How will smoking kill you?

For roughly half of adult smokers it isn't a question of if smoking will kill them but how. Ask any smoker what smoking’s greatest killer is and they’ll likely tell you it’s lung cancer. They’re wrong. The correct response would have been circulatory or cardiovascular disease.

A smoker’s incorrect response to this basic question is understandable. Early on most sensed smoking’s impact upon their lungs. Even as teens they knew it was depriving them of a degree of endurance, stamina and normal lung function.

They could hear the panting while trying to keep pace with other teens. Eventually the sounds of a morning cough or wheeze arrive. But smoking induced circulatory disease is a silent killer.

Smokers need to imagine damage to normal blood flow being substantially worse than any damage they sense happening within their lungs. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, lung cancer is responsible for 28% of smoking related deaths while 43% are attributable to cardiovascular disease - primarily heart disease and strokes.

It's easy to appreciate that the 43 cancer causing chemicals in each and every puff are slowly building an internal time bomb. What few comprehend is that before the bomb has time to go off that it’s far more likely that smoking will cause some portion of their body’s blood piping to completely clog, with downstream oxygen deprived tissues suffocating and dying.

Nicotine Addiction

Ok, so today I had thoughts about smoking again and I decided to look up some information on nicotine addiction. As a result I realized that even though I haven't smoked in almost a month I am still feeling the effects of the addiction I had/have to nicotine. I can't believe that I thought I was in control of my smoking and that I did it because I wanted to. Yeah right! Reality check I did it because my body told me too. What a false sense of control that is esspecially when you realize for the first time that you have an addiction! That's right if you smoke you have an addiction. There I just admitted it. I was addicted to nicotine and am still dealing with the side effects from it. It's kind of empowering when you say that and realize that you can be in control again. Later addiction I'm moving onto a healthier happier life style.

Here is some info on Nicotine for you:

What Is Nicotine?
Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 different chemicals, with nicotine being the primary component. Nicotine is a naturally occurring colorless liquid that comes from the tobacco plant. It is considered an addictive drug, making cigarette smoking the most prevalent form of nicotine addiction in the United States.

Nicotine and Dopamine
Nicotine activates the same reward pathways in the brain that other drugs of abuse such as cocaine or amphetamines do, although to a lesser degree. Research has shown that nicotine increases the level of dopamine in the brain, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for feelings of pleasure and well-being. The acute effects of nicotine wear off within minutes, so people must continue dosing themselves frequently throughout the day to maintain the pleasurable effects of nicotine and to prevent withdrawal symptoms.

Click here for more information about Nicotine Addiction.

One last thing! If you were like me and insist you smoke because you want to stop and think about what you are saying. It's like saying I play Russian roulette because I want to. The bottom line is cigarette smoking is a biological process of addiction, not just a habit.

An interesting fact I read today.

Imagine three jumbo jets filled to capacity crashing in the United States every single day, 365 days a year, killing everyone on board. Horrific to think about, but this example represents the number of precious lives lost to tobacco day in and day out in the United States alone. Unfortunately, cigarette smoking still tops the list as the most preventable cause of death in the United States today, accounting for 438,000 deaths annually. Estimates from the Centers for Disease Control for 2007 tell us that 20.8% of the U.S. adult population, or 45.3 million people, currently smoke cigarettes.

Its my life, and let me smoke it if I want to!

Here is a picture and a post I came across in my search of anti-smoking ads.

It's really easy for someone who smokes to say "Its my life, and let me smoke it if I want to". But you are affecting so many people around you when you smoke. I am by far a health nut, but I watched my 44 year old mother Die slowly of Lung cancer! Now I am 23 year old women with no mother. My daughter will never know her grandmother and I as well of many of my family members get to live with the memory of watching her take her last breaths of life because of a stupid habit!!!! Don't be selfish, just stop!

I remember saying the same thing to my dad who lost his father to lung cancer. Not only did he lose his father to it but he had to watch his son smoke daily. I can't believe what that must of felt like for my dad. My son is 8mo. old and I can't imagine seeing him smoke. It would kill me before my smoking issues did.

I have so many ideas for this blog and a website I am building that I'm not sure where to start. My posts may be scattered and people may not read them until I get more on here but I will work to get the message out to all those who have just the smallest thought of maybe I should stop smoking! I'm with you on it and am here to help.

Thanks, Tobacco: You Killed My Mom

The video above is one of the many reasons why I'm starting this blog. I recently quit smoking three weeks ago and would like to share facts and information with others about smoking who are struggling to quit or have quit and are trying to stay smoke free!

I have a lot of information on how I quit and what has worked for others. I will be posting to this blog regularly and am in the process of building an anti-smoking website geared towards teens and young adults who struggle with their addiction to tobacco.

With that said here is an excerpt of a story that broke my heart and made me realize just how much smoking can destroy not only your own life but those around you who you love.


The Video Above is Produced by: Aaron Shawn Gray and in his words...
"We have omitted certain things that one might find offensive, including her IV, vomiting, bodily functions, and her actual death itself, which was obviously painful. Instead, we have brought many different segments together, which still conveys our overall message: DON'T SMOKE!"

In a letter dated September 24, 2006, from Mom:
"Try not to worry about my health. I go for a CAT-SCAN on October 4th. I should have the results about a week later. The appointments are taking a long time, so I must not be in such dire shape, or they would rush them. I'm glad you never really had the desire to smoke. What do your lungs look like after all of those years of second-hand smoke? I can't wait to see you and Patti more often. Gotta go for now. Love Forever, Mom"

For the full story by Aaron please visit his Youtube posting by clicking here.