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For thousands of years, people have smoked or chewed the leaves of the tobacco plant, Nicotiana tabacum. Tobacco was first found and cultivated in the Americas, perhaps as early as 6000 B.C. Following the discovery and colonization of North and South America, the tobacco plant was exported widely, to continental Europe and the rest of the civilized world. Even in its early days, tobacco use was controversial. Some hailed its medicinal properties.

For example, tobacco was supposed to be protective against the ravages of the Plague! As early as the 1600s, people speculated that there might be a link between diseases, like cancer, and tobacco use. Since then, modern research methods have provided evidence of this link, and public service announcements that warn of tobacco's health risks and addictive nature are seen regularly on TV. What is it about tobacco that makes people so compelled to use it despite all of the admonitions? Smoking or chewing tobacco makes people feel good, even mildly euphoric. While there are thousands of chemicals in the tobacco plant (not to mention those added by cigarette manufacturers), one, nicotine, produces all the good feelings that draw people back for another cigarette or plug of tobacco. In this article, we'll examine nicotine and how it affects the human body

Smoking and Dental Health Are More Intimately Connected Than You Would Imagine

Imagine losing a portion of your cheek at the age of 18? Medical research indicates that smokers are six times more likely than nonsmokers to develop oral cancers. Even those addicted to smokeless tobacco (snuff or chewing tobacco) can develop cancers of the cheek, gums and lining of the lips, increasing the risk by about 50 times. Oral cancer is in fact one of the most devastating effects of smoking. In fact, the death rate from oral cancers (which includes cancers of the tongue, mouth, gums, tonsils and pharynx) exceeds the death rate from cervical cancer, according to experts.

By Vanchau Nguyen

Find Help To Stop Smoking Cigarettes

If you are in need of support to halt smoking cigarettes, there are a assortment of different places you can turn. From natural cease smoking cigarettes goods to stop smoking cigarettes antidepressant medications, there are numerous different ways to quit smoking. You may also join a quit smoking help association to get aid to stop smoking cigarettes, and multitudinous non-profit organizations also offer smoking free videos to supply additional quit smoking tips. No matter which process you choose, the most important aspect of trying to stop smoking cigarettes is the truthful desire to be smoke-free and well again.
A focused mind is one of the most powerful forces in the universe.
There are many prescription medicines that provide aid to stop smoking cigarettes. Quit smoking cigarettes antidepressant medications are becoming more and more popular as doctors realize that smokers tend to be more depressive than the rest of the general population. By treating these depressive symptoms while also reducing nicotine cravings, medication smoking stop treatment has proven to be highly productive in helping individuals to stop smoking cigarettes.
If you are wary of medication to assist stop smoking cigarettes, you might consider one of the natural stop smoking cigarettes products on the market today. There is a growing market for laser smoking cessation treatments and acupuncture cessation smoking methods. Both of these stop smoking cigarettes aids work to boost your endorphin levels, giving you a high of sorts that blocks some of the nicotine cravings that make people begin smoking again. These additional stop smoking cigarettes methods do not have much scientific research to back them up, but there are many individual reports that state that the laser smoking stop therapy worked in one or two treatment sessions.
A pint of sweat will save a gallon of blood. General George S Patton
In addition to these commodities, you can also find aid to stop smoking cigarettes at your local grocery store or drugstore. Nicotine replacement stop smoking cigarettes aids provide smokers with a means to manage their cravings and to gradually diminish their dependence on nicotine. These stop smoking cigarettes products come in the forms of nicotine gum, the patch and a smoking cessation shot. All of these methods help to cut down a person’s dependency on nicotine, and they also lend a hand to reduce the symptoms connected with the nicotine withdrawal process. These symptoms can be somewhat severe if a individual stops smoking cold turkey. However, there are a variety of stop smoking cigarettes methods that make the process easier than it has ever been.
A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided. Anthony Robbins
Even if you try to quit without the aid of medication or nicotine supplements, you will even need help to stop smoking cigarettes. This help can come in the form of quit smoking support groups, friends, family or co-workers. The more people you have supporting you on you voyage toward superior health, the better off you will be. You can also turn to any number of non-profit organizations to receive the help you need.
Thanks for taking the time to read this quit smoking article. You should continue researching for additional information to help you down the road to a smoke free life.
by: Steve Hill

