What Triggers Teenage Smoking?

by Kim on August 20, 2012

The period of teenage is such that it takes no time to develop wrong habits and get trapped in the company of bad people. And one such trendy habit now-a-days is smoking. A 12 year old boy very happily knows to smoke and he does so even in his school. He handles it in a slapdash fashion as if he wants to show some style.

Further, he does so unhesitatingly to ensure that others are at least looking at him. If you were to speak to him about his smoking, you will come to know that he got this habit when he was only 11 and that now, his position is the same as that of an addicted person. You will be further shocked to know or wonder that the reason as to why he is smoking is the joy he believes to be in it.

In reality, teens like this boy are contributing to the increasing amount of smokers in the world. This is a harsh fact that needs serious attention. For this, one needs to understand the causes of teenage smoking, which are complex in nature. Distinctively, the causes are more attributed to the unclear responsibility of the teens in the society.

Causes of teenage smoking

  • The feeling of private insecurity

One of the major causes of teenage smoking is the feeling of private insecurity that includes a craving to look and behave like adults as well as friends’ and colleagues’ pressure. So, as a line of caution for the teens, never ever accept, get convinced, or believe anything on the spot no matter who is the one telling or inspiring you. Often.

The teens are more likely to feel insecure as they always have the tendency of inferiority complex. Their age is such that they are no longer children, but are also not grown-up adults. So, even though they are unknown to the adult ways, they still wish to be like them and so invite insecurity.

A child can cry and draw the attention of the parents towards his or her desires like a toy, but teenagers consider crying as childish and so would be asked to behave as per their age. And the fact is that teenagers are mostly unaware of how to behave as per their age.

As a result, they are not sure of what is to be done and so they finally take up smoking so that they can hide their anxiety and insecurity. Therefore, the most principal criminal of teenage smoking is confusion and lack of complete knowledge mixed with insecurity.

  • Smoking is ‘being quite adult’

As teens learn to look and behave like adults, they try to implement all of the trendy adult manners including how to dress. Above all, what teenagers recognize as ‘being quite adult’ is smoking.

This is possible from the fact that a boy might spot his father or an elder sibling smoking. Undoubtedly, he perceives his father to be a man and so wants to also look like a man, which deceitfully advances him towards cigarettes – an item that all adults know it as harmful.

  • An extreme pressure to follow the latest trends

In an attempt of becoming adults, the effort is mostly unconscious and that they look upon the closest adults as their foes – parents and school instructors. So, they have no option but to take the support of peer group. A teenager wants to appear and behave exactly in the same fashion like the other surrounding teenagers.

Now, this peer group has the power to apply an extreme pressure to follow the latest trends irrespective of whether they are good or bad. And one such thing is smoking. The normal boys and girls easily give up to their peers’ invitation of smoking instead of resisting.

  • Encouraging effect of advertisements

One more huge culprit of teenage smoking is ads. There is no doubt that these advertisements of promoting the use of cigarettes have an encouraging effect on the adolescent consumers to smoke.

These ads show great icons from the film industry and sports smoking and so the teens too believe that it is not bad to smoke.

As per them, these icons can never do something wrong. But, now-a-days, the anti-tobacco activists have introduced educational ads to spread an awareness regarding the unhealthy effects of smoking and to lessen the number of young ones in the category of smokers.

So, it’s very important for the parents to discuss with the teenagers about the harmful effects of teenage smoking so that they can aid in easily leaving the habit.

How To Stop Smoking Without Gaining Weight?

by Kim on August 19, 2012

There are many people who believe they couldn’t stop smoking without gaining weight. Therefore, it is worth investigating to ensure that it doesn’t happen to you.

The first thing to understand is that nicotine is a stimulant, because of which it does increase your metabolism to some extent. So, when you quit smoking, and no longer consume nicotine, your metabolism slows down a little.

But, by a little, please realize that really does mean, not by very much. Not nearly sufficient to induce you to significantly put on weight. In any event it is only a temporary situation, and there are steps you can take to ensure it does not become a problem.

Tips For Stop Smoking Without Gaining Weight

Step 1 – Drink Plenty of Water

People who wish to stop smoking without gaining weight, should realize that smokers are often dehydrated, which encourages the body to retain what water it does have. A sure way to ensure your body releases excess water is to drink plenty of water!

Although this may seem contradictory, your body will more readily release retained water when you keep yourself topped up. As a guide 64 ounces per day is recommended, with a corresponding increase if you are overweight to start with.

Step 2 – Watch Your Diet

If you are temped to snack on salty foods and sweets, such as crisps and chocolate, it will be more difficult to stop smoking without gaining weight, so try to avoid the temptation. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables instead, and stick to lean protein and healthy fats.

