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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Smoking and Environment: Do Not Leave Your Butts Behind

We are all well aware of the effects of smoking on our health. But how about on our environment? I do not think so. We know that if we do not stop the habit we may end up suffering various diseases, but how about its effects to the people around us? Cigarette smoking has varied effects on the global environment.

Smoking Effects To Environment

Butt Litter

There is an estimated 4.5 trillion butts which are non-biodegradable that are discarded into the environment every year. It has also been suggested that these butts represent one of the biggest litter problems the world faces today. In addition, it has been estimated that 1 in every 3 cigarettes end up as a litter. These cigarette butts can take up to 12 years to break down. Basically, the filter is composed of cellulose acetate which is a form of plastic, and as we all know, they do not decompose easily and there are many forms of plastic can even take up to 1, 000 years before they decompose.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

E-Cig: A Healthy Gateway Device

electronic cigarette device
Electronic cigarettes are also known as e-cigs, e-cigarettes, and smokeless cigarettes. This device has taken a bright start by attracting a large number of smokers from the different parts of the world. In fact, e-smoking has now become a highly adoptable fashion with a long lasting and far reaching positive outcomes. The days are gone when smoking was seen and as a connotation of poor health, careless attitude, and fallacious habit.

At present, electronic cigarettes have acquired a distinction in connection with their healthy results and people are now rapidly embarking upon saying bye bye to their traditional smoking and switching to a healthier way of smoking, not to mention a completely new experience. Below are some of the greatest advantages of using e-cigarettes, showing why these are more sought-after than traditional cigarettes.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Smoking While Pregnant: Damaging From the Inside


Smoking While Pregnant
In addition to the different diseases that anyone may suffer from as a result of cigarette smoking, this habit is also the number one cause of all the adverse outcomes for babies. There can be too many complications that may occur when a woman smokes during pregnancy such as babies will be born prematurely, they can be too small, or they may even die before they are even born. A cigarette smoke has more than 4, 000 harmful chemicals and this includes nasty ones such as lead, cyanide, and other 60 cancer-causing substances. When a pregnant woman smokes, the toxin gets into the bloodstream, which is the baby's source of essential nutrients and oxygen.

It is important to know that none of these harmful chemicals are good for the baby. The two compounds which are extremely harmful are carbon monoxide and nicotine. These toxins are the culprit for every smoking related complication during pregnancy. And among these serious complications are premature delivery, stillbirth, and even low birth weight. All these things can be chalked up to the fact that carbon monoxide and nicotine work together in reducing the supply of oxygen for the baby. Nicotine is responsible for choking off oxygen as it narrows the blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the umbilical cord. The scenario is like forcing the baby to breathe through a very narrow straw. And to make things worse, the red blood cells that carry the oxygen start picking up the molecules of carbon monoxide. Thus, that narrow straw cannot hold as much oxygen as it should.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Male Impotence as a Consequence of Smoking

Impotence Due of Smoking
Tobacco use is popularly known to be a significant health concern. Nevertheless, there are still millions of men and women throughout the world who continue to use different tobacco products. The majority of anti-tobacco education and advertising efforts greatly focused on the traditional warnings of heart disease, lung cancer, as well as pregnancy complications. However, in the last two decades it has been found out that there is a significant link between smoking and male impotence. Now, if stroke, heart disease, and various cancers are not enough reason for men to quit smoking, then they have to be aware that the habit increases their risk of erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction is also called as impotence or ED. This refers to a man's inability to sustain an erection that is sufficient for sexual intercourse. The majority of men experience brief periods of erectile difficulties which are nothing to worry about. But when one has the inability to reach or maintain an erection for a few weeks, or even months, then medical help should be sought. Erectile dysfunction causes anxiety, stress, and affects self-confidence which can have a great impact on relationships.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Cigarette Smoking: Save the Gum from Harm

Cigarette smoking is widely known bad habit. It is unhealthy and harmful by causing different serious diseases and illnesses of the body, even affecting those who are nonsmokers. But, smoking is not just one of the major causes of respiratory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, etc. This also affects the gum and the oral health of a person. Smoking is also known to reduce the overall health level of a person and not known to many, that the effects actually start from the mouth where a smoker puffs his every cigarette butt.

