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| Independence
from tobacco |
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There
is no denying that smoking is a slow and painful
form
of suicide — thousands
of Singaporeans suffer for a long time and eventually
die from diseases related to smoking. These diseases
include lung cancer, heart attack, stroke and others.
The
moment you light up your cigarette, thousands of
poisonous chemicals in the cigarette smoke enter
your body and get absorbed into the bloodstream.
The more cigarettes you smoke and the younger the
age at which you start smoking,
the greater the risk. The inhalation of tobacco smoke by non-smokers — known
as passive smoking — can also cause serious damage to their health.
If you are a smoker, you breathe in over 4,000 chemicals with every puff you
take. This includes: |
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nicotine,
which causes addiction |
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tar,
which is used to surface roads |
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arsenic,
which is a poison used to kill white ants |
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naphthalene,
which is found in mothballs |
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ammonia,
which is used in floor cleaners |
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carbon
monoxide, which is a gas found in car exhaust |
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hydrogen
cyanide, which is a gas used in gas chambers |
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Smoking
also robs you of your sexuality. If you are a
male smoker, you will have poorer sperm quality
and a lower sex drive. Smokers are also more
likely to become
impotent, which is the repeated inability to have or maintain an erection.
Menstruation and menopause are normal aspects of a woman’s life. However,
smoking disrupts these processes, leading to complications and inconveniences.
There are also repercussions for those who desire to have children. If you are
a female smoker, you are more likely to take more than a year to conceive. The
effects of smoking during pregnancy may include miscarriages and stillbirths.
After birth, they include low infant birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome.
Even if you smoke a few cigarettes a day, you are destroying the natural defences
of millions of cells in your lungs. Lung cancer can begin from a single cell
which is damaged by smoking just one cigarette. Quitting smoking and staying
smoke-free is the only way to stop the damage.
Set a good example by not smoking. Make your environment smoke-free. Persuade
your friends and family members to quit. You can do so by giving them support
and encouragement as well as referring them for smoking cessation programmes.
If you spend a lot of time with people who smoke, chances are that someone will
offer you a cigarette. Think of an excuse beforehand or politely decline and
change the subject immediately. Get a little help from your non-smoking friends
who will support your decision. All of you can then refuse the cigarette together.
When nothing else seems to work, just say “no” firmly and walk away.
Do things that are more rewarding than smoking. Set some goals for yourself.
The pride and satisfaction that you will feel when you achieve them is a feeling
that no cigarette can ever provide. Volunteer your time and energy to help those
less fortunate than yourself. Give your life a direction and a purpose by developing
your talents and pursuing your dreams.
Most people in Singapore are non-smokers. Smoking is banned in many public places
too. Do your part and work towards a smoke-free world. Stay independent from
tobacco. For more information and advice on smoking-related matters, call Quitline
at 1800-438 2000. |
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more information, call: |
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Counselling
and Care Centre at 6536
6366 |
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Care
Corner (Mandarin) at
1800 353 5800 |
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Samaritans
of Singapore (24-hour
hotline) at 1800 221
4444 |
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Singapore
Association for Mental
Health (SAMH) at 1800
283 7019 |
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Website
http://www.hpb.gov.sg
http://www.healthylife.org.sg |
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