My father is a smoker.
I grew up smoking secondary smoke.My mom tried her best to get my father to quit.
Secondary smoke dangers were yet not known.
But what was known was that it caused cancer!
The Qs which bothered me:
Why didn’t my father give up smoking?
Did he not care enough for his children’s?
Was he not scared of the Big C?Reader’s Digest magazine was a regular at our home.That magazine had amazing science backed articles.
One article about addiction that I still remember, said,”addiction, has a strong genetic component”.
Are you a parent who is addicted to alcohol or tobacco in any form?Beware!
There’s every chance, that your child may be susceptible to substance abuse.For this group, it’s not about trying things once!Sometimes once is enough, to trap your brain.
It’s like trying out death.
Why is tobacco addictive?
7,000 harmful chemicals in tobacco.
Nicotine: most notorious!Nicotine increases Dopamine and stimulates reward pathway.
It’s the brain’s way to makes you feel great when you smoke.
Tobacco: The naked truth
A leader in preventable deaths. 6 million deaths each year worldwide.
600,000 non-smoker deaths.
Oral and oropharyngeal cancer: Most common cancer in Indians.
Other cancers: mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, cervix, kidney, bladder, and acute myeloid leukemia.
Passive smoke:
- Environmental tobacco smoke: indoor air pollution.
- 3,000 lung cancer deaths per year
- 35,000 deaths related to cardiovascular disease
Smoking in pregnancy : Do you really want to do this to your unborn child?
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS),
- Learning and behavioral problems
- Increased risk of childhood obesity.
- Low birth weight.
- Higher risk of substance abuse.
You can protect your child
What if you stopped smoking now?
Tips to Quit
- Avoid people who smoke
- Family and social support.
- Eat healthy .
- Work out.Exercise increases endorphins . Counteracts ,t he withdrawal triggers of nicotine
- Drink plenty of water.
- Promise yourself some extravagant gift once you are successful.
- Celebrate small wins.
- E-cigarettes
- Nicotine patch, chewing gums
- Professional help
I believe everyone has a choice. A choice to live a healthy life.
Or to smoke away their lives…
But people who don’t smoke?
Don’t they have rights too?
Don’t children have a right, to clean air?
Choose wisely.Life is beautiful death, is inevitable.
Live beautifully ,smoke-free!
Sometimes the best thing to say is No Tobacco!