Sidestream Smoke

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Smoking Statistics

After the entry of foreign multinational tobacco firms into Japan, the Republic of Korea and Thailand, youth and female smoking rose significantly.

*The 37 countries and areas comprising the WHO Western Pacific Region are: American Samoa, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hong Kong (China), Japan, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Macao (China), Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, and Wallis and Futuna.

Source: World Health Organization - Smoking Statistics

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Don't Start Smoking

When my kids were 8 and 10, they would ask me if I would quit, and I knew I should if I did not want them to start. But I kept on smoking. Even when my son who was only eight was walking around with pens or licorice pretending to smoke, and my 10-year-old daughter was saying that she could not wait until she got older so she could smoke just like me. That did not drive it in me to quit! It was too easy to keep smoking; eventually though, everything you start must come to an end.

The addiction to cigarettes is as strong as any illegal drug. In order to quit, the person has to really want to quit. I had always heard how hard it was to quit smoking, and that scared me. I think one of the greatest lies ever told is that quitting smoking is hard to do. Quitting smoking is not what is hard - it is making the decision to quit that is hard.

I knew that if I wanted to keep breathing, I had to do something with my life. So, after having the same cold leave and come back for two months, I decided it was time to stop smoking - better to do it when I was sick. And guess what? Not smoking was not as hard as I thought it would be. There is nicotine withdrawal; it is a drug, and that is not pleasant to go through, but it was not impossible. Not that it is easy to stop once you start; it is very much not easy, and takes a lot of work and willpower to quit. I would not wish that on someone I did not like!

I would say it took about 4 or 5 months before the cravings to smoke stopped totally, and another 2 or 3 months after that before I felt totally comfortable not smoking. I still get thoughts occasionally about having one, so I would not say I am totally free of the "habit" or addiction. I don't have to struggle with myself about buying them anymore, and I can shrug off the thought of smoking, but I can never let my guard down because all it would take would be "just one" and I would be back to smoking a pack a day before a week was over. People who are addicted to illegal drugs also have to exercise that kind of caution, though I think it is easier for them to change their life style and whom they know to stay away from concerning drugs. There will always be with me a risk of a relapse though, and I know this. All it takes is one drag off a cigarette and if it does not taste good, maybe the next drag will. I say that because cigarettes are everywhere, and legal to buy. You can get them at almost any store.

There is a great deal more information available now that was not around when I started smoking. It was suggested that, over time, cigarettes could be bad for your health. Now it is loudly proclaimed how bad smoking is for you. Still, knowing all the risks involved, a great many people start smoking every year.

To avoid becoming another tobacco addict, remember, it is not just tobacco you are inhaling. Even the so-called "natural" cigarettes have additives in them. Cigarettes do not make anyone look older or cooler. They will damage your health, change your appearance, and can make it hard to breathe though.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and the leading cause of death among smokers. Smoking is hard on the heart. It beats out deaths by drug overdose, suicide, AIDS, and accidents combined. You can say "we all have to die somehow," but you do not have to make that somehow be sooner than it needs to be.

Ellen's One Year Smoke Free Milestone

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Tar in Cigarettes

"Tar" is the term used to describe the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes. The concentration of tar in a cigarette determines its rating: High-tar cigarettes contain at least 22 milligrams (mg) of tar Medium-tar cigarettes from 15 mg to 21 mg Low-tar cigarettes 7 mg or less of tarCigarette filters were first added to cigarettes in the 1950s when it was reported that the tar in cigarettes was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. The idea was that the filter would trap harmful tars and nicotine, but the design never worked as well as hoped. Toxins still make it through and into the smoker's lungs, exposing them to the risks of smoking-related disease.

In solid form, tar is the brown, tacky substance that is left behind on the end of the cigarette filter. It stains a smoker's teeth and fingers brown and coats everything it touches with a brownish-yellow film. Imagine that settling into the delicate pink tissue of your lungs.

Tar is present in all cigarettes and tends to increase as the cigarette is burnt down, which can mean that the last puffs on a cigarette may contain as much as twice the amount of tar as the first puffs.

Tar in cigarette smoke paralyzes the cilia in the lungs, and contributes to lung diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and lung cancer.

See also:
Are Light Cigarettes Less of a Risk for Smokers?

Sources:

"Up In Smoke: The Truth About Tar and Nicotine Ratings" May, 2000. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

"A Vision for the Future." Surgeon General's Report 1981 Section 8. Centers for Disease Control.

"Low-Tar Cigarettes Do Not Cut Cancer Risk." 14 January, 2004. MIT News Office.

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10 Great Quit Smoking Stories

There is no better teacher than the voice of experience, and when it comes to quitting tobacco, members of the About.com Smoking Cessation forum have valuable insights to share. An important resource for the new quitter, their stories are full of practical tips about what works when we quit smoking and the benefits we might expect to enjoy.

If you are still smoking, the following personal accounts may help you find the motivation to start your own journey to freedom from nicotine addiction. So, settle in and do some reading -- these real life stories are sure to inspire you.

