7/31/08

Ways to Quit Smoking

"Cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer mortality in the United States" - this is the most disturbing fact that the Surgeon General's Report contains. However, this mere statement is only half as disturbing when you find out that this report was made way back in 1982 because at present, the number of fatalities related to smoking increases every day. Based on a very intricate study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by the end of 2004, the current number of American adults who were smoking on a regular basis reached a staggering 44.5 million, making more than 20% of Americans smokers.



It is a fact that smoking causes severe complications on our health that may eventually lead to our own very premature deaths. In fact, adult male smokers lose an estimated 13.2 years on their lives while female smokers lose 14.5 years worth of their lives, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, smoking regularly doesn't necessarily equate to an instant and rapid death. No, it doesn't, for the mere act of smoking a single stick of cigarette is virtually capable of harming almost all vital organs of the body which induces a very slow and painful death through illnesses such as emphysema, blood clot, tuberculosis, and more. CDC attests to this fact with their study showing that approximately 8.6 million Americans were being tormented by at least one chronic disease in the year 2000 from smoking cigarettes on a regular period.



With these dreaded outcomes brought about by smoking, it is a very wise decision to start dropping this vice and start living a very healthy and longer life with your family. The following are some of the suggested methods in curbing down your cigarette-craving until you finally say good riddance to this nasty habit.



First, practice deep breathing every time you feel that urge to smoke a cigarette. Make sure to inhale a lung-full of air that you can muster in one breath. Then, let the air escape through your lips slowly. This simple act is a basic form of yoga and can be useful when you are placed in stressful situations that may urge you to light up a cigarette.



Second, it is always advisable to take in a lot of fluid. There's nothing water can't heal, goes one famous saying, and it stands true because drinking large amounts of water will aid your body to wash out the nicotine and other toxins that corrupt your body.



Third, write down all the positive things of being a non-smoker. Jotting down these advantages will open your eyes and enlighten your frame of thinking which was primarily clouded with the addiction to smoking. Be sure to read aloud all the good things that you've written down. In this way, you get to condition yourself to avoid thinking of going back to your addiction.



Fourth, indulge in simple pleasures. You can try pampering yourself by enjoying a day at a spa to release all the bad vibes and stressful tensions that may serve as impetus to your smoking spree.



Fifth, find the will to destroy all your cigarette stash. Be sure to hide or completely destroy all of your cigarette supplies or anything related to smoking (e.g. ashtrays). The principle behind this rule is quite simple: out of sight, out of mind. Having your favorite lighter lying around your room or around your house won't make it easier for you. This is quite similar to the process of being over someone. Forgetting becomes more difficult when familiar stuffs that can lead you back to that someone is scattered all over your living room.



Lastly, try using some oral substitutes. Such oral substitutes are cinnamon sticks, nicotine gum, and artificial cigarettes. However, you must take note that these "substitutes" only keep you hooked on a cigarette's main component which is nicotine. Thus, this makes the whole quitting ritual a bit more challenging.



A far better alternative to these nicotine-based substitutes is to try out Cig-Arette. Unlike these common cigarette substitutes, the Cig-Arette rids the tissue cells and blood of nicotine which renders the user the ability to immediately escape and resist any physical dependence on nicotine. Moreover, smokers who prefer to use these nicotine patches and nicotine gums only condition their body to become more dependent on nicotine which fosters bouts of regression during the latter part of the quitting process. Cig-Arette uses only natural and organic plants and herbs to combat both the stress build-up, which usually serves as a reason for most people to smoke, and the nicotine that clogs the bloodstream. Furthermore, the Cig-Arette program produces instant results for within the seven-day program, all of the nicotine collected by the body will be purged out from your lungs down to your bloodstream.



Quitting smoking is never a walk in the park. Having to give up the habit you've grown accustomed to can really be a very painful endeavor. However, with all the negative effects and with no proven beneficial aspect, the act of giving up smoking is the wisest move you can ever do in your life. The mere fact that you've thought of shaking this vile habit says a lot about your love and zeal for life.

