How to quit smoking weed
Even though it may not be as strong a drug as many others like cocaine or heroin, weed is a highly addictive drug. Once addicted, it takes a lot for the addict to quit and stay quit. But this should not discourage you from sticking to your resolve to quit using pot.

The most important thing to make sure when planning to quit is to make up your mind and be very sure of your decision to quit. Once you have made up your mind, you will have a strong will power that can help you stick to your decision of getting rid of your addiction. Once you have achieved this, it is 0only a matter of time before you completely succeed in getting rid of your addiction .

Below given are some tips that might be helpful as and when you decide to quit smoking weed.

• Get rid of any products around you that might remind you of weed or tempt you to use weed
• Avoid places and situations that might tempt you to smoke up
• Learn to deal with cravings using techniques like breathing exercises, going for a stroll or even chewing on candy or gum
• Acquire a new hobby or pursue an existing one, like playing a sport, learning to play a musical instrument or dancing.
• Tell family and friends that you are quitting and ask them for help and support
• Consult a doctor to determine if you need medications
• Keep motivating yourself to quit and stay that way

These simple steps, along with support from family and friends, and clinical support if necessary, will help you get over your addiction of weed and help you get a much better quality of life.

What are Oral Contraceptives?
Oral contraceptives are taken to avoid pregnancy or to control your menstrual cycle. Some oral contraceptives are also used for acne treatment and as an after pill to immediately prevent pregnancy.

Consult a doctor before taking oral contraceptives. After examining your blood pressure levels, persistent habits like smoking, etc the doctor will either prescribe oral contraceptives. There is no chance of oral contraceptives protecting people from sexually transmitted diseases.

The use of safe contraceptive pills depends on the physician’s advice to the patients. Family doctors can best suggest safe contraceptive pills for you. Some additional attention needs to be paid for women aged above 35 years, smokers, adolescents and women at their pre-menopausal stage.

Common Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease
Some common cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease associated with oral contraceptives and smoking includes the following:

• Heart attacks
• Blood clots or hemorrhage
• Hemorrhagic stroke
• Strokes
• Aneurysms

The risk of heart problems increases with age, that is, above 35 years and with relentless smoking ranging from 15 cigarettes/day or more. Oral contraceptives accompanied with smoking can further increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and blood clots in women. Visit a doctor regularly while you are on the oral contraceptive pills.

How Does Second- Hand Smoke Kill You

• Second-hand smoke can cause heart diseases
• Non-smokers are at a risk of developing lung cancer
• Non- smokers at work place or at work place increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25-30% and lung cancer by 20-30%
• Second-hand smoke can aggravate existing heart problem and cause a heart attack
• It causes respiratory problems among children and can affect their lung growth
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is also caused by it. Acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more frequent asthma attacks occur among children
• Even brief exposure to such smoke can be dangerous
• Most exposure to tobacco occurs in home and offices
• Almost 60% of U.S. children aged between 3-11- are exposed to smoke (source)
• Exposure to second- hand smoke can result in death
• People are also exposed to smoke in public places such as bars and restaurants and in cars

In several countries, efforts have been made to provide a smoke-free environment. In these countries, smoking has been prevented in public places to protect non-smokers. Legislation has been passed to this effect. Even cigarette smoking companies also give warnings of the bad effects of cigarette smoking. In fact, recently, suggestions have been made to ban smoking in cars, particularly when children are present. All these are conscious efforts by the respective Governments to control the bad-effects of smoking on non-smokers. After all why should non-smokers inhale the bad smoke of smokers? They also have a right to protect themselves.

In New Jersey, U.S., a judge ruled in favor of a casino dealer who claimed 10 years of exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke which was the cause of her lung cancer.(source: http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Health/2008/02/13/judge_says_second-hand_smoke_led_to_cancer/2737/)

A body of scientific evidence available has proved that efforts to create a non-smoking environment to protect non- smokers has had substantial positive effects on the health of these non-smokers. These policies have an “immediate effect on health”.(source: http://www.no-smoke.org/getthefacts.php?id=13) Restaurants and bars in smoke-free cities have less indoor pollution as compared to those that do not have smoke-free protection laws.