Danger Of Smoking

Gum disease or also known as periodontal disease is a kind of infection that begins with dental plaque which  contains harmful microorganisms and bacteria in the mouth. The plaque is being accumulated in between the teeth and gums. When this is not removed through regular brushing and flossing, this becomes a tartar. This bacteria-containing plaque and tartar is responsible for the inflammation and infection of the gingival margin. And this becomes gingivitis, the first step of gum disease. When this becomes worse, the little spaces which are called as periodontal pockets begin to develop between the teeth and gums. These little spaces are not visible to the eye and appears when the infection has reached and destroyed the alveolar bone, the bone that holds the teeth in place. When this bone deteriorates, periodontitis takes place, the second stage of gum disease.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

How to Quit Smoking for Good?


Quit Smoking For Good
One of the techniques in quitting smoking is the use of electronic cigarettes. These are devices that stimulate smoking sensation. The effects of using e-cigarettes are gradual because it still tolerates the smoker’s addiction to nicotine. The risk of using it is that, the user can have a sudden change of heart and get back to smoking. As you know quitting smoking is easier said than done. It needs self preparation, psychological readiness and social help. If you have finally decided to quit smoking for good, here are some tips you must follow:
  • Set a quit date and prepare yourself for the temptations you can get while you are quitting. You must stick with your plan. You can set your quit date after two weeks so that your body can still adapt to changes. Also, ask yourself why you want to quit smoking. Think of a powerful motivation to compel you to stop it for good. An “it’s not good for your health” reason is not good enough. 
  • Tell your family, friends, officemates, colleagues and everyone you are with that you are quitting smoking. One of the reasons why it is hard to quit smoking is when you can see that your group support continues to influence you with their smoking habit. This is a social therapy to ensure that there won’t be relapse on your part. You can’t just say you are quitting because your brain has been used to it and it would be hard to change it. Seeing a cigarette or a person encouraging you to smoke will trigger your addiction to it. 

Friday, August 16, 2013

Cigarette Smoking: How the Butts Harm the Environment

Harmful Effect of Cigarette To Environment
Smoking is nothing but harmful, thus there is the availability of e cigarette to help smokers kick the habit. Spring time is always about flowers, babbling brooks, blue skies, and a great chance to enjoy what the outdoors has to offer. But all these chances and beauty is at risk because of cigarettes, which never fail to damage the environment- the place where we live. Researchers have estimated that there are 1.7 billion pounds of cigarette butts which were accumulated in the oceans and lakes, as well as in the beaches and other places. These discarded filters and butts contain equally dangerous chemicals that can be found in a cigarette such as carcinogens and other poisons.

Globally, there are about 4.3 trillion butts littered in the earth. Smokers are coming all around the world, and thus, they discard tons of cigarette butts per year.  And in fact, this reality has triggered different companies and industries to create electronic cigarettes with an aim to lessen these cigarette butts scattered all around. As human beings, we do not live in a vacuum and the choices we make may have a way of trickling down to others, even those close to our hearts. In this case, clearly there is no intention of harming our loved ones and the environment as a whole, only unawareness took place. And without us knowing it, the cigarette butts we throw away after smoking goes back to the earth, which affects us in many ways. Therefore, we have to initiate an honest look at the different dangers associated with smoking. Think about how these seemingly small things create great destruction to the environment, harming every people and land.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Secondhand Smoke is an Equally Dangerous Risk


Effect of Smoking
If you are someone who dislikes the smell of a tobacco, then definitely you are likely to hold your breath when a smoker passes you. Years back, secondhand smoke is seen to be a minor irritant that can make a job uncomfortable or may ruin a special dinner in a fancy place. But nowadays, given the different known effects and people who suffer from the detrimental diseases caused by smoking, secondhand smoke is seen to be equally dangerous and deadly for everyone.

Not everyone may be aware of it, but secondhand smoke has the same kind of poisons that can be found in a smoke that is being inhaled by a smoker. Some of these chemicals are arsenic, formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide, and different radioactive substances. In fact, that smoke that the smoker does not inhale may contain greater amounts of such poisons. This is due to the fact that the inhaled smoke is being burned at a higher temperature which destroys some toxins, and it is filtered. In some researches and studies, it has been found out that passive smoking is the cause of about 3,000 deaths due to lung cancer. And this also accounts for the 30,000-50, 000 annual deaths because of heart disease among non-smokers.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Don’t Commit Suicide: Don’t Smoke


Quitting to Smoke
Smoking is a global hazard. In fact, it is one of the primary causes of preventable premature deaths in the world. The number of smokers continues to increase, comprising people of different ages, gender, and races. Smoking a cigarette, cigar, pipe, Shisha, Huqua, and the other uses of tobacco like tobacco sniffling and chewing tobacco are all addictive and dangerous. The nicotine that is present in a tobacco smoke is the prime cause of addiction as it increases the brain levels of chemicals such as Endorphine and Dopamine. These chemicals provide the smoker sense happiness, the reason why they always crave for tobacco. A tobacco smoke is consists of more or less 4, 000 chemicals, wherein 200 of them are known to be poisonous, and 60 are cancer causing. Tobacco smoke causes the hardening of the blood vessels, which leads to stroke and heart attack. In addition, it contains carbon monoxide that decreases the levels of oxygen in the blood.

