to be termed "recreational drug use" because the combustion of the dried plant leaves releases active substances into the body. In the case of cigarette smoking these substances are contained in a mixture of aerosol particles and gasses and include the pharmacologically active alkaloid nicotine; the vaporization creates heated aerosol and gas to form that allows inhalation and deep penetration into the lungs where absorption into the bloodstream of the active substances occurs. In some cultures, smoking is also carried out as a part of various rituals, where participants use it to help induce trance-like states that, they believe, can lead them to "spiritual enlightenment". Cigarettes are primarily industrially manufactured but also can be hand-rolled from loose tobacco and rolling paper. Other smoking implements include pipes, cigars, bidis, hookahs, vaporizers, and bongs. It has been suggested that smoking-related disease kills one half of all long term smokers but these diseases may also be contracted by non-smokers. A 2007 report states that, each year, about 4.9 million people worldwide die as a result of smoking. [1] Smoking is one of the most common forms of recreational drug use. Tobacco smoking is today by far the most popular form of smoking and is practiced by over one billion people in the majority of all human societies. Less common drugs for smoking include cannabis and opium. Some of the substances are classified as hard narcotics, like heroin, but the use of these is very limited as they are usually not commercially available. The history of smoking can be dated to as early as 5000 BC, and has been recorded in many different cultures across the world. Early smoking evolved in association with religious ceremonies; as offerings to

deities, in cleansing rituals or to allow shamans and priests to alter their minds for purposes of divination or spiritual enlightenment. After the European exploration and conquest of the Americas, the practice of smoking tobacco quickly spread to the rest of the world. In regions like India and Sub-Saharan Africa, it merged with existing practices of smoking (mostly of cannabis). In Europe, it introduced a new type of social activity and a form of drug intake which previously had been unknown. Perception surrounding smoking has varied over time and from one place to another; holy and sinful, sophisticated and vulgar, a panacea and deadly health hazard. Only relatively recently, and primarily in industrialized Western countries, has smoking come to be viewed in a decidedly negative light. Today medical studies have proven that smoking tobacco is among the leading causes of many diseases such as lung cancer, heart attacks, COPD, erectile dysfunction, and can also lead to birth defects. The inherent health hazards of smoking have caused many countries such as Singapore to institute high taxes on tobacco products and anti-smoking campaigns are launched every year in an attempt to curb tobacco smoking.

Health effects and regulation Smoking can damage every part of the body Main article: Health effects of tobacco Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death globally. In the United States about 500,000 deaths per year are attributed to smoking-related diseases and a recent study estimated that as much as 1/3 of China's male population will have significantly shortened life-spans due to smoking. [37] Male and female smokers lose an average of 13.2 and 14.5 years of life, respectively.[38] At least half of all lifelong smokers die earlier as a result of smoking. [39][40] The risk of dying from lung cancer before age 85 is 22.1% for a male smoker and 11.9% for a female current smoker, in the absence of competing causes of death. The corresponding estimates for lifelong nonsmokers are a 1.1% probability of dying from lung cancer before age 85 for a man of European descent, and a 0.8% probability for a woman. [41]Smoking one cigarette a day results in a risk of heart disease that is halfway between that of a smoker and a nonsmoker. The non-linear dose response relationship is explained by smoking's effect on platelet aggregation.[42]

Among the diseases that can be caused by smoking are vascular stenosis, lung cancer,[43] heart attacks[44] and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.[45] Smoking during pregnancy may cause ADHD to a fetus.[46] Many governments are trying to deter people from smoking with anti-smoking campaigns in mass media stressing the harmful long-term effects of smoking. Passive smoking, or secondhand smoking, which affects people in the immediate vicinity of smokers, is a major reason for the enforcement of smoking bans. This is a law enforced to stop individuals smoking in indoor public places, such as bars, pubs and restaurants. The idea behind this is to discourage smoking by making it more inconvenient, and to stop harmful smoke being present in enclosed public spaces. A common concern among legislators is to discourage smoking among minors and many states have passed laws against selling tobacco products to underage customers (establishing a smoking age). Many developing countries have not adopted antismoking policies, leading some to call for anti-smoking campaigns and further education to explain the negative effects of ETS (Environmental Tobacco Smoke) in developing countries. Tobacco advertising is also sometimes regulated to make smoking less appealing. Despite the many bans, European countries still hold 18 of the top 20 spots, and according to the ERC, a market research company, the heaviest smokers are from Greece, averaging 3,000 cigarettes per person in 2007.[47] Rates of smoking have leveled off or declined in the developed world but continue to rise in developing countries. Smoking rates in the United States have dropped by half from 1965 to 2006, falling from 42% to 20.8% in adults.[48] The effects of addiction on society vary considerably between different substances that can be smoked and the indirect social problems that they cause, in great part because of the differences in legislation and the enforcement of narcotics legislation around the world. Though nicotine is a highly addictive drug, its effects on cognition are not as intense or noticeable as other drugs such as, cocaine, amphetamines or any of the opiates (including heroin and morphine). Smoking is a risk factor in Alzheimer's disease.[49] While smoking more than 15 cigarettes per day has been shown to worsen the symptoms of Crohn's disease,[50] smoking has been shown to actually lower the prevalence of ulcerative colitis.[51][52]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Smoking

