Are you a victim of PASSIVE SMOKING?

Chapter 26

SMOKING

Smoking is worse than any other habit because the person, who smokes, harms not only himself but also all those who inhale the smoke he emits. Those who inhale the smoke are called passive smokers. Every one knows that smoking is harmful. In fact it is clearly written on the cigarette packet ‘smoking is injurious to health’. The smokers ignore this warning and continue smoking.

What about the passive smokers? These poor people, who are forced to inhale the smoke that rises in the air, are equally affected by the smoke. The smoke remains in the air for a long time even after the smoker has left the place. The main victims of passive smoke are the women and children at home since luckily smoking in public has been banned.

So many health problems are linked to passive smoking. It causes bronchitis, pneumonia, lung and throat cancer, asthma, ear infection, respiratory infection and irritation, and damage to lungs. Babies born to women who are exposed to smoking husbands have less weight and their chances of dying are higher. Babies may even die in the womb. Unfortunately even women have now started smoking for it has now become a prestige symbol. This is even more dangerous than passive smoking. In addition to the above health problems, the smoker can even become impotent.

During smoking, tobacco is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. An active substance called nicotine present in the tobacco gets released and is absorbed through the lungs. This is the quickest and most effective way to introduce the drug into the blood stream. The effect of the drug is felt within seconds of inhaling it. It triggers chemical reactions in the nerve endings in the brain creating a sensation of pleasure and calmness. But nicotine is addictive. Soon the smoker gets addicted and is not able to give up the drug. After some time the smokers needs to smoke more cigarettes to attain the similar pleasure due to the dependency and tolerance developed in the body. Many people get psychologically addicted and miss the feeling of cigarette between their fingers. The carbon monoxide smoke reduces the ability of the blood to carry oxygen inhaled by the lungs. Also there are so many other toxic compounds in tobacco which harm our health. The effect of smoking cocaine or heroine is even more severe.

 History of smoking goes back to 5000 BC. In the ancient civilization of Babylon, India and China people burnt incense as a part of religious ritual. Later it was used for pleasure and as a social tool. The smoke was also used to get in touch with the spiritual world. Smoking spread and became so popular that people started calling it ‘brown gold’. Soon people found that smoking is harmful to health and started trying to ban it.

In 1800 the smoking of opium became common in China. Trying to stop it; lead to opium wars. Since then so many people have tried to ban smoking but without much success.

Other than tobacco, cannabis from flowers or leaves of cannabis sativa is also used for smoking. Heroine and cocaine are form of hard nicotine.

Most smokers start smoking during teenage or early adulthood. This makes them more rebellious and ready to take risks. Teenagers are more influenced by their friends than their parents and hence they never listen to the advices given by their parents. Smoking makes the boys feel more manly and powerful. Hence they are attracted to it.

When the smokers realize the bad affects of smoking and try to give up the habit they find it very difficult due to the strong addictive property of nicotine. Nicotine creates terrible withdrawal symptoms of head ache, irritability, cravings, nausea, sleeplessness and tension. Encouragement from parents is very important.

Nicotine replacement therapy uses nicotine gums, patch, nasal spray and inhalers. This intake is slowly reduced till the addiction is removed. The patient should not smoke during this therapy otherwise there will be an overdose of nicotine in the body.

Zyban or Welburtin is a nicotine free antidepressant which reduces the affect of withdrawal symptoms. It regulates the chemicals in the brain that signal nicotine craving. It can cause agitation, sleeplessness, headache and dry mouth.

Chantix is a new medicine which targets the nicotine receptor in the brain making smoking less pleasurable and decreasing the withdrawal symptoms.