4 Tips For Smoking Cessation

Tip 1: Rise above the cravings
Imagine the cigarettes as crutches. You’ve always had these crutches to lean on and soon, it becomes impossible to walk without them. The important thing to learn is that as soon as you walk on your feet again, they’ll quickly regain strength. It may be a little known fact, but about half of what a smoker inhales from his cigarette is pure air. The next time you’re hit with a craving, take some deep breaths and relax. You will soon be able to rise above the craving, feel refreshed, and move on.

Tip 2: All the reasons to quit
Why do you want to quit? Do you have children? Do you want to live to see your grandchildren? Are you sick of the smell? Whatever your reasons are, write them down. Keep a daily journal of how you feel and in the very first entry list in bold letters every reason you have for quitting. List things like health reasons, expense, inconvenience, bad breath, or other reasons and make the list as long as possible. Also be sure to list how you WILL feel when you’ve kicked the habit.

Tip 3: The good, the bad and the ugly
After you complete your lists of reasons you want to quit and how you’ll feel after you’ve quit, make a list of the consequences of not quitting. Have other smokers in your family gotten cancer? Have they died? Do they have to speak through a hole in their neck? Will you be unable to pay off debt because you’re always buying cigarettes? Whatever you consequences, be sure to list all of them. As above, be sure to list the consequences (good consequences, of course) of quitting. Keep them to look forward to.

Tip 4: Break time!
Most smokers agree: a cigarette is a break. When quitting, give yourself breaks, but do something. Go for walk, eat a piece of fruit or drink some juice. This is critical because the body will be going through changes expelling all the accumulated poisons. The fruit will aid this process in many ways.

by: Dana Goldberg

Why is it hard to quit smoking?

Foremost, this is because most smokers become addicted to the nicotine contained in tobacco products. Nicotine has a deadly addictive power. When a person smokes a cigarette, nicotine particles find their way to the lungs through inhalation. From there, nicotine is absorbed into the bloodstream just like the oxygen people breathe. It travels with the blood to the brain where it locks onto certain receptor areas. Dopamine is then released into the brain. This is the chemical that makes the smoker feel a euphoric sensation. Smokers find it difficult to quit smoking because they come to be dependent on this good feeling. And, this leads to dependence – addiction.
A person who attempts to quit smoking may experience withdrawal symptoms. Topping the bill of withdrawal symptoms is depression. With the absence of the chemical that produces the relaxing feeling, the brain becomes distressed without it. Other withdrawal symptoms from smoking include:
Headaches dizziness, and nausea Shakes, chills Cough, dry throat nasal drip Hunger, fatigue Constipation, gas or stomach pain Insomnia