Campaigns have been conducted to prevent smoking and awareness has been created about the bad effects of the smoke. Despite these efforts, smoking continues. There is no safe level of smoking. Any amount of smoke, even if it is in small amounts, is also bad for health. In U.S. the National Cancer Institute conducts regular meetings and conferences to highlight the bad effects of smoking.(source)

The Health People 2010 of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has set a goal in its agenda to reduce the number of non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke from 65% to 45 % by 2010. Tobacco has been highlighted as one of the leading health indicator in its policy manual.(source) On the international scene, several countries such as New Zealand, France, Ireland, Norway etc have made workplaces, restaurants and bars smoke-free. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. has also stated that second-hand smoke is a known cause for cancer.

In Canada also parents have been advised by physicians to protect their children from second-hand smoke.(source: http://www.smoke-free.ca/eng_home/news_press_Jun99.htm) Based on statistics, it was observed that Canadian children were exposed to smoke at home. Parents often smoked without realizing the damage it caused to children.

Non-smokers are definitely at risk to health hazards caused by smokers. It is a world-wide phenomenon. Legislators and physicians have expressed much concern about reducing second-hand smoke and protecting the non-smokers from such smoke. One hopes that people will be more conscious and make an effort to smoke less.

These, along with some other products, contain high levels of nicotine which, over time, makes the individual using these products addicted. When a person tries to stop using these products, his body reacts to the sudden change and absence of the substance it has gotten used to and this causes withdrawal symptoms.

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms
Nicotine addiction causes a physiological and psychological dependency on the substance. The psychological dependency is more difficult to control than the physiological dependency because the brain gets wired to be used to nicotine in the body constantly.

Some common withdrawal symptoms for nicotine seen in addicts are shaky hands, headaches, food cravings and increase in appetite, restlessness and difficulty in concentration, irritability and sleeplessness. These can be mild or very strong depending on the amount of nicotine that the individual was addicted to, if he/she was a light user or heavy user of nicotine products.

How long do nicotine withdrawal symptoms last?
The time period for which withdrawal symptoms last vary from person to person. It depends on a variety of factors.

• Time period of regular nicotine use: Those who have been using for a longer period of time will have withdrawal symptoms that may last longer
• Amount of usage: The individual being a heavy user or light user also has an effect on the time duration and intensity of withdrawal symptoms
• Individual bodily reactions: Every individual reacts differently to nicotine and its sudden absence from the system. These reactions play a vital role in determining the time period for which the individual will experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms

Symptoms will be strong for the first few days, but may go on up to 2-3 weeks for heavy users. For withdrawal symptoms to fade away completely may take one or two months.

Experts suggest that the best way to give up smoking is to cultivate alternative activities in the form of hobbies. There are a number of healthy hobbies an ex-smoker can engage in and that will distract the person’s attention from smoking.

The psychological dependence on smoking is 90% and physical dependence is 10% for ex-smokers. Hobbies can channelize an ex-smokers thought towards healthier activities that can help reduce his or her dependence on nicotine.

Hobbies after Quitting Smoking
Some hobbies you can put your total mind and self to include the following:

Physical Motivators or Hobbies:

• Exercise
• Go for brisk walks
• Swimming
• Develop the habit of writing poems or read novels
• Develop some cooking skills
• Learn a foreign language
• Watch a movie
• Practice deep breathing to cope with the urge to smoke
• Drink plenty of water to cope with the urge to smoke
• Inform your friends and family that you have quit and to help you as often to retain the habit of not smoking
• Get enough rest and peace of mind by planning an outdoor trip
• Use nicotine replacement therapies to curb your urges to smoke

Emotional Motivators:

• Keep motivating yourself to quit smoking
• Try seeing yourself as a non-smoker
• Learn to say no to cigarettes
• Think positive

Cultivating new and healthy habits can help you manage your nicotine withdrawal and recovery symptoms effectively. So bid your anxiety, sleeplessness and loneliness goodbye by developing these hobbies after quitting smoking.

