Quit Smoking to Avoid Blindness ?
July 24th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Here’s something that you may find interesting. Most people know that smoking cigarettes has been linked to lung cancer, stroke, heart attacks, etc. But most people do not know smoking is also linked to blindness.
In a recent British study, teens indicated that they are more concerned about blindness than the other smoking related diseases. However, very few of the smoking teens even knew that blindness was a risk of cigarette smoking.
So if you need another reason to quit smoking, perhaps blindness will be more motivating to you than lung cancer.
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Relax and Stop Acting Like a Cigarette Addict
July 15th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
I never realized how much I acted and felt like an addict until I quit smoking cigarettes. Perhaps you can relate to this.
My cigarette habit did not always make me feel like an addict…however laws began limiting where I could smoke. I could no longer smoke in my office, I could no longer smoke in public buildings, I could not smoke in airports and on planes and in restaurants, etc. As these laws began to take effect, I knew fewer and fewer smokers……Smoking was not something you wanted to advertise, it was not acceptable.
The more smoking became limited and the less smokers I knew, the more I started feeling like an addict. I was constantly thinking about when I could have my next cigarette. When I went into a business meeting, I thought about how I could not smoke. When I was flying somewhere, I would wait until the last possible minute before entering the ariport.
I wanted to smoke as much as possible, as though I was storing nicotine in my body to help me make it through a long plane ride.
This is ridiculus. You can not store excess nicotine in your body, these thoughts and actions were not rational.
However, I saw a lot of other people doing the same. A whole line of smokers were outside the airports puffing up a storm. We all looked like we would never be able to have another cigarette again.
All of these actions and thoughts are those of an addict. I did not realize how much cigarettes were controlling me. I could not even go to bed unless I had at least one cigarette for the next morning.
After I quit smoking, this all changed. In fact, it wasn’t until I was taking my first plane ride as a non-smoker that I realized how much calmer and relaxed I was.
I arrived at the airport early, I did not have to hang around outside feeding my habit. I had a nice relaxed breakfast and slowly made my way to the gate. I window shopped, arrived at the the gate early and read while I was waiting for the plane to board. The sense of relaxation, confidence and overall well-being I felt was amazing. At that moment, I became increadibly proud of my quit smoking accomplishment. In fact, whenever I am tempted to start smoking again, I think about how I felt at that moment. I was completely relaxed and at peace with myself.
I realized how severely cigarettes impacted my prior behaviour. How much I used to act and feel like an addict.
- as a smoker I was always anxious and nervous when I knew I would not be able to smoke for the next 1 1/2 hours or more;
- when I was with non-smokers or in non-smoking places, I would also be thinking about how and where I could sneak a cigarette;
- I would smoke whenever an opportunity existed, because I knew that opportunities were limited;
- I would try to find hidden places to smoke, because I felt like a social outcast. I knew smoking was frowned upon; etc.
These feelings and actions have a negative impact on your sense of well-being, confidence and your self-esteem. It was difficult to focus and stay centered when these feelings overcame me, which was more often than I care to admit.
Does this sound pathetic, perhaps. But I know I am not alone. If you are a smoker, you probably feel the same way whether or not you realize it.
This is just one more reason why you should stop smoking. Not only is smoking bad for your physical health, it is also bad for your mental and emotional health.
I’m sharing this experience in the hope that it will help others to quit smoking or remain ex-smokers. If you have a similar experience, please share it with us.
To Your Health,
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Disgusting Quit Smoking Ads (but effective)
July 15th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Apparently, the Australian government is committed to helping people quit smoking. Their TV ads and cigarette pack warnings are much more dramatic than in the US. Their ads stand out, are memorable and will probably have a real impact on viewers.
The message is clear….smoking is definately not cool and does serious damage.
Guess they realized a long time ago that small written warning labels on cigarette packs does little to deter people from lighting up. Let’s face it, when I was a smoker, I barely noticed the warning labels. You don’t notice them unless you are looking for them and the warning is very mild.
So what is the Australian answer to effectively deter smoking? How about disgusting graphic pictures of diseased body parts on cigarette packs and in other advertising. These pictures are large, very noticeable, and graphic. I guarantee you have not seen pictures like these before.
Wish I saw these pictures when I was a teenager, I never would have started smoking.
If you are tempted to light up or still not sure if you are ready to quit smoking, you may want to view the warning labels. Definately unique and worth viewing.
If you are a parent, share these with your children. More effective than a mere pep talk.
To Your Health,
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Quit Smoking in Your 50’s and Significantly Reduce Cancer Risk
May 9th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
A new medical study shows that it is never too late to quit smoking. So if you are looking for another good reason to quit smoking, this is it.
The study analyzed the impact on lung cancer death rates for smokers who:
- quit smoking in their 50’s;
- quit smoking in their 60’s; and
- those that continued their smoking habit
The results indicate that the earlier you quit smoking the more significantly you can reduce your risk of dying from lung cancer. It also showed that participants that quit smoking in their 50’s and 60’s still significantly reduced their risk of dying from lung cancer. In other words, it is never too late for you to quit smoking to improve your health.
- Those that quit smoking in their 50’s reduced their risk of lung cancer death by 43% - 64% compared to those that continued smoking.
- Those that quit smoking in their 60’s reduced their risk of lung cancer death by 19% - 57% compared to those that continued smoking.
Of-course this does not mean that you should wait until you are in your 50’s or 60’s to quit smoking. You should quit smoking as soon as possible to maximize your health benefits and significantly reduce your risk of lung cancer.
For the complete article on this medical study, please visit:
This is great news for all smokers. It is never too late for you to take action and quit smoking.
To Your Health,
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