One end of me is fire, at the other end it is a fool. Who am I??? I simply laughed at the answer. Where another funny question came up ’Which cruel king killed most number of human beings in world history’ is it SMOKING?
The other day, I saw a poster in which a bunch of cigarettes are laid as log and a person who smoke is laying on it The poster was really thought provoking.
I remember a funny scene from a mallu film as well. Where the hero (srrenivasan?) was smoking and the other person was angry at him by saying "smoking is more injurious to others than the person who smoke". Immediately the hero gave the cigarette to the other person and said "then you smoke, I will stand here."
"SMOKING IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH". Each cigarette is printed with this statutory warning. Still not many countries ban cigarette production or its distribution. With each budget government increase the tax on cigarette, still the number of smokers increase day by day. Smoking was mainly a male habit, but as of now the number of female smokers is also considerable Smoking in public places is restricted by law in many countries. Still everybody smoke. (I took a puff for sure during my college days. But luckily it didn’t attract me and I keep a safe distance from smoking.)
Once entered into it, smoking is one of the difficult habits to off-hook. Many and many theories generated to get rid of this habit where some say it is better to stop in a day, where others says, not reducing the number day by day is the only way. Many who stopped the habit of smoking restarted it in the first possible opportunity.
When the whole world is unanimous in the opinion that Smoking is injurious to health, what make a large percentage of population to still continue with the habit?
One person generally starts smoking to see what it will taste. It is the curiosity of an adolescent mind which lands majority of the smokers in the bandwagon. The way the hero curled the smoke… what they see from elders these all influence the first puff. Generally it is not a nice experience, but the adolescent mind is not ready to accept defeat in the group and pretend that he is very comfortable and start smoking in the next possible opportunity too. Like swimming and cycling he learns it to enjoy. Sooner he becomes an addict. Generally it is the circle of friends which prompt the first puff like the first drink, the first porn picture, the first teasing, first skipping the class….
Many a time stress in work, tension at home etc. also lead some to start smoking. Breezy climate is another motivator. There are some people who can not go to toilet for morning rituals without smoking. Some cannot think seriously and work if they don’t smoke. There are many writers but cannot write without smoking.
It is definite that our nervous activity is getting a boost with smoking and it is this pleasure which makes one addict to the habit.
Check the link below to have a huge list of smokers, but who are famous.
https://nndb.com/lists/778/000064586/
The best quote comes from Plato, the philosopher. "A Woman is just a woman but a good cigar is a smoke." Sigmund Freud, a smoker endorse Plato’s opinion eventhough he later associated the smoke feel to breast feed which the child missing for many years. The nervous touch and feel at mouth is reborn with cigarette. For that matter Freud associated the entire human psychology in relation with sexual experience.
As per the Pain-Pleasure principle, only Pain or Pleasure can keep or break one from a habit. In the case of smoking the Pain comes in longer time span and the smoker don’t feel it while smoking where he get the pleasure instantly.
This however don’t nullify the physical damage smoking generate. Cancer is the number one disease and followed by heart attack, common cold & bronchitis, TB, birth defects (for children of pregnant smokers) Smoking before pregnancy can harm the chances of getting pregnant. (This does not mean that smoking is a contraceptive. Lol!!!) etc. are the major ones. Lung Cancer and Smoking is directly related and the correlation is very strong. Radioactive elements in tobacco is dangerous where Nicotine work as a great stimulant and make one addict to the habit on the one hand where it increase the adrenaline activity, raise the blood pressure, increased heart rate etc. on the other. See the link below.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tobacco_smoking
Smoking empties your pocket sooner. It loots your pocket the way it steal your health. Little by little…. Slowly, steadily & surely. If you are a chain smoker, you will be spending Rs 100/- per day I guess. Which makes Rs 36, 500/- a year and Rs 182, 500/- 5 years. Assume the amount double in 8 years
8 years = 3, 65, 000/-
16 years = 7, 30, , 000/-
24 years = 14, 60, 000/-
32 years = 29, 20, 000/-
40 years = 58, 40, 000/-
48 years = 1, 16, 80, 000/-
This is by saving Five year’s smoking!!! Your saving to your chidren/grandchildrens!!! (The money you save rest of your life you spend as you wish. I only want a 1% commission…Lol!!!)
I will not say one has to start smoking or stop smoking for grown ups. It is their personal life and personal choice. For those who wish to quit it but can’t need some advice which I am sure will be shared by fellow MSians. However, for children it should be a strict no-no. Parents should discipline their children not to enter into this habit in their teens.
Have a nice (Smoking or Non Smoking) day…