Smoking affects your body Circulation When you smoke, the toxins from cigarette smoke enter your blood. The toxins in your blood then: -Make your blood thicker, and increase chances of clot formation -Increase your blood pressure and heart rate, making your heart work harder than normal -Narrow your arteries, reducing the amount of oxygen rich blood circulating to your organs. Together, these changes to your body when you smoke increase the chance of your arteries narrowing and clots forming, which can cause a heart attack or stroke. Heart Smoking damages your heart and your blood circulation, increasing the risk of conditions such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, peripheral vascular disease (damaged blood vessels) and cerebrovascular disease (damaged arteries that supply blood to your brain). Carbon monoxide from the smoke and nicotine both put a strain on the heart by making it work faster. They also increase your risk of blood clots. Other chemicals in cigarette smoke damage the lining of your coronary arteries, leading to furring of the arteries. In fact, smoking doubles your risk of having a heart attack, and if you smoke you have twice the risk of dying from coronary heart disease than lifetime non-smokers. The good news is that after only one year of not smoking, your risk is reduced by half. After stopping for 15 years, your risk is similar to that of someone who has never smoked. Stomach Smokers have an increased chance of getting stomach cancer or ulcers. Smoking can weaken the muscle that controls the lower end of your gullet (oesophagus) and allow acid from the stomach to travel in the wrong direction back up your gullet, a process known as reflux. Smoking is a significant risk factor for developing kidney cancer, and the more you smoke the greater the risk. For example, research has shown that if you regularly smoke 10 cigarettes a day, you are one and a half times more likely to develop kidney cancer compared with a non-smoker. This is increased to twice as likely if you smoke 20 or more cigarettes a day. Skin Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that gets to your skin. This means that if you smoke, your skin ages more quickly and looks grey and dull. The toxins in your body also cause cellulite.

Smoking prematurely ages your skin by between 10 and 20 years, and makes it three times more likely you'll get facial wrinkling, particularly around the eyes and mouth. Smoking even gives you a sallow, yellow-grey complexion and hollow cheeks, which can cause you to look gaunt. The good news is that once you stop smoking, you will prevent further deterioration to your skin caused by smoking. Brain If you smoke, you are more likely to have a stroke than someone who doesn't smoke. In fact, smoking increases your risk of having a stroke by at least 50%, which can cause brain damage and death. And, by smoking, you double your risk of dying from a stroke. One way that smoking can increase your risk of a stroke is by increasing your chances of developing a brain aneurysm. This is a bulge in a blood vessel caused by a weakness in the blood vessel wall. This can rupture or burst which will lead to an extremely serious condition known as a subarachnoid haemorrhage, which is a type of stroke, and can cause extensive brain damage and death. The good news is that within two years of stopping smoking, your risk of stroke is reduced to half that of a non-smoker and within five years it will be the same as a non-smoker. Lungs Your lungs can be very badly affected by smoking. Coughs, colds, wheezing and asthma are just the start. Smoking can cause fatal diseases such as pneumonia, emphysema and lung cancer. Smoking causes 84% of deaths from lung cancer and 83% of deaths from chronic obstructive lung disease, including bronchitis. The good news is that once you stop smoking, your health improves and your body will begin to recover. Mouth and throat Smoking causes unattractive problems such as bad breath and stained teeth, and can also cause gum disease and damage your sense of taste. The most serious damage smoking causes in your mouth and throat is an increased risk of cancer in your lips, tongue, throat, voice box and gullet (esophagus). More than 93% of oropharangeal cancers (cancer in part of the throat) are caused by smoking. The good news is that when you stop using tobacco, even after many years of use, you can greatly reduce your risk of developing head and neck cancer. Once you've been smoke free for 20 years, your risk of head and neck cancer is reduced to that of a non-smoker. Reproduction and fertility Smoking can cause male impotence, as it damages the blood vessels that supply blood to the penis. It can also damage sperm, reduce sperm count and cause testicular cancer. Up to 120,000 men from the UK in their 20s and 30s are impotent as a direct result of smoking, and men who smoke have a lower sperm count than those who are non-smokers.

