Quit Smoking Painlessly Now!

Well known Australian actor Russell Crowe decided to quit for good when he was caught smoking by his son.

“[I was] smoking 40 on an easy day, but on a day when I would be up at 4am and still up at midnight, then it was 60-plus and it just got to the point where my body was telling me I had to stop,” Crowe said.

Crowe successfully hid his smoking addiction from his sons Charlie, 7, and Tennyson, 4, for years. It was sheer bad luck when the elder one caught him red handed. Caught puffing by his son somehow provided the Gladiator the motivation he needed to quit smoking.

“The reality break was that my kids never saw me smoke…. I was in my office … and I thought I heard my office door open and I looked around and couldn’t see anything, so I had my cigarette. Later on I lean over to put my cigarette out and he was lying between the couch and the table and he very definitely saw me having a smoke. And that was my very last one.”

Good for him. Kids shouldn’t be made to suffer from passive smoking. Passive smoking can be as bad as smoking first hand.

This was reported in The Straits Times on 25 Jan 2010.

Actor Mel Gibson stopped  smoking after 45 years and got this to say

“The first 3 days I was like an axe murderer. Day 4 – I’d come at you with a bat. Day 5 – I was dangerous with a lawn mower. It was a hellish habit to break”.

Still want to quit smoking?

Additional reading:

Quick Smoking Today

Hypnosis To Change Your Life by Steve G Jones.

By Dr. Mark Clayson

At least half of the world seems to enjoy the pleasures of smoking. However, the other half seems to be really up against it. From anti smoking laws to zero cigarette campaigns… this half of the world seems to have taken really serious steps in its battle against the fumes. The most effective tools that they employed are the slogans.

Slogans are words combined to form simple sentences or phrases which promote ideas. Since time immemorial, this has been used to promote general thoughts and even eccentric ideas. From “skin is in” to “no gut no glory”, there are just too many slogans that have made their marks in the shaping of history. The same is true when it comes to the battle against smoking. Anti smoking slogans abound all over the world, in order to be a little closer to the elimination of this abominable vice.

Anti smoking slogans tackle every aspect of smoking and its effects in very few words. The most prominent ones are those which delve into the health concerns of people around the world. A perfect example of a health related anti smoking slogan is “Save your lungs, save your life”. Indeed, the message here is clear. It says that the cause of various physical diseases can be traced down to smoking cigarettes. Other examples are “Breathe healthily, live happily” and “If you can’t stop smoking, cancer will.” These easy to remember and rhythmically rhymed slogans have been used by various anti smoking organizations in their campaign posters, banners and even televised public service plugs.

There are also anti smoking slogans which deal with the pollution that the use of cigarettes can cause. As you may know, smoke is harmful for the air. The constant smoking of millions of people everyday actually contributes to the air pollution here on earth. As such, slogans like “Share clean air” and “Everyone has a right to clean air” have been popular adages when it comes to discouraging smoking for environmental causes. Even the improper throwing of cigarette butts have been choice topics among environmental anti smoking slogans.

Last but not the least, there are also anti smoking slogans which discuss financial disadvantages caused by smoking. As you may well know, cigarettes are not the cheapest things on earth. In some countries like Singapore, they can even cause up to $10 a pack. As such, it can cause financial strain on average earners which have been hooked to the habit. An example of this is “Too much smoke will leave you broke”. It is a clear statement on proper use of resources, instead of splurging on deadly vices.

If you are into the same cause, then you might want to make your own anti smoking slogan now if you can. It’s fun, challenging and worthy of doing. The best thing about this is that you can actually save lives once your anti smoking slogan’s message gets heard.

Additional reading:

Quick Smoking Today

Hypnosis To Change Your Life by Steve G Jones.

A doctor was wondering why his patient had such a bad asthma attacks that she needed multiple hospital admission even though he put her on effective medicaton.

Investigation had ruled out that the girl did not take her medication as instructed. This carried on for 2 years.

