Smoking Addiction and Smoking Cessation

Smoking Addiction and Smoking Cessation

Introduction

It is known that smoking is harmful to health, but quitting smoking is not easy for those who are chain smokers and are addicted to this behavior. It has to be admitted that smoking causes various diseases and is a major threat to the health of not only those who smoke but also of those who live with them. Smoking has become a trend and fashion for teenagers and adults, and is affecting the environment and human health to a great extent. Every smoker knows the effects and implications of engaging in this destructive behavior but somehow feels unable to alienate himself from this life threatening weakness (Ceraso et al, 2009).

The use of tobacco causes severe health diseases and it eventually leads to death. It is a slow poison which affects the major body functions slowly and gradually. Every year more than 150,000 Americans get admitted in hospitals due to diseases caused by extensive smoking. Similarly, over 20,000 usually die each year. Therefore, in order to breakdown this chain, smoking cessation is important before it's too late. This paper will discuss smoking addiction and smoking cessation; and also discuss the potential effects of smoking addiction on appetite, stress, and health. Moreover it will also explain how smoking cessation affects appetite, stress, and health (Kassel et al, 2003).

Discussion

One of the major concerns for the Public Health Services is the increasing death rate because of lung cancer in most parts of the world particularly in the United States. Numerous studies have shown that lung cancer is causing more deaths than any other type of cancer, and it is one of the most rapidly increasing forms of cancers in the population of adult males. Statistics have shown that the death rate because of lung cancer among white men in the United States was much lower in 1930 compared to research carried out in subsequent years. This shows that the rate of deaths related to smoking has increased significantly (Ceraso et al, 2009). This magnitude of increase in the death rate has arrested the attention of almost every public health officer, private practitioner, and physician. In addition to this, most of the investigators have identified that cigarette smoking is a responsible factor for the increasing death rates of lung cancer.

The addictive properties of nicotine affect the brain instantaneously. When nicotine gets there, it stimulates the release of dopamine. This chemical messenger plays a key role in the perception of neurological pleasure. It reduces the anxiety, improves mood and memory, and reduces appetite. For someone who wants to quit, the loss of these elements truly make quitting smoking a major issue. There are also other elements in smoking that increase emotional and behavioral dependence, such as the pleasure of movement and association with good times for example, the first coffee, lunch with friends, etc.

Each time dopamine is released; dopamine receptors are put on alert. Gradually, their sensitivity is dulled and they can no longer be satisfied with the normal rate of dopamine; Hence, the smoker is tempted to smoke more, in order ...