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It is not new that smoking cuts your live by at least ten years. It is not new that smoking not only kill you but also kill your love ones. It is not new either that smoking kill your pocket, you know, makes you poorer.

Nearly 1.35 billion people worldwide smoke. It means that almost 20% of the world’s population smokes. This is an astonishing number!!!

The Genesis of a Smoker

• Do you know that 80% of adult smokers started before the age of 18?
• Do you know that nearly 3,000 young people under 18 years old are initiated every day and become regular smokers?
• Do you know that most of these new smokers suffer low self-image?
• Are you part of these statistics?

In America close to 25% of high school kids smoke. In many cases these kids start smoking because of peer pressure. It is important that our kids understand at an early stage of their lives that smoking is a bad habit that could take them to death very early in their lives. Anti-Smoking education starts at home.

Why “Smokers” Smoke?

As mentioned before, one of the main reasons people start smoking is because of peer pressure. Imagine, how would you feel if you are in a party and all your friends are smoking and you don’t? You will feel out of group, right? Well, most of us do not care about it, but those who care sooner or later will try one cigar and then another one and before you know, you are in.
I would say to these “I do care guys” be careful, once you are in, it is very difficult to quit.

There are many Excuses Smokers say to Continue Smoking. From all I have read I took what I call the Top Ten Common Excuses to keep Smoking. These are:

• I have to die somehow
• I look sexy
• Peer Pressure
• If I quit I will gain weight
• I smoke “light” cigarettes
• I can quit whenever I want to but not today.
• I cut it to a safe level
• Smoking relax me
• Cigarettes are better than drugs
• I have tried to quit but made me sick

Cigarettes “Nutritional” Ingredients

For those who smoke or plan to smoke soon, these are the “Nutritional” Ingredients you will find in your cigarette:
• Aminobiphenyl – a human carcinogen
• Arsenic – inorganic arsenic can cause you to experience a sore throat, irritated lungs, nausea, vomiting, decreased production of red and white blood cells, abnormal heart rhythm, damage to blood vessels and a sensation of pins and needles in hands and feet
• Benzene – breathing benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, unconsciousness, harm to bone marrow and a decrease in the production of red blood cells
• Chromium – a human carcinogen
• 2-Naphthylamine – a human carcinogen
• Nickel – can cause asthma attacks, chronic bronchitis, and reduced lung function
• Vinyl chloride – dizziness and sleepiness
• N-Nitrosodiethylamine – a human carcinogen
• N-Nitrosopyrrolidine – a human carcinogen
• N-Nitrosodiethanolamine – a human carcinogen
• Cadmium – possibly a human carcinogen
• Benzo[a]pyrene – can damage red blood cells
• Ammonia – can cause coughing and irritation to the nose and throat
• Acrolein – can cause irritation and damage to the lungs
• Pyridine – can cause headache, giddiness, drowsiness, increased heart rate and rapid breathing
• Catechol – can cause cough, burning sensation, and labored breathing
• Formaldehyde – can cause irritation to your nose, eyes, skin and throat
• Acetone – can irritate your nose, lungs, throat and eyes
• Hydrogen cyanide – can cause headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea and vomiting
• Nicotine – an addictive drug
• Carbon monoxide – enters the lungs and displaces oxygen from the bloodstream
• Toluene – can cause drowsiness, confusion, weakness, drunken-type actions, memory loss, nausea, loss of appetite, hearing loss and color vision loss
• Hydroquinone – can cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory system
• Carbon disulfide – can change breathing patterns and induce chest pains
• Lead – can cause weakness in your fingers, wrists and ankles and mind, can negatively affect your memory, can affect blood cell production and disrupt the male reproductive system
• Phenol – can lead to liver damage, diarrhea, dark urine and hemolytic anemia.
These are some of over 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes smoke. Are you really sure you want to start or continue smoking? Think about it. It is not difficult to decide. These ingredients kill you and your family. It’s your call.

Financial Impact caused by Smoking

• Spend around $1,600 per year buying cigarettes
• Health Care premiums are more expensive than non smokers.
• Life Insurance rates are higher than those for not smokers
• Resale value of cars and homes usually are less than not smokers cars and homes.
• Spend more on dry cleaning and teeth cleaning than not smokers.
• Receive less in pension and Social Security benefits.
• Close to 5% of employers prefer to hire nonsmokers and 1% do not hire smokers.

If you have a fat saving account the above may not affect your personal finance, how ever, if you are a middle or low class family, it really hurts.

Treatments for Smoking Cessation

The use of medications and psychosocial therapies are great for those smokers looking to quit their habit.

Some of the medications available are:

• Bupropion
• Nicotine gum
• Nicotine inhaler
• Nicotine nasal spray
• Nicotine patch