Avoid fried food, but try snacking on small amounts of seeds, pulses and nuts, which really are quite enjoyable, and convenient. Don’t overdo it though, and try to make do with an ounce or two at a time, which you will find are as satisfying as the bag of chips you might otherwise have gobbled!

Reduce alcohol and caffeine to a minimum, and avoid sugary soda pops completely. All that is being suggested, is that you take sensible steps to avoid putting on weight, as you continue to stop smoking.

Step 3 – Don’t Swap Addictions

If you are aware of this trend you will be in a better position to avoid it. There is not much merit in stopping smoking to become an obese chocoholic! The main objectives of stopping smoking are to improve your health and to look better.

As far as the latter is concerned, please refer to the home page of this web site, as not everybody realizes how smoking can damage their looks. So if you feel the need to snack, when you stop smoking, do so on fresh fruit and dried fruit, celery sticks, small amounts of pulses and nuts, or whatever else is recommended in the myriad of diet articles appearing almost everywhere.

This is the way to stop smoking without gaining weight.

Step 4 – Healthy Exercise is Important

Inactivity is a major cause of putting on weight, whereas healthy exercise achieves the opposite. Activities such as swimming or brisk walking, will not only assist in keeping your weight in check, but will also assist you to quit smoking.

Healthy exercise of this nature will also assist in diverting your attention away from smoking. Depending on your level of physical fitness, which can only get better when you stop smoking, there are many other pleasurable pursuits to follow.

There is fishing, hiking, badminton, tennis, walking, bird watching, gardening, and so many others, any combination of which will assist you to stop smoking without gaining weight.

Furthermore it can all be financed out of what you used to spend on smoking!

A word of warning

Don’t be surprised if your lung capacity has substantially diminished after smoking for several years. Unfortunately it is not always reversible, although if you stop smoking there is every chance that you will stop its rate of progression.

If you are able to walk, even just a little bit further when you break the smoking habit, you will feel better for the experience. Fortunately, there are many smokers who are not so seriously affected.

Possibly because they haven’t smoked as long, or are just plain lucky! Just remember that the longer you smoke the greater the likelihood of serious and sometimes incurable illness.

There is really only one time to quit smoking, and that time is NOW!

Step 5 – Don’t Worry

Don’t worry, even if you do put on a few pounds when you stop smoking. It is likely to be a temporary issue that will disappear if you are sensible about diet and exercise. Remember that the new, more dynamic, non-smoking you, can see off any challenge.

Don’t be put off on your road to recovery because that’s what it is really. You are recovering from a deadly, pernicious, poisonous habit, so rejoice and be proud of yourself.

What Are The Side Effects Of Nicotine?

by Kim on August 19, 2012

If we had to name a drug that is so wonderful and horrible at the same time, it would be nicotine. Nicotine is an amazing drug. It does a lot of things to your body.

It perks you up when you’re feeling down by stimulating your mind and it calms you down whenever you’re feeling agitated or too excited. Most drugs do only one of these things, they would either have to be a stimulant or a sedative.

No other drug can have both effects, nothing except nicotine, making how to stop smoking harder.

However contradicting those side effects of nicotine may be, the amazing thing about it is that smokers seem to always get whatever effect they want from nicotine.

They could smoke to feel more alert whenever they feel drowsy, which is why some of them light one up in the morning to get going. They could also smoke to get them calmed down enough to go to sleep at night. How exactly does nicotine do all of this?

The side effects of nicotine on the brain

Chemicals carry messages from the brain to the body. If the brain feels energized, it uses chemicals to transmit this feeling from one cell of the body to another so your entire body feels the same way.

Nicotine helps your brain by maintaining the balance of chemicals in it, making sure that you feel happy whenever you want to feel happy, and feel calmed whenever you want to do so. Nicotine is really an amazing drug, and cigarettes are the best way to get a quick fix of nicotine.

The side effects of nicotine on the body

In fact, if there were no harmful side effects to smoking cigarettes, there would be absolutely no reason to stop at all. Unfortunately, nicotine is as deadly as it is wonderful. In enough amounts, it’s toxicity can even match or surpass that of cyanide.

Luckily, the nicotine from cigarettes are usually just 8 to 9 milligrams per stick, and the amount you inhale is even less. This is definitely not enough to kill you, but it’s enough to increase your heart rate, raise your blood pressure, increase electrical activity in the brain and even accelerate your metabolic rate. These are all very powerful biological effects of nicotine.

Nicotine is so potent that a very small dose can cause several of your organs and system to change. The amount you get from a cigarette is less than the amount that’s actually contained in a stick.

You usually just get 1.5 milligrams of nicotine per stick, depending on the brand you use, how deep you puff and how often you do it. But when you do, it affects and changes your body in so many ways and your body reacts to these changes.