In addition, cigarette smoking poses high risk of developing various chronic disorders which include lung diseases and cancer. One of the main reasons for smoking-related deaths is Atherosclerosis. It is a progressive hardening of the artery which is caused by the fatty plaque deposits, as well as the thickening and scarring of the walls of the artery. The inflammation in the walls of the artery and the blood clots obstructs the blood flow. On the other hand, oxygen decreases the supply of oxygen to the heart, which leads to an increased heart rate and blood pressure. At the same time, it damages the cells lining the arteries and the clotting factors in the blood increases. The risk of having a heart attack becomes higher when a person continues to smoke for a long time. Those who consume a pack on a daily basis have two times risk to have a heart attack compared to non-smokers. And for those patients who have been diagnosed to have a heart disease have an increased risk of death which includes sudden cardiac death.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Fight the Cravings of Nicotine Withdrawal


Stop Smoking Habit

You made a big decision to stop the smoking habit. You are dealing with the cravings well, until the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal made the ordeal more difficult for you. Is this the time for you to rekindle your broken relationship with cigarettes, or will you go on with what you have started—courageously enduring the difficulties of quitting until you win in the end?

What is it in smoking that makes the habit very difficult to break? The answer is primarily nicotine, the highly addictive substance found in tobacco that causes pleasure and yes, and cravings. The symptoms of nicotine withdrawal usually start within hours and reach its peak two to three days after your last puff. However, they can last for days, even weeks, depending on the level of the smoker’s cigarette addiction.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Planning Quitting? How To Make It A Lesser Burden?


Ways to Stop Smoking
If you happen to be smoker who realized that puffing the nicotine-rich stick does not bring any benefit for your health, quitting the habit is one of the best decisions that you have made in your life. Smoking can shorten your life as it puts your life at risk. Without taking a bold step to cut yourself out of its tight hold, you will only smoke until the end, until it is too late for you to turn back and save your life from total deterioration.

Quitting smoking is not easy, as attested by thousands, even millions of smokers around the world who fail to do it. However, this is not a lost situation, people who have the determination and discipline can overpower the temptation of inhaling the poisonous smoke again. This requires lots of efforts to fully succeed, there will be feats to be undergone, but it is possible. Below are five ways that can help get you out of the habit if you made a positive decision to change for the better.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Keeping Your Teen Smoke-free


Teens : No Smoking
The issue about smoking has so many aspects that for a very long time now have still been debated. There are so many questions and reasons behind it. But perhaps, when it comes to smoking, there is only one thing that everyone could not agree more- smoking is bad. And smoking greatly affects so many people of different ages. In this modern time, teenagers are some of the most affected by such. This is not only being a victim of second-hand smoke but due to the fact that a lot of teenagers smoke. This is a problem not just by the parents but also by the society. These teenage smokers can negatively affect other people and the environment aside from destroying themselves. Given the fact that teenage smoking is a long-term problem, what are the best preventive measures for this problem?

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

The Damaging Effects of Smoking to the Skin

Smoking Causes Skin Ageing
 It has been a known fact that smoking damages the body, and this does not spare the skin from its harmful effects. Our physical appearance is important to our whole well-being, whether one would admit it or not. What could be the reason why so many people, both men and women invest lots of money for anti-aging products. What could be behind all the efforts exerted by people to slow down aging and to protect their skin and their whole physical appearance from different damaging factors? This is simply because we care so much of our physical appearance. Our concern to our physical look can be equated to how much we care for our overall health. And this is something that everyone is aware of. In most cases, smokers only think that smoking gives them different kinds of cancer and other diseases. Without them knowing it, smoking kills them from the inside to the outside.


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Cut The Habit or Let The Habit Cut Your Life

Stop Smoking Before It's Too Late

Smoking cuts the life of a woman by ten years. However, quitting before the age of forty would help avoid 90% or more of the risks of dying. On the other hand, stopping before the age of thirty helps avoid more than 97% of the risks. These are the findings of the study conducted by the Million Women Study. 1.2 million women was included in the study ages 50-69. The participants were asked about their lifestyle which includes whether they smoke or not. After three years, the same questions were asked to them. In 12 years of follow up, 66, 000 of them died. Upon the start of the study: