World No Tobacco Day is here again, and it is to remind us of the dangers of smoking. Even though most individuals know the health implications of smoking tobacco, it is still in so much use today for various reasons. For some people, tobacco has played an important role in ceremonies and served to mark special occasions such as the birth of a baby, while for others, it has been used to increase alertness or to relax and connect with friends at social gatherings.
Tobacco is a plant that contains nicotine, a psychoactive/mind altering drug that speeds up activity in our central nervous system but has relaxing effects too. When tobacco leaves are smoked, nicotine is absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream. This triggers the release of dopamine, a chemical in the brain associated with pleasure. Just like other psychoactive substances, tobacco can be very harmful but may affect different people in different ways, depending on how much is used and how often.
Using tobacco is a problem because it negatively affects our life or the lives of others. How much and how often we use it can influence the level of risk. Although, one may use tobacco as a tool to relieve stress, it may lead to reaching for a cigarette whenever you feel irritated or tensed and you may begin to associate smoking with those feelings. This feeling of dependence means you would need to use tobacco just to feel normal and function in daily life. People who smoke regularly and then try to stop can experience withdrawal symptoms which includes irritability, restlessness, disturbed sleep and difficulties concentrating.
However, there are healthy tips we can take that would help us quit smoking tobacco. They include.
1.) Find Your Reason:
The first step to quit smoking is to find a powerful personal reason to quit. This reason could be to lower your chance of getting certain chronic diseases or to protect your family from secondhand smoke, but in all, your reason should be strong enough to outweigh the urge to light up a cigarette.
2.) Try Nicotine Replacement Therapy:
When you try to quit smoking, withdrawal symptoms may arise, and the urges may increase. So, Nicotine Replacement Therapy helps to reduce these urges and improve your chances of success. The therapy includes the use of nicotine gums, lozenges, patches and so on.
3.) Avoid Triggers:
In your journey to quit smoking, tobacco urges are likely to be strongest in the places where you smoked or chewed tobacco most often, such as at parties or bars, or at times when you are feeling stressed or sipping coffee. So, these triggers should be avoided and replaced with other things that would take your mind away from lighting up a cigarette.
4.) Being Physically Active:
Whenever the urge to smoke comes, going out for a walk or performing mild exercises can help reduce the withdrawal symptoms. A massage after a stressful day can help relieve stress and reduce the cravings. You can also try out relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, yoga, visualization or listening to calming music.
5.) Get Support from Loved Ones:
It is very necessary to tell your friends, family, or people you are close to that you are trying to quit smoking. They can help to encourage you especially when you feel those cravings. You can also join a support group or talk to a counselor about it.
6.) Munch on it:
Giving yourself something to chew instead of smoking tobacco goes a long way in reducing the cravings. Things like fruits, sugarless gum, candies, nuts or something crunchy should always be available to enable you quickly go for them.
In conclusion, the process of quitting is a hard one due to the intense cravings that comes with it. But the sooner you quit, the sooner your body can start to heal!
References
1) Learn About Tobacco; Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research
2) 13 Best Quit-Smoking Tips Ever; Medically Reviewed by Jennifer Robinson, MD on November 13, 2021
3) How to manage cravings. Smokefree.gov. https://smokefree.gov/challenges-when-quitting/cravings-triggers/how
-manage-cravings. Accessed March 23, 2022.
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