Health | Tobacco Free Mass

Why Smoking Is Injurious To Health

Smoking is injurious to health is a term that we have been listening for a number of years. The irony of the situation is that all the cigarette packets also carry this message but still we see people smoking cigarettes in such a manner as if they are proud for this act of theirs. Rather, they should be shameful for this act because they are doing something deliberately which they know is harmful for their health. It is the same situation when a person keeps on walking straight in false pride even when he knows there is a pit ahead on the road and he would fall in it.

Let us try to understand as to why smoking is injurious to health. Lungs of the person are affected to a greater extent because of smoking. This gives rise to lung related health problems such as asthma. The matter of the concern is that smoking doesn’t just affect the person but other people who are stand beside him, when he is smoking. Such people who are there while smoking are termed as passive smokers and they are also affected by this act of the active smoker.

In addition to lung related problems, it also gives rise to kidney diseases as well. People who smoke are also prone to diseases like high blood pressure, cervical cancer and diabetes. People who are in professions such as singing, teaching and acting are advised not to smoke as it affects their voice box a lot something which becomes really difficult to treat, later on.

Quitting smoking also has very less withdrawal symptoms, thus, anybody who is smoking can quit it easily with the help of doctor who can help in case of any withdrawal symptoms. So if you are a smoker, quit smoking today and save your life!

Filed Under: Addiction, Health Tagged With: Health, Smoking cessation, Withdrawal

The Top Ways To Quit Smoking

Smoking is one of the major problems in society. This is because of the diseases that smoking can cause in the person who is smoking. Other than causing diseases in the person who smokes, cigarettes and the tobacco can also cause problems in the person who is near a person who is smoking too.

A smoker can try to make sure that he quits smoking if some of the methods that are listed here are followed. The first thing that the smoker needs to know is that smoking can lead to health problems for him and also for the other people who love around him. There are several people who are still ignorant of these problems. Only a percentage of the population knows of all the health problems that can be caused by smoking. All the others need to be educated on the health problem that can be caused by this habit.

After the awareness is created, the smokers must be given a chance to come clean. This can be done by giving them tips to overcome smoking. Some of them can be asked to chew gum that helps to overcome smoking. There are some chewing gums that help to overcome smoking by creating an alternate sense of satisfaction in smokers.

Some of the smokers can be distracted from smoking by asking them to start a hobby in which they are interested. There are several kinds of hobbies that can be started by the person. They can start some things like musical instruments playing, singing, philately and others. All this causes the energy of the person to be focused on other methods and helps them to quit smoking. In case a person is not able to quit smoking in any of these methods, then the person should make sure that he uses the help of a counselor or a therapist.

Filed Under: Addiction, Health Tagged With: Cigarette, Smoking cessation, Tobacco smoking

Why do People Smoke?

If you hate to read long articles, “because smoking feels good, it takes away a bad feeling, and the smoker has a memory of when smoking felt really good at some point in the past.” Maybe you are satisfied with a short sentence that can be completely encapsulated within a simple sentence, and maybe you want a deeper explanation. Smokers continue to practice their habit, obviously enough, because they get something out of doing so. If they did not, the habit would rapidly be marginalized to a place where pipe smoking tends to reside- just an occasional thing that serves no purpose besides a habit. But smoking is a whole lot more than just a habit to those who practice it on a regular basis.

Smoking makes a person feel good in the short term. If you tell a smoker (or even show them pictures) about all of the various types of cancers that their little cylindrical carcinogen friends are going to hit them with, the smoker will most likely nod in understanding… and keep on doing it. After all, every smoker had a very good experience early in their habit’s career- a perfect smoke, if you will. And while that perfect smoke will never come back, no matter how many times they puff, part of why they smoke is out of a desire to recapture that glorious moment.

And while smoking does make a person feel good, it also keeps them feeling pretty bad. Often times, a smoker will want to light up the most when they are feeling depressed, scared or angry. The nature of having a smoke in order to calm their nerves is a combination of deep breathing (which is universally relaxing), a practiced series of comfortable motions, and the nicotine rush that satisfies their desire for it. The cravings hurt, after all, and the cig itself is a great way to get the craving to ease off for a while.

