Action on Smoking and Health

Stop Smoking - Eat Breakfast
23:35, 2009-Apr-6

Do you want to stop smoking? Have you tried Hypnotherapy, NLP, EFT, gum, patches, counseling with no result? Do you skip breakfast?

If you are finding it hard to kick the habit and you skip breakfast, this is for you. You see, breakfast is one meal that most doctors, nutritionists, scientists and complementary therapists agree is a very important meal of the day. And many people skip breakfast to keep hunger at bay and their weight under control.

But surely I need to skip breakfast I hear you say! Well, if you do, most health practitioners, from doctors to alternative therapists, would tell you that eating, not skipping, breakfast helps you control your weight. For example, a typical study shows that "skipping breakfast was associated with increased prevalence of obesity".

To give you my answer, I'd like to give a couple of examples.

I had a lady that came for EFT for neck pain. The pain would simply not go away, whatever we tapped on. Now I happen to have worked alongside three of the greatest osteopaths and one of the best physiotherapists in the UK, with extensive massage experience as a practitioner. So that's where I then went to consult my mind's knowledge base for clues. I asked her more searching questions, and from her answers, I understood that her neck suffered an acute physical trauma which needs putting right to prevent a permanent weakness there. So I gave her the number and name of the appropriate osteopath and asked her to call him the very next morning (we were doing this in the evening). Then we tapped "Even though I have this neck pain, I promise to ring Andrew's clinic first thing in the morning and see him asap, I really do mean it, I will see him." The pain finally went right down to a negligible SUDS after a few rounds of this.

I have many people that have come to me for eating issues. To encourage them, I like putting snacks in front of them and tapping for the desire to eat the snacks. The first time the following happened, I was gob smacked. A girl that looked like she was a normal weight joined the eating issues workshop I was running, did the tapping, but she and she alone could not reduce her craving. It finally fell by about a half-out-of-ten. Then it hit me; I said "When was the last time you had something to eat?" The answer was that it was over 24 hours previously. So the body was craving any food at all in order to carry on functioning, hence the EFT "didn't work" (although in my opinion, it worked rather elegantly). This happened numerous times since. Many smokers, for example, see me to stop smoking, whereas they also have another addiction of disordered eating. Some do not eat anything till night-time, having only one meal and using the cigarettes to curb their natural desire for nutrition. When we EFT for the cigarette smoking cravings and it "doesn't work", I ask "When have you last eaten?". Sometimes, I take time out of the session to feed the client, then we start again, and Hey Presto, the EFT works!

I see it like this. The mind-body was saying that it had a deep problem with disordered eating and was asking me to help the disordered eating first, and the cigarette addiction second.

So if you smoke and skip breakfast, you are wasting your time smoking, you may as well eat breakfast to control your weight, and then stop smoking.

Wishing you health, success and happiness.

Study quoted is Association between Eating Patterns and Obesity in a Free-living US Adult Population, Yunsheng Ma , Elizabeth R. Bertone, Edward J. Stanek,, George W. Reed, James R. Hebert, Nancy L. Cohen, Philip A. Merriam and Ira S. Ockene, Am J Epidemiol 2003; 158:85-92

Complementary and alternative health education and empowerment is my passion. My name is Suzanne Zacharia and I am committed to empowering people to take control of their health and wellness. A virus caught along with 5 other students at university at the end of 1986, plus medical negligence, meant that I got smokers lung at a relatively young age. In desperation for help with my symptoms and quality of life, I turned to complementary therapy, and this is beyond a decade that I have outlived one doctor's prognosis. I am now a complementary therapist, author and trainer.