This is why you don’t feel too good when you start smoking. But tolerance soon kicks in until these side effects of nicotine are barely even noticeable.

That’s how good nicotine is. That’s how good the enemy is.

Dealing With Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms

by Kim on August 19, 2012

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms are one of the most difficult problems experienced by those who stop smoking. Symptoms may include dizziness, fatigue and difficulty concentrating, mild chest pains, feelings of irritability, as well as headaches, anxiety, nausea and abdominal upset, and sleeping problems amongst others. This serves to illustrate the scale of the problem.

Some symptoms are due to the psychological and emotional separation from smoking. However, the body’s reliance on nicotine, is the main cause of withdrawal symptoms, in the newly reformed smoker, but rest assured they will soon diminish.

Ways to reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to reduce symptoms of nicotine withdrawal so they become more tolerable.

  • Start To Breathe Deeply

Smokers are inclined to breathe shallowly, so take the opportunity to fully expand your lungs. You should then feel better and reduce anxiety and stress, in addition to oxygenating your body in a way that has been denied.

So, whenever you begin to experience a craving, and feel ready to explode because of emotional tension, just close your eyes for a while and start inhaling slowly through your nose.

Then, allow your abdomen to expand as your lungs fill with air, and you will be aware of your chest expanding as well. Pause for a second or two, before exhaling slowly through your mouth. Take your time, and repeat this exercise several times to avoid hyperventilation.

  • Consider Meditation

Meditation can bring wonderful benefits to anyone, but especially to people who are dealing with the stress of stopping smoking.

Meditation is not difficult and can be as easy as closing your eyes, sitting quietly and comfortably and drifting into restful alertness. Practice for a short while and let go of any stressful thoughts disturbing your mind.

Think about a happy past experience, such as walking in a wood full of bluebells, or bathing in the sea on a sunlit beach. You will float past obstructive thought with relief from withdrawal symptoms of nicotine.

Try to focus on your scene of tranquillity, so that when withdrawal symptoms attempt to intrude, you can gently push them aside and continue to relax. Meditation may take some time to master, but there are various techniques and excellent explanatory books available at reasonable prices.

  • Stress and Anger

When smoking has been a way of dealing with disturbing feelings, such as stress or anger, you may unexpectedly find yourself becoming overwhelmed when you endeavour to stop smoking. Try to calmly examine these feelings as they arise, and you may find that they are not as serious as you previously thought.

It may be easier said than done, particularly if you are used to avoiding them, but after a while you will find that you can cope better, without kidding yourself into another smoke.

The trick is to deal with thoughts that provoke problems in a calm and rational way. You will soon begin to realize that smoking didn’t help but was literally adding fire to the problem.

Don’t ever think that you are on your own, because so many people have stopped smoking and overcome the withdrawal symptoms. There are lots of them who would like to help you to achieve what they already have, so don’t be afraid to seek their advice.

There are various other techniques you can use to alleviate nicotine withdrawal symptoms, and we will be returning to the subject in this web site. In the meantime rest assured that these symptoms should diminish after a few days, and start to give way to a newfound confidence.

5 Easy Steps To Stop Smoking

by Kim on August 15, 2012

According to a recent study, 85% of smokers want to know how to stop smoking if they only knew how to. When you become a chronic smoker, a lot of changes occur in your body, both physically and psychologically. Knowing how to quit means getting rid of all these effects permanently.

Steps To Stop Smoking

Here is a quick step-by-step method of quitting smoking that many have used to finally get rid of their smoking habits. You can follow these steps or use them as a pattern to create a technique that suits you best.

Step 1: Recognizing the habit

Smoking is 50% habit and 50% addiction. Learning more about the things that you’ve come to associate with smoking can help you avoid them in the future.

Step 2: Finding a reason to stop

Your efforts to quit are only as strong as your reason to do so. Find the right motivation to push you through your quitting attempt and you’ll find the whole process to be easier than you expected.

Step 3: Deciding on a method

There are techniques that work on some people and not on others. Going with the right method of quitting can mean the difference between success and failure.

Step 4: Setting a quitting date

Unless you’re quitting based on a snap decision, scheduling the day when you’ll finally throw your last cigarette is an important step when you want to stop smoking.

Step 5: Quitting

To some, this can be the most difficult part of the whole process. However, this is the culmination of all your preparation. The actual act of quitting means breaking the habit once and for all.

Maintaining a smoke free life

Don’t be afraid of a relapse because very few people actually succeed on their first try of quitting. Don’t worry, living smoke free can only get easier after the first few weeks.

Continue to Step 1: Smoking Habit and Smoking Addiction

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