Smoking - Why People Start and Why They Should Stop

The epidemic of smoking-related diseases is one that only the potential victims can abolish. Smoking is among the most common habits in the Western world and this dangerous habit will kill a large number of those who engage in it.
It is amazing to think that people would continue to smoke after their first experimental cigarette which causes coughing and nausea. However, the majority of smokers enjoy the taste and smell of tobacco smoke and so they continue on with this potentially lethal habit. Sometimes the ritual of smoking creates pleasure and relaxation itself. For some people, it is a social habit and makes them feel part of the crowd. This is particularly so of people who are shy. Having something to do with their hands when in company helps them to appear more in control and self-confident.
Smokers say that smoking settles their nerves when they are stressed. Some say it also stimulates them and, in both cases, there is some truth. This is due to the nicotine or more precisely, the dose of nicotine as well as other factors. There is also a genuine physical addiction to nicotine so that when the person concerned is not able to get the drug, he or she suffers from withdrawal symptoms which are relieved only by having another cigarette.
A person can have a psychological addiction to smoking as well as the physical addiction. Although the person does not really need that cigarette, he or she misses the perceived enjoyment it used to bring. It has often become such an ingrained habit that the smoker lights up automatically without any thought about it.
In recent years, public opinion against smoking has resulted in policies to restrict the areas where smokers can engage in their habit. Many hotels, restaurants, shopping centres and workplaces have become no-smoking zones. In many places, governments are claiming damages from the billion-dollar tobacco industry to finance the ever growing costs of healthcare for smoking-related diseases.
There is definitely a strong correlation between children’s smoking and the smoking habits of parents and older siblings. The family bond and the desire to be like their parents is the likely cause of this. As young children, many are very disapproving of their parents smoking habits but by the early teens, their thinking begins to change. Often, these young people identify drinking and smoking with the ideal of being an adult.
Early studies just after World War II, concluded that the main cause of lung cancer was definitely cigarette smoking. After comparing a number of variables, it was concluded that only one in two hundred male lung cancer patients were nonsmokers with a similar level of statistics found among women. Other conclusions were that the chances of dying from lung cancer increased with heavier smoking habits. More recent studies have shown that smoking is also a contributory factor in diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and coronary heart disease. It has also been shown that smokers generally live a shorter lifespan than nonsmokers. .
Many people are unaware that it is the toxic substances in the vaporized tar that causes the damage to smokers rather than the nicotine. These tars contain thousands of toxic chemicals, some of which are known carcinogenics. Other interesting factors include the fact that smokers are twice as likely to die before retirement age as nonsmokers. There is also some evidence that filter-tipped cigarettes reduce the risk of disease minimally but not enough to consider them a safe option.
Another area of great concern is that of passive smoking. Studies have shown that the cigarette smoke drifting from the burning end of a cigarette contains twice as much carcinogenic tar as that inhaled by the smoker.
The risks to an unborn baby of a smoking mother are also something of which people need to be aware. These mothers have a higher rate of miscarriages and stillbirths than do nonsmoking mothers.
Giving up the cigarettes is easier said than done. There are many products available which may help but, ultimately, it is a battle that the smoker needs to fight for him or her self. Resisting the temptation to have a cigarette, particularly in times of stress, is crucial. Many people give up over and over again but end up back on the smokes. For this reason, it is important to have a plan and to decide, once and for all, that it is the time to give it up. No one is saying it will be easy but millions give up every year so it can be done.

by: Anne Wolski

Advantages of Stop Smoking Hypnosis

There are many advantages to participating in a stop smoking hypnosis program. While there are a profusion of products on the market to help you quit smoking, including nicotine patches and gums, hypnosis therapy has some unique benefits. Some of these benefits include:
* Significant decrease in health risks if the therapy is successful
* The treatment is completely drug free
* Therapy can be completed quickly and has no long-term cost involvement
* Stop smoking hypnosis therapy can also boost your confidence in other areas of your life
* Therapy focuses on the positive, instead of resisting something you love, you're trained to be happy about getting rid of something that is hurting you.
* Therapy can be tailored to address your personal smoking triggers and habits

Cigar Smoking

While most of the uninitiated might consider the generic habit of smoking to be one thing, and one thing only, any cigar aficionado will be at great pains to tell you otherwise. While the smoking of cigarettes is something that most teenagers have tried, and increasingly is viewed socially as something a person does because they simply haven't managed to give up yet, cigar smoking is something akin to a hobby, and for many, a passion. While cigarette smoking is something you simple do, the smoking of cigars is done with panache, and like any other skilled pastime, there is a whole sub-culture that participates in it.
Because cigar smoking is undoubtedly a skilled art - as any common cigarette smoker can tell you after making the leap from what might be considered the waif of the smoking world, the paltry and ten-a-penny cigarette, to the voluptuous and charismatic cigar. Cigars have a depth that delves into all five senses, and a flavor that is completely unexpected by those familiar only with cigarettes. The novice cigar smoker will be nauseous and headachy for days! But apparently this is a barrier that is worth working through - you only have to mention cigars to an aficionado to hear them wax lyrical on the wonders of cigars.
Like fine wine, there is a wealth of different types of cigar available whose differences seem incomprehensibly subtle to the disinterested. It is a brave relative or friend who attempts an unguided shopping trip to purchase cigars for a loved one, as the variations available are overwhelming. And, because of the enthusiasm with which cigar lovers love their cigars, the wrong choice can cause a family rift that might linger for years.
Thankfully, the popularity of cigar smoking means that there are a variety of resources available to help, from magazines to websites, whether you are looking to purchase a gift, or simply pretend to be more knowledgeable when next in the company of a cigar smoker. Just remember - don't ask him if he would like a cigarette.

