Stub It Out!

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The reasons people start puffing on tobacco may be different, but the consequences of the habit are all the same. Behnaz Sanjana attempts to clear the smoke.

The sultry actress on screen leans forward while a handsome man lights the cigarette she holds in her mouth. Their eyes meet as they exchange smouldering looks; all is well and glamorous in fantasy land. Cut to the real world, and the story takes a different turn. Every puff that the stunning lady inhales contains more than 4,000 chemicals (think carbon monoxide, nitrosamines, vinyl chloride, hydrogen cyanide and many other names you wouldn’t normally want anywhere near you), besides the deadly drug nicotine. Each subsequent cigarette will inhibit her lung function, damage her blood vessels and is likely to cause her an array of health problems sooner or later.

December-2016_Wellbeing1_2The act of smoking has become socially accepted the world over and the compulsion of its addiction glazes thickly over the knowledge of the extent of havoc it can wreak in one’s body. General practitioner Dr Babu Ramachandran heads American Mission Hospital’s anti-smoking clinics in the hope of raising awareness of the ills of the habit and helping people overcome it.

Dr Babu has undergone specialised training in respiratory medicine and was the senior research fellow at a centre in India conducting a study on smoking cessation. He says: “During my interaction with nearly 3,000 smokers, I observed that a good majority wished they had not started smoking and many found it difficult to quit the habit. This set me on track to start the anti-smoking clinic in Bahrain with the support of the American Mission Hospital.”

In addition to the common pitfalls of smoking such as respiratory disorders and cancer, which even teenagers are aware of, he lists a range of other possible consequences. “Besides throat cancer, lung cancer and mouth cancer, smoking leads to depression and causes miscarriages in pregnant women,” he says.

December-2016_Wellbeing1_5He adds that the use of tobacco is responsible for around 45 per cent of all heart-related deaths globally. Not an insignificant number. “These are just a few of the many dangers of smoking. Moreover, the harmful impact of passive smoking on non-smokers is also gaining greater importance today.” Second-hand smoke can increase the risk of cancer in non-smokers by a quarter, and has resulted in deaths due to lung cancer, heart and lung disease and stroke in the UK, according to www.cancerresearch.org.

Studies show second-hand smoke particularly affects children exposed to it, leading to a higher risk of respiratory infections, asthma, bacterial meningitis and cot death. So when you light up, you are also threatening the wellbeing of those around you.

December-2016_Wellbeing1_3While most of this is common knowledge, why do people find it difficult to quit smoking? The culprit is the nicotine. Once inhaled, it reaches the brain in a matter of seconds, and chemically alters the cerebral matter to make the smoker feel alert, energetic and relaxed. This elevation in mood and heart rate lasts for around 30 minutes and, as the effect of the nicotine wanes, the brain signals the smoker to light up again. Once the body adjusts to a steady dose of nicotine, the feel-good factor wears off faster over time, causing the smoker to increase the number of cigarettes in a day to achieve the same level of satisfaction.

But that’s not to say a heavy smoker is at the point of no return. A heavy dose of willpower, motivation and willingness to go through the dreaded withdrawal symptoms can help you kick the habit. “To quit smoking the most vital factor is the will to give up. The best way is to go ‘cold turkey’, which means that you give it up in one go and don’t try the process of a slow reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked per day,” says Dr Babu. He continues: “Yes, there are effects which manifest as irritability, sleep disturbances, lack of concentration and changes in appetite. These may last for four to six weeks, but the long-term benefits of stopping smoking far outweigh the temporary unease.

“However, if that is not possible there are other aids such as the nicotine patch, nicotine gums and some medicines as well. Just like other medical conditions, smoking is best addressed as a condition to be treated. Consult a physician who can guide you. The support of family and friends will help you quit the habit,” says the doctor.

December-2016_Wellbeing1_4For those who hit the shisha bars at the end of the day, you’re in the running for ugly health hazards too. Shisha smoke may be more aromatic than that of cigarettes, but has the same toxic tobacco. It’s believed that with one puff of shisha you inhale the same amount of smoke as you’d get from smoking a whole cigarette. On e-cigarettes, Dr Babu comments that their use is still controversial and he doesn’t advocate the use of them.

A widely-believed worry for those trying to quit smoking is the prospect of weight gain. Dr Babu explains: “This can be attributed to increased food intake, solely because food begins to taste better!” Another side effect of smoking is that it affects the taste buds as well as yellowing teeth and nails.

In light of all the issues smoking can cause in the body and the healthy years potentially lost due to this habit, Dr Babu puts it simply: “If you are a smoker, stop today. If you are not one, don’t start!”