For women, smoking can reduce fertility. One study found that smokers were over three times more likely than non-smokers to have taken more than one year to conceive. The study estimated that the fertility of smoking women was 72% that of non-smokers. Smoking also increases your risk of cervical cancer. People who smoke are less able to get rid of the HPV infection from the body, which can develop into cancer. Smoking while you are pregnant can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and illness, and it increases the risk of cot death by at least 25%. Bones Smoking can cause your bones to become weak and brittle. Women need to be especially careful as they are more likely to suffer from brittle bones (osteoporosis) than non-smokers. http://www.nhs.uk/smokefree/why-quit/smoking-health-problems

Cigarette Smoking Symptoms Signs and symptoms of cigarette smoking are frequently obvious even to a casual observer. Besides the confirmatory evidence (a person actually smoking a cigarette in public view),nicotine-stained fingers and teeth, the characteristic smell of smoke impregnated clothing and household items, the chronic "smokers cough," the gravelly voice, and often the visible pack of cigarettes and lighter in a person's pocket or purse are signs and symptoms that a person smokes. However, new (teenage) smokers or "infrequent" smokers may exhibit few or none of these signs and symptoms. In addition, many teens will try to "cover up" any evidence of cigarette use for any number of reasons (for example, their parents forbid any smoking). Signs and symptoms of tobacco related diseases often depend on the specific illnesses they cause. (There are many other symptoms of tobacco-related diseases, and these listed here are simply examples.) 

Shortness of breath may be a sign of emphysema or heart disease.

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Chest pain may signal angina pectoris caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart or a heart attack.

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Difficulty swallowing, or persistent hoarseness, may signal a cancer in the mouth or larynx.

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Painless bloody urination may signal bladder cancer.

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The presence of any of the following common symptoms associated with tobacco use should prompt a visit to the doctor or hospital's emergency department: o

chest pain

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shortness of breath

o

persistent cough

o

coughing up blood

o

frequent colds and upper respiratory infections

o

persistent hoarseness

o

difficulty or pain on swallowing

o

change in exercise capacity

o

sudden weakness on one side of the face or body; or difficulty speaking

o

leg pain while walking that goes away when at rest

o

unexplained weight loss

o

persistent abdominal pain

o

blood in the urine

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/cigarette_smoking/page2_em.htm

Cigarette Smoking Prevention Prevention can be easy; simply do not start to smoke cigarettes or use any other tobacco products. Unfortunately, quitting is often very difficult. Most smokers begin to smoke as teenagers. Every day, about 3,000 American youths start smoking and nicotine in smoke is addicting for many people. Efforts at the federal, state, and local levels to enact and enforce laws barring sales (of cigarettes) to minors need to be encouraged and enforced to minimize this addictive and potentially destructive habit. Parents still have the biggest impact on their children's decision whether to smoke. The best way to prevent a youngster from taking up smoking is to have parents who don't smoke. Children from smoking households are more likely to begin smoking than children from nonsmoking households. 

Much attention has been focused in recent years on the influence of tobacco company advertising on encouraging young people to smoke.

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Although cigarette commercials have been banned from television for over 30 years, tobacco products remain among the most heavily marketed products. According to the American Lung Association, the tobacco industry spent an estimated $12.49 billion on advertising in 2006. Some states place restrictions on the type and locations of tobacco advertising, and legislation enacted in 2009 gave the U.S. FDA strong authority to regulate tobacco products. The FDA has recently published the following: "Beginning September 2012, FDA will require larger, more prominent cigarette health

warnings on all cigarette packaging and advertisements in the United States." This is the first major change in FDA approved cigarette warnings in about 25 years. Studies have shown that youth are particularly susceptible to tobacco marketing

o

campaigns. o

In the past, cigarette use by actors in popular films was a means to portray smoking as sophisticated and glamorous.

