For Friends Preparing to Quit Smoking
As everyone knows, smoking is harmful to health, but how many people can truly quit successfully? As early as 2015, the number of smokers in China had already exceeded 300 million, ranking first in the world. With the arrival of World No Tobacco Day 2019,
It is well known that smoking is harmful to health, but how many people can truly quit smoking successfully? As of 2015, the number of smokers in China had already exceeded 300 million, ranking first in the world. With the arrival of World No Tobacco Day in 2019, quitting smoking has once again become a hot topic.
More than 7 million people die from smoking-related diseases each year
Dr. Kuang Yukun, an attending physician in the Respiratory and Critical Care Department of Sun Yat-sen University First Affiliated Hospital, pointed out that a recent article published on a medical website titled "In China, over 70% of men commit suicide..." contains a shocking statistic: more than 7 million people die from diseases caused by smoking each year. Research estimates that by 2030, the number of deaths due to smoking will reach 8.3 million annually. If no intervention or change occurs, it is projected that 1 billion people will die from smoking by the end of this century.
In the past few decades, the incidence and mortality rates of smoking-related diseases have decreased in Western countries, but in Asia, they remain high and are even worsening. Particularly in China, the proportion of male smokers continues to rise and is becoming increasingly younger.
What are the benefits of quitting smoking?
To curb the continued spread of this phenomenon, the most economical and effective way is to quit smoking. Before starting to quit, let’s take a look at the benefits of quitting smoking. Dr. Kuang Yukun lists the benefits of quitting smoking in terms of "minutes - hours - months - years":
20 minutes after quitting: Blood pressure and heart rate drop to normal, and the temperature of hands and feet rises to normal.
8 hours after quitting: Carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to normal, and oxygen levels in the blood increase to normal.
24 hours after quitting: The risk of heart disease decreases.
48 hours after quitting: Smell and taste improve.
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Circulation improves, and lung function can increase by 30%, making walking easier.
1 to 9 months after quitting: Respiratory symptoms decrease, such as coughing, phlegm, and wheezing; lung cilia regenerate, promoting phlegm clearance and reducing respiratory infections.
1 year after quitting: The risk of cardiovascular disease is reduced to half that of smokers.
5 years after quitting: The lung cancer mortality rate is half that of a person who smokes a pack a day; the likelihood of developing oral, esophageal, and throat cancers is reduced by half; the risk of cerebrovascular disease becomes similar to that of non-smokers after 5-15 years.
10 years after quitting: The lung cancer mortality rate is the same as that of non-smokers; precancerous changes disappear; the risk of developing oral, esophageal, throat, bladder, kidney, and pancreatic cancers decreases.
20 years after quitting: The risk of cardiovascular disease is the same as that of non-smokers.
Why is quitting smoking so difficult?
Since quitting smoking has so many unexpected "benefits," why do so many people still find it hard to quit? Dr. Kuang Yukun states that this is mainly related to three factors:
1. Physiological dependence
Physiological dependence mainly refers to the body's craving for nicotine. Dr. Kuang explains that nicotine is one of the main components of cigarettes, and it reaches the brain in just 8 seconds after smoking, causing a temporary increase in alertness and concentration. Thus, while nicotine does not directly cause cancer, it is highly addictive.
Chronic smokers are generally addicted to nicotine and must maintain a certain level of nicotine in their bodies at all times. Once the concentration drops, they experience unpleasant or intolerable symptoms, prompting them to smoke a cigarette to replenish the nicotine they need.
2. Psychological dependence
Psychological dependence includes psychological or emotional factors, as well as specific situations or occasions. Emotional factors such as stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, or joy can easily trigger the urge to smoke. Specific situations or occasions, such as when deep in thought, writing, waking up, or after meals, can lead to habitual smoking, which over time becomes a part of life.
3. Social factors
Social factors are external influences, such as the mutual recognition and encouragement of smoking behavior in social activities, aggressive promotions by tobacco companies, misleading media messages about smoking, and the influence of older generations on younger ones. The offer of a cigarette can also challenge the willpower of those trying to quit.
How can one successfully quit smoking?
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Dr. Kuang reminds us that to successfully quit smoking, one must overcome physiological, psychological, and social issues, and also keep the following three points in mind:
1. Make a firm decision
Before doing anything, one must first make a firm decision, and quitting smoking is no exception. How can one motivate themselves to make a firm decision to quit? Dr. Kuang provides several practical examples based on daily life details, such as looking in the mirror at one's yellowed skin, fingers, and teeth; considering how much one's health has deteriorated since starting to smoke; reflecting on whether smoking makes family members reluctant to be close; and whether smoking negatively impacts young children or encourages them to imitate.
2. Announce it to everyone and ask them to supervise you
After making the firm decision to quit smoking, one should also leverage the power of the crowd to supervise oneself and seek support from family and friends.
In terms of smoking habits, one should discard items that trigger the desire to smoke, such as pipes, ashtrays, or lighters; break fixed smoking habits, such as refusing to smoke upon waking or after meals; avoid places where smoking is common, such as bars, KTVs, or karaoke; and join smoking cessation groups to supervise each other with fellow quitters.
In terms of lifestyle habits, maintain a regular routine, exercise more, drink plenty of water, shower frequently, brush teeth and rinse mouth after meals, wear clean clothes without a smoky smell, and avoid excessive busyness or fatigue to prevent creating triggers or excuses to smoke.