Smoking Depletes Nutrients
01:58, 2009-Mar-26

Besides all the risks for serious diseases, do you realize how many essential nutrients are depleted when you smoke? Smoking cessation can result in improved health, including reduced risk of heart and lung diseases, many cancers, pregnancy complications, and other health problems. Soon after quitting, most smokers notice that coughing declines and that ordinary activities no longer result in shortness of breath. Also, smokers find that their teeth stain less easily, their breath is fresher, and food tastes better as their senses of taste and smell return to normal.
Nicotine addiction is thought to be caused by increased stimulation of nerve receptors for various brain chemicals, including serotonin. Withdrawal symptoms that accompany smoking cessation could be related to the sudden drop in nerve receptor stimulation. However, a double-blind study found that depleting blood levels of tryptophan, the precursor to serotonin, had no effect on withdrawal symptoms after five hours of smoking abstinence. In a controlled study, a daily tryptophan supplement (50 mg per 2.2 pounds of body weight) along with a high-carbohydrate diet (which increases brain uptake of tryptophan) was added to a smoking-cessation program. While rates of complete abstinence were not significantly affected, tryptophan plus a high-carbohydrate diet lessened withdrawal symptoms and helped participants smoke fewer cigarettes. More research is needed to clarify whether supplementing with tryptophan or other serotonin precursors might help support smoking cessation.
This natural treatment for smoking with nutritional supplements is designed to correct smoking-related deficiencies and damage, as much as possible. Powerful traditional botanicals including Slippery Elm Extract, Milk Thistle Extract and St. John's Wort Extract are used to support good health and recovery.
Smoking has a detrimental effect on nutrition. Cigarette Smokers break down Vitamin C about twice as fast as nonsmokers. This can deprive the body of adequate amounts of one the most powerful and versatile antioxidants at our disposal. Other vitamins, such as B vitamins, are depleted as well. Therefore, supplementation with Vitamin C and Vitamin B Complex 50 are essential for this formula to replenish what is lost by the damaging effects of smoking. Milk Thistle Extract is also used as a powerful antioxidant that protects against cell damage.
Smoking can deplete Vitamin C and B Vitamins. Vitamin B Complex 50 is necessary in cellular enzyme systems which are often damaged in smokers. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant needed to protect cells and organs from damage by smoke. St.Johns Wort Extract helps promote a positive mood and healthy emotional balance. Slippery Elm can cause mucous secretion which helps soothe sore throats. Smoking induces reduction of bone density, which increases the risk of osteoporosis. Calcium and Magnesium are the primary minerals responsible for strong bones. Inhalation of smoke releases harmful free radicals in the body. Milk Thistle Extract is considered a powerful antioxidant.

Successful Hypnosis to Stop Smoking
01:04, 2009-Mar-26

Smoking used to be cool. It was a way to be independent, to be rebellious, to show your strength. But since the medical world has linked smoking to so many health issues, it has lost favor in society. More and more, smokers are being made aware that though they may be welcome in public places, their habit of smoking is not.

You used to be able to smoke on airplanes, in restaurants, even in some offices. But those days are gone, and many smokers are ready to quit, freeing themselves from a habit that costs them time, money and health.

There are many options to help smokers quit – nicotine patches and gum are sold at most every grocery store and drugstore, supposedly helping smokers wean themselves from the nicotine in the cigarettes. Do they work? According to the Shiffman "Real-world" study, only 3% of those using the Rx nicotine patch and 9.2% of those using the OTC patch were not smoking at six months. In the nicotine gum groups, only 7.7% of the Rx gum group and 8.4% in the OTC gum group were not smoking at six months. Sadly, the average for the four groups was just 7%.

Then there are the stop smoking pills that have become available…according to studies, they can be effective for a small percentage of people, but the side affects are a bit dramatic. People taking Chantrix, for example, can suffer from anxiety, nervousness, tension, depressed mood, unusual behaviors and thinking about or attempting suicide. I think I’d rather smoke.

Many studies have proven the effectiveness of counseling and hypnosis for smoking. In many study groups, counseling along with another treatment method boosted results noticeably, and counseling or therapy on it’s own has been show to be effective with smokers trying to quit cold turkey.

Hypnosis has been proven very effective for smoking cessation, citing reports of 40% to more than 60% success, even after 6 months and beyond. Yes, there are side effects…let’s see. Increased self esteem, improved health, sense of well being, decrease in anxiety and nervousness. That sounds a lot better than unusual behaviors and depression!

