Find out how smoking affects your health and the health of those around you.

There’s always a first time for everything, To Quit Smoking is not exceptional. The question in today’s Smoking Fact - reiVRE Hot Pulse is – "What can you do give up and where can you get help?"

Smoking causes numerous diseases and health problems, some fatal, among both smokers and non-smokers. For this reason, smoking is prohibited in a growing number of public places and a wide range of support services has been developed to help individuals quit smoking.

Reasons to quit smoking

People give up smoking for many reasons, from a desire to improve their health and to save money, to wanting to appeal to the opposite sex or reduce any potential harm on someone else's health.

Avoiding a smoking habit

Many smokers say they started smoking before the age of 18, even though the law prevents anyone selling tobacco, cigarettes or cigarette papers to those under this age. Avoiding the temptation to smoke at an early age is therefore important to prevent you developing a habit.

Improving your health

In the UK one person dies from a smoking-related disease every four minutes. Smoking causes:

1. lung cancer (smoking causes over 80 per cent of all lung cancer deaths)
2. other cancers eg mouth and throat cancer
3. strokes
4. stomach ulcers
5. heart disease
6. bronchitis
7. leukaemia
8. gangrene

It can also worsen colds, chest problems and allergies like hay fever, bronchitis and emphysema, as well as have unpleasant side-effects such as wrinkles and bad breath. Smoking can also make you cough, sneeze or feel short of breath when you exercise.

Saving money

Calculate how much your smoking habit is costing you in terms of money and you might be surprised how much you could save.

Protecting other people's health

Breathing in other peoples cigarette smoke, called secondhand smoke, can also cause cancer.

1. smoking around children - children exposed to secondhand smoke are twice as likely to get chest illnesses like croup, pneumonia bronchitis and bronchiolitis, and more likely to get ear infections, tonsillitis, wheezing and childhood asthma
2. mothers-to-be and smoking - smoking during pregnancy can affect both you and your babys health, and if you are exposed to secondhand smoke this can pass on harmful gases and chemicals to your baby
3. smoking in public - smoking is banned by law in many public places, including: all forms of public transport; theatres; cinemas; and public buildings

Using a support service

NHS Stop Smoking Services - smokers are four times more likely to quit by using NRT together with support from NHS Stop Smoking Services - compared with using willpower alone. Find your nearest service by:

1. visiting the NHS 'Giving up smoking' website (England and Wales only)
2. texting GIVE UP' and your full postcode to 88088
3. telephoning the NHS Smoking Helpline (0800 169 0 169)
4. asking your local GP practice, pharmacy or hospital

The Together programme is a government initiative, in England only, designed to help you quit smoking using a wide range of support materials.

The NHS Smoking Helpline (0800 169 0 169) in England and Wales offers free practical advice about giving up smoking, as well as a free information pack, while in Scotland, Smokeline (0800 84 84 84) provides free confidential advice and support

The 'Giving up smoking' website also offers people in England and Wales an Ask an expert service. The Smokeline website offers a similar private and confidential service in Scotland.

NB: For more valuable information and guideline visit: Quit Smoking

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How To Stop Smoking Once And For All To Avoid The Dangers

There’s always a first time for everything, Stop Smoking is not exceptional. The question in today’s Smoking Facts - reiVRE Hot Pulse is – "Why you should stop smoking?"

Regardless of warnings, it has taken the past several decades for people to finally get the message that they need to stop smoking. Why is it necessary to quit, and why are people in denial? The answers could save your life.

When you decide to stop smoking, you will undoubtedly reap some health benefits from quitting. To end the habit successfully, one of the most helpful things you can do for yourself is to make a list of the reasons for quitting.

Then, when the craving for a cigarette hits, you can take your list out and look at your reasons for quitting. Oftentimes, the list of benefits will override your urge to smoke.

First of all, deciding to stop smoking will improve your overall health. Oftentimes, you can reverse the bad health effects that cigarettes have had on your body when you decide to stop smoking and actually do it.

Your heart will work better, your nose and taste buds will work better, and you will even have increased endurance and stamina. Your lungs will even be able to breathe better which will make you feel better all around.

Secondly, your decision will halt the terrible damage caused to your body, enabling you to live longer. Think of the heartbroken children or family member you may end up leaving behind, should you die before your time.

The risk of heart attacks for smokers is often present. With most men suffering heart attacks in their forties and upwards, the situation often leaves fatherless children. The immediate reasons for quitting smoking are many.

Ex-smokers often find that their sense of taste and smell returns, not realizing that for many years, both senses were dulled and affected by cigarette smoking. There's also a point where ex-smokers realize that smoking smells awful and leaves their clothing with a lingering odor.

Many smokers who quit discover that they sleep better or generally have a better feeling, as if they'd suddenly found a boost of strength or energy they didn't have before.

The health of others is an important reason to stop. Many smokers do so in their own homes, exposing others and often children to dangerous second-hand effects of a cigarette habit. Ear infections, common in many children, have been linked to second-hand smoke.

In fact, one family that had a child suffering continuous ear infections noticed the issue halted abruptly after both parents stopped smoking indoors. Asthma in children can also be smoking-related, and since no young toddler with breathing problems is puffing away on a cigarette, smokers can be part of the cause.

Smoking has extremely harmful effects on the body and that is why you should want to stop smoking right away. One way to see the harmful effects is to wipe off a wall in your house to see the yellowy film that the smoke leaves behind.

Since secondhand smoke has been shown to be more dangerous, try to smoke outside if you simply cannot quit. This will save everybody else that you live with from the harmful effects.

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Credit to Mike Selvon's quit smoking and quit smoking blog.

NB: For more valuable information and guideline visit: Stop Smoking

"You are welcome to give your comment! Do you have anything you'd like to add or challenge about this hot issue? Any bad or good experience lets share. Your contribution will educate and benefit many readers".

Thank you for reading and comments if any: - ranci endo

If you liked this post, please don't forget to stumble or digg it so even more people can read it and benefit!"