Smoking

Smoking

Essay on smoking

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Smoking is a habit that many people are engaged allover the world. People start smoking at different ages in their lifes.There is those who start smoking when they are young while thee are those who start the habit when they are old. In this essay I will look at the effects that smoking has, why people smoke, the contents of cigarette and also ways that person can quit smoking.

Smoking has various effects in the body. There are many deaths that occur that are related to cigarette smoking. Tobacco smoke is one of the substances that cause cancer in the body. Most of lung cancer cases are as a result of cigarette smoking. Other diseases that are related to cigarette smoking include bronchitis and asthma. Smoking is also a cause of many cases of heart problems. This is a result of the mixture that it contains. The tar which is contained in the smoke is the major cause of cancer. Most of the gases contained in tobacco smoke are also harmful to the body. These gases include carbon monoxide, ammonia, nitrogen oxides etc.Nicotine which is a harmful carcinogen is also contained in cigarettes. This causes addiction to the cigarettes which is similar to the addiction caused by cocaine and heroine. (Marelich 2004)

Smoking

Smoking also has other effects even to the non smokers. For pregnant women smoking is usually harmful to the unborn babies. Non smokers also suffer from eye and nose irritations due to smoking. It also makes the government to spend a lot of its resources it treatment of these diseases. (Marelich 2004)

Cigarette contains cyanide which is usually a chemical compound of cyano group. Other components of cigarettes include benzene which is highly flammable, formaldehyde which is a gas that produces a pungent smell, Methanol also known as wood alcohol, acetylene which is an unsaturated chemical compound and ammonia which is a very poisonous when it combines with certain other elements. (Michalos 2003)

There are many reasons why people smoke. There are those people who smoke as an influence from the family. Most children will start smoking when they are young if their parents or relative smoke. They adopt smoking in their family socialization process. Another reason why most adolescents smoke is due to peer pressure either in school or in the groups that they relate. (Royal College of Physicians of London. Tobacco Advisory Group 2005)

People also smoke as a way of relieving themselves due to stress.Cigarete usually contains some compounds that make the mind to relax. As a result of this many people become addicted to smoking as it is incorporated in the body system. There are also those who smoke as leisure i.e. they enjoy doing so. (Michalos 2003)

Many people desire to quit smoking but due to the addiction it becomes difficult to stop. There are different ways in which one can stop smoking. One of the methods that one can use to stop smoking is hypnotherapy. This is a process whereby the smoker engages a therapist who gives him auto suggestions in order to help the smoker have the power to quit smoking. The other way is by use of personal will to stop the habit. This is whereby one sets his mind that he want to quit smoking. Its an easy way but it is usually the best.Counselling is another method that can

Smoking

be used help in quitting smoking. This is where one is guided on how to stop the habit either in personal counseling or as a group.

The other option is use of medication where one follows doctor’s prescriptions. One is given drugs which acts as relaxants or sedatives which assist an individual in calming the nerve. The drugs are either prescribed in regular basis or according to how the doctor views the situation.

Therefore its good that people have all information related to smoking so that they can be informed and take the measures necessary in any decision that they make towards cigarette smoking.

References

Marelich, W.The social psychology of health, essays and readings, SAGE, 2004.

Michalos, A. Essays on the quality of life, Springer publishers, 2003.

Royal College of Physicians of London. Tobacco Advisory Group, Going smoke-free: the medical case for clean air in the home, at work and in …‎Royal College of physicians – Page 127- 2005