Last week I discussed about alcohol. Remember the 3-R’s of habit? – Reminder, Routine and Reward. In fact there are five stages to change behavior and one stage leads to another. These are pre-contemplation, contemplation, determination, action and maintenance. Avoid relapse as it is difficult to manage. Today I will speak about smoking.
May 31 is observed as No Smoking Day by Govt of India. “Cigarette and other tobacco products Act-2003” prohibits smoking in public places, prohibits selling of tobacco products to minors below 18 years and also prohibits advertisement of these products. One out of every two smokers who starts at a young age and continues smoking throughout his life will ultimately be killed by one of the 25 tobacco-related diseases.
1 cigarette shortens your life by 12 min. 5 cigarettes reduce your life by one hour. If you smoke for 24 years, you will celebrate 1 less birthday.
A cigarette emits 4000 chemicals, some of which are known to cause cancer. Generally speaking, those who smoke are nervous, under pressure, depressed and use smoking as a means to escape any kind of unpleasantness. Passive smokers too breathe a significant amount of nicotine and chemical everyday! Sample these:
- In a crowded smoking bar – 4 cigarettes in 2 hours
- In a restaurant where smoking is allowed – 1½ cigarette in 2 hours
- An office where smoking is allowed – 5 to 6 cigarette in 8 hours
- Sitting behind a smoker for 3 hours – 1 cigarette
- If some one smokes in the family 24 hours – 3 to 4 cigarettes.
Ways to Quit Smoking
- Will-power is the best way to quit smoking. The stimuli associated with smoking have to be identified and avoided.
- Tobacco detoxification: If the withdrawal symptoms are severe Nicotine Replacement Therapy is the effective way to stop smoking. The rationale is to ‘wean’ smokers off their nicotine addiction through step-wise reductions in dose size or frequency over time. Daily dose is reduced within 4-8 weeks and then stopped i.e. the rationale is to maintain the nicotine level in blood, which the smoker is accustomed to even after he stops smoking.
- Techniques include: nicotine skin-patches, chewing nicotine gum, nicotine nasal spray, nicotine lozenges and nicotine inhaler. This involves substituting one form of nicotine delivery for another. Bupropion tablets affects neuro-transmitters in brain and curbs the smoker’s urge.
If there is relapse, you are not a failure, do not let a slip become mudslide. Find the trigger and get back on to the non-smoking track. Develop positive addiction by doing yoga, meditation, running, reading etc.
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