Second Hand Smoke

Cigarette smoking leads to many health diseases that can cause disabilities and even death. Although medical experts have conducted numerous studies proving the grave effects of smoking on smokers' health, millions of people around the world are still addicted to this habit. Non-smokers' health are also threatened by the second-hand smoke emitted by first-hand smokers.



What is Second-Hand Smoke?



In medical terms, second-hand smoke, also referred to as passive smoke or exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, is generally an admixture of smoke emitted by a lighted cigarette or tobacco. It is also the smoke that is exhaled by smokers. Second-hand smoke stays in the air for hours, and it is uncontrollably inhaled by non-smokers, which may include children.



According to medical studies, second-hand smoke contains more than 4000 ill-causing chemicals. When non-smokers are exposed to this mainstream cigar smoke, they are invariably inhaling toxic components like carcinogens. Carcinogens include harmful chemical combinations like benzo and butadiene. As soon as a non-smoker breathes in second-hand smoke, he is likely to acquire 11 human carcinogen toxins, which are also known as cancer-chemical agents. With such components of mainstream smoke, too much exposure to these by-product emissions is considered lethal.



Effects of Second-Hand Smoke



With the harmful, toxic agents found in the components of second-hand smoke, health studies reveal that exposure to tobacco or cigar smoke can cause short and long-term effects on non-smokers and children.



The short-term effects of exposure to second-hand smoke involve those who have asthma and other minor respiratory problems. If you are asthmatic and get exposed to second-hand smoke, you will likely experience attacks brought on by the emitted smoke.



Since second-hand smoke is considered an allergen, those with allergy conditions can experience runny nose, wheezing, nausea, sneezing, coughing, and other common allergy symptoms once they are exposed to cigar smoke. As for non-smokers who do not have allergy or asthma condition, they can also feel nauseated, sleepy, as well as acquire headaches when exposed to second-hand smoke.



These short-term effects of second-hand smoke exposure will eventually fade as soon as the exposure to emitted smoke ends. However, if you are to be exposed repeatedly with second-hand smoke, you will surely acquire serious, long-term effects of mainstream cigarette smoke.



On the other hand, the long-term effects of second-hand smoke are the same with the scientifically proven health problems caused by direct cigarette smoking. Medical studies show that exposure to second-hand smoke can cause serious respiratory diseases like asthma, bronchitis, and COCP as well as other health maladies like cardiovascular-related illnesses.



Based on the current findings of the US Surgeon General's Report, scientific facts state that once you get exposed to second-hand smoke, your body's blood platelets will become stickier, thus resulting damage to your blood vessel linings. Damaged blood vessel lines will likely affect the coronary flow of your blood and reduce the variability of your heart rate. These instances will then increase your chances of experiencing heart attacks. Also, according to other experts' studies, children and non-smokers who are socializing with people who are active smokers have a greater chance of acquiring lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. With this fact, non-smokers who are continuously exposed to second-hand smoke can also acquire grave illnesses even if they are not really smoking.



Aside from being vulnerable to lung cancer and heart-related problems, over-exposure to second-hand smoke can also lead to birth defects and miscarriages. If you are pregnant and your partner or husband is a smoker, the chances of acquiring birth defects and experiencing problems during childbirth are high. As you give birth, your baby, whose lungs are still developing, will likely have weak lungs and heart, thus making him susceptible to many other diseases. Moreover, healthy adults and children can also develop asthma if they are always exposed to second-hand smoke. Since you are always inhaling the smoke emitted by the smokers around you, you will likely acquire asthma even though you do not have the respiratory condition before.



Second-hand smoke can also increase your risk in acquiring ear infections. Studies show that emitted smoke from cigarettes can cause fluid build-up in the middle ear. This fact resulted to over a million cases of ear infections among kids and adults who are non-smokers.



Actions Regarding Second-Hand Smoke



In order to avoid acquiring health problems brought by the exposure to second-hand smoke, almost all US states now implement smoking bans in public places and establishments that serve drink and food. These establishments include restaurants, dinners, cafes, nightclubs, and other dining areas.