by: Jeff Lakie

Exercise And Quitting Smoking

When you plan to stop smoking, bring about other changes in your life style as well. Take a look at all those things that have become a kind of routine and break that routine. Try to do things differently and will make a lot of difference.
What we are trying to do as part of this exercise is that we are trying to create a new environment for you. It is not possible for you to shift to a new apartment so bring about a few changes in the way things are as part of your exercise to quit smoking. Let every thing have a new feel about it. If there was a favorite chair in which you used to sit when you smoked, change the upholstery of the chair or maybe you could stash away the chair into a corner.
Try to set a new routine. Try working out or going to the gym. If that is not possible, try waking up a little earlier and go for a short morning walk. If you can make that a run or a jog, it is going to be very stimulating and is going to be the best way to start your day.
Exercise does not necessarily mean pumping metal. If you do have the time to go to a gymnasium everyday, then that is well and good. But I suppose most of us do not have the time for a regular work out in a gym. So what is the other alternative? Do it at home of course.
But whether it is at home or at a multi-gym, there is something that I want to tell you. Regularity is the rule of the day. It is not getting started that is the difficult part, it is sticking to a regular exercise routine that is difficult and this is what proves to be the stumbling block for most people.
Most people have a wonderful start. In fact it is truly spectacular. They buy track suits and gym-wear, running shoes and a whole lot of other gear. Their first day at the gym is almost a celebration. Then as the days go on, they find it increasingly difficult to meet the domestic and professional demands and so their routine slows down and finally comes to a complete workout burn out.
One mistake that many people make is that they choose the evenings or a work out. If that can suit your lifestyle, then that’s fine. But for most of us, by the time the evening lifts up its curtains we are completely pooped. We find ourselves physically and mentally drained. And at that time our bodies will be just too tired for a work out. So it is best to set aside some time for exercise in the morning itself.
There are two advantages of setting apart time in the morning. The first advantage is that in the morning our bodies are fresh and full of energy. Now over here I want to make one point clear.
Many people believe that exercise depletes the body of energy but the case is just the opposite. Exercise pumps up more blood through the different parts of the body and warms up the body, so in fact, after exercise we feel more charged and ready to face the challenges of the day.
The second advantage is that in the morning we can plan for the whole day without letting the exercise routine affect the rest of our activities.
What about those of us who have never worked out before? In such cases you might need to start off under the personal supervision of an instructor and that may require that you go to a gym. But what I would suggest is that there are two simple things that any one can do for which you do not need the help of any instructor.
You know what these are? They are walking and swimming. Any body can walk and those of you who know how to swim can swim. For these two activities you do not need much gear and experts say that these two exercises have no side effects and are excellent stress busters.
So in the morning wake up just half an hour earlier, put on your walking shoes and hit the roads. Most roads will be less crowded at this hour and less polluted too. It is a wonderful way to start a day.
Take a break form coffee and try tea instead. If you are moving around the house, try playing music. Redecorate your room by adding a few pictures here and there preferably of scenery. And while you are redecorating, do what I mentioned earlier that is get rid of every thing that even remotely reminds you of smoking.
Plan your day in such a way that you have something enjoyable to do at the end of the day. It does not have t be something that involves money. We do not want you end up bankrupt. It can be something as simple as spending some time with the family playing a board game or something. Or it can be going out for a walk together.
But I would like to add that watching television just does not fit into this list. The reason is because T.V is not something that demands too much of our attention. We can easily do something else while we are watching TV and what can be easier than taking a smoke while our eyes are glued to the T.V. While you are working on breaking the habit of smoking, you need to move about with people. You need the company of people who can take your mind off that craving and TV doesn’t help you do that.
Make a list of those things that build up your stress. Try to steer clear of them. If that is not possible try to find out some stress busters and use them. Do not use stress as an excuse to start smoking. There are a hundred other methods of beating stress. As mentioned earlier, you could try breathing exercises, mediation or even music. There is another excellent way of beating stress and that is using the distressing ball. If you do not have one of those, try wriggling your fingers and toes. That too is a natural method of beating stress.
The point that we are trying to drive home over here is that you need a break from whatever you have been doing for this exercise of quitting to work. Since it is impossible to change your job or your home, you have to bring about as many changes as possible to get that whole new feeling.