3. Seek appropriate medical assistance
If necessary, one can also seek appropriate medical assistance, consult with specialists, and understand potential withdrawal symptoms, as well as how to manage them.
More than 7 million people die from smoking-related diseases each year
Dr. Kuang Yukun, an attending physician in the Respiratory and Critical Care Department of Sun Yat-sen University First Affiliated Hospital, pointed out that a recent article published on a medical website titled "In China, over 70% of men commit suicide..." contains a shocking statistic: more than 7 million people die from diseases caused by smoking each year. Research estimates that by 2030, the number of deaths due to smoking will reach 8.3 million annually. If no intervention or change occurs, it is projected that 1 billion people will die from smoking by the end of this century.
In the past few decades, the incidence and mortality rates of smoking-related diseases have decreased in Western countries, but in Asia, they remain high and are even worsening. Particularly in China, the proportion of male smokers continues to rise and is becoming increasingly younger.
What are the benefits of quitting smoking?
To curb the continued spread of this phenomenon, the most economical and effective way is to quit smoking. Before starting to quit, let’s take a look at the benefits of quitting smoking. Dr. Kuang Yukun lists the benefits of quitting smoking in terms of "minutes - hours - months - years":
20 minutes after quitting: Blood pressure and heart rate drop to normal, and the temperature of hands and feet rises to normal.
8 hours after quitting: Carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to normal, and oxygen levels in the blood increase to normal.
24 hours after quitting: The risk of heart disease decreases.
48 hours after quitting: Smell and taste improve.
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Circulation improves, and lung function can increase by 30%, making walking easier.
1 to 9 months after quitting: Respiratory symptoms decrease, such as coughing, phlegm, and wheezing; lung cilia regenerate, promoting phlegm clearance and reducing respiratory infections.
1 year after quitting: The risk of cardiovascular disease is reduced to half that of smokers.
5 years after quitting: The lung cancer mortality rate is half that of a person who smokes a pack a day; the likelihood of developing oral, esophageal, and throat cancers is reduced by half; the risk of cerebrovascular disease becomes similar to that of non-smokers after 5-15 years.
10 years after quitting: The lung cancer mortality rate is the same as that of non-smokers; precancerous changes disappear; the risk of developing oral, esophageal, throat, bladder, kidney, and pancreatic cancers decreases.
20 years after quitting: The risk of cardiovascular disease is the same as that of non-smokers.
Why is quitting smoking so difficult?
Since quitting smoking has so many unexpected "benefits," why do so many people still find it hard to quit? Dr. Kuang Yukun states that this is mainly related to three factors:
1. Physiological dependence
Physiological dependence mainly refers to the body's craving for nicotine. Dr. Kuang explains that nicotine is one of the main components of cigarettes, and it reaches the brain in just 8 seconds after smoking, causing a temporary increase in alertness and concentration. Thus, while nicotine does not directly cause cancer, it is highly addictive.
Chronic smokers are generally addicted to nicotine and must maintain a certain level of nicotine in their bodies at all times. Once the concentration drops, they experience unpleasant or intolerable symptoms, prompting them to smoke a cigarette to replenish the nicotine they need.
2. Psychological dependence
Psychological dependence includes psychological or emotional factors, as well as specific situations or occasions. Emotional factors such as stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, or joy can easily trigger the urge to smoke. Specific situations or occasions, such as when deep in thought, writing, waking up, or after meals, can lead to habitual smoking, which over time becomes a part of life.
3. Social factors
Social factors are external influences, such as the mutual recognition and encouragement of smoking behavior in social activities, aggressive promotions by tobacco companies, misleading media messages about smoking, and the influence of older generations on younger ones. The offer of a cigarette can also challenge the willpower of those trying to quit.
How can one successfully quit smoking?
#p#分页标题#e#
Dr. Kuang reminds us that to successfully quit smoking, one must overcome physiological, psychological, and social issues, and also keep the following three points in mind:
1. Make a firm decision
Before doing anything, one must first make a firm decision, and quitting smoking is no exception. How can one motivate themselves to make a firm decision to quit? Dr. Kuang provides several practical examples based on daily life details, such as looking in the mirror at one's yellowed skin, fingers, and teeth; considering how much one's health has deteriorated since starting to smoke; reflecting on whether smoking makes family members reluctant to be close; and whether smoking negatively impacts young children or encourages them to imitate.
2. Announce it to everyone and ask them to supervise you
After making the firm decision to quit smoking, one should also leverage the power of the crowd to supervise oneself and seek support from family and friends.
In terms of smoking habits, one should discard items that trigger the desire to smoke, such as pipes, ashtrays, or lighters; break fixed smoking habits, such as refusing to smoke upon waking or after meals; avoid places where smoking is common, such as bars, KTVs, or karaoke; and join smoking cessation groups to supervise each other with fellow quitters.
In terms of lifestyle habits, maintain a regular routine, exercise more, drink plenty of water, shower frequently, brush teeth and rinse mouth after meals, wear clean clothes without a smoky smell, and avoid excessive busyness or fatigue to prevent creating triggers or excuses to smoke.
3. Seek appropriate medical assistance
If necessary, one can also seek appropriate medical assistance, consult with specialists, and understand potential withdrawal symptoms, as well as how to manage them.