There are a few things you should know about hypnosis. It’s easy, you’re totally in control, and it can be a profound experience. Hypnosis is simply a relaxed, meditative-like state where you can access and change your inner beliefs – and habits, like smoking. Habits come from your inner, subconscious mind, so doesn’t it make sense that you can change habits by visiting that part of your mind? Your hypnotist is simply your guide.

Many people think they can’t be hypnotized, but they just don’t understand what hypnosis really is. Most people go into a state of hypnosis every day, while reading a book, watching TV or even driving a car (ever heard of highway hypnosis?). It’s simply a focused state of awareness where your subconscious mind is accessible.

A good hypnotist will spend time with you, helping you understand their program, which can range from one to more than twelve sessions. When you choose a hypnotist, you’ll want to find one that does more than just read you a script. More seasoned hypnotists will help you find the reasons that you are compelled to smoke, and help you resolve them. They will have techniques to help desensitize you from smoking, and retrain your brain for success as a non-smoker.

To be successful in a hypnosis session, you’ll want to find a hypnotist that makes you feel comfortable and at ease, and one with a structured stop smoking program. Find out how many sessions they usually recommend for smoking cessation, and whether they charge by the session or the program. One hypnotist may charge $200, and have a reputation for helping you quit in just one session, another may charge just $50 per session, but sell you a 12-session program. Either way, however, you win. Just consider how much money you’ll be saving when you quit! You’ll be doing your body, mind and wallet a favor.

When we quit smoking
01:44, 2009-Mar-13

If you are a smoker, and have been for some time, it is likely that you have tried to stop smoking at some point in your life and as you are still a smoker, like me and many others you failed to quit. This is very common and is nothing to be ashamed of, neither is it something to excuse. We all do it at some point, we try to quit, we fail and we justify the failure with some lame excuse. Trust me the excuse is always a lame one I am a great authority on making excuses for failing to quit smoking.

A little about me and my qualifications to make the above statement. I am 41 years old and started smoking when I was 12, encouraged by my best friend at the time and we both thought we were really cool, how stupid is that? I continued to smoke and quit and smoke and quit for the next 30 years. I never stopped to examine the reasons why I failed I just accepted that I was a confirmed smoker (by the way there is no such thing), and made an excuse that I was stressed / unhappy / could stop again whenever I wanted / was in control (ha ha), and many more variations to excuse that fact that I couldn't stop smoking.

I tried various methods to stop such as The Willpower Method, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and a combination of the two, always doomed to failure. I never tried Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) or Hypnotherapy as the thought of these methods scared me and I was convinced I didn't need anything like that. How wrong I was. Although they may seem extreme they are the most successful method of all to quitting smoking. The reason that Willpower and NRT fail is that they do not remove the desire for cigarettes, they do not change your perception of the evil sticks, they leave that all up to you, you have to have the presence of mind and insight to do all that yourself, yeah thanks, whilst all strung out craving a cigarette I also have to become my own psycho-analyst.

This is where the methods of NLP or Hypnotherapy win over the others, the idea is to change your whole perception of the ridiculous act of smoking. Without the deep rooted perceptions and, let's face it, brainwashing that every smoker suffers from, being removed, the chances of quitting smoking are greatly reduced. Once you accept that smoking is not just a physical addiction to nicotine and there is a whole bunch of psychology attached to it, and continuing to do it, then your perception has started to be changed. You have taken the first step towards being a non-smoker. NLP can help you realise the reasons why you smoke, which then gives you the tools to knock down those reasons and get closer to quitting. The smoker who truly knows why he smokes, not the lame excuses mentioned above is well on his way to being a non-smoker.

If you are determined to be a non-smoker, in my experience most smokers would prefer to be non-smokers, then you need to look at different methods to help you quit the evil weed. I have taken those steps and I am now proud to declare that I am a non-smoker, I have never been so sure that I will never smoke again and there was not one ounce of willpower, patches or gum involved. For me it is NLP all the way, change your perceptions then change your life, for the better.

