ItSA国际影视传媒檚 no secret smoking is not good for us.
Around six million people die every year from the effects of cigarette and tobacco use, and it costs the global economy more than $1 trillion annually to pay for healthcare and lost productivity linked to smoking, according to a study from the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the World Health Organization.
Worldwide, there are an estimated 1.1 billion smokers aged 15 and up.
So why do people continue to smoke?
SA国际影视传媒淚 started smoking at 11,SA国际影视传媒� says Iqaluit resident Emily Illnik, 62. SA国际影视传媒淏ecause my parents were doing it, I thought, SA国际影视传媒榃hy not?SA国际影视传媒� My dad started buying me cigarettes at a young age.SA国际影视传媒�
However, she has now been smoke-free since March 2011 after using cigarettes for 40 years.
SA国际影视传媒淏ack then, smoking was everywhere. My grandmother who lived with us would smoke while we were sleeping [in a shared room],SA国际影视传媒� she recalled. SA国际影视传媒淚 think thereSA国际影视传媒檚 also a lot of peer pressure [to socialize while smoking].SA国际影视传媒�
Stephen Penney, a physical education teacher at Inuksuk High School, makes the same observations of his students, but has a more unusual story about how he first picked up the habit.
SA国际影视传媒淏ack when I was in junior high, I was totally against it. I used to be in [everyoneSA国际影视传媒檚] face about [smoking].SA国际影视传媒�
However, he says at age 36, he had an epiphany of sorts that he was being a hypocrite. He had experimented, and SA国际影视传媒渓o and behold, I loved smokingSA国际影视传媒� but I just got to the point where I didnSA国际影视传媒檛 want to be smoking everyday.SA国际影视传媒�
Penney first tried to limit his smoking to just special events or rituals, but soon found himself going through entire packs.
SA国际影视传媒淚t had to be all or nothing,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
Illnik makes similar observations.
SA国际影视传媒淪moking goes with everything. With coffee, with a meal, with [handling stress], with drinking and socializingSA国际影视传媒t takes a lot of courage and patience to quit.SA国际影视传媒�
It was her motherSA国际影视传媒檚 battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) SA国际影视传媒� a long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe and includes bronchitis and emphysema SA国际影视传媒� that finally gave her the impetus to quit for good. Even then, like Penney, she struggled with cutting back, and eventually swore off entirely after getting a prescription for Champix through IqaluitSA国际影视传媒檚 hospital.
According to the Government of Canada website, SA国际影视传媒淐hampix is a prescription medication indicated for smoking-cessation treatment in adults, in conjunction with smoking-cessation counselling.SA国际影视传媒�
The medication is supposed to be taken while gradually reducing the number of cigarettes one would usually consume before giving them up entirely.
For Penney, Jan. 30 will mark his three-year anniversary of being smoke-free. Nothing particular happened on that day to incite his desire to quit. Although it took several attempts on the prescription for both Illnik and Penney to kick the habit, they finally succeeded.
SA国际影视传媒淓ventually, I came to the conclusion that I just couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 have [a cigarette],SA国际影视传媒� says Penney, who kept making exceptions for SA国际影视传媒渟pecial occasionsSA国际影视传媒� and then slipping into old habits. SA国际影视传媒淚 found each time I took the Champix, it took less time to quit.SA国际影视传媒�
Willpower prevails
Once he got through the initial few weeks of a 12-week program and avoided the areas where he used to enjoy smoking, he was able to give it up entirely with no backsliding.
SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 not going to try another one again,SA国际影视传媒� he says, SA国际影视传媒渂ecause I know what will happen. I know logically if I put one [cigarette] to my lips, ISA国际影视传媒檒l be back to smoking packsSA国际影视传媒� three years in, I feel thereSA国际影视传媒檚 no risk to starting again.SA国际影视传媒�
For Penney, who had never experienced addiction before, SA国际影视传媒渋t was such a weird concept for that part of my brain. So I just switch it off and think logically.SA国际影视传媒�
Illnik also relapsed several times in her attempts to finally give up an entrenched decades-long addiction, admitting that the urge remained strong, even with Champix.
On her third attempt, the hospital was reluctant to renew her prescription, but her resolve was inspired by her mother SA国际影视传媒渁nd what sheSA国际影视传媒檚 going through with COPD. And right then and there, that was it. And I havenSA国际影视传媒檛 had a cigarette since thenSA国际影视传媒� ISA国际影视传媒檓 just glad I had that last bit of willpower at the end finally, finally say SA国际影视传媒楴o more.SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒�
Then it was a matter of avoiding temptations.
SA国际影视传媒淚n the early years after I quit, there was always that urgeSA国际影视传媒� I had to quit doing everything,SA国际影视传媒� said Illnik. SA国际影视传媒淚 stayed away from my friends [who smoked] for one year. Since then, I donSA国际影视传媒檛 care for the smell of it anymoreSA国际影视传媒� I donSA国际影视传媒檛 ever want to start again because everything stopped smelling like cigarettes and my skin regained its [natural] colour.
SA国际影视传媒淚 truly believe now that smoking has a lot to do with your health. I donSA国际影视传媒檛 get sick as often as I did when I was a smoker. I tell my friends, the more you smoke, the more you get sick. The bottom line is ISA国际影视传媒檓 a non-smoker today, and I value my health.SA国际影视传媒�
Offering advice to people striving to finally give up cigarettes, Illnik says, SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 one of the hardest addictions to quit because it goes with everythingSA国际影视传媒� I can understand people who have tried and failed, because it truly is hard. If you have to do it, try three or four times, then do itSA国际影视传媒� It can be hard for some people, but I smoked for 40 years. Talk to people who have quit and listen to their successes. Encouraging each other will truly make a difference.SA国际影视传媒�
Fundamentally, Illnik believes that one can only really give up smoking SA国际影视传媒渕entally and physically when theySA国际影视传媒檙e readySA国际影视传媒� [thatSA国际影视传媒檚 when] they can succeed. All I can say is your health will improve and I wish everyone luck. If I can help even one person [quit], thatSA国际影视传媒檚 huge for me.SA国际影视传媒�
National Non-Smoking Week runs from Jan. 21-27.
