Smoking is a global problem

It is estimated that one in three adults smoke, with over 1 billion people smoking worldwide. The majority of these smokers reside in countries on the low end to the middle of the socioeconomic spectrum. Of this majority, about 80% live in low and middle-income countries. The total number of smokers worldwide is expected to keep on increasing each year.

The worldwide popularity of tobacco use varies by social class, historical era, and culture. Historically, smoking had been a pastime of the rich. However, this trend has changed dramatically in recent decades. It appears that financially advantaged men in wealthier countries have been smoking less in recent times.

The World Health Organization has been studying smoking trends and statistical patterns across the globe and has uncovered the following statistics:

1. Eastern Europe has a particularly high rate of smoking, with up to 59% of adult males smoking. In addition, significantly more women smoke in Eastern Europe than in East Asia and the Pacific Region.

2. Most people who smoke, begin smoking before they are 25 years old. Worldwide observations suggest that people are stating to smoke at a much younger age. World Health Organization studies reveal that the majority of smokers in affluent countries; begin in their teens.

Smoking In the US

How do Americans compare to the rest of the world when it comes to smoking? It may come as no surprise to hear that Americans are no better than anyone else. According to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics:

3. In the US, it is estimated that 25.6 million men (25.2%) and 22.6 million women (20.7%) are smokers. These smokers face a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Here are the latest estimates for smokers’ aged 18 and above:

4. Studies reveal that smoking popularity is significantly higher among people with 9-11 years of education (35.4%) compared with those with more than 16 years of education (11.6%).

5. There appears to be a correlation between a country's standard of living, level of education, and income and the number of people who have quit smoking. The more and better-informed people are, the more likely they are to quit smoking.

6. People living below the poverty level (33.3%) are much more likely to start smoking.

7. Among whites, 25.1% of men and 21.7% of women smoke.

8. Among black or African Americans, 27.6% of men and 18% of women smoke.

9. Among Asians, 21.3% of men and 6.9% of women smoke.

10. Among Hispanics/Latinos, 23.2% of men and 12.5% of women smoke.

11. Among American Indians/Alaska Natives, 32% of men and 36.9% of women smoke.

12. A shocking…one out of every five five deaths is caused by tobacco.

13. It is estimated that Tobacco is responsible for 400,000 deaths in the US every single year.

14. Cigarettes are responsible for about 25% of deaths from residential fires, causing nearly 1,000 fire-related deaths and 3,300 injuries each year.

15. Tobacco is blamed for many serious cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases

16. Nicotine and tobacco are some of the most potent carcinogens and are responsible for the majority of all cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, esophagus and bronchus.

17. Smoking tobacco is known to produce cancer in the pancreas, kidney, bladder, and the cervix

18. Because tobacco reduces blood flow, nicotine addiction has been proven to cause impotency.

19. If you smoke, the risk of respiratory illnesses is high. This could lead to pulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia, which are responsible for some 85,000 every year.

20. Children and adolescents who are active smokers will have increasingly severe respiratory illness, as they grow older

21. Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage and fetal growth retardation. It also causes about 5-6% of prenatal deaths, 17-26% of low-birth-weight births, and 7-10% of pre-term deliveries.

If you do not want to quit smoking after reading these shocking figures, you really need to get your head examined.

Cold turkey to replace methadone for addicts

Heroin addicts will be ordered to undergo "cold turkey" treatment rather than receive methadone* under a Government plan to tackle Scotland's chronic drug problem.

The radical move follows recent research which found that three years after receiving methadone only 3% of addicts remained totally drug-free.

Despite the poor effectiveness of methadone, £12m a year is spent doling out the heroin substitute to 52,000 users. The wider healthcare and crime-related costs of this army of addicts is far higher.

However, backers of methadone insist that it is also a solution, pointing out that less than half of those who go through rehabilitation programmes succeed in coming off drugs.

Bill Nelles, the general secretary of the Methadone Alliance, said recently: "For the people who do respond to methadone they should be able to access methadone for as long as it can be shown it is helping them."

* What is Methadone?
Methadone is an opiate that was first introduced after World War II as an alternative to morphine. Methadone was originally thought to be less addictive because of its extremely long half life. Today, methadone is used as an analgesic for pain management and more popularly as replacement therapy for heroin and other opiate addictions. Methadone is a cheap alternative to other opiate based medications which outweighs it potency when prescribing.

Smokers' Hope

Every smoker knows they face an increased risk for serious health problems from cigarettes and cigars. We know smoking causes heart disease, lung cancer and emphysema. None of this is earth-shattering news.

As smokers, though, we learn to effectively ignore the particulars about smoking-related disease. We gloss over, tune out and otherwise distract ourselves whenever possible. Looking too closely can cause a head-on collision with realities of the damage we're inflicting on our bodies and turns smoking 'enjoyment' into a guilty, fearful experience.

All smokers harbor the secret hope that they will be spared the disease and death that follows nicotine addiction. We tell ourselves we'll quit in time and somehow dodge the bullet that smoking is.

But with four million people dying every year due to tobacco use around the world, the odds aren't in our favor. Put another way, a smoking-related death occurs somewhere in the world every eight seconds, 365 days a year.