by: Brenda Patterson

Say No To Smoking

Is there any adventure or fun in smoking? Absolutely not! Don’t be fooled by the fun packed advertisements of the cigarette making companies. There is no “taste”, no “fun” and no “adventure” in smoking cigarettes. These are just the slogans of the cigarette making companies which are multiplying their profits at the cost of the precious human lives.
The greedy multi-national multi-billion dollar cigarette manufacturers are killing people quietly without being noticed by anyone. According to the WHO report, every 6.5 seconds a person in the world dies prematurely due to cancer, heart attack, respiratory or some other kind of tobacco related diseases. No doubt, the tobacco is the fourth most common risk factor for diseases worldwide.
If you are a smoker then think seriously for a moment and decide whether you are mentally OK. I very much doubt because you are spending money on the purchase of an item which is not only risking your life by unintentionally inviting numerous diseases to attack your body but also risking the lives of other people who are forced to inhale second hand smoke, which is more dangerous than smoking. If you smoke inside your house then you also risk the life of your spouse and children. Is it a wise decision to keep on smoking?
Say no to smoking, if you want to live a normal healthy life free from diseases. Why not take a bold decision NOW and quit smoking immediately! Are you prepared to do so?
Tobacco use is going to kill nearly 10 million people each year, mostly in their productive middle ages. It is estimated that 75% of these deaths will occur in the developing countries mainly due to the high number of smokers and lack of medical facilities available there.
Due to lack of knowledge and education, the number of smokers in the developing countries and poor households is increasing at an alarming rate. The warning written on the cigarette packets is mostly ignored by the illiterate smokers. It is sad that the average amount spent by poor households on tobacco is nearly the same as the amount spent on education. A recent study in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has proved that the more people are educated, the less they smoke.
Your health is your best asset. Protect your life from painful tobacco related diseases. Live a healthy and happy life and just say no to smoking.

by: Hifzur Rehman

Family Matters

Smoking is not just bad for women; it's bad for their families and future families as well. Smoking can cause infertility in women. If a woman becomes pregnant, smoking increases her risk of miscarriages, stillbirths and premature births. Mothers who smoke during pregnancy are also more likely to have babies with asthma, sleeping disorders and chronic ear infections than non-smoking mothers. The menstrual cycle phase has an effect on both mood and tobacco withdrawal symptoms for women trying to quit smoking -- a finding that clearly suggests that women could improve their success rate simply by starting their quit attempt during certain days of their cycle.

Other Smoking influenced Diseases in Women

While lung cancer might be the most lethal disease caused by smoking, it's not the only one.

Smoking doubles the risk of having a heart attack, and increases the risk of dying from a heart attack within the first hour. This is an especially serious problem for women since women are more likely to die after a first heart attack than men.

Women who use birth control pills; and smoke are at especially high risk of having a heart attack.
Smoking also increases the risk of other cancers, including breast, uterine cancer, bladder and oral cancer. Smoking also increases a woman's risk of low bone density and osteoporosis.

