Most people do not have a very clear answer to this question, but they still persist in there, once acquired, habit. And maybe you also belong to those who have already promised themselves several times that they will leave a tobacco stick forever, from someone there on Monday.
Everyone has the strength to persevere
All smokers are aware that cigarettes are big trouble, they know almost one hundred per cent that it is a danger to their health and life, and in more than 80 per cent of cases they would like, if they could, to switch to non-smokers overnight. What repels them is just waiting and persevering, and we forget that it is a well-established habit that has been created for years or even decades, and of course, it is not easy to get rid of it in an instant.
It is not realistic to expect either. We were interested in what is the trigger for quitting smoking, what is the drop that overflows the smoking glass to make them want to get rid of these troubles forever. Some come because the media campaign reminded them of that (there is a much bigger visit after street actions), and there are also those who were influenced by the so-called whispering propaganda, which is not negligible because it is human nature to compare with others from the environment ( heard from friends, neighbours, so when they could, so can I).
However, there is a danger in the comparison. Many smokers identify with people who have failed to quit, which is not good. One should not underestimate oneself and condemn oneself to failure in the beginning. For those who are afraid of failure at the very beginning, it was nicely explained that there is no need to worry about something that should come in a year, and they have not even taken a step yet.
They just need to plan today for tomorrow, tomorrow for the day after tomorrow, not far-reaching plans and worry about what will happen if they fail, because distant anxiety and uncertainty keep them in spasm. “A large number have experienced great success. They are proud of that and like to come to the counselling centre to share with us, but they are very sorry if others do not notice. It is important to draw the attention of the family members to praise their ex-smoker. They don’t have to be gifts, three nice words are enough because they really encourage them a lot.”
To tell a man or a woman to smell nice is a huge compliment that illuminates them because until then, their wardrobe, hair or hands smelled unpleasantly of tobacco.
Today, there is an attitude in many families not to smoke. Not only does the family not smoke, but the guests respect that as well. We always wonder if smokers will get angry if we ask them not to smoke, and no one thinks about non-smokers who may start to avoid visiting friends where they are threatened with tobacco smoke.
It is not difficult to give up “pleasure” if someone nicely asks for it, simply because your behaviour would endanger those who are bothered by it. It is not nice to leave smoke and not very pleasant smell in someone else’s living space and then go to your house. It seems that it is still non-smokers who make concessions to the detriment of their own health, and there are more than two-thirds of them in our population.
Return of health
To return to the category of “non-smokers”, it’s up to you to decide, and we asked an expert about everything else, a lady who has been successfully running a smoking cessation counselling centre for many years, through which hundreds of new potential non-smokers go every year. In order not to justify that you do not have enough time, it is necessary to take two or three hours one morning to have a detailed conversation and examination.
Before that, provide goodwill, a referral from a general practitioner and a phone call to make an appointment. No worries, no waiting, the agreed times are strictly respected here. This is followed by telephone support, so you have the freedom to call whenever you feel the need to share some of your experience, complain about what is difficult for you, or brag that you have made some small progress.
It is a month of intensive communication over the wire, and later the telephone contacts are occasional, up to a year, when the control examination follows. The approach here is individual. The program is personalized, customized and created to suit the smoker in question. Everyone’s health status is considered individually. On the other hand, the smoking status is also taken very seriously (the length of the smoking experience, the average number of cigarettes smoked per day, whether there have been any attempts to quit so far) and in the end, we talk openly.
Considering the smoking status, many admit that until then they did not think at all about who was the smoker in their family, from which their ancestors suffered and eventually died later. This gives a clearer insight into one’s own genetic predispositions for the development of certain diseases, and many of them can be prevented if risk factors are avoided. May I remind you that in more than 80% of cases of lung and throat cancer, tobacco is responsible?
Physical and social dependence
Reaching for a cigarette is an action that has become so spontaneous and uncontrollable that it has integrated into a person’s life, and because of the chemical mixture that is added to tobacco, it is harder to separate from the pack. Nicotine is a problem, but even that integration is not negligible.
There are practically two addictions, physical from nicotine, and the other, psychosocial, which is very strong. How many times does a dear person call you somewhere, and the answer is “here only while I smoke a cigarette”, which leaves a strong impression on her that she is somewhere in the background. No attention is paid to that, and when you start thinking, then you realize how much activity you have subordinated to that tobacco wrapper.
Counselling is just helping to break the bonds between a cigarette and a certain store, cigarette-phone, cigarette-car, cigarette-makeup, cigarette-computer, cigarette-coffee, cigarette-food… It is very important not to create discord among people. We should not insult them, because we are not bothered by the man himself, but by the tobacco smoke. It is important to emphasize that there are no stronger and milder cigarettes. When the level of carbon monoxide in the exhaled air is measured, a lady who smokes only thin, “mild” cigarettes with “less” tar and nicotine, and a gentleman who uses those “strong” and sharp ones, have almost no difference in values. One should not be mistaken, there is not a single and harmless tobacco product to the smoker and his environment.
The hardest part of the weaning process is that they start, but once they stop, they are thrilled that it is not as difficult and insurmountable as they expected. In the beginning, they are full of energy, strong, willing to persevere, but many life misfortunes and crises weaken us, so after a month, optimism subsides. Well, there is important more frequent help over the phone or arrivals.
It is not terrible if they miss, they should not blame themselves and give up, but just bravely continue on in their mission of weaning. It is all human, they need to be understood and supported. Our goal is for them to overcome the problem, not to criticize them. You stumble, you fall, but you also have to get up, these are ordinary life philosophies. It is not good if it is frequent, because then the cigarette beat them again.
Freedom of thought and movement
The benefits of not smoking, apart from of course better health, better complexion and greater endurance, are certainly freedom of movement and freedom of thought. Now you have one relief. You don’t think about whether you brought cigarettes, whether it will be enough for you, that they were not left in another jacket or purse, and whether it is possible to smoke at all where you went. There is no sweating, crisis and nervousness when non-smoking situations await you, such as meetings, long flights, and more and more at work.
You don’t have to hide in fear of being seen or punished. No company does not accept non-smokers, and smoking is another matter. Here’s the reason. Carbon monoxide, a poisonous and deadly gas, binds to haemoglobin, taking the place of oxygen, blood vessels narrow, so smokers do not have the same effect at work, neither mentally nor physically.
And it is not out of place to think about whether your partner would prefer a kiss for a good night, good morning and all other occasions when he would not have the taste of tobacco. No, no, chewing gum doesn’t neutralize it completely, rest assured!