10 myths and realities about tobacco

On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, Iria Fernandez, a psychologist at the Center for Resilience, debunks some of the most popular claims or “excuses” among smokers. Although we will talk not only about regular tobacco, but also about electronic cigarettes.

People get sick, but I don’t have to suffer the consequences of smoking.

In addition to this statement, the psychologist adds that it is often said that “tobacco is not bad, it is natural.”

“According to data collected at AEIC, Tobacco kills up to half of its users. Explain. In absolute terms, this means that every year “7 million people die worldwide due to consumption, direct or indirect,” Fernandez emphasizes. According to Spain, tobacco is responsible for more than 50 thousand deaths; and accounts for 13% of total annual deaths. It is also important to consider how this affects quality of life.

Another false myth associated with this is that cigarettes consist only of agricultural products processed from leaves. Thus, we fall into the false idea that what comes from nature does not have to be bad. In fact, smoke from burning tobacco It contains about 4000 different substances: 69 of them are highly toxic and carcinogenic. such as nicotine, arsenic, methanol, butane and carbon monoxide are among the most well known.

Electronic cigarette is healthier

More and more people, intending to quit smoking, are beginning to choose alternatives such as e-cigarettes.

The reality is that smokers who replace tobacco with e-cigarettes continue to retain the same gestures and “vape” in the same situations as when smoking. So this is it is easier to resume tobacco use due to the persistence of “psychological dependence”.

Another additional concern given these “new ways of smoking” is that e-cigarettes have begun to be consumed among younger non-smokers, increasing the risk that they will start smoking.

Cigarettes or hookahs

Although the e-cigarette is a relatively new product, several years ago many smokers switched to other alternatives, such as rolling tobacco or pipe smoking, believing it to be healthier.

The first false myth that needs to be dispelled is that rolling tobacco it’s more useful. The reality is that this more addictive and more toxic than an industrial tobacco cigarette. It contains more carbon monoxide and nicotine, and smoking of this type of cigarette has been proven to exist. increased risk of cancer of the larynx, esophagus, pharynx and mouth.

Likewise, many people do not know that water pipes, hookahs, or hookahs, may pose even greater health risks than smoking cigarettes. The reason is that they work with coal based combustion system, which releases carbon monoxide, tar, nicotine, metals and other toxins even after contact with water that does not filter them. Smoking water pipe they inhale and emit more smoke than smoking a commercial cigarette..

Low nicotine cigarettes are not harmful

Although low nicotine and low tar cigarettes are less harmful, they are usually smoked in larger quantities to achieve the same nicotine concentration in the blood, negating their benefits and the risks are similar to those associated with regular cigarettes. People smoking light tobaccounconsciously and to compensate for lower levels of nicotine and other substances, They smoke more cigarettes and inhale more smoke. and deep, so they are just as harmful as regular cigarettes.

A little smoke won’t hurt

If you are one of those smokers who only smoke 4-5 cigarettes a day, either because you were able to cut down when you tried to quit smoking or because you have never smoked too much, you should know what to smoke a little is simply “less bad” only when we think about cancers like lung cancer, since it is true that the risk is reduced. Instead of, When you take into account the risk of a heart attack or related cardiovascular disease, the risk does not decrease, but the risk remains exactly the same.. Therefore, if you really want to restore your health, you need to quit smoking completely.

Quitting smoking makes you fat

This is one of the “most common excuses” for quitting smoking: quitting the habit is associated with weight gain. This idea has its own nuances.

On the one hand, it is true that when you quit smoking, your metabolic rate normalizes, which increases with cigarette consumption. This is why there is a risk of gaining weight, On average, the increase is about 3 kg.. Weight gain occurs because a bad smoking habit is replaced by a new one. bad eating habits or because it is used as an anxiolytica problem that must be solved on its own.

Anxiety due to withdrawal symptoms, snacking between meals, and improved taste and smell when quitting smoking contribute to weight gain. However, it must be made clear that Moderate weight gain is always healthier than the negative effects of smoking.

Relax or relieve stress

Tobacco does not have relaxing properties because it is a stimulant. The feeling of “relief” that occurs when smoking a cigarette is due to the suppression of withdrawal symptoms caused by a lack of nicotine in the brain. In fact, smoking increases anxiety and tension levels because it increases your heart rate.

When you quit smoking you feel very bad

It is true that nicotine addiction may feel uncomfortable at first when you quit smoking, but this is a temporary feeling. On the other hand, the benefits are very obvious and important and appear a few days after stopping use.

Nicotine addiction is the biggest problem

According to WHO, nicotine addiction remains in the body for 2 to 4 weeks. The biggest difficulty we face when it comes to quitting smoking is psychological addiction. This is the main problem after the first month without tobacco. This addiction is due to the various situations in which we habitually smoke cigarettes, making us want to smoke when we are exposed to them. Thus, a comprehensive tobacco cessation treatment that combines interventions to address both types of addiction is generally most recommended.

“I can leave it whenever I want.”

According to WHO, nicotine addiction remains in the body for 2 to 4 weeks. This addiction “is associated with the various situations in which we typically smoke cigarettes,” making us want to smoke when we are exposed to them. Thus, a comprehensive tobacco cessation treatment that combines interventions to address both types of addiction is generally most recommended.

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