Other countries have also established and implemented smoking ban laws in their jurisdictions as actions to the alarming health issues caused by second-hand smoking. Most countries also prohibit smoking in all public areas, buildings, and private establishments. As most smoking regulation laws explain, all office buildings should contain ventilated areas to accommodate smokers and keep non-smokers from being exposed to second-hand smoke. Some regions also prohibit smoking in workplaces, hospitals, public transportation, schools, and shelter areas.



Upon the enactment of smoking ban laws of various countries, statistics show that the number of reported respiratory ailments and other related-smoking illnesses has significantly dropped. Studies also show that some countries, which are traditionally viewed as smoking states, have shown improvements in the number of people who already quit smoking.



As an overall analysis, first-hand smokers are not the only ones who will likely to suffer from the grave effects brought by smoking. The second-hand smoke that smokers emit causes grave effects to children and non-smokers' health. In order to avoid the risks of acquiring respiratory diseases, non-smokers should avoid areas where they are susceptible from inhaling second-hand smoke emissions.



If you or a loved one smokes, there is help. The Cig-Arette System is a quit smoking support system utilizing all-natural herbal ingredients to give your body the nutritional support it needs and making withdrawal easier to cope with. To learn how you can finally quit smoking, visit www.Cig-Arette.com and stop smoking for life!

The Costs of Smoking, The Habitual Smokers

If you look deeply in the physical, emotional, social, and financial effects of smoking, you will realize that more than the cost of each single cigarette, you are truly paying dearly for every puff.



The Habitual Smokers



Government health warnings have been attached to every cigarette package since 1965 in the United States. Still, a lot of people choose to ignore these warnings in exchange of the satisfaction a puff of smoke gives them. A survey done in 2004 showed that in the U.S. alone, some 46 million people aged 18 and above are smokers, which means that much number off the population are not getting shaken enough to kick the habit.



The serious threat of lung cancer seems to be creating no effect even in a country where lung ailment is found responsible for one out of seven deaths. Hopefully, by being aware of the real price a smoker pays for every cigarette that they light up, something sparks to put them in the quitting zone.


Subtle But Costly



Purchasing a single pack of damaging cigarettes per day could easily sink to your budget, costing just about $4.32. That could add up to $1576.8 per year and $15,768 per decade. Isn't that just about a new car?



Many of the effects of smoking are costing you much more than you imagine. Look at the subtle physical effects -- wrinkles, dry skin, bad breath, smelly hair, yellow teeth, gum disease, stinky clothes -- and imagine how much money you will need to correct or treat these problems.



Anti-aging cosmetics can hurt your pocket a lot if you are already in need of them in your 20s just because puffing cigarettes made your skin unhealthy and dry due to the poor circulation and low oxygen levels in your blood. Bad breath can be easily remedied by a candy or gum mint. A good whitening product or clinic can make the stains on your teeth disappear. However, you will not possibly smile anew if you find out that such work could cost you between $200 and $600. The foul odor of smoke on your hair and your wardrobe would need a lot of money for fresheners to prevent them from smelling like an ashtray.



On the larger scale, an ashtray-smelling car or house can make much of a financial burden than treating the smoke odors in your body. Your car is most likely your smoking haven. That is where you are most comfortable puffing airs of smokes in the middle of a traffic, on the way to a stressful meeting, driving out of an ugly fight, etc. However, the effects that smoking will do to your car's interiors can be serious if not treated to a thorough cleansing every so often. The beauty of your car's floor mats and upholstery are in grave danger when faced with stray ashes or butts because it can burn ugly holes in them. Your house, on the other hand, would need to be repainted more frequently with the carpets and the upholstery to be cleansed regularly. This is to avoid the foul smell of smoke to stick to the walls and furnitures. If you do not address such problems, you will find it more burdensome when the time comes that you wish to sell or trade-in your car or your house. Smelly interiors can depreciate the value of your car by around $3,000 or more while a smoke-smelling house could be a major turn-off that would make it far more difficult for you or your broker to get a better deal out of it. In the same sense, ignoring the physical effects of smoking can depreciate your self-worth, making you a lot more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.