Filed Under: Addiction, Health Tagged With: Health, Pipe smoking, Smoking

How to get rid of smoking

Today health and fitness are of major concern. Health is the most important concern for every human being over other aspects. Good health is a situation of entire mental and physical well-being. To protect and maintain the good health, medical science has come up with many discoveries. Medical field has provided variety of ways to diagnose and heal the diseases. One of the most harmful habits that adversely affect the health is smoking. Smoking kills more than 40,000 people in a year. Smoking affects almost each part of the body. Smoking leads to various risks like high blood pressure, cancer, heart diseases etc.

Other risks include stroke, chronic bronchitis etc. It is also very dangerous for the pregnant women who pass the nicotine to their baby through smoking. Tobacco smoke causes cancer as it has cancer causing chemicals. It is responsible for the cancers of the larynx, throat, esophagus, lung, kidney, stomach, bladder, cervix, and pancreas. Cancer usually takes years to grow. Quitting the bad habit of smoking minimizes the threat of the development and death caused by cancer. The risks related to cancer decreases after somebody stops smoking. As the years go by, the normal cells take place of the abnormal cells. To quit smoking is not an easy task. One needs to feel motivated all the time for leaving this bad habit.

To deal with the craving related to smoking drink plenty of juice, keep yourself busy, read some book, listen to some music, drink plenty of water etc. when you are carving for quitting smoking find an alternative like candy, mints, sunflower seeds, and carrot etc. There are various laws related to prevent smoking in different countries. In many countries it is prohibited in public and open areas. There are various other laws to prohibit advertising of tobacco products.

Filed Under: Addiction, Health Tagged With: Cancer, Health, Smoking cessation

What you need to do to stop your deadly habit?

More and more people start smoking each year. Even more people are becoming addicted to nicotine each year. However, this habit can cost you your life and lead you into a slow and painful death. While a lot of smokers know the harm of their deadly habit, they have a hard time ditching the sticks. They know how harmful it is, but somehow they can not seem to let go.

There are many ways and programs out there that are designed to help people stop smoking. Also, look at the tipsbelow to help you drop the cigarette so that you can live a healthier life. First, set a date when you are kicking the habit altogether. “Next week” or “next month” is not good enough. Set an exact date and set your mind on quitting on that date. This way, you are more determined and focused on when you do quit.

Second, tell the people around you that you are going to quit. Do not ever try to keep this goal to yourself. That is pointless. You need the support, help, and accountability of the people around you as you embark on this journey of quitting this deadly habit.

Third, make sure to remove and throw away all tobacco products from your house, work area, and car. There is no point in nursing temptation. If you are very serious about this goal, you need to get rid of all these products to help you reach your goal of becoming smoke-free.

Fourth, do not be afraid to get medical help. Talk to your doctor about your decision to quit smoking. It is doable, but it is going to be hard. You would need someone to help you and guide you through ways to go through the challenging times of quitting. Doctors are prepared to help you in this.

Filed Under: Addiction, Health Tagged With: Health, Quitting, Smoking cessation

Some of the Chemicals Found in Secondhand Smoke

You might believe that because you have never taken a puff on a cigarette that you are protected from any of the harmful side effects, health problems and other things that can come from smoking. However, this is not that case. Even if you have never smoked a day in your life, if you are exposed to secondhand smoke from another smoker, you are essentially breathing in the chemicals and toxins that the tobacco cigarette contains.

A study was conducted on secondhand smoke and the chemicals and toxins that were found in the smoke. It took a look at what exactly is in that smoke you are breathing and what those toxins or chemicals can do to your body. The samples that were taken to find these findings include actual smoke that came directly from the smoker and smoke that was produced by the end of the cigarette. Here is a look at some of the chemicals that were found in the secondhand smoke that was studied.

Cancer Causing Toxins. There were over 50 different types of cancer causing chemicals and carcinogens found within the various samples of secondhand smoke that were studied. Each of these cancer causing chemicals can essentially be divided into one of six types of known chemicals that cause cancer. Of the known cancer causing chemicals 11 of them are considered group 1 cancer causing chemicals.

