Friday, March 12, 2021

No Smoking day 2021: Say NO to Smoking & YES to Life!

What is the need?

Smoking or chewing tobacco is one of the worst habits which can be adopted. It is one of the biggest preventable causes of premature death.

The health risks are known to all but still thousands of youth, between 12 to 17 years of age, who start smoking each day. 

Some start it out of curiosity and others might just want to look like grownups.

The effect of smoking starts with coughing and throat irritation accompanied by bad breath and bad-smelling clothes. It also leads to patchy skin and discoloration of teeth.

Over time, more serious conditions may develop, including health problems like heart diseasebronchitispneumoniastroke, and many types of cancer, out of which, oral cancer is quite common.

When is it celebrated?

No Smoking Day is observed every year on the second Wednesday of March, to encourage people over the world to quit smoking. 

No Smoking Day, 2021 is being celebrated on March 10, but you can quit smoking on any day of the year. 

The main purpose of this day is to spread awareness about the harmful health effects of tobacco consumption through cigarettes and other modes. 

The important message is to help smokers to get rid of the bad habit of smoking.

How can we stop?

No matter what your age is or how long you've been smoking, your health benefits will begin as soon as you quit.

In order to quit smoking, firstly you need to be firm that you want to quit smoking. 

Once decided, do not be lured by others

It is very hard to quit smoking; after all, nicotine in cigarettes is a powerfully addictive drug. But with the right approach, you can do it. 

You'll need a lot of patience and, yes, willpower to quit this habit. It won’t go in a day and it will gradually improve. 

What is Craving?

This is the urge to consume tobacco that comes and goes. There are people, places, things, and situations that may trigger the urge to consume tobacco. These urges are called Cravings. Craving for tobacco is normal and can sometimes be challenging to handle.

What are Tobacco Use Triggers?

Triggers are situations or things that increase the urge or craving to use tobacco. Everyone who consumes tobacco has tobacco use triggers. Knowing your triggers helps to stay in control. 

At first, you might want to avoid triggers altogether. 

After staying quit for a while, you may be able to find other ways to handle your triggers. 

Here are some common tobacco use triggers:

  • Feeling stressed
  • Feeling sad
  • Talking on the phone
  • Drinking alcohol
  • Watching TV
  • Driving
  • Finishing a meal
  • Taking a work break
  • Seeing someone else smoke or using tobacco
  • To cool down after a fight or argument
  • Feeling lonely
  • Drinking coffee
  • A need to relax

How to Manage Craving?

All tobacco use triggers can not be avoided, so it is important to make a plan for how to handle cravings. 

Remember, cravings typically last for a few minutes. 

It might be uncomfortable, but try to wait it out. 

Make a list of things you can do to distract yourself, like:

  • Call someone. You don't have to do this alone, lean on the people you trust to distract you.
  • Wait 15 minutes. Challenge yourself to read a magazine, listen to music, chant or play your favorite game for 15 minutes. Cravings only last a few minutes!
  • Take a walk or jog. If you do not have the time, try some deep breathing. Physical activity, even in short bursts, can help to make you feel energetic and get over a craving.
  • Review your reason for quitting. Just having tobacco even once will only increase your craving and make it stronger. Get over the craving by reminding yourself why you want to be tobacco-free.
  • Go to a tobacco-free zone. Most public places don't allow smoking. Go to a movie, a park, or any other tobacco-free public place where you're forced not to use tobacco.
  • Calculate your savings. Tobacco products are expensive. Add up all the money you're saving and decide what you're going to buy with it.
  • Keep your mouth busy.Keep saunf, laung or elaichiin your mouth. Buy chewing gum instead of a tobacco product, or keep hard candy with you. Drinking water also works!
  • Do something else. When a craving hits, stop what you're doing immediately and do something else. Simply changing your routine can help you shake off a craving.
  • Take deep breaths. Breathe through your craving by inhaling (through your nose) and exhaling (through your mouth). Repeat this 10 times or until you're feeling more relaxed. Yoga or pranayam can help you get over the craving.

Cravings will come and go. A craving lasts only a few days/weeks. Remember, trying something to fight the urge to consume tobacco is always better than not trying anything. Do what works best for you when a craving hits. 

Just don't use tobacco. Not even once!

 References:

  1. https://www.nhp.gov.in/no-smoking-day_pg
  2. https://www.nhp.gov.in/how-to-manage-craving_mtl
  3. https://www.nhp.gov.in/10-easy-ways-to-get-support-to-quit_mtl
  4. https://www.nhp.gov.in/media/quit-tobacco
  5. https://twitter.com/cdctobaccofree/status/983313576399200257?lang=ca photo credit
  6. https://share.upmc.com/2016/04/how-smoking-affects-lungs/ photo credit

2 comments:

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