The Dilemma Of Teenage Smokers

Thousands of people today, including teenagers, are heavy smokers due to various reasons such as nervousness, pressure, frustration, and stress. Smoking has claimed and continues to claim thousands of lives yearly that it became an urgent issue to the World Health Organization (WHO) to institute a "No Tobacco Day" on May 31, 1987, to discourage and eradicate cigarette smoking.

Despite the warning on cigarette boxes, smokers choose to satisfy their desire unconcerned. The cigarette has been known to contain eighteen different poisons.

The two most destructive are tar, a carcinogenic or cancer producing substance and nicotine. Some of these attack the delicate membranes of the windpipes and those that find themselves in the bloodstream interfere with its normal circulation.

It's now like a fashion to see teenagers between the ages of 10 and 15 holding cigarettes at hideouts, in public places and schools. It's like a competition. Many teenage students are heavily hooked on cigarettes than adults.

When one asks any teenager the reason for smoking, they smile away. Those capable of giving you an answer say "It's pressure and stress." Tobacco smoking is said to cause many ailments as emphysema, tuberculosis, night sweats, chest pains, wheezing, and loss of weight, cancer, and complications in pregnancy.

Since the campaign against smoking began, WHO has introduced many measures to prevent smoking in buses, airplanes, trains restaurants and other public places, but many see this campaign against smoking as a bother or nuisance.

They only realize the mistakes they had done when a disease is diagnosed. Cigarette smoking is not an expensive luxury but a slow silent murderer.

Apart from the harm cigarette does to the body, cigarette waste dirties the environment. It is a difficult task getting rid of cigarette stubs littered around.

Recommended steps by health specialists to refrain from smoking

A person that gives up smoking does something worthwhile for his health. But many smokers have a real battle to conquer when it comes to stopping the habit. Staying away from other smokers, as much as possible will reduce the temptation to smoke.

Instead of smoking, a heavy smoker should rather become a vigorous campaigner against the use of tobacco in any form. This may change the attitude of friends toward smoking.

Taking plenty of exercises, including deep breathing and long walks in the open air several times daily, will clean the lungs and improve one's sense of well being.

Eating regularly, and not attempting to lose weight, will gradually break the tobacco habit. A smoker who wants to quit must avoid highly seasoned foods, alcohol, tea, and coffee.

These can easily influence one to crave smoking. Drinking enough water at least ten glasses a day, help to reduce the craving for tobacco.

Many may not believe this but try and see as prayer is the answer to many problems. If one is a slave to something. The force can be broken through prayers.