Poisonous Gases. Secondhand smoke also contains a number of poisonous gases that a human is breathing in. These gases include hydrogen cyanide that is commonly used in chemical weapons, butane that is used in lighters and gas grills and ammonia and toluene which is used in paint thinners and chemical cleaners.

Metals. Secondhand smoke also contained small amounts of metals. Essentially a person is breathing in metallic substances that will be brought into the lungs. These metals include arsenic, lead, cadmium and chromium.

Filed Under: Drugs, Health Tagged With: Cancer, Chemical substance, Passive smoking

Common Stop Smoking Aids

After hearing that there are over 4,000 chemicals and toxins in a cigarette that might give you a good enough reason to try to stop smoking. While many people believe that you can just snap your fingers and stop smoking at will it is not that easy. Smoking is a habit and an addiction that takes some time and careful weaning off of to achieve. One of the best ways to stop smoking is to seek the help of a stop smoking product that is on the marketing. However, with all the products on the market it can be hard to consider which one to choose from.

Here is a look at the various products that are available as smoking aids to help those that want to quit, quit.

Gums. There are many gums on the market that contain nicotine inside them. When a person has a craving for a cigarette instead of picking up a pack and smoking, these people will chew on a few pieces of gum and cure the craving.

Patches. The patches work in a similar way to the gum. It is believed that by placing a patch onto the body, the body will get a continual flow of nicotine that will prevent the person from having a craving for cigarettes. The patches come in different levels and you can essentially be weaned off of them by starting out high and working your way down.

Hypnosis. Let’s face it, you can probably be hypnotized to do just about anything. However, people have reported that hypnosis has proven successful in helping cure their smoking habits.

Electronic Cigarettes. Many electronic cigarettes have not been able to be marketed as stop smoking aids but they can help significantly. These products act like cigarettes but do not have the harmful chemicals that tobacco cigarettes do. Just like patches there are varying levels of nicotine that can help aid in reducing the need for cigarettes.

Filed Under: Addiction, Health Tagged With: Cigarette, Nicotine, Smoking cessation

Reasons Smoking Bans are Made

It is a fact that in every single state in the United States there is some type of smoking ban in effect. Some smoking bans are put into effect via the state government, others are enforced through the local government. No matter who enforces the smoking ban the fact remains that there are smoking bans in every single state in the United States. Smoking bans can be put into place for a number of reasons, however many people believe that it comes down to one of two things. The government is either trying to force people to stop smoking through inconvenience or they government is trying to protect children from the dangers that secondhand smoke can bring to a child.

Here is a look at why smoking bans have been put into place and how they can essentially prevent exposure to secondhand smoking.

Inconvenience. Many governments believe that if you limit how a person can smoke or where they can smoke this will prevent them from smoking. If they cannot smoke in public restaurants this will force them to have to give up that cigarette for a little bit or force them to choose a new hobby instead. While it is not always ideal, smoking has been known to decrease smoking in the general public and it is believed to be cause of the inconvenience factor.

Safety of Children. Some states have smoking bans that prevent smoking in enclosed areas such as homes and cars as long as there is a minor present. These bans were put into place in an effort to reduce the amount of exposure children have to secondhand smoke. Reports all over the place talk about how dangerous smoking and secondhand smoke can be to children but that does not always stop people from exposing them to the smoke. These bans make it a law and prevents the children from having to experience secondhand smoke.

Filed Under: Addiction, Health Tagged With: Health, Passive smoking, Smoking ban

What could you afford, if you quit smoking?

: Image by elycefeliz via Flickr

If you are confused about quitting cigarette, this article will help you a lot. Cigarettes are bad for your health as well as for your budget. Everyone knows that smoking causes lungs cancer and heart attack. The list of smoking related diseases is too long and the two diseases that I have mentioned are most common. If you do not worry about your health, there is another fact that can make you quit smoking.