o

Although denied by tobacco companies, the use of cartoon animals and the like in advertising campaigns appeals to youngsters.

o

Counter-advertising by various antismoking advocacy groups may provide some balance, but their advertising budgets pale beside those of tobacco companies.

o

Schools generally provide education on the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other substances, but their impact is unclear.

o

Increasing the taxes on cigarettes, and hence their price, has been shown to reduce tobacco consumption, especially among adolescents.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/cigarette_smoking/page6_em.htm#cigarette_smoking_prevention

Questions: 1. Is there a safe way to smoke? No. All cigarettes can cause damage to the human body and even a small amount is dangerous. Cigarettes are perhaps the only legal product whose advertised and intended use is harmful to the body and is a proven cause of cancer. Although some people try to make their smoking habit safer by smoking fewer cigarettes, most smokers find that difficult. Some people think that switching from high tar and nicotine cigarettes to those with low tar and nicotine content makes smoking safer, but this is not always true. When people switch to lower tar and nicotine brands, they often smoke more cigarettes or more of each cigarette to get the same nicotine dose as before. A low-tar cigarette can be just as harmful as a high-tar cigarette when a person takes deeper puffs, puffs more frequently, or smokes cigarettes to a lower butt length. Even if smokers who switch to lower tar brands do not make these changes to compensate, the health benefits are insignificant when compared to the benefits of quitting completely. If you are a heavy smoker here are the best e-cigs for heavy smokers. 2. Is cigarette smoking really addictive?

4. What does nicotine do? Nicotine is a poison and taken in large doses could kill a person by paralyzing breathing muscles. Smokers usually take it in small amounts that the body can quickly break down and get rid of, which is why the nicotine does not kill instantly. The first dose of nicotine causes a person to feel awake and alert, while later doses result in a calm, relaxed feeling. Nicotine can make new smokers, and regular smokers who get too much of it, feel dizzy or nauseous. The resting heart rate for young smokers increases 2 to 3 beats per minute. It also lowers skin temperature and reduces blood flow in the legs and feet. Evidence shows that nicotine plays an important role in increasing smokers' risk of heart disease and stroke. 5. Does smoking cause cancer? Yes. Tobacco smoke contains at least 43 carcinogenic (cancer-causing) substances. Smoking causes many kinds of cancer, not just lung cancer. Tobacco use accounts for 30%, or one in three, of all cancer deaths in the United States. Smoking is responsible for almost 90% of lung cancers among men and more than 70% among women, about 83% overall. Cancer of the mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, kidney, bladder, pancreas, and uterine cervix also have in common cigarette smoking as a major cause. 6. How does cigarette smoke affect the lungs? Cigarette smoking causes several lung diseases that can be just as dangerous as lung cancer. Chronic bronchitis - a disease where the airways produce excess mucus, which forces the smoker to cough frequently - is a common ailment for smokers. Cigarette smoking is also the major cause of emphysema - a disease that slowly destroys a person's ability to breathe. In order for oxygen to reach the blood, it must move across large surfaces in the lungs. Normally, thousands of tiny sacs make up about 100 square yards of surface area in the lungs. When emphysema occurs, the walls between the sacs break down and create larger but fewer sacs, significantly decreasing the amount of oxygen reaching the blood. Eventually, the lung surface area can become so small that a person with emphysema has to spend most of the time gasping for breath, with an oxygen bottle near by or with oxygen tubes inserted into the nasal cavity. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, kills about 81,000 people each year; cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 65,000 of these deaths. 7. What in cigarette smoke is harmful? Cigarette smoke is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds generated by the combustion (burning) of tobacco and additives. Cigarette smoke contains tar, which is made up of over 4,000 chemicals, including the 43 known to cause cancer. Some of these substances cause heart and respiratory diseases, all of which are disabling and can cause death. You might be surprised to know some of the chemicals found in cigarette smoke. They include: cyanide, benzene, formaldehyde, methanol (wood alcohol), acetylene (the fuel used in torches), and ammonia. It also contains the poisonous gases nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide. Its main active ingredient is nicotine, an addictive

drug. 8. Does cigarette smoking affect the heart? Yes. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of heart disease, which is America's number one killer. Almost 180,000 Americans die each year from cardiovascular disease caused by smoking. Smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and lack of exercise are all risk factors for heart disease, but smoking alone doubles the risk of heart disease. Among those who have previously had a heart attack, smokers are more likely than non-smokers to have another.