LeslyFrom Lesly:

"Three years ago I was a desperate woman. I was desperate to quit smoking -– I was desperate to smoke. I was sick to death of smoking –- I loved to smoke. I hated how I smelled –- I loved the smell of my smokes. I hated the burn holes, fears, sickness -– I loved the rituals. I hated being told I should quit -- I knew I should quit. Most of all, I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I hated feeling stupid. Bottom line."

zSB(3,3)JaneFrom Jane:

"For 37 years I had one last cigarette before turning in for the night, every night. On August 5, 2006, I had one last cigarette that I hoped and prayed with all my heart would be the last cigarette of my life."

MichelleFrom Michelle:

"People invest in savings and retirement accounts and IRA's, and rightly so, but none of these will matter if a smoking-related illness claims your life before you can enjoy the benefits of your other investments. Smoking cessation is worth every minute you invest and more. The freedom that awaits you is nearly indescribable, and with each passing year, as my gratitude continues to grow, so does my hope that more and more people will decide to reclaim the lives they were meant to live."

DeeFrom Dee:

"With an almost 2-pack-a-day addiction; with a chest cold and horrible coughing that suggested that someone needed to take pity on me and make an immediate call to an ambulance service; there I was sitting on the side of the bed with a cigarette dangling from my mouth and lighter in hand trying to breath shallow little breaths so I wouldn’t cough my fool head off while lighting my first cigarette of the day. Something snapped. I took a long hard look at the cigarette and lighter and threw them across the room."

MaryFrom Mary:

"Today I'm a nonsmoker. I don't think of myself as an exsmoker, because that was a different Mary. That Mary reached for a smoke at the first sign of stress. That Mary couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without hacking up a lung. This Mary has a whole new outlook on life — a whole new life, period. This Mary is an athlete who runs five days a week and can bench press 115 pounds. This Mary can now say, I will never smoke again."

BellaFrom Bella:

"What a difference a year can make. I think back to when I rang in 2006 and I was feeling nothing less than desperation. My throat was raw day and night, my voice was weak and I was completely afraid. "You have to get a handle on this, girl," was what I thought, "or it’s over for you. There might be something wrong with you already. It’s time to make some significant changes."

LarryFrom Larry:

"One year ago today I thought I had pneumonia. It turned out to be yet another greeting by the grim reaper we nicotine addicts know intimately as "smoking-related illness." It wasn't pneumonia, only a severe case of bronchitis and undeniable worsening of the early stages of emphysema -- an inability to breathe on my own. I dreaded going to bed at night and have my wife hear me coughing, wheezing, struggling for every breath, but I was in denial. I knew what was causing my breathing problems, yet felt powerless to stop the slow, agonizing process of killing myself with cigarettes."

LeoFrom Leo:

"I recently celebrated my 2-year anniversary of quitting smoking. Well, of finally quitting. Like most smokers, I had tried to quit smoking many times and failed. But this quit attempt stuck, and I'd like to share the top 10 things that made this quit successful when the others failed."

zSB(1,2)KevinFrom Kevin:

"I hope that all smokers can one day enjoy their lungs the way they did in their smokeless childhoods. One of the ways I convinced myself to finally quit involved reminiscences of my own childhood lungs, their indefatigable prowess, how deeply I was able to breathe while rounding the bases after smashing a line drive into left/center, or the massive huffs of air I’d take every third stroke while competing in a freestyle race. My lungs, I would dream 30 years into smoking, never fought back when I was a child. And every time I dreamed of those easier times, the more I wanted those times back."

TammyFrom Tammy:

"How many times have I thought about quitting? How many times have I tried to quit? The answer is…I don’t have a clue. I really really wanted to quit smoking and I really thought that I could whenever I felt like it. I thought that it would be easy if I really wanted it bad enough. It wasn’t easy."

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Lung Cancer Treatments

Surgery may be chosen as the best course of treatment, especially if the cancer is detected in its early stages and hasn't spread to other areas of the body. There are four types of surgery used for non small cell lung cancer: Resection - This surgery removes a small part of the lung where the tumor is. The procedure is referred to as a wedge resection if a small triangular slice of tissue is taken, or a segmental resection when the tissue sample is a little larger.Sleeve Resection - A surgical procedure that removes part of the bronchus.Lobectomy - Removal of an entire lobe (section) of the lung is done with this procedure.Pneumonectomy - A pneumonectomy removes the entire lung.Surgery isn't always an option. Some tumors are inoperable, or the person may not be up to surgery for other medical reasons. Chemotherapy involves using anti-cancer drugs to kill cancer cells in the body, or to keep existing cells from dividing. Even after surgery, some cells may remain, and chemotherapy may be added to the treatment plan. Most chemotherapy is given either by injection into a vein (IV) or by catheter. A few drugs are given in pill form.Radiation Therapy treats the cancer by using high energy rays to kill cancer cells. It can be used before surgery to shrink tumors, or after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. Sometimes it is used in combination with chemotherapy as a primary treatment plan instead of surgery. Most radiation therapy is administered by a machine (external radiation) with the rays aimed directly at the tumor. There is another form of radiation treatment(internal radiation), in which a small capsule of radioactive material is implanted near or in the tumor.Laser Therapy uses a highly accurate pinpoint of laser light to kill cancer cells.Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) - this therapy involves using a laser. A special chemical is injected into the bloodstream. This chemical travels to cells all over the body, and is absorbed by them. In normal cells, the chemical leaves quickly, but it remains for a longer time in cancer cells. A laser is then aimed at the cancer which activates the chemical. The chemical then kills the cancer cell it is in. This therapy can be used to relieve symptoms of lung cancer, such as bleeding, or blocked airways. It's also an option for treating very small tumors which may not be suitably treated in more conventional ways.Watchful Waiting - like the name implies, this treatment involves closely monitoring the patient's condition, watching for symptoms to appear or change in nature.See Also: Information for this article obtained from NCI, which is a division of The National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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Michelle's Quit Story

