Read about smoking, its effects and opinions by smokers, non smokers and people who have quit.

What would you do if somebody walked up to you and told you that you had just lost 11 minutes of your life? I bet you would gape at them, have a good laugh, and ramble away shaking your head in incredulity.
But wait! What if I tell you that its true and medical research has proven that the single cigarette you just had stole those 11 minutes? Would you stop in your tracks.... turn around, and listen?
You see, ‘cigarette is the only product which when consumed as recommended by manufactures, kills half of its regular consumers!!!’ (WHO brochure) Smoking and other tobacco products cause annihilation in form of loss of life, health hazards etc. (don’t forget the outflow of cash) Younger people take up smoking for reasons such as peer pressure, imitating adults, glamour of puffing, to feel grownup, the thrill of breaking a social taboo etc while giving little thought to the adverse implications.
This should not come as a surprise since the younger populace repeatedly engages in jeopardous behavior like alcohol, drugs, rash driving etc without thinking through the perils and risks involved. And then experimenting with cigarette has become a part of growing up. The US Department of Health and Human services claims that, “nearly all smokers aged 35 or older began using cigarette some time in early adolescence, roughly between 11-15.”
Lets check how adverse these effects are. For those boys and girls who fashionably twiddle with a cigarette, are conscious about their looks or suppress their appetite by smoking...I have news!!! Smoking seems to attack your skin in two ways; firstly the habitual inhalation causes lines to develop around the mouth, secondly carbon dioxide in cigarette smoke has a great affinity with hemoglobin then oxygen has itself, & displaces it, substantially reduces the amount available to build up and replenish the skin tissue. In plainer words, smoking ‘suffocates’ the skin.
Smoking, competitive attitude, politics, Gwyneth Paltrow, caffeine and Brad Pitt all have one thing in common! They act on the brain to release the hormone Noradrenaline into the system. This hormone releases fat for fuel, puts the body into overdrive and makes the brain buzz. Noradrenline addicts are stress seekers. Rushing nervous energy which when exhausts to reveals the real ill effects generates the ‘high’ they seek...and find.
The Associated Press reported on Oct 2nd this year that a new study indicates that smoking may cause depression in teens. Smokers are four times more likely to develop highly depressed symptoms then non-smokers as Nicotine and other by products in cigarette smoke have this effect on the central nervous system. Dr.Elizbeth Goodman, an adolescences med specialist, Cincinnati Ohio, revealed, “the thing that bolsters the idea is that there is evidence that anti-depressants are helpful in treating a Nicotine addict.”
What Bugs Bunny does to Elmer Fudd, cigarette smoke does to the lung surface! It irritates and hence increases the amount of mucus produced, stops the wafting of the cilia and coughing brings up mucus...first stages of bronchitis. Eventually the air passages are narrowed by scar tissue formation thanks to (rather no thanks) constant smokers cough. Build up of mucus, infection by virus and bacteria lead to the hazardous chronic bronchitis.
Furthermore, cigarette smoke damages the walls of the air sacs in the lungs making them thin and weak. They expand in size or break down completely leaving large empty spaces that inflate like balloons (while deflating the spirit), a condition called Emphysema.
Nicotine increase rate of deposition of fatty substances and can cause clotting of blood vessels or Thrombosis. It shrinks the arteries and the veins causing problems in blood circulation. Major. General Dr.Ashur Khan of National Health Association said that smoking multiplies chances of heart pain and even a heart attack.
We all know that cigarette contain Carcinogens that are cancer-producing substances that mainly affect the lungs. Well there is good news for smokers! A new cigarette, ‘Advance’ is designed to reduce smoker’s exposure to cancer producing toxins. Developers Chester, Va..-based Star Scientific Inc. claim that ‘Advance’ has the same level of nicotine as other cigarettes but contains fewer specific Nitrosamines that are believed to be the most potent cancer causing agents. In addition the cigarette has a charcoal filter to reduce intake of toxic gases like carbon monoxide.
So the fact is established that smoking is deadly for smokers’ right? Wrong!!! There is more to it, the perils of ‘sidestream smoke’, which is emitted into the air by a smothering butt and is extremely harmful as Carcinogen is in higher concentration then when inhaled. Passive smoking is more precarious for people in company of the smoker for they inhale the fumes directly while the smoker drags through the filter...so be wary!
Would you be alarmed if I said that everyday 6000 kids smoke for the first time and 3000 become regular smokers? Then too bad for it is true and one third of these regular smokers will die prematurely from tobacco related diseases.
Campaigns against smoking and other tobacco goods have only recently really moved to the forefront of the public policy agenda. The increased focus has been largely driven by the bizarre success in litigation against the tobacco industry. Amplified media attention regarding smoking and related issues and ever more belligerent efforts to address the problem by health care experts and organizations.
But what incites young people to experiment smoking? The most spontaneous response is cigarette advertisements, and it is not just popular without any reason. The Pakistan Pediatric Association says that due to TV commercials children become fascinated and curious. June 2000 saw the report claiming to ban sale of cigarettes to underage public in Pakistan. I wonder if it was just a report to be published and applauded because there has been no change in the scenario what so ever!
It is shameful that Pakistan being a signatory to World Health Assembly’s resolutions of 1986 remained mute when urged elimination of ads, promotion and sponsorships of tobacco products. Merely a warning appeared on cigarette packs as a lame and ineffective attempt.
On query to Mr.Zaheer Ahmad (Pakistan Tobacco Co.Jhelum) as to whether the guilty tobacco manufactures have done anything about underage smoking, the former factory manager said, “juvenile smoking started to become a issue. A survey conducted by an outside agency showed that young people who got hooked to smoking was either the influence of parents or peers. A large-scale campaign to curtail underage smoking was planned for the year 2000 between two tobacco giants of the country.” Mmmm...what do you think?