Necotine effects brain
01:54, 2009-Jan-28

For centuries, people have chewed and smoked tobacco, which comes from the plant nicotiana tabacum. The reason tobacco is used by so many people is because it contains a powerful drug known as nicotine.

When tobacco is smoked, nicotine is absorbed by the lungs and quickly moved into the bloodstream, where it is circulated throughout the brain. All of this happens very rapidly. In fact, nicotine reaches the brain within 8 seconds after someone inhales tobacco smoke. Nicotine can also enter the bloodstream through the mucous membranes that line the mouth (if tobacco is chewed) or nose (if snuff is used), and even through the skin.

Nicotine affects the entire body. Nicotine acts directly on the heart to change heart rate and blood pressure. It also acts on the nerves that control respiration to change breathing patterns. In high concentrations, nicotine is deadly, in fact one drop of purified nicotine on the tongue will kill a person. It's so lethal that it has been used as a pesticide for centuries.

So why do people smoke? Because nicotine acts in the brain where it can stimulate feelings of pleasure

Your brain is made up of billions of nerve cells. They communicate by releasing chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. Each neurotransmitter is like a key that fits into a special "lock," called a receptor, located on the surface of nerve cells. When a neurotransmitter finds its receptor, it activates the receptor's nerve cell.

The nicotine molecule is shaped like a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine and its receptors are involved in many functions, including muscle movement, breathing, heart rate, learning, and memory. They also cause the release of other neurotransmitters and hormones that affect your mood, appetite, memory, and more. When nicotine gets into the brain, it attaches to acetylcholine receptors and mimics the actions of acetylcholine.

Nicotine also activates areas of the brain that are involved in producing feelings of pleasure and reward. Recently, scientists discovered that nicotine raises the levels of a neurotransmitter called dopamine in the parts of the brain that produce feelings of pleasure and reward. Dopamine, which is sometimes called the pleasure molecule, is the same neurotransmitter that is involved in addictions to other drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Researchers now believe that this change in dopamine may play a key role in all addictions. This may help explain why it is so hard for people to stop smoking.

Did you know that nicotine is as addictive as heroin or cocaine? If someone uses nicotine again and again, such as by smoking cigarettes or cigars or chewing tobacco, his or her body develops a tolerance for it. When someone develops tolerance, he or she needs more drug to get the same effect. Eventually, a person can become addicted. Once a person becomes addicted, it is extremely difficult to quit. People who start smoking before the age of 21 have the hardest time quitting, and fewer than 1 in 10 people who try to quit smoking succeed.

When nicotine addicts stop smoking they may suffer from restlessness, hunger, depression, headaches, and other uncomfortable feelings. These are called "withdrawal symptoms" because they happen when nicotine is withdrawn from the body.


Withdrawal may be bad, but long-term smoking cigarettes can be much worse. It raises your blood pressure, dulls your senses of smell and taste, reduces your stamina, and wrinkles your skin. More dangerously, long-term smoking can lead to fatal heart attacks, strokes, emphysema, and cancer.

You may be surprised to learn that tobacco use causes far more illnesses and death than all other addicting drugs combined. One out every six deaths in the United States is a result of smoking.

But even when faced with risk of death, many people keep using tobacco because they are so addicted to nicotine. Believe it or not, half of the smokers who have heart attacks keep smoking, even though their doctor warns them to stop. That's a strong addiction!

Smokeless tobacco also has harmful effects. Chewing tobacco can cause damage to gum tissue and even loss of teeth. It also reduces a person's ability to taste and smell. Most importantly, smokeless tobacco contains cancer causing-chemicals that can cause cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. This can even happen in very young users of chewing tobacco. In fact, most people who develop these cancers were users of chewing tobacco.


The truth is, there's still a whole lot that scientists don't know about nicotine's effects on the brain. Maybe someday you'll make the next big discovery.

Smoking effect
01:36, 2009-Jan-6

    A survey by the American Legacy Foundation -- a nonprofit that develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use -- found that 77 percent of current smokers report increased stress levels because of the national economy.

This stress is causing some to delay quitting smoking, increase the number of cigarettes they smoke or switch to a cheaper brand instead of quitting, the state Department of Health said.

