The impacts of smoking

Introduction

            Smoking is an act of burning a substance and the resultant smoke is inhaled into the bloodstream. In most cases these substances are made of tobacco plant where the dry leaves from the plant is rolled to form a round cylinder that is referred to as cigarette. Smoking usually is viewed as a recreational drug use where the burning of the dried leaves produces smoke that is vaporized and is delivered actively unto the person’s bloodstream where it ultimately reaches the body tissues. Most smokers’ perceive smoking as a stimulant that offers pleasing as well as pleasurable emotions. They tend to think that it is the one that assists them to boost their mood, lessens minor depression and small outbursts of anger, boosts concentration and short memory as well and offers a modest intellect of well-being.  This is attributed by the nicotine addictive element that arouses dopamine in the brain which is in charge of offering the pleasurable sensations. However, this is not the case since, more addiction on smoking results to the immune of the nerve cells towards pleasure that is brought about by cigarette smoking.  This therefore encourages the smokers to increase their nicotine consumption through smoking with an aim of getting pleasurable feeling from smoking. It is however not good to smoke as it has been widely proven by health specialists that smoking comes along with adverse health effects.

            Over the years I have become part of the statistics as I have continuously smoked so as to feel pleased and it has become a habit. In the beginning I started just like a joke and over the years, the quest for cigarette smoking has become increasingly resulting to more smoking.

 I have ultimately graduated into being an addict and it’s evident that the body as well as the mind has become so used to the nicotine in the cigarette and I have to at least take it so as to feel normal.

Effects of smoking

            There are numerous effects of smoking that are inclusive of both the short term as well as the long term. Some of the short term effects include the issue of smelly clothing as well as hair, stomach ulcers as well as weakened immune system, stained teeth and weight loss (Braun et al 2007). Some of the long-term effects include high risks on the heart and the blood vessels as it may damage the lining of the heart and the functioning of the blood vessels. This therefore increases the risk of having heart attacks, heart disease, stroke, cancer, respiratory health problems, reproductive health issues and pregnancy problems. So many people therefore end up dying even at an early stage while others suffer for so long before dying. The number of people dying due to smoking is increasing every year. Thus due to all these side effects, it is very essential to find a solution and a management strategy so as to minimize the smoking issue (Rabinoff 2007).

Issue management

            The issue on smoking has raised concerns unto many organizations and this has resulted to the setting up of so many organizations whose objectives is to help the smokers to stop smoking.  Some of these efforts have been regarded as successful as compared to others. However, one thing that is quite clear is the fact that giving up smoking is a hard task and thus the smokers requires much support.

            A good example on some of the organizations that has helped to minimize the issue of smoking is the health organizations where the nurses, doctors as well as the pharmacists offers information, inspiration as well as steps on how to stop smoking.  There are several NHS stop smoking clinics that have been set up with an aim of helping smoking addicts to stop smoking.

            There are also some organizations that have helped top come up with drugs that help to increase the chances of the drug addicts to stop smoking (Day 2007). Some of these involve the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) that is usually made in the form of gums, tablets, inhalers and sprays. These medicines help in dealing with the withdrawal symptoms (Johnson 2011).

            Other organizations such as the government has also made some efforts in the reduction of smoking as they mostly increase taxes on the tobacco products such as the cigarettes thus increasing the cigarette prices and this helps to reduce the intake among the addicts. There are also some online organizations that use the social media that usually sensitize on the adverse effects of alcohol and they also offer advises on how an addict can quit smoking.

            It is thus evident that a lot of determination and willingness from the addict is quite essential as it is the driving force towards recovery process.  Therefore the great step of recovery is acceptance where the addict first admits that they really need help and that they are having the addiction problem (McKenna et al 2016). In doing so, they are able to go through the healing process as they slowly shun away from all the things that may drive them into smoking. They are thus able to overcome the quest for smoking each day and within a short duration they are able to quit beyond what they thought that they could do.

 

 

The creative idea

            The efforts that have been put in place have helped out, but they have not yet fulfilled the mission which is to stop smoking. Hence more efforts needs to be added where more comprehensive strategies ought to be made so as to ensure that it accommodates both the local as well as the global scale. Participation approach is one of the elements that need to be implemented. This will involve the involvement of the family, government and the society at large. Creation of awareness upon all the stakeholders is important as it will educate all the people on the effects of smoking. this will therefore reduce the number of people smoking as the people will be able to know of the effects at an early stage for they that had started smoking, while as for those who had not started smoking, they will be aware and thus they will avoid smoking.  Creation of awareness should be done from the lowest level of education up to the highest level since the institutions composes of the highest percentage of youths who are bound to be attracted into smoking. Health officers should be distributed all over the nation so as to ensure that they offer the right information on the effects of smoking while some of the smoking addicts whom have reformed should be used in campaigns to stop smoking as they are a good example of people who overcome addiction. Thus other addicts may be inspired to quit smoking as they see others who have made it.

 

 

 

 

References

            Braun, C. A., & Anderson, C. M. (2007). Pathophysiology: Functional alterations in human health. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

                Day, E. (2007). Clinical topics in addiction. London: RCPsych.

            Johnson, B. A. (2011). Addiction medicine: Science and practice. New York: Springer.

            McKenna, P., & In Neill, M. (2016). Quit smoking today without gaining weight.

            Rabinoff, M. (2007). Ending the tobacco holocaust: How the tobacco industry affects our health, pocketbook, and political freedom and what we can do about it. Santa Rosa, CA: Elite Books.