Miracle happened. The girl started to get better and it was around the same time that the  doctor noticed that the grandpa was  bringing her for consultation and not her mum. He found out that both parents were posted to China to work, and the girl now lives with grandpa. Upon more probing, doctor discovered that both parents were smokers and grandpa stayed clear of cigarettes.

Well, the girl is a victim of passive smoking.

The harm of passive smoking is first discovered by Japanese reseacher, Takeshi Hirayama in 1981. He found a link between lung cancer in non-smoking Japanese women and her husbands who were smokers. The link has since been confirmed by many studies and new scientific evidences.

Even if parents smoke outside the house, the levels of respirable suspended particles including nicotine were still higher in the homes. Boston researcher, Jonathan Winickoff coined the term “3rd hand smoking” as the cocktail of toxins linger in carpets, sofas, cloths and other materials even days after the cigarette is put out.

(information adapted from “Mind & Body”, 21 Jan)

Additional reading:

Quick Smoking Today

Hypnosis To Change Your Life by Steve G Jones.

By Mellisa McJunkin

Even though we are both in our 40′s now, my oldest brother and I still get a kick out of teasing each other like we did when we were kids. This childish behavior was no exception during his recent visit. Besides the occasional “noogie” or “biff” upside the head, you might have heard my brother chant “my little sister’s ugly, my little sister’s ugly”. And of course my witty retort was “my brother’s a dumbie, my brother’s a dumbie.”

Now before you roll your eyes and write us off as a couple of mean spirited maniacs, indulge me for a moment and let me just say that my brother and I love each other dearly. We have so much fun hanging out together with our kids and just being, well, down right silly sometimes. Nonetheless, when I came across some research material recently that relates to the effects of smoking on the brain, I couldn’t help but feel a little distressed when I thought about my brother.

My brother smokes. He has smoked for years. He says it is stress buster for him. He has tried to quit several times, using several different methods but he always seems to go back to it. I, on the other hand smoked for years too, but I managed to give it up when I found out I was expecting my first child, which was over 12 years ago. I admit I almost always enjoyed the distasteful habit, especially after a big, delicious meal. But I must say I don’t miss the typical downfalls of smoking such as bad breath, stinky clothes, yellow teeth, and the most insidious side effect of all, increased risk of cancer. Plus, based on the new research, apparently I’m not losing as many brain cells either.

Although rather complicated in terms of the study itself, the findings are quite simple, and yet surprising I think to most of us. With over 172 men participating, the test was initially set out to find the long term effect of alcoholism on the brain. While it was made clear that alcoholism does have a long term effect on neurocognitive function, the study also showed that smoking may diminish the speed and accuracy of your thinking, cause memory impairment and it can actually lower your IQ.

Now I don’t know about you, but if the other side effects weren’t enough to call it quits, I think the findings from this relatively new research may just do the trick, at least for my brother. I am quite sure he won’t like it the next time I say “my brother’s dumbie” and actually have to mean it.

Additional reading:

Quick Smoking Today

Hypnosis To Change Your Life by Steve G Jones.

By Kimberly Ann Scharfenberg

I realize that there are articles and information all over the place about smoking death statistics. However, I thought I would update you and put them all in one article.
Everyone is aware that smoking causes cancer and lung disease, but were you aware that smoking does a lot more.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO):

• Every 8 seconds someone dies from tobacco use. Smoking related diseases kill 1 in 10 adults globally, or cause 4 million deaths. By the year 2030, if current trends continue, smoking will kill 1 in 6 people.
• About 12 times more British people have died from smoking than from World War II. Staggering.
• Cigarettes cause more than 1 in 5 American deaths.
• Half of the long-term smokers will die from tobacco and every cigarette that you smoke cuts at least 5 minutes off of your life expectancy. That is about the time it takes for you to smoke it.
• Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of death and premature death. It is a prime factor in heart disease, stroke, and chronic lung disease. It can also cause cancer, which affects many parts of the body.
• At least ¼ of all deaths from heart diseases and about ¾ of the world’s chronic bronchitis are related to smoking.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death and was among the first diseases causally linked to smoking. Lung cancer is obviously one of the major diseases attributed to smoking. But, did you know that smoking also causes cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, bladder, stomach, and even the cervix, kidneys, and pancreas. It’s true.