And some former smokers report the stress has caused them to start smoking again.

"We know the tough economy is hitting people hard," said state Secretary of Health Mary Selecky. "It's another good reason for those who smoke cigarettes to try quitting. It will improve their health and they'll save money at the same time."

Washington offers a free Tobacco Quit Line, which offers coaching and at least a two-week free supply of nicotine patches or gum.

Economic stress is particularly affecting people with household incomes of less than $35,000 a year, the American Legacy study found.

About 38 percent of smokers under stress in those households report smoking more. Numbers also are up among smokers under stress with higher income levels, but not as much.

A pack-a-day smoker spends almost $2,000 a year on cigarettes, the Department of Health said.

"Shortly after quitting, people are amazed at how much better they feel and are happy about having quit," said Mindi Plank, a coach at the state's quit line. "They comment on how nice it is to have more money, which in some cases amounts to an extra few thousand dollars a year."

Government regulation of smoking
04:49, 2008-Dec-10

We are not sure who is more anxious to ban smoking in Fort Payne – the city council or the public. There has been little to no public outcry since the people voted in August in favor of government regulation of smoking. There has been, however, hasty talk at council meetings and work sessions.

Sure, there have been a few people consistently pushing the council to move quickly. But, by in large, the public remains calm over what on the surface seems simple but is much more complicated.

What we must understand is this issue has little to nothing to do with public health. Most, if not all, would agree smoking presents serious health risks to smokers and those close enough to be impacted by second-hand smoke. Few would argue against cigarettes posing serious health concerns, just lack of exercise or over-eating.

The issue, we sometimes forget when emotion enters the smoking discussion, is the ability of government to weight those health concerns against individual rights. It is, in a nutshell, bigger government vs. smaller government.

We have little doubt that if the federal government considered a nationwide smoking ban, people across Fort Payne, DeKalb County and Alabama would raise up in protest. In reality, if the Fort Payne City Council wanted to stop smoking in the city a ban on cigarettes would be more appropriate.

We understand a question about a potential cigarette smoking ban went to the people. And, we understand the outcome of that vote. However, to simplify the issue as strictly health-related is a disservice. So much more needs to be considered.

We agree some sort of smoking restriction is needed. The people, in fact, voted and expect results. The size and scope of all possible restrictions need debated publicly. Only then will the people fully understand the possibilities. The council went so far as to put a smoking question on the ballot. It seems on reasonable and respectful to put all the public’s options on the table and gauge reaction. A precedent was set with the vote.

We have heard the council talk the past few weeks of moving quickly on the smoking ban. We do not understand the hurry. We believe careful discussion of all the issues leads to the best possible decision by government. It’s important to realize government working at warp speed accomplishes little. Instead, government’s role is to carefully consider and move with caution. Anything less would deserve stern questions from the people of Fort Payne.

Secondhand Smoking effects on the women
02:51, 2008-Dec-6

 

If you need another reason to quit smoking, consider that it may diminish your chances of being a parent or grandparent. Scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center have found that women exposed to second hand cigarette smoke, either as adults or children, were significantly more likely to face fertility problems and suffer miscarriages.

An epidemiologic analysis of more than 4,800 non-smoking women showed those who were exposed to second hand six or more hours per day as children and adults faced a 68 percent greater chance of having difficulty getting pregnant and suffering one or more miscarriages. The study is published online in Tobacco Control and is one of the first publications to demonstrate the lasting effects of second hand smoke exposure on women during childbearing years.

 

"These statistics are breathtaking and certainly points to yet another danger of second hand smoke exposure," said Luke J. Peppone, Ph.D., research assistant professor at Rochester's James P. Wilmot Cancer Center.

 

In the study, four out of five women reported exposure to second hand smoke during their lifetime. Half of the women grew up in a home with smoking parents and nearly two-thirds of them were exposed to some second hand smoking at the time of the survey.

More than 40 percent of these women had difficulty getting pregnant (infertility lasting more than a year) or suffered miscarriages, some repeatedly.