Let’s review the current economic crisis, have you, in the past week, complained about your lack of income or twitched every time you pulled out your credit card? Think about what you are spending it on, think about cutting back or cutting it out all together and just imagine what you could buy. You could pay all your bills in the same month, you could pay off that tacori engagement ring that you bought four years ago after you asked your wife to marry you.

Do you know that you can get rich, if you stop smoking today? Let us try to prove it! Well, if you are smoking one pack of cigarette per day, you are spending an average of 5$ on this. If you keep on smoking one pack for a whole year, you would be spending $1,825 on this. If you keep on saving $1,825 per year, you can easily estimate the total amount at the end of 10 years. You can then invest the saved money anywhere! It is all about long term planning…Ask yourself sincerely whether you want to get rich or not? If the answer comes out to be “YES”, quit smoking today.

If you are a heavy smoker and smokes 2 packs a day, quitting cigarette can be easier for you. Simply double all the savings which I have mentioned above. After few years you will be richer than those who smoke one pack a day. Life is all about the way you think….

Cigarettes affect your health badly and they keep you from becoming that much rich which you deserve. So, Why to keep on smoking when there is a healthy and rich life waiting for you outside this smoking environment?

Filed Under: Addiction, Health Tagged With: Cigarette, Health, Smoking cessation

Tobacco & Health Links

Image via Wikipedia

For those that have smoked in the past and are now hindered by all the new smoking laws, you should take another look at how smoking hinders your personal life. For instance, those who smoke are higher health insurance costs, they spend more money, and can even have elevated car insurance quotes based on the fact that most smokers can drink coffee, drive a car, or go outside without lighting up.

Tobacco Related Information and Links

Take a look at these websites for information about tobacco control policies, tobacco and health and quitting smoking:

Link to:

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health provides this website as a resource to smokers trying to quit. The site includes tips on quitting and refers smokers to smoking cessation treatment programs in various areas of the state. This site has several language options.

Quitworks
Link to:

QuitWorks is a stop-smoking service for Massachusetts residents created by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and all the major health plans across the state. QuitWorks provides free, confidential information and tobacco treatment counseling by telephone for any Massachusetts resident, regardless of health insurance coverage.

Tobacco Scam: How Big Tobacco Uses and Abuses the Restaurant Industry
Link to:>

For years, the tobacco industry has used and abused the restaurant and bar industry to defend its own billions of dollars in profits. The Tobacco Scam website uncovers tobacco industry deception through the funding of front groups, phony economic research and the ventilation hoax.

Tobacco Law and Policy Project of the Tobacco Control Resource Center
Link to:

The Tobacco Control Resource Center, founded in 1984 and based at Northeastern University School of Law, provides legal, technical, research and training support for legislative, regulatory, and litigation-based initiatives to control the sale and use of tobacco as a public health strategy. TCRC serves as a national research clearinghouse, providing information to federal, state, and local officials throughout the United States.

Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program
Link to:

The Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program (MTCP) is a statewide government program dedicated to addressing the severe health risks associated with tobacco use.

Centers for Disease Control’s Tobacco Information and Prevention Source (TIPS)
Link to:

The CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health TIPS page contains many science-based reports on smoking and health, advice to help people quit, information on tobacco control programs and links to industry documents.

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Link to:

Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids is fighting to free America’s youth from tobacco and to create a healthier environment. The Campaign is the nation’s largest non-governmental initiative ever launched to protect children from tobacco addiction and exposure to secondhand smoke.

College Tobacco Prevention Resource
Link to:

The College Tobacco Prevention Resource (CTPR) is a website that provides practical information, ideas, and guidance to college leaders involved with planning, implementing, and evaluating effective campus tobacco policies and programs. CTPR favors a comprehensive approach to prevention that combines traditional education and cessation programs with efforts to create a physical, social, and policy environment that supports tobacco-free campuses. The site contains facts about college tobacco use, strategies for comprehensive college tobacco prevention, recommended steps for taking action on campus, case studies, glossary and links, and frequently asked questions. Users can also request assistance with planning, implementing or evaluating campus tobacco programs or policies, ask questions about tobacco prevention, or submit examples of campus tobacco programs or policies.

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: Massachusetts, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Northeastern University School of Law