On the eve of my 18-months smoke-free milestone, I am feeling nostalgic and grateful and moved to share my story.

My sister and I smoked our first cigarette when we were 10 and 11 years old respectively. I can't even remember if we inhaled, but they were Marlboro's, and they were 50 cents a pack, my entire week's allowance. After a couple of months, the guilt got to my sister, and she confessed (for both of us) to our parents, and I never picked up another cigarette until the summer of my 18th year. I smoked for only that summer, and then I didn't smoke another cigarette until I was 22 and in graduate school. WHY???????? I wish I knew why. Part of it, I'm sure, was being annoyed by the 'good girl' perception that people had of me. I got good grades, respected my parents, and didn't party a lot (a little...but not a lot). Well, one night I was at one of the few parties I attended in college, and someone offered me a cigarette. I took it and never looked back. I bought a pack the next day and began my new identity as a 'not so good girl' smoker.

When I was 12 years old, my dad, my hero, quit smoking, and once told me that if he ever saw me smoking, it would be like putting a stake through his heart. I never let him see me smoke. Since I was still in school and living at home, I was a closet smoker for the next 3 years. It was exhausting, and my parents knew I smoked anyway. When I finally became a teacher and moved out, I lived with 2 roommates, and neither of them smoked, so I smoked outside or in my car. There was a smoking lounge in the school where I taught, but I didn't want my students to know I smoked so I was careful not to let them see me. By now, hiding had become quite a theme in my existence as a smoker.

That continued as I got older, and my sister made me the proud aunt of 4 beautiful children. When I visited I would cower in a corner of the garage, listening for the opening door, so that I could put the cig out before I got caught. How ridiculous, I finally realized. I am ALWAYS hiding behind a wall of smoke, half the time not enjoying my time with family and friends because I was worried about when I'd be able to get my next fix.

By this time, I also knew that my health was being affected by my addiction. I was sleeping on 3 pillows and woke up during the night coughing. Then, when I got up in the morning, I'd hack and wheeze for about 30 minutes...all the while trying to inhale on my first cigarette of the day. I wouldn't know until after I quit smoking that my smoking had also likely caused my chronic back pain, degenerative disc disease. My family history also told me I'd better seriously think about quitting. Two grandparents and an uncle died of smoking-related illnesses, 1 also with emphysema. The more I thought about it, the more resolve I mustered to get a quit plan together.

I found a Web site called "The No Smoke Cafe" hosted by Christine Rowley. I read everything I could read about the addiction and quitting: the best ways to do it, what happens after quitting, how to maintain the quit. I saturated my brain with everything I could find, and then I read post on a message board associated with the "Cafe", and I paid close attention to what people were thinking and feeling as they began their journey to freedom from nicotine. Like many about to quit, I wanted as few surprises as possible. I knew this for sure, though...I wanted to quit more than I wanted to keep smoking, and that thought kept me company during the long road to recovery from nicotine addiction.

I chose a quit date, January 13, 2002, and I decided that I would use a NRT, the patch. I researched the NRT's too, weaning off the nicotine after smoking 2 packs a day for 14 years made the best sense to me. I submitted my first post 18 hours into my quit, and I have been smoke-free ever since. I credit my success so far in large part to Christine and her efforts to provide a place for people to support each other and for gathering so much information regarding smoking cessation. I believe that support is the #1 factor in successfully quitting smoking, and I'm grateful to all those who were there for me in the beginning.

Now, after almost a year and a half, there's nothing I enjoy more than trying to help others realize their goal of freedom from nicotine. Quitting smoking isn't easy, but almost nothing in life that's worthwhile is, and it is easier when you don't have to do it alone. Thanks to all the quitters, friends, who keep me continuously inspired. It's a remarkable journey of self-discovery and one that I have never regretted.

Michelle B. (QUITWIT)
Michelle's 1 Year Milestone
Michelle's 2 Year Milestone
Michelle's 3 Year Milestone
Michelle's 4 Year Milestone
Michelle's 5 Year Milestone
Patience With the Process
A Perspective on Using NRT's
There is No Substitute for Time
Depression When You Quit Smoking
Smoking and Degenerative Disc Disease

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