Lung Cancer

By 1987, lung cancer had outdone breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Today, more women die each year from lung cancer than breast cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancers combined. In fact, lung cancer among women is now considered a scourge, killing almost 75,000 in the US last year. Women appear to be more vulnerable to lung cancer than men, and they tend to get it at younger ages.
Symptoms of Lung Cancer
· Shortness of breath
· Fever with an unknown cause
· Hoarseness
· Chest pain
· Wheezing
· Coughing up blood
· Chronic cough
· Weight loss & loss of appetite
· Repeated bouts of bronchitis or pneumonia

Timing(women)

Choose a time in the month when you know you are at your peak physically, emotionally and mentally and not when you are about to enter your cycle.

Quitting smoking just after your menstrual cycle and when you are feeling good and on the up can be great timing.
We are all different whether men or women and ultimately knowing yourself, what makes you tick and when the best time is here for you to stop smoking, is the biggest asset to your success.

Weight Fears

If you worry that you may put on weight when you stop smoking, make a plan to deal with this possibility before it happens such as :

1) Increase the exercise you currently undertake such asa) If you go to the gym, do a few more repetitions or push yourself a bit harderb) Introduce a form or exercise that is fun and social such as line dancing, salsa dancing or even a social game of badminton, table tennis etcc) Instead of riding up escalators, get into the habit of walking up themd) Instead of taking the lift, walk up those flights of stairs

2) Reduce the amount you eat. Cut out something like an unnecessary snack. May be that biscuit with a cup of coffee

3) Substitute healthier foods for fattening ones. Instead of that bag of crisps have an apple or better still a citrus fruit such as an orange

4) Introduce more water into your daily lifestyle even if it is just a couple of glasses of water a day. A glass of water that is taken 10 minutes before a meal will take the edge of your appetite.

The risk of oral cancer in adolescents?

Approximately 75% of all oral cancers are associated with tobacco use or alcohol consumption.

In fact, about 3 per cent of male and 2 per cent of female cancer sufferers have oral cancer.

The death rate from oral cancer is also high. Only about 50 percent of people who get oral cancer survive for five years or more, in part because the disease often is not discovered until it is more advanced, according to a study carried in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.

Who is at risk?

It’s believed that the adolescents are at the maximum risk. Over the last 10 years the number of kids under 18 who become daily smokers increased by 70 per cent. Roughly 3,000 kids become regular smokers every day. Worse, almost 1/3 of them will die from a tobacco-related illness (Dental Health Foundation, http://www.dentalhealth.ie/whatsnew/index.tmpl?_eqRIDdatarq=20040224175004) The susceptibility to smoking starts around age 10 years and peaks by age 14 years in close to 60 per cent of the population. And once thy have experimented, approximately half continue to smoke and become addicted to the nicotine content in cigarettes. An adolescent, who thinks that the health problems of smoking can be alleviated, provided he or she can stop smoking before the age of 35, appears to be at much greater risk of experimentation. Furthermore, older the habit and more the number of cigarettes smoked in a day, harder is it to quit.

