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reduce nicotine levels (which means
addicted smokers will have to puff
more to get their nicotine "fix"), they
cannot eliminate all dangerous tars
and gases.
Says Alan Blum, M.D. , "[From a
medica! point of view], what is 'tar'?
It
means poison- at least 2,000 solid
poisons, including arsenic and other
known cancer causers, not to mention
the toxic gases of carbon monoxide,
ammonia and cyanide"
(Medica/
World News ,
March 5, 1979).
(Cyanide is the deadly poison admin–
istered to adherents of the People's
Temple in Guyana sorne time back.
You may recall that it was mixed
with Kool-aid, bringing painful death
to over 900 hapless people. Smoking
is the equivalent of administering
cyanide and other harmful sub–
stances into the body on the install–
ment plan.)
A Harvard Medica! School health
letter gives heavy smokers these
chances of serious health problems as
compared to nonsmokers: twenty–
four times the chance of lung cancer,
nineteen times the chance of emphy–
sema, two or three times the chance
of a heart attack, plus much more
frequent incidences of mouth, lip, la–
rynx, pancreas, and urinary-bladder
cancer. ·
Mothers-to-be have twice the
chance of a miscarriage, and babies
of smoking mothers on the average
weigh less and suffer more birth de–
fects (nicotine is absorbed through
the placenta by the fetus).
. A British study says each cigarette
cuts
5
1
h
minutes from one's life–
span-over 1
Y2
hours per pack. Other
researchers cite other dangers. But
why go on?
Despite an enormous mountain of
evidence that implicates smoking in
the deaths of hundreds of thousands
annually, the cigarette indus'try will
try to muddle the issue with críes of
"lack of absolute proof." So will
many smokers. Will you?
Strategy to Quit Smoking
If
you are a smoker, you can quit
successfully, and for good. Millions
have quit smoking. Other millions,
however, have given up the attempt
after a short struggle. It is clear that
conquering nicotine or smoking ad-
The
PLAIN TRUTH August 1979
diction is not possible without deter–
mined effort and strong motivation.
Halfhearted attempts or weak con–
victions will not produce success. To
succeed, you have to buck not only
your own desires, magnified by nico–
tine addiction, but possibly strong
peer pressure as well.
There are physical and spiritual
reasons to quit smoking. We will dis–
cuss both basic physical and spiritual
principies, as it is important to mobil–
ize all available resources for the bat–
tle.
A primary purpose for quitting, of
course, will be to protect one's health
and physical well-being. It is simply
A British study says
each cigarette cuts
50
minutes f rom
one's life-span-over 10
hours per pack.
' '
illogical to destroy the intricately
balanced functions of the human
body with a host of poisons it was
never designed to ingest.
The smoking habit also subtly
creates defects in the smoker's char–
acter, attitude toward life and in his
logic and ability to reason, often to
the point that smokers will, with little
care or concern, disregard not only
their own health but the health and
well-being of others to satisfy their
enslaving habit.
To continue smoking, a smoker
must minimize or blind his mind to
proven health dangers or smoking–
related suffering, perhaps even ig–
nore telltale health warnings such as
a persistent "smoker's hack" or
shortness of breath. He must fabri–
cate lame rationali zations and
clichés, such as, "Well, you gotta die
of something!"
Many smokers have quit smoking
on their own. Sorne, however, may
need extra help from stop-smoking
clinics or health agencies. Since these
clinics or agencies vary in cost (free
to expensive) and offer many differ–
ent approaches (not all are necessari–
ly recommended or equally as good),
one needs to investigate first.
Also, individuals with a serious
health or a heavy smoking problem
should consult with a physician first.
For most, stopping smoking will in–
volve sorne degree of tough sledding.
One must be highly motivated to go
through the withdrawal and "detóx–
ifying syndrome" and also be able to
resist frequent temptations to smoke
that will come from many quarters.
Here then are sorne vital keys to
conquering the smoking habit:
•
Clearly define and write down
your objecti\ies for not smoking
(health, family, financia!, spiritual,
etc.). Keep your eyes on your goal;
never Jet it disappear or get hazy. Try
to look beyond the initial difficult
days or weeks to the time you will
happily be unshackled from tobacco
addiction.
•
Stop a/J smoking completely
-
but don ' t expect an easy time of it.
Tapering off usually does not work
for most people-simply because the
nicotine-tolerance leve! a person de–
velops críes out to be fully sa:tisfied.
The 1979 surgeon general's report
says, " Partía! abstinence from smok–
ing leads to more, rather than less,
discomfort in withdrawal." Tapering
off produces a prolonged state of
withdrawal, ca.using many to give up
and relapse to smoking.
Throw away all cigarettes (or ci–
gars or pipes). Don't carry them
around: " . .. make not provision for
the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof'
(Romans 13:14) .
•
Avoid compromising situations.
Don't Jet friends, relatives or stress–
fui situations cause you to compro–
mise and give in, "just once." You'Jl
be hooked again.. It might be best to ·
avoid smoked-filled social occasions
during your withdrawal period. Keep
busy with other things and activities.
Seek support from someone who
shares your goals.
•
Don't be discouraged or fearful
offai/ure.
lf you happen to slip, don't
give up.
'lt
may take severa! weeks to
break the back of the cigarette crav–
ing (although one must expect peri–
odic· temptations for a mucb longer
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