Posts filed under 'Quit Smoking'
Wedding Day Smoke Out
Fall is my favorite time for weddings. Don’t know what time of year Jennae married her husband, but on that day he committed to quit smoking, and she committed to supporting him. Thanks, Jannae for sharing hope. May you have a long, happy, healthy and smoke-free life together!
Add comment October 1, 2008
Smoking as an anti-depressant? Don’t think so.
Yesterday, I wrote about observing an increase in smoking among youth, and I got a response from someone who posted as Joe Camel. He said:
As someone who has battled depression since I was teen, I can appreciate the desire to alleviate a dark mood. I’m also the mom of a 12 year old girl, and my heart breaks when I see all the pressures on our kids. I just finished an incredibly helpful book on raising teens by child psychologist, Dr. Mike Bradley (http://www.yesyourteeniscrazy.com/), and the question he asks parents is, “With all of that stress, why wouldn’t your kid turn to chemicals?”
Though we might be vehemently anti-smoking, I do think it’s helpful to accept the reality that smoking can be attractive. It’s tempting to hammer kids with images of lung disease and stories of early deaths from cancer, but teens just aren’t thinking about attending their future grandchild’s college graduation. How else do we make our appeals?
What if we talk more openly with our teens about anxiety and depression, it’s root causes and management? Such discussions could coincide with examining tobacco marketing messages that show cigarettes as a way to relax, socialize, or stay thin.
Mr. Camel makes the claim that cigarettes are “the best antidepressant known to man.” I know many smokers feel that way, but I don’t know of any research that supports this bold assertion. I just can’t imagine looking at the smokers around me and thinking, “hmmm… smoking really seems to keep them free of depression and anxiety – maybe it will work for me.”
I wonder if at least part of the reason “1.2 people worldwide are smokers” is they get addicted at tender ages, when their bodies seem invincible, and attempts to quit, even for a day, cause unpleasant, even debilitating withdrawal symptoms.
As far as cigarettes “smelling and tasting good” to Mr. Camel, I really can’t relate. The slightest exposure makes me gasp for breath and grab my inhaler. Body chemistry is complicated, isn’t it? I’m all for adults making their own decisions. Still, with smoking being so terribly addictive and cancer-causing, I think we should pull out all the stops when it comes to preventing teens from taking that first puff.
What do you think? Comment here, or in the form of video on sharinghope.tv.
1 comment September 8, 2008
Did smoking get cool again when I wasn’t looking?
When I stumbled across this picture on the sharinghope.tv ”quitting smoking” channel , I was hoping to see a quit-smoking success story. I can never resist a person who smiles with his whole face. Sadly, this man died as a result of lung cancer. His son, known on sharinghope.tv as melhale2002, posted the picture in remembrance of his father and to remind others of the devastating effects of smoking.
I’m still on an anti-smoking kick from last week for two reasons. One, the Great American Smoke Out is only two months away and it would be awesome to see some homemade stop-smoking videos on Sharinghope.tv.
And Two? I just came back from a wedding where I watched a high percentage of twenty-something college grads duck out of the ballroom every 20 minutes or so to grab a cigarette. UGH!
Is smoking on the rise again? Are we not doing enough to convince our youth that smoking can KILL?
I lost two grandfathers because of smoking and they were only in their 50s. My sister and I used to call grandad Darth Vader because his emphasyema caused his breathing to sound just like the Star Wars villian. What I remember most of my other grandfather was the smell of his pipe. Lung cancer whittled away at his 6’2″ frame, killing him when I was just five.
I know smoking is one of the toughest habits to break, but why are so many still starting?
3 comments September 7, 2008
Can you convince people not to light up?
YouTube may have dozens of anti-smoking ads, but someone who wants to quit smoking is much more likely to turn to the American Cancer Society for advice. The SharingHope.tv Quitting Smoking channel gives you the chance to inspire others to put down those cigarettes. Tell your personal story of how you quit. Use your sense of humor to create a short anti-smoking film like the one I found on You Tube (see below). You can even encourage kids to create a short video in order to get them thinking critically about smoking. Take your best shot. You might even win a SharingHope.tv contest.
Videos are just one way you can pass along the quit-smoking message. Here’s a photo from sharinghope.tv member KristenRenee. Her mom quit smoking after 35 years and inspired others to do the same. Way to Share Hope!
Add comment September 3, 2008