Stop Smoking - Without Weight Gain

By Barbara Mascio

OH: Stand outside during a smoke break and it won’t be long until you hear every smoker begin to declare that he or she knows quitting is inevitable. The increasing cost of cigarettes alone has made a financial impact on the smoker.
“I quit, then I gained 20 pounds. I can’t afford to gain weight with my medical history, so I started smoking again,” Leslie B. from Canton Ohio revealed during the smoke break outside the local hospital where she works as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
Leslie is an intelligent person and she’s aware that smoking is indeed far more of a risk to her health than the doctor’s order to keep her weight off, however, right now today, the harm of smoking is not as physically apparent as the harm in her weight gain.
The habit and addiction of smoking is undeniable. One of the all-encompassing hurdles to overcome is the need for hand to mouth pacification. Many smoking cessation programs encourage smokers to replace that need to pick up a smoke with eating candy, carrots, celery – anything that would appease the urge to pick up ‘something’ and put it in your mouth.
This advice, though logical on the surface, is not good advice for the person with the challenge of weight control. Let’s face it, anything you can put in your mouth, must be edible (with the exception of course of cigarettes, which is not an edible product) and could lead to weight gain.
Most smoking cessation programs and products do very little to ‘settle the nerves.’ When a person is trying to quit smoking and at the same time, trying to refrain from overeating – the nervousness, the jitters, the crabbiness, will drive a person to either eat or smoke.Tony Latina, owner of Advanced Laser Solutions, located in Garfield Heights Ohio now offers the same low-level laser therapy for those that want to loose or control their weight. Tony said, “The same principles apply, we use the painless low-level laser treatments and target the points in the body to increase endorphins. This allows a person to remain calm and removes cravings.

Using Water to Help Quit Smoking

By Jim Huffman

Stopping smoking is not easy. Ask anyone who has quit. And the problem is that once you’ve quit, you’re not over it! The craving continues: some folks who have been quit for 15 years say they would still like to have one.
But since you’re reading this section, I’m guessing you know all of this. Because if you didn’t smoke, you would have probably skipped over it. And you’re thinking, “I know it’s hard to quit -- just give me something that will help me quit!”
The good news is that water will also help you get over some of the tough cravings ... especially the first few days and weeks after you’ve quit.
The longer you’ve been smoking, the more your body has become accustomed to nicotine, which is a powerful drug. Part of the difficulty with stopping smoking is that the body is still craving it. But the flip side to quitting is that you’re body is getting rid of some powerful toxins. That’s the cause of the headaches a lot of folks have in the days and weeks after they’ve quit.
Water -- lots and lots of water -- helps the body to get rid of those poisons, and allows your tissues and organs to regenerate themselves. When you’re quitting smoking, it’s not unreasonable to think that you might want to double your water intake. That’s right -- if you’re normally going to be drinking 20 glasses a day, drink 40 instead.
Now 40 glasses is a lot of water, and you may find it difficult to drink that much. That’s OK, but it wouldn’t hurt to aim that high. Just keep drinking a lot, and allow your body to get healthy again. Use those cigarette cravings as an opportunity to have another glass of water. If you slip, and have a cigarette, don’t beat yourself up. Just immediately drink 5 or 6 glasses of water to flush out the new toxins, and get right back into your new habit of not smoking.
And whatever you do, don’t give up! You’re too valuable to lose to tobacco!
Jim Huffman, RN specializes in natural and alternative healing therapies. His first book is 'Dare to Be Free: How to Get Control of Your Time, Your Life, and Your Nursing Career,' and is aimed at helping other nurses find satisfying, dynamic careers.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Huffman

Why do young people smoke?

There are a number of complex and inter-relating factors that predispose young people to smoke, and these vary among individuals and among populations. However, years of research have identified certain factors that commonly play a role in smoking initiation. These include high levels of social acceptability for tobacco products, exposure and vulnerability to tobacco marketing efforts, availability and ease of access, role modeling by parents and other adults, and peer group use. A study in the United States found that among teens who smoke, 85 per cent chose the three most heavily advertised brands of cigarettes, compared to only 35 per cent of adults. Data suggest that children are more responsive than adults to the messages and images contained in tobacco advertisements. Past studies have also shown that influence by their peers is likely the biggest motivator leading to adolescent’s experimentation with smoking. Girls in fact are more susceptible to such influences, a trend that carries over to high school according to past findings.

Early warning signs

• Sticky tar deposits or brown staining on the teeth. Heavy smokers will have almost brown teeth.
• 'Smoker's palate' - red inflammation on the roof of the mouth
• Delayed healing of the gums
• Increased severity of gum disease
• Bad breath or halitosis
• Black hairy tongue
• Oral lesions
• Gum recession - with chewing tobacco at the site of the tobacco "wad", the gums react by receding along the tooth root, exposing the root
• Oral cancer