In a cross-cultural survey in Scotland and Singapore, only 1 in 3 respondents was aware that smoking can cause blindness!
The survey was conducted by a group at Scotland’s Ninewell Hospital and Singapore’s Alexandra Hospital from November 2007 to February 2008. Researchers polled 112 participants from Scotland and 163 participants from Singapore to compare their awareness of various smoking-related conditions as well as attitudes towards the use of graphic health warning labels printed on cigarette packs.
85% in both countries knew the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, mouth and throat cancer (oral cancer) and stroke but only about one-third of the respondents knew about smoking causes blindness.
According to Associate Professor Au EongKah Guan, head and senior consultant, department of ophthalmology and visual sciences of Alexandra Hospital and an investigator of the study: “Cigarette smoking increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration by 3-fold to 4-fold and cataract by 2 to 3-fold. Age-related macular degeneration is a deterioration in the health of the most sensitive part of the retina known as macula. A cataract is clouding of the normally clear crystalline lens in the eye.”
Currently the Singapore investigation study team is talking to its Health Promotion Board to add the warning “Smoking causes blindness on cigarette packs. Graphic warning labels have been circulation in in Singapore since 2004 and were later modified in 2006. You can see the graphic labels published at HPB to your left here. However, Australia is the only country so far to carry the graphic warning label which reads “Smoking causes Blindness”.
Incidentally, Britain is considering to get cigarette manufacturers to pack the cigarette in plain black and white box so that they look less attractive to youngsters.
Well, if increased risk of cancer, heart diseases and other respiratory illness are not good enough reasons for smokers to quit smoking, perhaps this will.
According to The New York Times, epidemiological studies looked at more than 600 men and women, with 50% of them being smokers. After controlling for variables, researchers found a significant and consistent link between smoking and early greying. Scientists have long speculated that cigarette smoke may accelerate hair loss and premature greying. The association was largely due to toxins in smoke that can harm hair follicles and damage hormones.
Last year, another team studied the link in a group of 740 men in Taiwan aged 40 -91 years. After controlling for age and family histories, the researchers found a greater rate of hair loss among the smokers, a risk that grew with increasing smoking.
Whether the link is a result of tobacco toxins affecting the scalp or f smoking is causing severe disease that speed up aging, the point is smoking can lead to premature greying and hair loss.
By the way, if you are not aware, smoking causes blindnesstoo. This has been confirmed by a joint study by hospitals in Scotland and Singapore. You can read it here.
Unless you are really committed and have a strong will, you will not succeed in quitting smoking overnight. If you think stop smoking is tough, trying to quit smoking is even more challenging for mothers-to-be.
Why is stop smoking during pregnancy tough?
Mothers-to-be are experiencing lots of changes physically, mentally and emotionally and the thoughts that nicotine, tars and other harmful chemicals in the cigarettes will hurt the babies torment them further. Yet, the thought of going cold turkey frighten and irritate them more. Can you imagine having both withdrawal pains with morning sickness like nausea, tummy cramps, etc?
What’s the consequences of smoking during pregnancy?
I have discussed at my FAQs on Stop Smoking post that “The baby may be born underweight, premature or dead. It has a higher risk to develop lung infection and other diseases. Some will die in the first year. If the baby survives, it may suffer from certain physical and mental deficiencies as it receives less oxygen. The smoke inhaled by a pregnant woman, whether directly or passively, will reduce the amount of oxygen to the placenta.”
So, is it easier to quit smoking during pregnancy through smoking aids?(more…)
I like Disney cartoons since young but I didn’t know Goofy had a dark past until I saw this video. Well, it just goes to show smoking can get people on the dark side.
Like claudiokun2007 said at YouTube: “It was an attempt to ridicule smoking and how desperate is a man who becomes dependent on nicotine in some dry burning mix of leaves”. Yet regrettably, kacpt said “Walt Disney is going to hell for this video. this cartoon is why i started smoking. 18 years ago.” It is sure weird to have Goofy asking for weeds but Aethumus commented that “Weed used to be slang for a self-rolled cigarette. It didn’t change into a marijuana connotation until the early to mid sixties.”
Perhaps the video was made in 1951 but it would better for Disney to send a clearer message. We have folks at YouTube wondering if this video is pro-smoking or anti-smoking.
There is no such thing as being too late to stop smoking. Even if you have been smoking for 30 years, it is never too late to quit smoking. You will be amazed at the benefits you can derive just by kicking this bad habit.
When you stop smoking, your quality of life will improve. That alone should be a huge incentive to start on your journey towards living a smoke-free life.
20 Minutes after your last cigarette:
Blood pressure reduces
Pulse rate drops
Body temperature of hands and feet increases
8 hours later:
Carbon monoxide and nicotine levels in blood fall back to normal
Oxygen level in blood increases to normal
24 hours later:
Risk of a heart attack reduces
The lungs start to be cleared of mucous and toxins
48 hours later:
Nerve endings start re-growing
Improve sense of smell and taste
72 hours later:
Breathing becomes easier.
Energy level increases
2 – 12 weeks later:
Blood circulation improves
Walking and exercise becomes easier
Lung function increases
Between 1 – 9 months:
Shortness of breath, coughing, sinus congestion and fatigue decrease
After 1 year:
Risk of heart disease decreases to half that of a smoker
5 – 10 years:
Risks of stroke and coronary heart diseases reduce to about the same as someone who has never smoked
Risk of lung cancer decreases to about half that of a smoker
Even if you were 50 years old or 60 years old, stop smoking today and you can still benefit from all of the above. Of course, everyone dies, but while you are still alive, wouldn’t you rather be living a happy, healthy life? Or would you rather be pale, breathless, wheezing, coughing…
All the facts above should compel you to act immediately to stop smoking now. If you are wondering how to quit smoking or you need a quit smoking aid,simply click here to find out how to quit smoking painlessly without withdrawal discomfort ! This is a definitely a much easy way compared to the cold turkey method.
Currently the Singapore investigation study team is talking to its Health Promotion Board to add the warning “Smoking causes blindness on cigarette packs. Graphic warning labels have been circulation in in Singapore since 2004 and were later modified in 2006. You can see the graphic labels published at HPB to your left here. However, Australia is the only country so far to carry the graphic warning label which reads “Smoking causes Blindness”.
All the facts above should compel you to act immediately to stop smoking now. If you are wondering how to quit smoking or you need a quit smoking aid,simply 