9. How does smoking affect pregnant women and their babies? Pregnant women who smoke endanger the health and lives of their unborn babies. Babies of smoking women average 6 ounces less at birth than babies of nonsmoking women. When a pregnant woman smokes, she really is smoking for two because the nicotine, carbon monoxide, and other dangerous chemicals in smoke enter her bloodstream and pass directly into the baby's body. Statistics show a direct relation between smoking during pregnancy and spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, death among newborns, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Research shows that the risk of SIDS triples for babies of mothers who smoke during pregnancy; two-thirds of SIDS deaths among babies of women who smoked during pregnancy can be attributed to smoking. Mounting evidence in recent years has also made it clear that children of mothers who smoke have higher than normal risks of developing asthma, especially if the mother smokes during pregnancy. Exposure to second-hand smoke also makes a child’s asthma more severe than it would be otherwise, and increases the child’s risk of pneumonia, bronchitis, and fluid in the middle ear. 10. What are some of the short- and long-term effects of smoking cigarettes? Smoking causes cancer, which may not develop for years. Regardless of how many smokers are lucky enough to escape cancer, the truth is inescapable: cigarette smokers die younger than nonsmokers. In fact, smoking decreases a person's life expectancy by 10 - 12 years. Smokers between the ages of 35 and 70 have death rates three times higher than those who have never smoked. There are many more short-term effects of smoking. A major consequence of smoking is decreased lung function which is why smokers often suffer from shortness of breath, nagging coughing, or tiring easily during strenuous physical activity. Smoking also diminishes the ability to smell and taste and causes premature aging of skin. 11. What are the dangers of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), or passive smoking, or second-hand smoke? Passive smoking occurs when nonsmokers inhale the tobacco smoke created by smokers (environmental tobacco smoke). ETS, also known as second-hand smoke, includes mainstream smoke, which is smoke drawn through the mouthpiece of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar that is then exhaled into the air by smokers, and side stream smoke, the smoke that comes directly from the burning tobacco before it reaches the smoker. ETS contains the same harmful chemicals as the smoke that smokers

inhale. In fact, because side stream smoke is formed at lower temperatures, it gives off even larger amounts of cancer-causing substances. At least 43 of the chemicals taken in by those breathing ETS are known cancer-causing substances, and ETS is now classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a Group A carcinogen (known to cause cancer in humans). ETS causes lung cancer in healthy nonsmokers. A nonsmoker who is married to a smoker has a 30% greater risk of developing lung cancer than a nonsmoker living with a nonsmoker. Children whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from pneumonia or bronchitis in the first two years of life than children who live in smoke-free households. Several studies have also established a link between parental smoking and the occurrence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Children of parents who smoke have a twofold increased risk of dying of SIDS. Mounting evidence in recent years has also made it clear that children of mothers who smoke have higher than normal risks of developing asthma, especially if the mother smokes during pregnancy. It is well known that second-hand smoke also makes a child’s asthma more severe than it would be otherwise, and increases the child’s risk of pneumonia, bronchitis, and fluid in the middle ear. ETS can also affect nonsmokers by causing eye irritation, headaches, nausea, and dizziness. 12. Is smoking common among young people? Yes. Tobacco use, including smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and dipping snuff, remains common among American youth. About 35 percent of high school students and about 13 percent of middle school students surveyed in 1998 and 1999 reported being users of some form of tobacco, with about 8 percent reporting they smoked their first cigarette before age 11. About 80 percent of adult smokers started smoking when they were 17 or younger. Cigarettes are the most common form of tobacco used by young people, with 9.2 percent of middle school students and 28.5 percent of high school students reporting being current cigarette smokers. Among different ethnic groups, whites are more commonly cigarette smokers or users of smokeless tobacco than blacks or Hispanics in high school, with less difference among the groups in middle school. Cigars are the second most common form of tobacco use among young people, with 6.1 percent of middle school students and 15.3 percent of high school students reporting current use of cigars (one or more in the 30 days prior to the survey). Blacks are more likely to smoke cigars in middle school than are whites. Smokeless tobacco is the third most common tobacco product used by young people, with 2.7 percent of middle school students and 6.6 percent of high school students reporting current use. More whites (about 9 percent) use smokeless tobacco in high school than blacks (2.4 percent) or Hispanics (about 4 percent). In both middle school and high school, boys were significantly more likely to smoke cigars or use smokeless tobacco than girls. The 1998-1999 report shows that many non-smoking young people are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke from those around them. In the week just before being surveyed, approximately half