Also, a number of companies reject smokers as employees, meaning you are potentially going jobless if you insist to smoke. Add to that the undeniable fact that you are actually getting less benefits -- Social Security and retirement -- and paying more for insurances as opposed to non-smokers. Since smoking is a good trigger for premature death, you could even be exposing yourself to the risk of not enjoying the benefits of every thing you pay for by not collecting anything at all in the ends.



Take the Cue



Losing as much financially to smoking is no joke but it can be bearable when compared to the damages it can do to your self-image as a whole. Smokers are found to be less successful and less attractive. So the right time to turn your back and head to the quitting zone is now. No matter how long you have been smoking, how young you started, or how difficult you find it to kick the habit, there is surely a way that will help you through the right path.



Cig-Arette is a good system that makes quitting a lot easier and more effective. It is all natural, safe, fast, and tried and tested to finally put a stop to habitual cigarette smoking. Unlike other smoking cessation systems, the creators of Cig-Arette are aware of the failure causes that made quitting impossible at some point and they were able to address them as part of being highly advanced.



Cig-Arette would attest that the revolution of herbal remedies has a very satisfying and compelling effect in providing solutions to many medical problems of the world such as smoking. By using the product, you are assured of a quick and easy way towards going smoke-free!

What a Single Cigarette Can Do to Your Health

An average of 400,000 Americans die each year from frequently smoking cigarettes. This vast number implies that in every five deaths that occur in America one is caused by cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking has also set a new mortality trend on modern day American society. It is roughly estimated that within 1960 and 1990, lung cancer deaths brought about by frequent cigarette smoking among women have exceeded breast cancer deaths by an astounding 400% during the mid-80's.



With these disturbing figures, you might find it alarming how a simple cigarette stick could inflict such damage over a huge number of the American population. Most smokers may be aware of the major risks and complications attributed to frequent cigarette smoking. What they lack, however, is knowledge that a simple cigarette practically inflicts varying degrees of damage on each vital part of the human body.



Lung cancer, emphysema, and bronchitis - these are the typical chronic diseases that are equated to smoking cigarettes. However, having knowledge about these three chronic diseases brought about by cigarette smoking is like scratching the mere surface of a looming greater damage that cigarette smoking is capable of. One major recipient of the fatal blow of cigarette smoking is the heart. The implications of cigarette smoking on the human cardiovascular system are quite vast: it lessens the HDL cholesterol, or which is commonly called as the "good" cholesterol, which is responsible for keeping a balance well-being of the heart. Frequent cigarette smoking also diminishes the elastic capabilities of the largest blood vessel in the body, the aorta, which increases the chances of fostering blood clots. Plus, have you ever heard anyone say that they smoke to release stress? This is usually the answer of most smokers; however, contrary to being a means of alleviating stress, smoking does the complete opposite. Taking a single puff from a stick of cigarette dramatically increases the sympathetic nervous system's activity which in effect, creates more stress on the regulating system of the heart and blood vessels. Women smokers, on the other hand, face a much riskier condition because cigarette smoking diminishes the production of estrogen, which then increases the probability of having some form of cardiovascular ailments.



Other than the apparent negative effects of cigarette smoking to the lungs and the cardiovascular system, your bones and joints also face the same damage from constant smoking. Frequent cigarette smoking hampers the formation of new bones. But the most disturbing part of this is that women are most prone to this kind of damage. Women smokers involve themselves with a very high risk of developing osteoporosis and they are also vulnerable to fostering a case of rheumatoid arthritis. In general, however, both men and women smokers are susceptible to various degenerative disorders that can also lead to damages to the spine. Aside from bone and joint damages, constant cigarette smoking is also capable of causing peptic ulcers by reducing the production of prostaglandin and bicarbonate which in turn dramatically increases the acid secretion of the body. The mere act of holding a stick of cigarette in your mouth already poses dangers that may lead to mouth infections, bad breath, and tooth decay. Simply put, smoking cigarettes at a frequent period, radically affects your over-all well-being. Now, the best move or path that one must take is that path towards a cigarette smoking-free life.