The sooner we remove the blinders and look carefully at nicotine addiction and the damage it causes, the sooner we can begin pulling away from the lies.

Exercise is Better Way to Boost Metabolism than Smoking

Cigarette smoking forces the heart to beat faster. The smoker's heart may beat up to 20 times more per minute, when a cigarette is inhaled. Smokers should know that the most common cause of smoking-related death is extra stress on the heart by smoking. A smoking habit of 20 cigarettes a day puts the same amount of stress on the heart as 90 pounds of extra weight would.

When smoker stops smoking, heart rate slows down somewhat, causing metabolism to drop slightly. Even with retarded metabolism, which is the signal to a slight weight gain, smoker can take steps to build metabolic rate back up in ways that benefit health rather than destroy it, as smoking does. If weight gain due to quitting smoking is something you fear or is a reality you are struggling with, use exercise to boost metabolism and minimize weight gain.

Exercise burns calories and boosts metabolism for up to 24 hours after working out. Nicotine use triggers the release of dopamine in the brain, a neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of happiness and satisfaction. Exercise also releases this same brain chemical, but in a healthy way that allows us to enjoy the pleasant effects of dopamine without risking our health to do it. Exercise breaks down fat and releases it into the bloodstream.

Increase your level of daily activity, this will help you keep your weight stable as you recover from nicotine addiction and provide you with other important benefits as well, but be sure to check in with your doctor before beginning a new exercise regimen, especially if you wasn't active before.

Take five.
The next time you feel tense or have the urge to smoke, head out for a brisk 5-minute walk up the street and back. It works wonders for snapping you out of a bad mood and gets your heart pumping too.

Park at the back of the lot.
Do not patrol the parking lot looking for the space that is closest to the entrance of the building. Head for the back of the lot and take advantage of the opportunity to add a few more steps to your day.

Use the stairs.
Even if you climb the stairs every other time you need to move from one level to another, you are benefiting your health and helping your waistline.

Get your hands dirty.
Otherwise known as gardening, digging in the dirt is good for the spirit. And yes, it burns calories too.

Breathe deep and embrace your yard work.
Everything from mowing the lawn to raking leaves counts as exercise, and potentially a significant amount at that.

Use housework as a tool.
While this may not be the way you'd prefer to get your exercise, housework is a part of daily life for just about all of us. Make the most of yours by doing your household chores at a strong, steady pace. You will burn more calories than you might imagine.

Also, try to schedule time for sports a few times a week as you move through the smoking cessation process. Walking and swimming are two low-impact activities that are good for just about everyone. And remember, be sure to get your doctor's approval before committing to a new exercise routine.

Swimming
Swimming is a very low impact way to exercise your body and refresh yourself at the same time. If you don't have a local club that offers public swims, check with area hotels. They often allow non-guests to use their pool/exercise facilities for a small fee.

Dancing
Whether it is in your living room to a piece of favorite music, or a night out at the club with friends, dancing is a fun way to be active. You don't have to be a good dancer to enjoy this form of exercise and burn many calories while you're at it.

Walking
A good pair of walking shoes is the only equipment you need to get started with this form of exercise. Walk the neighborhood on sunny days, or, if the weather is bad, walk the circumference of the mall. Or use a treadmill to get your daily steps in indoors.

Bicycling
Bicycling is a wonderful way to work your body while enjoying the benefits of being outdoors. Pack a water bottle and a light snack, and head out on your bike to explore your surroundings.

Strength Training
Especially important for those of us who are getting older, strength training builds muscle mass and slows bone loss while boosting metabolic rate.

Yoga
Yoga improves balance while strengthening the body. It also benefits mood by helping us let go of stress that we often unconsciously carry along with us day to day. If you have never tried yoga, follow the link below to learn more about it.

Every little bit of movement counts when it comes to fighting quitting smoking weight gain, not to mention general health benefits. Be creative and committed to adding regular exercise into your life, and think of physical activity as an important tool in your quitting smoking toolbox. Use it to boost metabolism, mood, and ultimately, your motivation to successful nicotine addiction quitting and healthy, vivid life.

by the courtesy of Quit Smoking Pro

Make Cold Turkey Works for You

The quit smoking cold turkey solution is the most popular quitting method because almost any smoker break away from addiction turning to it. Cold turkey is easy to try, but many people only fail and turn to drugs and other methods to quit. To success with quit smoking cold turkey understand that in the first days following the quit smoking cold turkey cessation process you will feel very irritated and tired. But you should know that after few days the severe irritability will pass.

To decrease severity of nicotine cravings ex-smoker should drink a lot of water. Whenever you feel the craving take a walk or do some exercises. Calling a friend when you feel like smoking is another suggestion that can help the quit smoking cold turkey method. These small tips can help you succeed in using the quit smoking cold turkey method.

The quit smoking cold turkey method is free and this is why so many try it, but the fact is that people associate this radical solution with a strong willpower and total self-control. The quit smoking cold turkey method is very straight, but you should prepare yourself. Your desire to be smoke free should be stronger than the need for cigarette. The quit smoking cold turkey refers to something done without preparation, but you better prepare to make this solution works for you and let you succeed in your quit smoking process.