smoking!!! please need huge advice

[scifreak]

I am a student who does a degree... i face alot of stressful situations... then i had one cigarette which made me just relax for a moment.... i know its bad for my health.... but sometimes i do feel lik having one... actuay i just have just half of it cz i dnt want to smoke i just want that 5minutes which my head comes into total rest....  i wont smoke regularly... i jz have one when im stressd... may be once in 2 days... can anyone tell me how bad would it affect my health... is there any safe amount of cigarettes which we cn take? im facing so much of problems... thank u 

[ianspencer]

No amount of cigarette smoking is safe. Smoking causes disease and is a slow way to die. The strain of smoking effects on the body often causes years of suffering. Quitting makes sense for many reasons but simply put: smoking is bad for health.

[Karoline2010]

smoking is really bad! But it is like 1 sig per week I don`t think it does so much harm

[willium]

U can take  zero amount of cigarette. Once in 2 days means,
15 cigarettes per month,
183 per year. This is harmful.

Just quit smoking and  chewing gum.

Best of luck...

[pachills]

You should quit smoking permanent. It is injurious to health. It enhances the chances of major diseases.The major effects of smoking is mouth cancer and Lung cancer. You need a rigid determination to quit smoking.

[miramar]

You need to take decision to quit smoking. It seems odd some times at beginning but after some time you would feel better to be a non-smoker. Any type of smoking whether it's passive or normal both are harmful to health. Some times it takes the form of serious illness like cancer, lung diseases.

[SweatFitness]

Smoking is dangerous to health. Everyone should avoid smoking to be a healthy person forever. You may be surrounded by major disease of lungs, heart etc. Smoking leads you towards hell.

[Shane612]

Of course its harmful to have even 1 cigarette a year, that's not the discussion really, or at least it shouldn't be.

Smoking increases the chances of many diseases which can occur without smoking ever, so 20 cigs a day will increase those chances 20 times more than if you were only smoking 1 cig a day, simple.

Just like standing behind a bus and breathing in fumes twice a day will increase those chances of disease twice as much as if you only breathed those bus fumes in once a day. simple.

And the list goes on and on and on and on.

[healthcare583]

The benefits of smoking cessation are clear: only 20 minutes after a smoker’s last cigarette, blood pressure and heart rate start to return to normal. Yet millions of smokers find it virtually impossible to quit.
Nicotine addiction is “highly underrated”, says Prof Chris Bolliger, pulmonary expert from the University of Stellenbosch's (US) Faculty of Health Sciences. To compound the difficulty in quitting, there are more factors involved than nicotine addiction.
It's also a long-term process. Research from the Boston University’s School of Dental Medicine indicates that most committed ex-smokers stick to their resolution after they’ve managed to abstain for at least one year. According to the study, only two to four percent of ex-smokers pick up the habit again each year after the initial two-year period.
The very best results, yet to be scientifically verified, indicate a maximum success rate of 50 percent after six months, an estimated 35 percent after one year, and an estimated 30 percent after two years.
Some of the options available that may lead to a long-term solution, include nicotine replacement therapy (gum, inhaler or patches), the drug Zyban, a combination of the above, the Smokenders programme, or quitting unassisted.
1. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
According to Prof Bolliger, any form of NRT increases the success rate of a smoking cessation programme. All the different types of NRT have been shown to be effective, with little or no side-effects.
NRT can be regarded as a temporary solution that helps smokers get past the first hurdle on their journey to long-term smoking cessation.
A tip: always carry a batch of gum or another type of NRT with you while you travel. "The urge could come at any time," says Bolliger.
2. Zyban alone
The antidepressant Zyban (bupropion) seems to increase levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, leading to an enhanced feeling of pleasure. Buproprion seems also to prevent relapse, according to researchers from the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center.
The relapse-free period did not, however, persist: at the end of the first year, 55% of the Zyban group in the Mayo Clinic study were still smoke-free, but two years later, similar numbers of the Zyban and non-Zyban groups had relapsed.
Longer-term treatment of bupropion may prevent relapse, but more research on the long-term benefits of Zyban is necessary before definite conclusions can be drawn.
Zyban should not be used by:
    people with seizure disorders such as epilepsy,
    those who have shown an allergic response to bupropion,
    people with a current or prior diagnosis of bulimia, anorexia nervosa or bipolar disorder,
    people with a liver disorder,
    kidney problems,
    heart problems,
    hypertension,
    head injury,
    a brain or spinal column tumour,
    diabetes, or
    people using alcohol or benzodiazipine sleeping tablets.
Zyban is only available on prescription.
3. Combination therapy
Combination therapy, which involves counselling, the simultaneous administration of NRT (patches and/or gum) and/or the drug Zyban, seems to be an effective solution for many smokers. Preliminary research results indicate a 50 percent six-month success rate for combination therapy.
The dosage and usage of NRT and/or Zyban vary according to the individual. The usual recommendation is to take NRT and/or Zyban for three months – then you either make it or you don't. If you don't make it, it's not useful to try again immediately. Accept it and have another go in six months' time, is Bolliger’s advice.
Counselling forms an integral part of the Stop Project, a smoking cessation programme that is run at the University of Stellenbosch Faculty of Health Sciences.
4. Smokenders’ behavioural changes
Some experts do not regard NRT alone as a long-term solution, but as a temporary replacement. This replacement method doesn't address the core psychological factors involved in smoking addiction.
According to Mercia Axon, managing director of Smokenders, nicotine addiction, though real, has been blown out of proportion. The focus for long-term smoking cessation should be on behavioural changes. "Most smokers will recognise that the emotional bond with their cigarettes is the biggest issue. Our programme gives people a stress management tool and helps them to reconstruct their emotional support system," says Axon.
The international Smokenders group specifically deals with the emotional and psychological aspects involved in smoking. These factors are addressed during seven group sessions. Long-term success is linked to appropriate ways of managing emotions and stress – without cigarettes. The first six months is the most difficult period for many smokers. Clients who feel the urge to light up during this period should contact their counsellors immediately, Axon advises.
The group claims it has a 92% success rate after a one-year period and a 70% to 75% success rate after a period of five years.
Bolliger, however, queries the high success rates of some smoking cessation programmes. He speculates that inaccurate feedback from clients may be boosting the figures.
5. Kicking the habit on your own
Quitting all by yourself is not easy, but not impossible.
The biggest reason for relapse, in general, is that the quitter feels anxious about being without his cigarettes. Other reasons include missing the pleasure of smoking, feeling pressurised by family members or friends who smoke, or feeling addicted. The Boston research found certain lifestyle habits to be an indicator of likelihood of relapse: more than five alcoholic drinks or more than six cups of coffee daily.
Research suggests that stress management techniques, like exercise or yoga, can play an important role in long-term success, whether you want to stop by yourself or join a programme.
People who are committed to stop smoking should make it easier for themselves by monitoring their diets to prevent weight gain and cutting back on excess alcohol and caffeine intake to limit the risk of relapse.

I hope with Ways to quit smoking, you stop smoking
more detail: www(dot)healthcareaz(dot)net

[lsmcknz]

One of the main challenges of my grand father. He was already seventy eight years old yet he smokes. I am not sure how many sticks can he consume per day but it is virtually unbelievable. He tried quitting for more than two years of undergoing "quit smoking" programs. But there was not change at all up to now. I hope he quits smoking soon.

[harrissymonds]

After many years of smoking regularly, I have finally quit. .... Please give me some tips to quit smoking. ..... And ice water is also a big help.