the nonsmoking students surveyed were in the same room as someone smoking, and almost one-third rode in a car in which someone was smoking. About 80 percent of all young persons believe smoke from others is harmful to them. Each day, approximately 6,000 young persons try a cigarette and approximately 3,000 become daily smokers. In 1997, regular smokers between 12 and 17 smoked over 900 million packs of cigarettes. If current patterns of smoking behavior persist, an estimated 5 million American young people 17 and younger in the year 2000 could die prematurely in future years from smoking-related illnesses. These projected patterns of smoking and smoking-related deaths could result in an estimated $200 billion (in 1993 dollars) in future health-care costs and approximately 64 million years of potential life lost. Statistics also show that students who use other drugs, get in fights, carry weapons, attempt suicide, and engage in high-risk sexual behaviors are more likely to smoke 13. What are the chances that smoking will kill you? About four million people die worldwide each year as a result of smoking. In the United States, tobacco use is responsible for nearly one in five deaths, killing more than 400,000 Americans each year. This is more than the number of people who would die every year if three jumbo jets crashed each day with no survivors. Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in our society. Statistically, smokers die 10 - 12 years younger than non-smokers. 14. How many people smoke cigarettes? In 1998, the latest year for which figures are available, 24.1% of adults --about 48 million peoplesmoked cigarettes. Approximately 26% of men and 22% of women reported being smokers in 1998, reflecting a continuing decline in the percentage of Americans who smoke. African-Americans smoke about the same as whites, 24% and 25%, respectively. Ethnic groups with the lowest smoking rates are Hispanics (19.1%) and Asians/Pacific Islanders (13.7%). Education level seems to affect smoking rates as shown by a consistent decrease in the smoking rate in groups with a higher level of education. About 37% of those with less than a high school education smoke, while only about 11% of those with a college education or more smoke. 15. Why do people begin to smoke? Most people begin smoking between the ages of 10 and 18. Peer pressure and curiosity are the major influences that encourage them to experiment with smoking. Also, people with parents who smoke are more likely to begin smoking than those who have nonsmoking parents. Those who begin to smoke at a younger age are more likely than late starters to develop long-term nicotine addiction. Another prevalent influence in our society is the tobacco industry's advertisements for its products. The tobacco industry spends nearly $6 billion annually to develop and market ads that depict smoking as an exciting, glamorous, healthy adult activity. http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/questions.htm

Smoking Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco encased in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Casual smoking is the act of smokingonly occasionally, usually in a social situation or to relieve stress. A smokin g habit is a physical addiction to tobacco products. Manyhealth experts now regard habitual smoking as a psychological addiction, too, and one with serious health consequence.

Treatments Some common medications to get rid of the smoking habit are: Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) Brand names are Habitrol and Nicoderm patches, Nicorette inhaler, lozenge and gum, Thrive lozenge and gum, and generic versions. Non-Nicotine Medications o o

Bupropion SR – brand names Wellbutrin SR andZyban Varenicline tartrate (Champix)

o

Nortriptyline (Pamelor)

o

Clonidine (Catapres)

Lifestyle and Home remedies When you quit smoking, you are likely to experience unpleasant nicotine withdrawals symptoms. To cope with these effects and to prevent relapse, you can try the following lifestyle and home remedies: Exercise regularly: This will help to reduce withdrawal symptoms and to prevent weight gain that often occurs after quitting smoking. Be mindful of cravings: Initially, there may be strong but brief cravings for nicotine. To overcome these cravings, keep yourself busy by eating a healthy snack, taking a leisurely stroll or by doing some household chores.

Resist temptation: You might feel you need to smoke just one cigarette, which you determine will be the last one ever. But this “last” one can derail your goal. So, beware of this temptation and overcome it through will power. Get support: Talk to a counselor or therapist to overcome depression or anxiety caused by nicotine withdrawal. Avoid tempting situations: Keep away from triggers which may cause you to resume smoking like parties, certain friends, etc. Take time to relax: Lighten your workload and take time off to relax and enjoy the beautiful things in life. Healthy diet: Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, stick to a regular meal schedule and drink lots of water every day. Alternative Medicines to Quit Smoking 1) Acupuncture 2) The herb lobelia 3) The herb St. Johns Wort 4) Ginseng 5) Hypnotherapy http://smoking.ygoy.com/about-smoking/treatments/