 

"We all know that cigarettes and second hand  are dangerous. Breathing the smoke has lasting effects, especially for women when they're ready for children," said Peppone, who analyzed information in the Patient Epidemiology Data System, a well-studied cohort that has yielded information on a variety of cancers.

 

Peppone analyzed surveys collected from 4,804 women who visited Roswell Park Cancer Institute for health screenings or cancer care from 1982-1998. The 16-page survey focused on lifestyle, habits, family and personal health history, and occupational and environmental exposures. Each participant in this study reported that they had never smoked, and had been pregnant at least once or tried to become pregnant.

 

Participants reported whether one or both of their parents smoked and if they lived with or worked with  smokers as adults. They also estimated the amount of time they were exposed to second hand smoke.

 

Peppone acknowledges that the data is based upon self-reporting and that is not perfect. However, he said "Women, especially mothers, have extremely accurate recall. Mothers can easily recall details like how long they breastfed, what vitamins they took during prenatal care, and childhood activities."

 

Many of the women in the study grew up in the 1940s and 1950s, long before the surgeon general issued the first warning about the dangers of cigarette smoking in 1964. Since then, millions of dollars were spent to study the dangers of cigarette smoking. Tobacco use contributes to more than nearly 90 percent of all deadly lung cancers and 30 percent of all cancer deaths in the U.S., and a host of other health problems

 

Since the mid-1960s, smoking bans and government-funded, anti-smoking campaigns have encouraged smokers to quit and discouraged others from starting using a number of passive and aggressive techniques. Smoking rates have declined, however people continue to use tobacco and suffer the health risks.

 

The study was funded by a National Cancer Institute grant and was previously presented at the Society for Behavioral Medicine and Society of Research of Nicotine and Tobacco conferences.

Cancer Killer
02:44, 2008-Dec-6

By 2010, cancer will be the leading killer in the world, surpassing heart disease, causing more deaths than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

Unless new treatments are found, there could be 27 million people with cancer by 2030, and 17 million cancer deaths annually. And, there could be 75 million people living with cancer within five years after diagnosis, according to a new report, 2008 World Cancer Report, released Tuesday by the World Health Organization.

"The burden of cancer is shifting from developed countries to developing nations," Dr. Otis Webb Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, said during a teleconference. "And with a growing and aging population, we must take steps to address this problem now."
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Last year, there were about 12 million new cases of cancer and 7.6 million cancer deaths reported. Of these, 5.6 million were in developing countries with an estimated 4.7 million cancer deaths.

"The global burden of cancer has more than doubled in the past 30 years," Peter Boyle, director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer and co-author of the report, said during the teleconference. "Right now, there are 25 million people alive with cancer five years after diagnosis."

Cancer rates are growing in developing countries as people adopt western lifestyles, including smoking, high-fat diets, fast food and less physical activity.

These countries typically don't have the resources to cope with this dramatic increase in cancer. Populations in these countries are expected to grow by 38 percent by 2030. And, these countries will have a high number of older people as populations age, increasing the incidence of cancer.

Smoking is the major avoidable risk for cancer and cancer deaths around the world. Currently, some 1.3 billion people smoke cigarettes. The true burden of cancers and deaths from smoking are yet to seen. This "smoking epidemic" will be influencing cancer in developing countries for many years, according to the report.

In addition to increases in smoking-related cancers such a lung cancer, breast cancer has been increasing up to 5 percent a year in developing countries. Cervical cancer, which is preventable and treatable in developed countries, is a major cause of cancer deaths among women in the developing world. Stomach, liver, oral and cervical cancers also take a heavy toll in developing countries, according to the report.

Cancer treatment in developing nations is out of reach for many people; palliative care is the only therapy offered to more than 80 percent of cancer patients, Boyle said.

"There are currently 30 low-resource countries without a radiotherapy machine. There are 29 countries in Africa where it is legally forbidden to import morphine and opiate drugs for severe pain control," he said. "Every cancer patient has the human right to have access to all aspects of supportive and palliative care and the absolute right to die a pain-free death with dignity."