To answer the questions of the curious and the concerned as to why the governments are not concerned for the welfare of the smokers and would be smokers, the answer is simple! The governments themselves are addicted! No, not to tobacco but to the industry’s revenue, and their addiction is killing other people!
Well, clouds of awareness have crept all over and are now drizzling to generate commotion. Recently students of an American high school protested against a cigarette advertisement board outside but in clear view of the campus leading to a lawsuit! Then Florida’s landmark tobacco case instigated both sides to speak of death, either of Big Tobacco or millions of smokers!
Campaigns are on the rise and people are on the move! SOUL, a youth organization is dedicated to become the youth’s voice in tobacco prevention and resistance against lies and manipulation of tobacco industry.
KICK BUTTS DAY 2000 came up two weeks after tobacco was thrust back into headlines by US Supreme Court’s ruling on the US Food & Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products. Kids fought by organizing creative events and inviting celebrities.
COST (Children Opposed to Smoking Tobacco) fights back against tobacco industries preying kids to become nicotine addicts.
Beat Their Butts is an anti-smoking interactive series that has computer games designed for teens that ignore the standard anti-smoking reasoning.
You can get more information about them at www.kickbuttsday.org/www.tobaccofreekids.org/ www.costkids.org/ and www.beatbutts.com.
Sanctions, targeted at children & youth caught smoking and who persist using tobacco, are necessary, but great caution must be exercised in developing solutions in Pakistan. If underage smoking is criminalized as done by US in the 70’s, it is doubtful that the policies and approach will be effective.
Examples of proposed punishments likely to lead to criminalization of underage smokers include levying of fines which most children can't pay and lead to worst punishments or the parents paying them which makes the child dependant and care free. Suspension of drivers license or legally blocking one leads to getting involved in an accident or caught driving without one.
The popular juvenile detention for underage smokers is a prescription for disaster! Potential of abuse is immense due to overcrowding, all types of inmates and ill handling by ill-prepared workers for complex situations presented by troubled youth.
School suspension results in deprivation of education and creates new opportunity to engage in potentially more serious behavior and rebellious attitudes.
Unfortunately far too little is known about how to prevent underage smoking. While more information needs to be generated, I request policymakers & practitioners to take advantage of what we know about smoking prevention and cessation experiences of other nations, and try to curb underage smoking.
We all have opinions and thoughts...and mine fall in this pattern that the first line of defense should be short prevention programs designed to address the risk-taking attitude which focuses on individuals, peer groups, families, communities, commercial and educational institutes.
Severe action should be taken against sale of tobacco to minors. Health and anti-smoking education should be provided free of charge. Children and youth should be encouraged to indulge in community services, working for cancer and emphysema patients. Have the youth develop and assist in implementing anti-smoking programs in non-profit youth serving agencies and especially in prevention and intervention programs targeted for younger children.
The British Royal College of Physicians claims that unlike alcohol and sleeping pills, “the most stable and well-adjusted person, if he or she smokes at all almost inevitably become dependant on their habit.”
A small survey exposed facts that’ll make you wince! According to it 70% of the young smokers are boys who started at the tender age of 12 or 13 years. Hassan a 21 years old is a chain smoker, “I was 12 and impressionable, and if you can't beat them join them!” Among them 10% declare that they can't quit and can't bother to try, 60% say that they will quit at some time, 20% say that they have tried and failed, 7% add that they smoke just for the heck of it while 2% were then trying to swear off cigarettes as a girl put it, “Do or die!”
Pakistan doesn’t exactly offer the best facilities for people who want to quit; but then if you can't help your self ...nobody can! (Come to think of it you defiantly didn’t help your self by getting hooked to smoking.)
See if my approach and idea appeals to you...take a glass of Coke-Cola and put your entire cigarettes in it. Set it on the floor; sit in front of it...close your eyes and swear that you’ll never touch, look or think of a cigarette again!!!...(That’s a jokeJ).
Ok, down to serious business now, here goes nothing...
Consider your reasons to quit and to continue and weigh them against each other, whether you are ready or not you’ll know. Cigarettes are more of a habit then a serious addiction. Chains of such habits are too frail to be felt until they are too strapped to break free from.
Firstly...don’t quit! Start using low tar cigarette with a filter. After a month or so start by cutting down the number you smoke. This may take some time depending the number you usually consume but when you’re finally down to one or two cigarette you’ll need a dash of determination to switch cigarettes with nicotine gum or lozenges if you don’t want to ‘wean’ off nicotine totally.
If you can't too bad because this can work, provided that the desire to stop and to stop permanently is there. Anything less is likely to come to grief.
The question remains that can danger be minimized if one isn’t ready to quit? Yes, with reservations, as the only safe cigarette is one you don’t smoke. However, use a filter, take fewer puffs, don’t always inhale, put the cigarette out earlier, never relight it and never smoke right down to the filter as all the toxic substances are most concentrated there.
If you are still not convinced, maybe this boost of reality that I downloaded from the Internet will help.
CIGARETTE WARNINGS TABACCO EXECUTIVES
WOULD LOVE TO SEE!!!
Medical study proves that you can live with one lungJ.
Most forms of cancer are curable, at least for a whileJ.
This is only one of the hundred products killing youJ.
Secondhand smoking affects only those who might breath itJ.
Nicotine is not addictive because you know you can quit if you really wanted toJ.
There has been no medical test to conclusively prove that smoking is teeth staining, smelly and a pukey habitJJ.