Do we really know the danger and hazards smoking can cause to our health? Are we really aware of its detrimental effects to our respiratory and cardiovascular system? How come smokers seemed to be unnerved and the habit of smoking continue to spread rapidly?



Despite efforts to disseminate this information to the media for people to have a full grasp of the magnitude and dangers of smoking, statistics remain staggering. The United Nations noted the highest increase in the rate of tobacco use among developing countries, particularly in Africa.

In the United States of America, cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death accounting for nearly 440,000 of the more than 2.4 million annual deaths as per statistics from AHA. The risk of developing several chronic disorders is higher for those who smoke cigarettes as compared to non-smokers. These include fatty buildups in arteries, several types of cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (lung problems). Atherosclerosis (buildup of fatty substances in the arteries) is a chief contributor to the high number of deaths from smoking. Many studies detail the evidence that cigarette smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack.

While cigarette smoking leads to a lot of troubles in the end for smokers than the satisfaction and pleasure they derived from it, the truth is, smoking is as much a psychological pleasure as it is a physiological satisfaction.

According to Ernest Dichter, author of ?The Psychology of Everyday Living,? people reasoned that they are after the sense of satisfaction they get from a cigarette that they can't get from anything else.

He believes that the nature of this psychological pleasure can be traced to the universal desire for self-expression. ?None of us ever completely outgrows his childhood. We are constantly hunting for the carefree enjoyment we knew as children. As we grew older, we had to subordinate our pleasures to work and to the necessity for unceasing effort. Smoking, for many of us, then, became a substitute for our early habit of following the whims of the moment; it becomes a legitimate excuse for interrupting work and snatching a moment of pleasure.?

Cigarette smoking is like a hard habit to break. When the body becomes addicted to the nicotine in tobacco, it will be difficult to stop craving the nicotine. If you have decided to quit smoking, you may want to think about taking medicine that can make it easier to stop.

Zyban, or its generic counterpart bupropion, is a pill you take to reduce your craving for tobacco. The way it helps people cope with cravings is not entirely known. Zyban does not contain nicotine and does not help you quit smoking in the same way that nicotine replacement therapy does.

You begin taking Zyban daily, 1 to 2 weeks before you quit smoking. This builds up the level of medicine in your body. Take it for 7 to 12 weeks after you stop using tobacco. You can even take it for as long as 6 months to a year.

No amount of warning, preachings, or repressive measures can seem to destroy the power of cigarette-smoking. One sad fact is that, powerful individuals and institutions like the manufacturers and the advertising industry even lend support in the promotion of this deadly product.

What will stop people from smoking cigarettes? Having considered all the psychological explanation, and the unique pleasure and satisfaction smokers derived from this much contested product, it all boils down to self-discipline and knowing what's best for your health, for others, and for the environment.