The Tremendous Cost Of A Smoking Habit

By Anderson Slempski

The tremendous cost of a smoking habit can be counted in
monetary terms, but also mounts up in loss of health, loss
of life, and human suffering. Compared to these results of
smoking, the price of a pack a day is trivial.

The word tremendous is an apt one, for this harmful practice
has shattering consequences. To begin with, the price of
cigarettes has gone up about as fast as the economy has gone
down. Throwing money away on something so bad for you makes
no sense at all, but then that is the sad reality of an
addiction.

The smokers puts their money down for fragrant white tickets
to the high risk seats, where they can play the odds with
congestive heart disease, heart attack, stroke, emphysema,
and cancer. Like all those with a compulsive gambling
problem, the fact that the odds are stacked against them
means nothing compared to the satisfaction of the next
smoke.

Besides cigarettes, there are other tobacco products that
carry just as much risk. Young athletes who start chewing
tobacco for fun become addicted, and find that they can't
stop when they are old enough to understand the dangers. One
day they may face losing the lower part of their face to
mouth cancer. The pleasure of savoring cigar smoke by
holding it in the mouth can result in gum disease, can
damage the tongue, destroy the sense of taste and smell, and
cause mouth cancer.

Even before the final bill comes due, smokers have paid the
price in health. They are too short of breath to enjoy the
exercise they should have, they can't climb stairs or take a
good deep breath of fresh air, they can't work or play very
long without needing a break, and they get irritable and
nervous if they go too long without their 'fix'.

Others who may not smoke themselves can be exposed to
harmful second hand smoke. The dangers of this have led to
recent legislation that makes most restaurants and public
places smoke free areas. Children especially suffer the ill
effects of their parents smoking in the home or the family
car. Another hazard for children is the bad example that
their parents are setting for them.

Finally, think about the people left alone after the death
of their lifelong partner, dead of the effects of smoking.
Or the kids growing up without a parent, the baby injured in
the womb, the brilliant actor or musician or scientist or
doctor who cannot live to do all they could have done for
the rest of us. What waste of human potential. What a cost
to all when medical facilities are overfilled with those who
traded health for an addiction to nicotine.

A consequence of this addiction is the painful attempts to
stop. Not only does the stopping period cause physical
symptoms, the mental strain is so bad that many people
simply cannot do it. In desperation, they buy the patch and
chew the gum, eat too much, yell at the kids or kick the
dog, bum cigarettes off their friends while promising to
never buy another pack, get hypnotized, and then often give
up and let the monkey climb back on. Ask them, and they will
tell you the attempt was true misery.

Money, quality of life, health, and longevity - all of these
are some of the tremendous cost of a smoking habit.

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Some Of The Most Popular Ways To Stop Smoking

There's no shortage of methods to stop smoking. But do they
work? Following is an overview of some of the more common
ways to quit. Find out for yourself if they can live up to
their promises.

Pharmaceuticals

Nicotine patches are a popular method for quitting smoking.
They work by slowly decreasing the amount of nicotine that
you ingest each day. This will lessen the withdrawal
symptoms when the nicotine is stopped for good.

A hot new pharmaceutical product is Chantix, a
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quit smoking pill. This medication causes the release of
dopamine, a feel good chemical in your brain. The brain
experiences the same effect as if nicotine were present in
your bloodstream. Using this form of treatment, withdrawal
symptoms are virtually nonexistent.

It's important to note that using medications to help you
stop smoking isn't always the complete answer. That's
because it's not just a chemical addiction you're dealing
with. Smoking is also psychologically addictive, which is
equally difficult to deal with.

Quitting Cold Turkey

Most people will try this method first when they decide it's
time to stop smoking. This is a rather brutal approach that
means just stopping; no medications and no slowly tapering
down. Although it's popular, it's not necessarily the most
successful method.

Most people who smoke are addicted to the large quantities
of nicotine that are contained in cigarettes. This is a
highly addictive drug, and withdrawal symptoms appear when
your body is no longer getting it. Quitting cold turkey
heightens the withdrawal effect, and your symptoms will go
on for at least two weeks.

The hard part is to learn how to take your mind off these
symptoms when they come over you. Many people find this too
difficult and eventually give in to their cravings.

Substituting

This technique involves replacing smoking with some other
activity or behavior. Many people have found success by
sucking on hard candy or chewing gum when the urge to smoke
hits. Sometimes this will help to satisfy the oral fixation
by giving your mouth something else to do.

Other people substitute exercise for smoking. When they
crave a cigarette, they simply go for a run or get on an
exercise bike.

Anyone who has ever been a smoker knows how difficult it is
to kick the habit. And anyone who has been successful will
probably tell you that it took several attempts to quit
smoking for good. But it's worth it to keep trying. After
all, your life is on the line.

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The First 72 Hours After Quitting Smoking

Feelings of fatigue, irritability and an extremely
persistent headache are all side effects of nicotine
withdrawal and are all perfectly normal. Why? Simply
because it is in the first 72 hours when nicotine purges
itself from your system - regardless of the smoking
cessation method you have chosen to use.

The good news is that if you prepare mentally for your quit
day, many of the symptoms will not make you feel like you
have to lock yourself in a closet. Letting friends and
family members know that today is your quit day (if you
feel they would be a help and not a hindrance) would be a
good idea and since it's common knowledge about how people
act when they stop smoking, you may just get the house to
yourself for the day.

Keep in mind, that by making plans in advance on how you
are going to handle these symptoms, it can really help if
you write them down. What are you going to feel? What are
the symptoms of withdrawal? You may want to include these
things on your list:

Feeling angry or agitated: I will take deep breaths and
take a walk outside. I will leave the room or go take a
shower.

Feeling overly emotional or sensitive: I will find a few
moments for myself.

Feeling tired: Rest and healing are needed to allow myself
to heal from my addiction.

Feeling nauseated: I will drink a glass of water (helps
with nausea, as do apples and ginger).

After I eat I will: Find something to do so I don't crave
the 'after-dinner' cigarette.

A really good way to help your body get rid of the nicotine
within it is to drink lots of water. The more you drink,
the faster your body will metabolize the stored nicotine
within your system and the only side effect of this is a
slouchy stomach and maybe a few more trips to the bathroom.
The faster you can get the nicotine flushed out of your
system, the sooner the withdrawal symptoms will be over, at
least the physical ones.

Some theorize that drinking beverages with caffeine in them
can cause your withdrawal symptoms to worsen. Others find
that it makes absolutely no difference whatsoever. Each
individual's situation is unique. If you find that
caffeinated drinks are causing you to crave cigarettes,
then it would be best to cut back or stop completely.

Sometimes giving up too many things at once can also open
up another can of worms, so maybe just try cutting back on
the caffeine. Water, fruit juices, and even ice cream
shakes, can help clear out your system and get those
withdrawal symptoms done with faster.

A very common side effect during the first few nights is
finding it difficult to fall asleep and then to sleep
soundly. Even though you might have been exhausted
throughout the day, when it's time for bed it seems like
everything is racing through your mind and you can't get
comfortable.

Taking a nice hot shower or a soothing bath, just prior to
going to bed can be very helpful and can help you become
relaxed enough to fall asleep. Normally, this will only
last one or two nights at the most, but if it becomes
persistent, you may want to consider taking an
over-the-counter sleep aid for a night or two. Your
sleeplessness won't last for long.

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