Stop Smoking

The smoking habit may have started during our adolescence as a way of fitting in with our group of friends and as a way of demonstrating to one and all that we were "adults," but the truth is that smoking is one of the most destructive, expensive and enslaving habits that exists. Quitting is a difficult task, but because the damage to our health is so great, it is crucial to use all means at our disposal...

Why give up smoking if I enjoy it so much?

Other than the fact that cigarettes get more expensive each day and that smoking shows a lack of respect for nonsmokers, the damage caused by cigarette smoke affects not only our own health but also that of the people around us. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of illness and death. It is considered to be the main risk factor in heart attack or stroke, emphysema, and lung cancer. Additionally, many unhealthy ingredients have been found in cigarettes. Among these are the following:

1. Tars (benzopyrene and nitrosamines) which are responsible for 30% of all types of cancer (bladder, kidney, pancreas, stomach, etc.) and 90% of all lung cancer.
2. Carbon monoxide, which is the cause of more that 15% of all cardiovascular disease.
3. Nicotine, a substance with great addictive powers, similar to other drugs such as heroin or cocaine, which produces physical, psychological, and social addiction.

To better understand the damage caused by these substances, we will explain what happens in your body when you smoke.

• Each time you smoke, your blood pressure goes up at least 5 points mmHg. This response is caused, in part, by the carbon monoxide entering your body which causes narrowing of the arteries, and makes the heart pump more powerfully and more rapidly in order to carry blood all over the body, thereby raising the blood pressure. This affects all the arteries in the body, from head to toe. Additionally, nicotine, which is a stimulant, unlike caffeine or cocaine, causes the body to produce more adrenaline, and this also raises your blood pressure. For this reason, smoking is the principal risk factor for heart attacks. If you also have arterial hypertension, elevated cholesterol or triglycerides in the blood, diabetes or are obese, it is very necessary to quit smoking. Not doing so makes you a perfect candidate for a heart attack or a stroke.
• Furthermore, smoking lowers the concentration of vitamin C in the blood, irritates the stomach increasing any problems such as gastritis, ulcers or acid reflux, and affects the intestines.
• Also, because it is a stimulant, smoking keeps you awake.
• In general, it accelerates the aging process throughout your entire body.

Is it too late to give up smoking?

It is not important how long you have smoked; when you quit smoking your risk factor for many illnesses decreases. If you give up smoking, after three years you will have the same risk for heart disease as a person who has never smoked. There are many effective programs to help quit smoking such as nicotine patches and other medications that can help you to quit smoking.