Occurrence and Symptoms
Symptoms of nicotine poisoning become visible soon after exposure. If exposure stops immediately after symptoms are seen, the poisoning does not get more severe and usually does not necessitate treatment as well, although this must not be generalized to all cases. Also, almost all cases of poisoning can be treated completely with no long lasting effects on the body.

Below mentioned are some common symptoms of poisoning by nicotine.

In mild cases of poisoning:

• abdominal cramps
• nausea
• excessive sweating
• increase in salivation

If nicotine exposure continues after appearance of symptoms, they get more severe:

• vomiting
• weakness
• paleness of skin
• strained breathing

In acute poisoning cases:

• palpitations of the heart
• fainting
• convulsions
• confusion
• coma
• may also cause death (very rare)

Diagnosis
Symptoms of poisoning by nicotine are similar to symptoms of other diseases and almost identical to those of nerve agent or organophosphate poisoning. If such symptoms are present in an individual, urine and blood tests are done to verify the presence of nicotine or cotinine, which is the metabolized form of nicotine, and to rule out other possibilities.

Treatment
The very first thing to be done when poisoning is suspected is to call the poison control center. The individual must not be forced to vomit, in case of poisoning by ingestion, if not so instructed by a doctor. In the case of poisoning by exposure to the skin, the exposed skin must be washed with soap under water for fifteen minutes.

Medical treatment for poisoning includes activated charcoal and gastric lavage or a washing of the insides of the stomach. Timely treatment can completely cure even acute poisoning without any long lasting effects on the body.

Risk group for Green Tobacco Sickness
Those most susceptible to GTS are workers who work on tobacco farms, cutting and harvesting tobacco leaves and those who load these leaves for transportation, all done with bare hands.

The most susceptible time for these workers is early mornings or in the monsoons as there are greater levels of moisture in the air as well as on the tobacco leaves themselves for nicotine to dissolve.

Symptomsof Green Tobacco Sickness
The symptoms of GTS set it between 3 to 17 hours from the time of exposure and last for 1 to 3 days, depending on the extent and severity of the exposure. Below mentioned are some common symptoms of GTS.

• Weakness
• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Abdominal cramps
• Breathing difficulty
• Abnormal temperature
• Diarrhoea
• Chills
• Fluctuations in blood pressure or heart rate
• Increased perspiration and salivation

Treatment for Green Tobacco Sickness

• Break from work
• Fluid intake
• Change of clothing
• Showering
• Rest

For severe cases

• Intravenous rehydration
• Anti-emetics
• Dimenhydrinate

Preventive measures for Green Tobacco Sickness

• Water-resistant clothing
• Chemical-resistant gloves
• Boots and socks
• Working in dry conditions
• Dimenhydrinate

Awareness among the risk group, that includes workers on farms as well as those involved in storage and transportation, is also highly essential for prevention of GTS.

Nicotine travels through the cigarette smoke to your brains and can causes psychoactive reactions which smokers cannot get rid off. The psychological, physical and emotional dependence on smoking is a result of nicotine which is an important constituent of cigarette smoke. This persistent dependence on smoking can cause significant damage top the skin.

How Can Smoking Affect Your Facial Charm
Cigarette smoke contains poisonous chemicals like carbon monoxide, nicotine, ammonia, etc which restrict the flow of oxygen into the bloodstream. Oxygen helps in flushing the impurities out. Smoking, on the other hand, helps the poisonous gases to replace the oxygen levels in the blood. Less supply of oxygen to skin cells and tissues promotes premature aging of the skin.

