Weqaya

What are the risks of smoking?

Smoking has been shown to lead to several health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, respiratory disease, cancers (especially lung) and many other health conditions. In addition to causing early death, the symptoms caused by these smoking-related diseases can cause a large amount of distress and worsen your quality of life from a young age.

As well as affecting your health, smoking affects your skin appearance, making you look older than you are. In addition, it affects the taste of food, and can cause impotence in men. Even if you do not care about your own health and wellbeing, smoking exposes those around you to secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke is the inhalation of smoke from tobacco products used by others. If you continue to smoke, you are increasing the risk of your friends and family developing several types of cancer, as well as heart and lung diseases. Smoking also affects children- as well as increasing their chance of medical conditions such as glue ear and asthma, children of smokers are 3 times as likely to smoke as children of non-smokers.

Sheisha is not as bad as cigarettes right?

Sheisha smoking poses a serious risk to your health just as cigarettes do; filtering the smoke through water does not make it healthier. All smoking, whether it is cigars, cigarettes or midwakh, is bad for your health.

Is smoking addictive?

The nicotine in tobacco is the addictive drug. It causes changes in the brain that makes people want to use it more and more. In addition, addictive drugs cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. The good feelings that result when an addictive drug is present and the bad feelings when it's absent make breaking any addiction very difficult. The characteristics that determine tobacco addiction are similar to those that determine addiction to drugs such as heroin and cocaine. BUT WITH THE RIGHT HELP YOU CAN QUIT!

What are the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal?

• irritability
• impatience
• hostility
• anxiety
• depressed mood
• difficulty concentrating
• restlessness
• decreased heart rate
• increased appetite or weight gain

How Addicted Are You To Smoking?

The Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence. Score each of the following questions (the scores are given in brackets)

1. How soon after you wake up do you have your first cigarette?
   1. Within 5 minutes (3)
   2. 6-30 minutes (2)
   3. 31-60 minutes (1)
   4. After 60 minutes (0)



2. Do you find it difficult to refrain from smoking in places where it is forbidden, e.g., in Mosque, the library, the cinema, etc?
   1. Yes (1)
   2. No (0)



3. Which cigarette would you hate most to give up?
   1. The first one in the morning (1)
   2. All others (0)



4. How many cigarettes do you smoke per day?
   1. 10 or fewer (0)
   2. 11-20 (1)
   3. 21-30 (2)
   4. 31 or more (3)



5. Do you smoke more often during the first hours after waking than during the rest of the day?
   1. Yes (1)
   2. No (0)



6. Do you smoke even if you are so ill that you are in bed most of the day?
   1. Yes (1)
   2. No (0)

What are the benefits of stopping smoking?

Smoking poses a serious risk to your health, and the health of those around you if you force them to breathe in second hand smoke.
By stopping smoking you will reduce your risk of developing illness, disability or death caused by cancer, heart, lung disease, or circulatory problems (such as amputation).
You will improve your fertility levels and your chance of a healthy pregnancy and baby.
You will improve your breathing and general fitness.
You will enjoy the taste of food more.
Your skin appearance will improve
You will no longer smell of stale tobacco.
The appearance of your skin and teeth will improve.
Your home will smell fresh and you will no longer be staining your walls with tar. You will reduce the risk of fire in your home

Can I get help to stop smoking?

Your doctor can advise you on a number of strategies to help you quit smoking.
There are a number of aids to help you stop smoking which are available from your pharmacist; these include nicotine gums and patches.

How quickly will I feel the benefits of stopping smoking?

After...	Health Benefit...
20 minutes	Your blood pressure, pulse rate, and the temperature of your hands and feet will all return to normal.
24 hours	Anxieties peak and within two weeks should return to your normal levels.
48 hours	Anger and irritability from stopping smoking peaks.
72 hours	Breathing becomes easier and your energy levels increase.
1 month	Skin appearance improves because of improved circulation of blood.
3 to 9 months	Cough, wheezing, and breathing problems improve and lung function increases by up to 10%
1 year	Risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker
10 years	Risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker
15 years	Risk of heart attack falls to the same level as someone who has never smoked

Actions you can take