Other statistics show:

• Compared to non-smokers, men who smoke are about 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer and women who smoke are 13 times more likely to develop lung cancer. Smoking causes about 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in men and 80 percent in women.
• In 2003, an estimated 171,900 new cases of lung cancer occurred and approximately 157,200 people died from lung cancer.

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and the leading cause of death by smoking. More than 61 million Americans suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and all of these can be attributed to smoking. More than 2600 Americans die every day because of cardiovascular diseases, that is about 1 death every 33 seconds. Unbelievable.

Smoking related coronary heart disease may contribute to congestive heart failure. An estimated 4.6 million Americans have congestive heart failure and 43,000 die from it each year.

Smoking is related to chronic coughing and wheezing among adults. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, resulting in 118,000 deaths. More than 90 percent of these deaths were attributed to smoking.

And the most startling statistics:

• Among young teens (ages 13-15), about 1 in 5 smokes worldwide.
• Between 80,000-100,000 children worldwide start smoking every day and evidence shows that around 50 percent of those who start smoking as an adolescent go on to smoke 15 to 20 years.

All of these smoking death statistics are unbelievable. Especially when all you have to do to change them is to quit smoking. I realize it is a very hard thing to do, but a happier, healthier, and longer life is waiting for you. Just quit!! Do it!!

Additional reading:

Quick Smoking Today

Hypnosis To Change Your Life by Steve G Jones.

By Robert Henderson

Are you a smoker who needs one more reason to quit? If so, perhaps the information in this article can help move you to action. You are undoubtedly well aware-unless you live in a media-free cave-that smoking can cause a number of serious health conditions. Among them are the usual suspects-cancer, heart disease and pulmonary illness-but recent research has uncovered yet another to be added to the list. Diabetes, say medical experts, has a strong correlation to smoking, and in fact, smoking is now listed as one of the primary risk factors for developing the disease.

According to the American Journal of Epidemiology, people who smoke 16-23 cigarettes a day are three times more likely to develop Type-2 diabetes than nonsmokers. Prolonged smoking at similar rates of consumption may even cause that number to rise. The numbers are indeed overwhelming. Diabetes is yet another dangerous condition that people can help prevent by putting the cigarettes away for good.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease of the pancreas, an organ located behind the stomach and essential to the digestive process. When functioning normally, the pancreas releases insulin into the blood. Insulin helps break down the food you consume and aids in the way the body uses these substances.

Diabetes is the inability of the pancreas to either produce insulin altogether or to produce enough of it. It is a serious illness which can cause many long-term complications such as eye disease, kidney problems, heart disease and neuropathy.

The Dangers

The dangerous chemicals released through smoking have been found to increase the likelihood for adult-onset Type 2 diabetes, and combined with other risk factors could prove to be especially harmful.

Below are some of the risk factors listed by the American Diabetes Association:

• Family history of diabetes
• Obesity
• Alcohol Abuse
• Smoking
• Stress
• Age (Increases with age)

Smoking not only increases your chance of getting diabetes, it can create special problems for those already dealing with the illness as well. Smoking elevates the risk of bringing about some of the more serious complications listed above such as nerve, kidney and eye damage and can make managing diabetes particularly troublesome.

While some will have no say in their diabetes due to hereditary, the best way to prevent the disease is to avoid or eliminate the risk factors from your routine. A complete cessation from cigarettes is a good start. Along with proper weight management, avoiding smoking and refraining from drinking alcohol in excess may help you to avoid this harmful disease.

Additional reading:

Quick Smoking Today

Hypnosis To Change Your Life by Steve G Jones.