Introduction:
The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly six million people each year, of which more than 600.000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke.
Nicotine Impact on the Body:
- Medical papers have shown that tobacco causes addiction, like any other addictive material, especially when smokers are young, i.e. less than 15 years.
- Effects of tobacco cessation include:
- Anxiety.
- Inability to concentrate.
- Headache.
- Dizziness.
- Digestive disorders.
- Respiratory diseases; it was found that smokers are more likely to develop lung and throat cancers and chronic bronchitis than non-smokers.
- Oral and dental diseases, such as dental decay, fissured tongue, and impaired sense of taste.
- Gastrointestinal diseases, such as peptic ulcers as well as oral, pharyngeal and esophageal cancer.
- Urinary tract diseases, such as bladder and kidney cancer, as well as prostate inflammation and cancer.
- Cardiac and blood vessel diseases, as it was found that smokers are more susceptible to sudden deaths and angina due to clots in coronary arteries that supply the heart with blood and oxygen. Tobacco also accelerates the heartbeats, causing high blood pressure.
Second-Hand Tobacco Smoke:
Studies have shown that smoking has a negative impact on the people surrounding a smoker as they inhale second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS) released in closed and narrow areas. Exposure to these materials for a long period of time may cause respiratory, digestive, nervous, and immune disorders. Since then, the person who inhales second-hand smoke, especially children, may be affected by respiratory infections, poor appetite, digestion disorders, tension, headache, and chronic allergies.
Smoking Cessation:
Smoking is a habit, so it is difficult to overcome or stop it. In fact, tobacco poses a threat to public health, that is why, the smoker should do his/her best to overcome this bad wont. We should not allow tobacco to control or affect our lives.
Smoking Cessation - Guidelines:
Before quitting smoking, two basic guidelines should be taken into consideration:
- Commitment: The smoker should have a strong will to kick off his journey against tobacco, which affects his/her health and wastes much of his funds. This will lead to gaining Allah's love and satisfaction and will achieve inner peace. Many attempts to quit smoking have failed due to the lack of commitment.
- Preparation: The smoker should undergo a medical examination and a rehabilitation program when quitting smoking so that his health status is not affected. Also, the smoker should be self-motivated and keen on achieving his main goal.
Smoking Cessation - Steps:
- Preparation: when quitting smoking, the smoker should change the surrounding environment, which may prevent him from reaching his target. For instance, the smoker can place anti-smoking posters in his/her office, car or house. This will make colleagues and family members remind the smoker about his decision.
- Encouragement and Support: Studies have shown that chances to quit smoking get high when smokers engage with friends or ex-smokers in various activities. Also, the family members (wife, parents, sons, brothers and sisters) have a significant role in the anti-smoking journey.
- Acquisition of New Skills and Behaviors:
This includes:
- Practicing outdoor sports, such as walking or running.
- Taking a great deal of rest and sleep and staying away from stress.
- Having a healthy balanced diet.
- Communicating with friends and family members.
- Participating in voluntary and charitable works.
- Practicing favorite hobbies.
Medications:
There is a wide range of drugs, accredited by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which help quit smoking and ease the withdrawal symptoms of nicotine from the body. These drugs are available in the forms of pills, chewing gum, nasal spray and plaster and they cannot be taken without consulting a physician.
Post-Cessation Preparation:
Following the first three months of cessation, smokers are more likely to relapse. To avoid this, smokers should do the following:
- Stay away from smokers' gatherings.
- Maintain a healthy diet, because smoking cessation leads to the weight gain.
- Stay away from stress and bickering.