Smoking can destroy your facial charm in the following ways:

• Less supply of oxygen
• Smoking also destroys the skins natural repairing system
• Smoking deprives the skin of vitamin C which helps in healthy cell generation
• Smoking destroys the collagen and elastin production of the skin which gives elasticity and glow to skin
• Smoking leads to dark circles and sunken eyes
• Smoking can also cause wrinkles as a result of collagen breakdown

How Do You Restore Your Facial Charm?
You can restore your facial charm in the following ways:

• Quit smoking
• Drink plenty of fluids in the form fruits and vegetable juices
• Drink plenty of water
• Eat healthy meals
• Drink lime juice

Smoking can not only rob you off your money or cause health worries but can affect your skin and appearance too. Some experts state that “what we eat is what we are”. This is true because our looks are dependent on what we feed our body and how we treat it. A healthy appearance and outlook is therefore a reflection of how fit and healthy you are from within.

To deal with withdrawal symptoms would be a difficult task. So to maintain your focus you need to have a strong reason as to why you would want to quit smoking. Is it because you want to improve your health? Or your girlfriend wants you to? Or you are pregnant? Or you just want to try? Chose your reason. Let it be so strong that you wouldn’t even think of turning back. If your reason is not strong enough you will find yourself giving in to the test of withdrawal symptoms in no time.

The most difficult part of the withdrawal symptoms is the Craving. I know smokers who smoke a cigarette every half an hour. Such people would find it difficult to deal with cravings. But if you have determination and patience to hang on for three to four days. It will be a smooth sail thereafter.

When you crave for nicotine and don’t get it, you may have occasional headaches, indigestion, nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, lack of concentration, restlessness and sore throats. But these symptoms don’t last more than four to five days.

If you feel the craving for Nicotine, dry diverting your mind. Some people eat dark chocolates when they feel like smoking. Some people take a brisk walk down the lane and come back. Some people drink a few glasses of water. You can try any of these to divert your mind. Remember cravings last only for 5-10 minutes. If you show grit and patience during these 5-10 minutes you can overcome them.

You can also go the Muslim way. Muslims fast in the holy month of Ramadan. They do not eat, drink or smoke for 12 hours from dawn to dusk. Once they begin their fast, they control their cravings for not only smoking but something as basic as food and water. This technique will also help you. Fasting helps people detoxify their bodies and build resistance and determination.

Try this for thirty days. It seems like a long period though, but once you are through these thirty days you will realize, quitting smoking had never been easier. You will learn how to deal with cravings during your fasting. After you break your fast at dusk, you can smoke a cigarette or two, far better than smoking two packs a day, isn’t it?

As I said, all you need is a very strong reason to quit smoking for, once you have it there is no looking back.

Nicotine can not only affect you physically but can also cost you your emotions and can leave you craving for it. Smokers need to quit smoking before it’s too late to face the consequences or effects of smoking.

Health Effects of Smoking
Some disturbing health effects of smoking are listed here below:

• Smoking leads to cancer of the lungs, larynx, stomach, etc to name a few
• Poor blood circulation that can irritability, lack of concentration, headaches, etc
• Smoking increases your vulnerability to strokes and heart attacks
• Can affect others around you, children and unborn infants in pregnant mothers
• Smoking can make children vulnerable to chest infections and asthma
• Smoking can lead to miscarriages, infant deaths or premature births
• Excessive smoking can also lead to impotency in men and infertility in women
• Smoking can weaken your bones
• Smoking can cause wrinkles
• Lose your sense of taste and smell
• Poor concentration
• Lack of energy
• Mood swings

Other Risks of Smoking
Some additional risks associated with the habit of smoking are listed below:

• Yellow teeth
• Stained nails
• Smelly clothes, skin and hair
• Irritability
• Drains your finances

Stop smoking before you are or before you compel others to experience any of the above situations. It’s never too late to mend your ways but smoking can cost you a lot in terms of money, health or your loved one. So every smoker should realize how important it is for them to quit smoking – “the sooner the better”.