I KNOW how much pleasure smoking can give but I have seen too many patients sick from the effects of the habit . . . too many get bronchitis, heart disease or cancer . . . too many ask for help when it's too late.

Some Facts about Smoking

Well documented harmful effects on health attributable to nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide and added chemicals present in cigarettes, pipe tobacco and cigars:

• higher risk of getting lung cancer and other related cancers
• higher risk of getting heart attacks
• prone to develop bronchitis, emphysema, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers
• maternal smoking retards foetal growth
• children born of pregnant mothers who smoke tend to be smaller and more susceptible to disease
• children of smoking parents are twice as likely to smoke as children of non-smoking parents
• a high number of people die in early middle age, when their children need them most, from smoking-related diseases
• passive smokers (including immediate family, relatives, friends and colleagues at work etc.) are affected in much the same way.

Smoking increases absenteeism in work due to poor health; it drains your personal resources (the money spent on smoking could be put to better use); and it increases air pollution especially in enclosed environments like apartments, offices, restaurants, etc.

Some Misconceptions:

• "It's too late. I've been smoking a long time." The truth is: stopping is beneficial at any age.
• "All cut down to a safe level." Wrong, there is no such thing as a safe level.
• There is no such thing as a 'safe' cigarette, in fact low tar cigarettes may be more harmful because smokers tend to consume more.
• "My grandfather smoked 60 cigarettes a day and lived until he was 90." He was lucky. The fact is: middle aged smokers are twice as likely as non-smokers to die before reaching retirement. Furthermore, smoking does not always kill quickly. Heart attacks and lung cancer often cause suffering.
• "Smoking helps me to do things." In fact, carbon monoxide actually decreases efficiency.

Tips for quitting:

• Take action and pick a date to stop
• get rid of all cigarette packets, lighters, matches and ash trays
• if cutting down on smoking, wait three minutes after urge to smoke hits you, during which time you can walk around, drink a glass of water, or talk to an ex-smoker until the craving subsides

Some Hints for the New Non-Smoker:

• eat more vegetables and fresh fruits or juice
• tell friends and family that you have stopped smoking
• chewing gum may be beneficial to ease psychological dependence
• don't accept cigarettes
• insist on using non-smoking areas ¡Ð wherever you go
• withdrawal symptoms last for about a week. The first two days are the worst and it eases off the third day onwards.

Remember, others can help ¡Ð but ONLY YOU can stop yourself from smoking.