To make your journey towards this path a lot easier, be sure that you employ the help of the Cig-Arette System. Being an active cigarette smoker for a very long period of time, the mere thought of quitting is capable enough to make you cringe. It is very true that quitting such nasty habit is one tough task; however, with the aid of the Cig-Arette System, which involves undergoing a seven-day program, kicking off this vice can be quite easy. Unlike the common methods or cigarette substitute such as nicotine gums and nicotine patches, Cig-Arette System is compromised of organic and natural components only, that are proven to help you curb down on your cigarette dependence. In this way, you are completely free from any form or dose of nicotine that most of these conventional substitutes contain. All it takes are 7-days of pure devotion to the program, and you will find yourself more rejuvenated and free from the nasty effects that cigarette smoking can bring.



Cigarette smoking is probably one of the most pointless activities that man ever came up with. You gain nothing from it except a swarm of harmful diseases that can eventually lead to death. Basically, the act of smoking gains you nothing but takes everything from you. Whatever your reasons are for opting to smoke cigarettes, it doesn't change the fact that you're pulling yourself into a downward spiral of death that is completely meaningless and futile. Thus, through the act of unfastening the firm hold of cigarette smoking on your body, you profess that you value life and the other lives that coincide with yours.

The Ugly Truth About Smoking

Cigarette or tobacco smoking is one of the popular, addictive habits among teenagers and young adults. Since cigarettes contain a high level of nicotine in order to get users addicted, it is no surprise then that millions of people from around the world really find it hard to break the habit. Although the effects of smoking are widely known to smokers and non-smokers alike, people still get hooked from smoking, and because of this, quitting seems to be one of the hardest parts of the habit.



While smoking is known to be a norm which exhibits social acceptance, particularly in teenagers among their peers, the habit does not really give any good benefit to smokers and non-smokers. Aside from getting addicted, you can acquire serious respiratory and heart diseases as well as develop bad breath and yellow teeth from smoking. The smoke that you emit can also affect the health of individuals who are non-smokers, most especially young children.




The Ugly Effects of Smoking



In medical views, cigarette or tobacco smoking is known as one of the essential sources of premature mortality among smokers. Every year, serious diseases and illnesses caused by cigarette smoking claim more than 400,000 lives in the United States alone. Fatalities also include children and adults who are merely exposed to second-hand smoke emitted by smokers.



When you smoke, you are actually inhaling more than 4,800 harmful chemical components, 69 of which are noted to trigger cancer diseases. The dreadful smoking habit is responsible for over 90 percent of lung cancer fatalities in the US and a range of 80 to 90 percent covering other respiratory-related deaths. If you happen to quit the habit, the chance of acquiring or developing chronic lung diseases is still high.



Moreover, smoking does not only affect your respiratory system. According to medical records and studies, you can also experience stroke and other coronary heart illnesses because of smoking too many cigarettes over the years. Note that each year, more people, smokers and non-smokers alike, acquire chronic heart diseases due to cigarette smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke.



In addition, even small children are likewise affected by the grim effects brought by second-hand smoke. Kids who are exposed to the mainstream smoke that is emitted by cigar and tobacco users can also acquire asthma and other allergy conditions like coughing, sneezing, and runny nose. Children can also experience serious cold condition and ear infection when they are regularly exposed to first-hand smokers' emitted smoke.



Smoking is also related to other bodily malignancies and disorders such as slow healing of wounds and infertility cases among women. Other ailments like peptic ulcer and pneumonia are also among the recently reported diseases caused by cigarette and tobacco smoking and exposure.



If you are a chain-smoker, a pregnant woman who smokes, or if you are always surrounded with individuals who are smokers, your baby will likely develop a weak heart and lungs with curtailed lung function and narrow air passages. Smoking can also lead to infants' deaths and premature delivery.




