Whether we like it or not, smoking is a part of our culture, and has been for hundreds of years. Trying to get rid of something on a personal or societal level that has been around so long isn't easy. Anyone who is trying to stop smoking is better off taking some time to understand a few facts about it.

History of Facts about Smoking.

Tobacco and tobacco smoking was common in the Americas long before the time of Columbus. It was first brought to Europe by a few of Columbus' sailors, and was popularized by a monk Ramon Pane.

By the time of Sir Walter Raleigh, pipe smoking was the fashion throughout all of Europe. Even then, there were people who felt it was a dangerous and unhealthy habit.

In the late 1800's Queen Victoria banned smoking from Buckingham Palace. In 1912 Dr. Isaac Alder presents the first strong link between smoking and lung cancer. And in 1942 the Lancet publishes a paper by researcher L.M. Johnston describing addiction for the first time.

Health and Facts about Smoking.

Tobacco is addictive, whether smoked, chewed or used as snuff. Since the early 1940's a correlation has been noted between increases in cigarette smoking and increases in lung cancer.

There are different hazards for different forms of smoking. Cigarette smoking is most likely to cause lung cancer, as opposed to cigar smoking, which normally causes cancer of the mouth and throat.

Because cigars contain no tar, they are sometimes incorrectly thought to be safer than cigarettes. There is no such thing as a 'less unhealthy' form of cancer. Cigarette smoke in a confined space is unhealthier for the people nearby then the smoker.

There is no filter on this 'second hand smoke' the way there is inside the cigarette. Smoking has been found to increase risks of high blood pressure and heart disease. Statistic show that on average, a smoker who quits by the age of 35 can extend their lifespan up to 8 year. (American Journal of Public Health, 2002)

Quitting and Facts about Smoking.

The addictive effect of nicotine makes it very difficult to stop smoking. There are two standard techniques for quitting: going 'cold turkey' and weaning off.

Going cold turkey refers to abruptly stopping all use of nicotine products, and avoiding future exposure as much as possible.

Going cold turkey is the more difficult method for many people, but some find that it is the only way that works. Heavy smokers who go cold turkey will experience nicotine withdrawal.

For smokers who go cold turkey, having something to occupy the hands and mouth in place of a cigarette or cigar can help. The use of substitutes such as hard candies or "plastic cigarettes" are popular.

Weaning off refers to gradually reducing nicotine intake until intake ceases entirely. Weaning off reduces the risk of withdrawal symptoms, and is frequently considered the easier means of quitting.

However, weaning off can take a long time, and people with certain medical conditions, or people who are simply impatient, may not have time to wean off gradually.

Weaning off can involve a variety of options, including gradually increasing the amount of time between smoking and the use of nicotine substitutes, such as gum or the patch.

Both techniques have a variety of tools developed to make quitting easier. Some smokers who have been smoking for years have been as much 'addicted' to the familiar feeling of having a cigar or cigarette in their mouths, as to the nicotine.

These smokers sometimes form the habit of holding an unlit cigar or cigarette in their mouths, to have the familiarity and taste, without the smoke. While this is certainly better then smoking, and will reduce or eliminate most of the dangers of smoking, it is unclear whether it will reduce the occurrence of mouth and gum cancers in users.