About Smoking
What are the risks of smoking?
Smoking has been shown to lead to several health problems such as heart attacks, strokes,
respiratory disease, cancers (especially lung) and many other health conditions. In addition
to causing early death, the symptoms caused by these smoking-related diseases can cause a
large amount of distress and worsen your quality of life from a young age.
As well as affecting your health, smoking affects your skin appearance, making you look
older than you are. In addition, it affects the taste of food, and can cause impotence in men.
Even if you do not care about your own health and wellbeing, smoking exposes those
around you to secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke is the inhalation of smoke from tobacco products used by others. If you
continue to smoke, you are increasing the risk of your friends and family developing several
types of cancer, as well as heart and lung diseases. Smoking also affects children- as well as
increasing their chance of medical conditions such as glue ear and asthma, children of
smokers are 3 times as likely to smoke as children of non-smokers.
Sheisha is not as bad as cigarettes right?
Sheisha smoking poses a serious risk to your health just as cigarettes do; filtering the smoke
through water does not make it healthier. All smoking, whether it is cigars, cigarettes or
midwakh, is bad for your health.
Is smoking addictive?
The nicotine in tobacco is the addictive drug. It causes changes in the brain that makes
people want to use it more and more. In addition, addictive drugs cause unpleasant
withdrawal symptoms. The good feelings that result when an addictive drug is present and
the bad feelings when it's absent make breaking any addiction very difficult. The
characteristics that determine tobacco addiction are similar to those that determine
addiction to drugs such as heroin and cocaine. BUT WITH THE RIGHT HELP YOU CAN QUIT!
What are the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal?
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irritability
impatience
hostility
anxiety
depressed mood
difficulty concentrating
restlessness
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decreased heart rate
increased appetite or weight gain
What are the benefits of stopping smoking?
 Smoking poses a serious risk to your health, and the health of those around you if you
force them to breathe in second hand smoke.
 By stopping smoking you will reduce your risk of developing illness, disability or death
caused by cancer, heart, lung disease, or circulatory problems (such as amputation).
 You will improve your fertility levels and your chance of a healthy pregnancy and baby.
 You will improve your breathing and general fitness.
 You will enjoy the taste of food more.
 Your skin appearance will improve
 You will no longer smell of stale tobacco.
 The appearance of your skin and teeth will improve.
 Your home will smell fresh and you will no longer be staining your walls with tar. You will
reduce the risk of fire in your home
Can I get help to stop smoking?
Your doctor can advise you on a number of strategies to help you quit smoking.
There are a number of aids to help you stop smoking which are available from your
pharmacist; these include nicotine gums and patches.
How quickly will I feel the benefits of stopping smoking?
After...
Health Benefit...
20 minutes
Your blood pressure, pulse rate, and the temperature of your hands and
feet will all return to normal.
24 hours
Anxieties peak and within two weeks should return to your normal levels.
48 hours
Anger and irritability from stopping smoking peaks.
72 hours
Breathing becomes easier and your energy levels increase.
1 month
Skin appearance improves because of improved circulation of blood.
3 to 9
months
Cough, wheezing, and breathing problems improve and lung function
increases by up to 10%
1 year
Risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker
10 years
Risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker
15 years
Risk of heart attack falls to the same level as someone who has never
smoked
Decided to Stop Smoking?
Congratulations on deciding to stop smoking, no matter how addicted you are, you can stop
smoking.
This section has advice for you on how to successfully stop smoking. Many people stop
smoking and some find it helpful to use medications to help them. Your doctor can advise
you about medications if you need help to stop smoking.
When you are getting ready to stop Remember:
1. You are probably addicted to nicotine and it can take time to break away from nicotine
addiction. Many people manage to do this successfully every day.
2. It may take more than one attempt to quit for good, the important thing is not to give
up giving up
3. You may smoke when you are stressed, bored or angry, so try not to expose yourself to
such conditions and remember the stress will pass without the need for a cigarette
4. Try and stay away from social situations where people are smoking as this may weaken
your resolve
Some tips which may help you to stop smoking
1. Set a date for stopping, and stop completely. (Some people prefer the idea of cutting
down gradually. However, research has shown that if you smoke less cigarettes than
usual, you are likely to smoke more of each cigarette, and nicotine levels remain nearly
the same. Therefore, it is usually best to stop once and for all from a set date.)
2. Tell everyone that you are stopping. Friends and family often give support.
3. Get rid of ashtrays, lighters, and all cigarettes.
4. Be prepared for some withdrawal symptoms. When you stop smoking, you are likely to
get symptoms such as: feeling sick, headaches, anxiety, being irritable, craving, and just
feeling awful. These symptoms are caused by the lack of nicotine that your body has
been used to. They tend to peak after 12-24 hours, and then gradually ease over 2-4
weeks.
5. Be aware of situations in which you are most likely to want to smoke Try changing your
routine for the first few weeks.
6. Take one day at a time. Mark off each successful day on a calendar. Look at it when you
feel tempted to smoke, and tell yourself you don't want to start all over again.
7. Be positive. Tell people that you don't smoke. You will smell better. After a few weeks
you should feel better, taste your food more, and cough less. You will have more money.
8. Food. Some people worry about gaining weight when they give up smoking as the
appetite may improve. Be prepared for an increase in appetite, and try not to increase
fatty or sugary foods as snacks. Try sugar-free gum and fruit instead.
9. Don't despair if you fail and have a cigarette. You don't have to start smoking again.
Examine the reasons why you felt it was more difficult at that particular time, and try
again. On average, people who eventually stop smoking have made 3 or 4 previous
attempts.
10. Various medicines can increase your chance of quitting. These include Nicotine
Replacement Therapy (NRT) which comes as gums, sprays, patches, tablets, lozenges,
and inhalers. You can buy NRT without a prescription. Also, medicines called bupropion
(trade name 'Zyban') and varenicline (trade name 'Champix) can help. These are
available on prescription and need to be taken with the advice of your doctor
11. Stop smoking clinics are available and increasing in number, and pharmacists can also
advise you on over the counter aids to help you stop
Smoking cessation clinics
These providers offer a special discount for Weqaya:
American Centre of Psychiatry and Neurology, Abu Dhabi. Telephone Number: (02)
6664866
New Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi. Telephone Number: (02) 6179620
Al Ain Hospital Family Medical Clinic (Oud Al Touba): 03-7639339
Ask your pharmacist about aids available over the counter to help you stop smoking
Consult your doctor for advice on medication to help you stop smoking.
Source: https://weqaya.haad.ae