Do you ever feel under pressure to just say 'yes'?
Article by Rachel Ayres, July 2008
When you think of the word ‘drugs’ you rarely associate cigarettes in the same category. Cigarettes are a common thing and it can sometimes seem that everyone around you is smoking. The reality is, cigarettes are a drug. They contain highly dangerous and addictive chemicals, which can really harm you.
Cigarette companies realise the need to replace older smokers who are dying because of their habit, with younger smokers. They market their product in such a way that it becomes attractive to the younger smoker.
So apart from being taken in by the cigarette companies, why else do young people smoke?
Some do it to be sociable; they see their friends doing it and think it would be cool to do the same. Some think it makes them look more mature, that a little white stick will some how make them seem older. Others do it because they think it’s attractive, but there’s a very ugly side to smoking that most people don’t see.
Smoking obviously does a huge amount of damage to the body; after all it contains over 400 poisonous chemicals. The lungs, heart, stomach, throat and mouth are all at risk of potentially fatal cancer, but it’s the damage it does on the outside that can be just as bad.
Smoking has massive consequences on physical appearance, and will affect the smoker no matter how old they are. When you smoke you’ll start to notice the tips of your fingers and your teeth turn a brownish yellow colour. This staining is caused by the nicotine in cigarettes and is really hard to get rid of. Because of all the smoke that builds up in the mouth, the breath begins to smell really badly. Smoking causes the hair to thin and the skin starts to wrinkle.
Not to mention the cost!
Smoking 20 cigarettes a day for 5 years can cost approximately £8,000. Just think what that money could be better spent on!
Do you think it’s too late to quit?
As little as 20 minutes after you stop smoking, your body starts to see the benefits. Within weeks breathing greatly improves, that nasty smokers cough disappears, sense of taste and smell gets better and the hair, skin and breath no longer smell of tobacco smoke.
So how do you go about quitting?
Giving up smoking isn’t as hard as everybody makes out. Thousands of people give up every year, and there are lots of ways to do it and people who can help out. To get started on the road to a smoke free life, call the NHS Smoking Helpline on 0800 169 0 169.