Notice that
title of this article says that smoking is voluntary, if you are a smoker and have tried any number of times to quit, you probably think that smoking is anything but voluntary. But let's admit to truth, you do choose each and every time you light up, you could just as well choose not to.I have a good friend who is and has been a heavy smoker for 20 years I have known him. About 10 years ago he had a heart attack at age 45, which resulted in a quadruple bypass. When I visited my friend at hospital, he was scared half to death, he said that his doctors told him he would need to make some lifestyle changes, one of which was to quit smoking. He swore that he was at that point, done with tobacco forever...well that lasted 2 weeks, he had made a choice. This is a guy who was and still is in fairly good physical condition, his job is physically demanding, he is active in some sports, not overweight. So his major risk factor is most likely smoking, and he has chosen to still smoke. He is about 5 years younger than me and , sadly I fully expect that I will attend his funeral. So you see it really is a choice, not always a wise one, but still a choice,
Well let's get real...I know, I was a heavy smoker for over 25 years before I convinced myself that I had a choice. Quitting by whatever method you choose is not a walk in park! That's what this newsletter and in fact what this entire site is all about, helping you with tips, motivation and resources to overcome your health challenges.
Because they are all equally as damaging to your health and health of those around us we should include all of methods that we abuse our health with tobacco in this article. We will deal with each of them one at a time.
Smokeless tobacco - snuff, dip, chew, etc.
Using smokeless tobacco causes bad breath, stains and wears down your teeth, can cause painful mouth sores, can raise your blood pressure and your cholesterol. Over time you will be at higher risk for heart attack and cancer.
Pipe smoking
Pipe smoking increases risk of periodontal disease (loss of gum tissue, bone loss, and loss of teeth), mouth and lip sores and lesions, several oral cancers, heart attack and vascular disorders.
Cigarette smoking
Cigarette smoking causes 87% of lung cancer deaths, raises risk of heart disease, contributes to high blood pressure, and vascular disease, and increases those risks for other people by exposing them to second hand smoke.
