Speaking about smoking

April 26, 2007

Before writing this article, I’ve made a smoking break. One idea came to my mind: people, who struggle for the healthy life-style, stand on the wrong track. When somebody knocks hard into our heads the ideas about good and bad things, our subconsciousness wishes “to taste a forbidden fruit”: everything should be tasted; otherwise we don’t see the difference between bad and good. Of course, it doesn’t mean that from this moment we have to distribute posters “Try a cigarette!” or “Smoking is useful!” I just try to examine this situation at different angles, count all the advantages and disadvantages of smoking.

Why everybody speaks only about disadvantages of smoking? We can find positive aspects in everything. What advantages can be found in smoking? Each person has his own answer. The most common are the following:

1. The first decision which was made without parents’ advice. Often people start to smoke at juvenile age. Thus they challenge to grown-ups, giving them to understand that they have already grown and are able to make their own decisions.

2. it’s a good way to remove stress. One relieve stress, knocking with fingers, another – beads. Somebody relaxes, watching fish into aquarium, others croon, and the third ones need to smoke during the dinner-time. Smoking is a habit. And we all calm down exactly at that moment, when we do things we got accustomed to.

3. Smoking is a part of our image. We, stylish people, like fashionable accessories. Nice lighter and slim cigarette in a neat pack – is a part of our style. Smoking is a fashion in a certain way. Very interesting Gallup poll was carried out in USA. When the serial “Sex and the city” started at one of the channels, many American women began to smoke cigarettes as it does the main heroine of the movie – Carrie Bradshaw. When Carrie didn’t smoke during some series, her admirers did the same thing.

4. The way to lose weight. “We heard about this, lie! – you’ll say” Far from it! When the organism is healthy, it works at full capacity. We eat much, and metabolism takes place in our organism. The part of these substances is saved, that causes overweight. The smoker’s organism doesn’t work at full capacity. The metabolism becomes worse, the absorbency is declined, and consequently we lose our weight.

In other words, people become smokers for a variety of reasons. Physical nicotine addiction is not as strong as a psychological one.

Why we don’t give up smoking? The most common answers: “It’s a habit!” and “My work is too nervous” But there are more reasoned answers, which sometimes difficult to formulate.

At first, in fact we just don’t want to give up smoking. Secondly, why should we deny ourselves something, when our life is so unpredictable? Maybe tomorrow will be the end of the world, and you won’t have time to smoke your last cigarette! Is it right to deny yourself something in such moment? Thirdly, we often say to ourselves that any time we can quit smoking, putting off this decision for tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, a week, a month, a year. Fourthly, we see that there are lots of smokers around us, and they look good.

Nevertheless, smoking is hazardous for your health!