Smoking is linked to many diseases and cancer related to the heart and lungs. Passive smoking has been known to be more harmful than the act of smoking. This is due to the filter that is attached to the cigarette. The smoke that is inhaled into the lungs is partially filtered in contrast to the passive smoke that is being inhaled by others. Cigarettes contain many harmful ingredients such as cyanide, nicotine, and arsenic. Nicotine is the main stimulant found in cigarettes that is attributed to addiction. Passive smoking has not been linked to an increased likelihood of developing a smoking habit. The amount of nicotine inhaled through passive smoking is not as much as smoke inhaled through a cigarette.

Children in the home are exposed to passive smoking more than any other age group. Approximately 165,000 children die each year due to passive smoking.

The study analyzed data from many parts of the country dating back to 2004. The results show that the largest amount of people exposed to passive smoking since 2004 are children. This can be attributed to parents that smoke within the home. Children are unable to choose whether or not they inhale secondhand smoke.

Federal and state governments have attempted to impose restrictions upon tobacco usage. Federal legislation has been passed to persuade smokers or potential smokers. The FDA has proposed a series of warning labels found on cigarettes that depict the harmful effects of smoking. Heavier taxes have been imposed on tobacco products throughout the years. State legislations have banned smoking in eating establishments. Higher taxes may help, but smokers must use alternatives to quit smoking.

There are many avenues to break the habit of smoking. Many hospitals conduct smoking cessation studies which are generally free to smokers. The benefits of quitting tobacco smoking can be experienced immediately. Other natural supplements can aid the smoker in quitting as well.

Quit Smoking

Some people stop (or refuse) to smoke for religious reasons because they see their body as a “temple”. Others have been shocked into quitting by certain graphic advertisements that air on television or the internet. Do you recall the commercial where the woman displays her lost fingers as the gruesome side affect of her smoking habit? You‘ve probably seen her face on the billboards on the sides of buses. Or what about the man who now speaks through an electronic voice device while disinfecting the hole in his throat as part of his routine. And who can forget the anti-smoking “truth” campaigns during television commercial breaks designed to appeal to your logic and reason.

Despite all this, some of us still want to light up. So clearly, ignorance is not the problem. Nicotine is an addictive drug and in today’s world filled with all kinds of stresses, people turn to a casual smoke for relief. What starts out as an occasional cigarette becomes a pack a day or more habit.

Let’s not sugar coat it. Regular smoking of cigarettes will kill you. That being said, let’s be more constructive here. The first question that must be honestly answered is whether or not the individual really wants to quit. If the individual has no desire to stop, despite knowing what smoking causes, then they have knowingly accepted their possible death from lung cancer or some other related condition brought on by the habit. This is not negativity, just realism. And unlike some other addictive substances, smoking does show signs of physical deterioration so the effect is not hard to miss.

The “urge” that smokers feel is a chemical dependency to nicotine, to be precise. There are a number of anti-smoking products that address the chemical dependency naturally which is the safest course to take. After all, why would you want to exchange one chemical addiction for another?