If one takes but a moment to scrutinize my author picture, you might notice a big fat cigar in my mouth. A Romeo y Juliet if I recall, and I must admit that I enjoy smoking.
It’s a pleasurable experience, and I doubt if it weren’t, many people wouldn’t have started. I also doubt many people would have such a hard time quitting either. I’m not in any position to chastise either, as I am more than well aware of the sort of miraculous, or demonic, powers of nicotine. When you’re sleepy it makes you awake, if you’re trying to go to sleep it makes you relax. Eat too much? Smoke and feel less full. Feeling hungry? Smoke and the stomach pangs are lessened. Yet everyone knows, smoking is bad for you, and I count myself lucky that I never caught the cigarette bug. A few times a year, and a cigar at an occasion are enough for me.
Yet I know, as well as most smokers’ todays, that smoking is detrimental to our health. Just here stateside, ad’s seem to run constantly, reminding us of the dangers of smoking. Slowly peeling away the skin to reveal diseased lungs, enlarged hearts, and the “Cancer Garden” that is growing. To be quite frank, I feel bad for non-smokers who have to see this. Grossness aside, the question is why do we keep doing it? Sure there’s an addictive property, which must be a hellish thing for pack-a-day smokers, but what about guys like me? The casual or social smoker.
The issue is, we’re all very likely chippers, heroin users who only use a little in the misguided belief that they aren’t really addicted. I can admit, when I feel stressed I want to smoke. It’s a test of will, each and every time I see the cigar case at my local bar. Of course, I suppose that’s the calculated risk we each take by being just social smokers. What’s worse, the potential health impact from being just a social smoker still isn’t completely understood. Suffice to say, the inhalation of smoke could hardly been considered healthy.
So we here at Unfinished Man invite you, or rather challenge you, to join us in a quest to stop sparking up for just one month. Health-On-Line has given their thoughts over on their blog, found here. You can read up more on the affects of nicotine in your system, and get some helpful tips on how to kick the habit for good.
