Cigarette Smoking: Sinful Convenience?
As smokers, we learn early on to put up a mental wall of denial between our smoking habit and the harsh reality of the damage we're inflicting on ourselves with every cigarette smoked.
We tell ourselves lies that allow us smoke with some level of comfort. We say we have time Cancer does not run in our family and we can quit any time we want to and many other lies are woven in our psyche everyday to hold up the carcass in creation or shall I rather say destruction. As smoking is a slow killer, it supports the wall of denial built brick by brick by the defence mechanism. We incessantly take the escape route from the voices in our head and put up a brave face in front of our peers as if the posh roll of tobacco held delicately between our fingers is a war in itself that we fight with aplomb. Sadly, the underlying disarray is lost in the puff of smoke. The demons creating a racket within are not paid heed to.
If 4-5 cigarettes are ingested whole then the nicotine content might prove to be fatal. But, an average smoker consumes 2-3 mg of nicotine per cigarette. Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds; 200 of which are known to be poisonous, and upwards of 60 have been identified as cancer-causing agents. Nicotine reduces the feeling of pain and decreases anxiety.
Carbon monoxide robs the blood of oxygen and leads to the development of cholesterol deposits on the artery walls. This poses a threat of heart attack. Smokers may experience frequent headaches. And lack of oxygen and narrowed blood vessels to the brain can lead to strokes. The viscosity of blood increases leading to increased blood pressure and the blood does not supply sufficient oxygen to the tips of the body leading to impotence. Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer and emphysema by 10 times. Acid secretion of the stomach lining increases and lifts up the risk of ulcers and heartburn. Many carcinogens are released during urination and are likely to cause bladder cancer. By reducing the appetite and raising the metabolism, some smokers may lose weight as a consequence. This leads to reduced immunity as well.We notice that smokers tend to cough a lot. This is due to the fact that alveoli, the fibres that are meant to excrete CO2 stop functioning and the waste is thrown out from the body through cough.
Users report feelings of relaxation, sharpness, calmness, and alertness. Smaller drags offer greater stimulation while deeper ones, relaxation. But both ways it is harmful. The stress levels have been found to be greater in smokers than in non-smokers due to their dependence on nicotine for normalcy and increase in mood swings. It might take 15 years for a person who quits smoking, to shun the risk of lung cancer.
It is clear that packaging helps attract smokers. So, it makes sense to make it less attractive. It is ethical and a moral responsibility to warnings with disturbing photos to deter smokers from lighting up. Learned and well informed citizens have the power to take their own decisions in a rightful manner.
Banning smoking is in no way a prudent step as by the end of it all, the consumers are responsible for their own actions. Even the stream of marketing professions is doing its own work and therefore cannot be held responsible for endangering the lives in a literate nation. The well-informed and educated populace cannot be and must not be spoon-fed.
But we cannot close our eyes and ears to the fact that every eight seconds, a human life is lost to tobacco use somewhere in the world. That translates to approximately 5 million deaths annually. No matter who we are and whatever history we have behind us, none of us deserves to waste our life on something that does not offer anything of value. It is always better to stay out then get out.
There can be no closure to this unremitting debate but one thing is for sure. Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics. It is all a matter of convenience and instant gratification. As Mignon McLaughin, renowned American journalist and author has remarked, “They threaten me with lung cancer and I still smoke and smoke. If they’d only threaten me with hard work, I might stop.”
We tell ourselves lies that allow us smoke with some level of comfort. We say we have time Cancer does not run in our family and we can quit any time we want to and many other lies are woven in our psyche everyday to hold up the carcass in creation or shall I rather say destruction. As smoking is a slow killer, it supports the wall of denial built brick by brick by the defence mechanism. We incessantly take the escape route from the voices in our head and put up a brave face in front of our peers as if the posh roll of tobacco held delicately between our fingers is a war in itself that we fight with aplomb. Sadly, the underlying disarray is lost in the puff of smoke. The demons creating a racket within are not paid heed to.
If 4-5 cigarettes are ingested whole then the nicotine content might prove to be fatal. But, an average smoker consumes 2-3 mg of nicotine per cigarette. Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds; 200 of which are known to be poisonous, and upwards of 60 have been identified as cancer-causing agents. Nicotine reduces the feeling of pain and decreases anxiety.
Carbon monoxide robs the blood of oxygen and leads to the development of cholesterol deposits on the artery walls. This poses a threat of heart attack. Smokers may experience frequent headaches. And lack of oxygen and narrowed blood vessels to the brain can lead to strokes. The viscosity of blood increases leading to increased blood pressure and the blood does not supply sufficient oxygen to the tips of the body leading to impotence. Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer and emphysema by 10 times. Acid secretion of the stomach lining increases and lifts up the risk of ulcers and heartburn. Many carcinogens are released during urination and are likely to cause bladder cancer. By reducing the appetite and raising the metabolism, some smokers may lose weight as a consequence. This leads to reduced immunity as well.We notice that smokers tend to cough a lot. This is due to the fact that alveoli, the fibres that are meant to excrete CO2 stop functioning and the waste is thrown out from the body through cough.
Users report feelings of relaxation, sharpness, calmness, and alertness. Smaller drags offer greater stimulation while deeper ones, relaxation. But both ways it is harmful. The stress levels have been found to be greater in smokers than in non-smokers due to their dependence on nicotine for normalcy and increase in mood swings. It might take 15 years for a person who quits smoking, to shun the risk of lung cancer.
It is clear that packaging helps attract smokers. So, it makes sense to make it less attractive. It is ethical and a moral responsibility to warnings with disturbing photos to deter smokers from lighting up. Learned and well informed citizens have the power to take their own decisions in a rightful manner.
Banning smoking is in no way a prudent step as by the end of it all, the consumers are responsible for their own actions. Even the stream of marketing professions is doing its own work and therefore cannot be held responsible for endangering the lives in a literate nation. The well-informed and educated populace cannot be and must not be spoon-fed.
But we cannot close our eyes and ears to the fact that every eight seconds, a human life is lost to tobacco use somewhere in the world. That translates to approximately 5 million deaths annually. No matter who we are and whatever history we have behind us, none of us deserves to waste our life on something that does not offer anything of value. It is always better to stay out then get out.
There can be no closure to this unremitting debate but one thing is for sure. Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics. It is all a matter of convenience and instant gratification. As Mignon McLaughin, renowned American journalist and author has remarked, “They threaten me with lung cancer and I still smoke and smoke. If they’d only threaten me with hard work, I might stop.”
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