My interest in blogging started with with my earnest passion on anti-smoking campaign. Unfortunately, I couldn’t encourage my boss to quit smoking so I decided to quit instead. Yes, I quit. I quit my job and not smoking because I don’t smoke at all. (Although I have other personal reasons, this is one great factor that helped me decide whether to leave my good-paying and convenient job or to suffer from respiratory illnesses because of secondhand smoke.) I know it’s crazy and I am not really sure if I can ever find a stress-free job in a pollution-free workplace. Well I would never find out if I wouldn’t leave my work, right?
So here I am again, rambling about my hopeless effort to convince people to stop smoking. Sigh! 
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Making the decision to quit smoking means you have a lot of work ahead of you, but in the end your efforts might save your life. According to the American Cancer Society, cigarette smoking causes an estimated 443,000 deaths each year, making it one of the most dangerous habits you will ever kick. The process is far from easy, but your chances of success will increase dramatically if you approach it the right way.
Stop Gradually
When you make the decision to give up cigarettes, you might get the urge to quit all at once. Statistically, this method of quitting is not successful, as 95 percent of smokers who go cold turkey end up relapsing, according to Web MD. Nicotine is an extremely addictive drug, and abruptly cutting off a body accustomed to regular doses of it results in results in a variety of troubling side effects. Cut down your smoking little by little so that eventually stopping altogether is easier to handle.
Put It In Writing
The best way to give up smoking for good is to genuinely want to do so. Think of all the motivating factors involved in your decision to quit smoking, and commit them to paper. Your decision might have come from wanting to take better care of your body or to set a better example for your children. List all the reasons you want to quit, and bind yourself to a contract. Later, when a weak moment arrives, refer to it for renewed determination.
Change Your Routine
Smoking cigarettes is habit-forming and might prove difficult to give up just because it has become such a normal part of your daily routine. In these cases, shake up that routine and do new things to get your mind off smoking. If you need something in your mouth, consider gum, hard candy, carrot sticks or sunflower seeds. Take part in hobbies that require active use of your hands such as needlework or woodworking. Find any distraction to keep you busy and safe from the temptation to smoke.
Reward Yourself
Don’t forget the fun part of accomplishing something difficult: the reward. Although it’s unlikely the incentive of a reward alone provides enough motivation to stop smoking, it can’t hurt. Depending on how frequently you smoked, your decision to quit might save you quite a bit of money each week. Put the money you normally spend on cigarettes into a jar, and treat yourself to something fun frequently as a constant reminder that you made the right decision to quit.
Related articles at http://www.ehow.com/quit-cigarettes/
Secondhand smoke is a toxic cocktail consisting of poisons and carcinogens. There are over 4000 chemical compounds in secondhand smoke; 200 of which are known to be poisonous, and upwards of 60 have been identified as carcinogens.
When a cigarette is smoked, about half of the smoke is inhaled / exhaled (mainstream smoke) by the smoker and the other half floats around in the air (sidestream smoke). The combination of mainstream and sidestream smoke makes up environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).
Also known as secondhand smoke, ETS plays a part in more health problems than you might realize. The following facts point out why it is so important to have smoking bans in place. No one should be forced to breathe in air tainted with cigarette smoke.
Secondhand Smoke and Cancer
The U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has classified secondhand smoke as a Group A carcinogen.
Cancers linked to passive smoking include:
Lung cancer – 3000 nonsmokers die every year from lung cancer caused by ETS
Nasal sinus cavity cancer
Cervical Cancer
Bladder cancer
Some chemical compounds found in smoke only become carcinogenic after they’ve come into contact with certain enzymes found in many of the tissues of the human body.
The Risks of Secondhand Smoke to a Child
- Low birthweight for gestational age
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)- children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy have an increased risk of SIDS.
- The EPA estimates that passive smoking is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 of these infections in children under 18 months annually
- Asthma – According to the EPA, between 200,000 and 1,000,000 kids with asthma have their condition worsened by secondhand smoke every year. Also, passive smoking may also be responsible for thousands of new cases of asthma every year
- Chronic respiratory symptoms such as cough and wheezing may be attributed to secondhand smoke.
- Children who breathe in secondhand smoke are more likely to suffer from dental cavities, eye and nose irritation, and irritability
- Middle ear infections – exposure to ETS causes buildup of fluid in the middle ear, resulting in 700,000 to 1.6 million physician office visits yearly
Related articles at http://quitsmoking.about.com/sitesearch.htm?q=smoking&SUName=quitsmoking
Smoking is one of the most difficult addictions to break. Scientists estimate that cigarettes are more addictive than cocaine, heroin, or alcohol. According to the World Health Organization, smoking kills more people than any disease in the world. With all this information readily available, why do people continue to smoke?
Most people who smoke do so because they can’t stop. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that makes people feel energized and alert. Smokers get a rush after a cigarette, and giving up produces withdrawal symptoms that include difficulty sleeping and cravings. Seventy percent of people who quit smoking eventually start again.
Tobacco advertising also has a big influence on why people smoke. For years, the industry has focused on making smoking glamorous through advertising in movies, television, and billboards. While cigarette advertising is now controlled, its influence can still be felt in the form of free samples, smoking cartoons, and the promise of cool merchandise that can be obtained in exchange for coupons printed on cigarette packs. Many people claim that smoking keeps them thin, but the truth is that smoking reduces the sense of taste, so many people who smoke simply eat less because they don’t enjoy food as much.
Smoking also produces psychological dependency. Many people smoke because it helps them relax and cope with difficult situations, or because it gives them confidence. Others smoke when they feel bored. Smoking produces a feeling of satisfaction that’s difficult to give up. Finally, people who smoke are usually in denial – they know that smoking is bad, but they convince themselves it’s simply “not as terrible as they make it sound.”
Smoking is a social activity as well. Many people who smoke do so as a way to start conversations and interact at parties or in crowded places. This is known as “social smoking,” and it usually involves alcohol as a complement.
Many teenagers start smoking due to peer pressure. They may also smoke to feel more mature or as a form of rebellion against parental authority. It has been proved that children are also more likely to smoke if their parents do.
Related articles at http://s.wisegeek.com/
There have been various studies showing a positive link between smoking, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.[104][105] In a study conducted among nurses, those smoking between 1 to 24 cigarettes per day had twice the suicide risk; 25 cigarettes or more, 4 times the suicide risk, as compared with those who had never smoked.In a study of 300,000 male U.S. Army soldiers, a definitive link between suicide and smoking was observed with those soldiers smoking over a pack a day having twice the suicide rate of non-smokers.
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