Other Dreary Effects of Smoking



Aside from developing serious lung and heart diseases as well as acquiring short-term effects from the habit, you can also experience other grave consequences when you get addicted to smoking. These health-related consequences include dental and hygiene problems.



Smoking may sound and appear cool, but this habit is really unhygienic. As you continue smoking, your teeth will eventually get yellowish or brownish stains since sticky tar deposits stay on your teeth. Also with smoking, you can develop plaque that rigidly forms on your teeth. When this happens, you will need to have the plaque remove by means of dental cleaning.



Aside from developing stains on your teeth, you are also bound to experience gum problems as a result to smoking. Dental reports show that excessive smoking can cause mouth inflammation or swelling. Cigars and tobaccos can also restrain the flow of blood in your gum tissues, thus limiting the absorption of essential nutrients to the bones as well as in the periodontal support of your teeth.



Meanwhile, smoking can also increase the risk of loosing your teeth. Medical studies related to smoking state that the average rate for tooth damage among smokers now range to 1.5 to 2.9 percent every 10 years. This means that if you begin smoking at age 18, you are likely to lose five teeth when you turn 35.



In addition, smoking can also delay the healing process of any dental procedure or surgery, and it can eventually lead to a serious mouth condition called dry socket. Apart from lung and heart diseases, you can also acquire oral cancer of the esophagus, larynx, and pharynx from too much cigarette and tobacco consumption. Also, you will most certainly have less successful dental treatments and implants if you are a heavy smoker or if you are regularly exposed to second hand smoke emissions.



And as if those were not enough, cigar and tobacco smoking can also ruin your physical appearance. Aside from making your skin look dull, smoke from your cigars can also make your hair stink and appear lank or dull. Compared to smokers, non-smokers' hair are healthier and shinier. Besides acquiring dry and smelly hair, your hair can also lose its strength and hold. Smoking can cause hair breakage as nutrients and oxygen no longer flow normally inside your body. When your hair starts to break off, this means that your hair doesn't receive the essential nutrients it requires to stay strong and healthy.



Furthermore, do not wonder if you are one heavy smoker and people are starting to distance from you; you may have acquired, more or less, a dry and stinky smell on your body and even on your clothes. You see, the smoke lingers on your clothes until you wash them. As such, regularly washing and dry-cleaning your clothes will eventually weaken the fibres, thus causing your clothes to wear out quickly. Smoking can also give a distinct, stinky smell on your body as the cigarettes' components blend into your perspiration and release through your pores.



Now is the time to make the decision to quit! Cig-Arette™ is a breakthrough program to help you quit smoking more easily. Quitting cold turkey is nearly impossible, but the nutritional support supplements in Cig-Arette™ minimize withdrawal symptoms so you can get back your life!

7/30/08

World No Tobacco Day, 31 May

World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2008
Tobacco-free youth: music video



The theme of World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 1988 - 2008.
2008 Theme : Tobacco-free youth
2007 Theme : 100 % SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENTS :CREATE AND ENJOY
2006 Theme : Tobacco: Deadly in any form or disguise
2005 Theme : Health Professionals and Tobacco Control
2004 Theme : Tobacco and Poverty (A Vicious Circle)
2003 Theme : Tobacco free films tobacco free fashion
2002 Theme : Tobacco Free Sports – Play it clean.
2001 Theme : Second-Hand Smoke: Let’s Clear the Air.
2000 Theme : Tobacco kills don’t be Duped.
1999 Theme : Leave the pack behind.
1998 Theme : Growing up without tobacco.
1997 Theme : United for a Tobacco – free world.
1996 Theme : Sport and the arts: play it tobacco free.
1995 Theme : Tobacco costs more than you think.
1994 Theme : The media against tobacco.
1993 Theme : Health services, our window to a tobacco – free world.
1992 Theme : Tobacco free work places: Safer and healthier.
1991 Theme : Public places and transport: Better be tobacco free.
1990 Theme : Growing up without tobacco.
1989 Theme : Women and Tobacco: Added risk.
1988 Theme : Between tobacco and the health , choose health