Smoking: Myths, quitting and chewing tobacco

What does it take to quit smoking? Why is a smoker so keen on smoking? How does a smoker justify smoking? We often try to reason with ourselves over smoking even when we are fully aware of its harmful effects. Below are the reasons that a smoker gives for smoking and some myths that smokers might have in their minds.

1.       Smoking keeps me slim
It is known that a lot of people smoke because they want to stay thin. And it is this misconception that does not let them quit smoking. The fact is that the nicotine in the cigarette suppresses the appetite and it also makes the body burn the calories faster. So when a person stops smoking, there appetite is not suppressed anymore so they tend to eat more. So when they crave for nicotine, they mistake it for hunger and start eating whenever there is a craving for cigarette.


2.      Smoking keeps a check on stress
A lot of people smoke to keep their stress level in check. They have a belief that smoking a cigarette in a stressful situation will help them get through it. But the fact is nicotine acts as a stimulant thus it can never calm a person. It is only the belief that it can do actually works. So if a person is strong enough to believe in himself, there would be no need of the cigarette.



3.      Low tar cigarettes are fine to smoke
People tend to think that mild or light cigarettes are ok to smoke that they would be lighter than regular ones. But research shows that people who smoke mild or light cigarettes have the same likeliness to inhale tar as much as those who smoke regular cigarettes. So mild or light cigarettes are as harmful as regular ones.



4.      Reducing number of cigarettes help reduce risk
Cutting down the number of cigarettes does not help reduce the health risk. People cut down by reducing the number of cigarettes or smoking mild or light ones. But a study conducted shows that people who are trying to cut down end up smoking the cigarettes harder to compensate. Health risk reduces only when one quits smoking completely.



5.      Smoking one cigarette would be ok
This is for the people who have stopped smoking and are tempted by one more. There is nothing riskier than this. It is very easy to fall back into the smoking phase. One can avoid places and those situations that gives rise to that temptation. If you have stopped one, one more cigarette can break the will power you had to stop.



6.      Smoking will only affect me
The tobacco and chemicals smoked by a smoker when he inhales, comes out too. So people around this person are also subjected to those chemical even though they are non-smokers. Study shows that families of a smoker have 20%-30% higher risk of developing a respiratory problem. The research also shows that babies born to parents who smoke are more likely to end up in hospital with breathing issues.



7.      Chewing tobacco is a safer alternative
Even though chewing tobacco puts other people at lesser risk than smoking a cigarette, it still does not stop the health risks involved for the concerned person. Even though the respiratory problems get reduced, chewable tobacco increases the probability of mouth cancer, gums, jaw lips, tongue etc. It can even lead to problems in kidney and pancreas leading to cancer.