I was always a smoker. The first time I smoked a cigarette was right before I turned 12, and it was the most wonderful experience. I didn’t feel sick, only a bit dizzy and I liked this feeling very much. I was deeply unhappy and lost in this time of my life, and smoking gave me something nice, something to look forward to. Nobody knew that I smoked, it was my private sanctuary. Both my parents were heavy smokers who smoked everywhere; in the house, in the car, in bed the last thing before sleep and first thing upon waking up. My mother smoked during pregnancy and during breastfeeding. Smoking at this time was most fashionable and even attractive, remember the fashion-pictures of the time? Or the advertisements that went before:
When I started my training as a therapist it was very obvious to me that I had to stop smoking, but I couldn’t. I tried and just couldn’t. Years went by and I learned to sort of “control” my smoking. A lot of people didn’t even realize I smoked. I was always ashamed of it and made all kind of excuses to why I smoked. The main one being – of course, considering my history – emotional. Which, in a way, was true but not the whole truth. In my youth I did drugs and stopped without too big problems, so what was going on with the cigarettes?
A lot of people my age were heavily programmed with the smoking; everywhere we went – there it was; smoking in restaurants, bars, waiting rooms and in fashion. Beautiful and attractive smoking paraphernalia, advertisements… smoking was very much a part of life. Added to that, our receptors for nicotine were up and kicking just from existing in society…well, the outcome is given – smoking is the way to go! For me and a lot of others, the “ingredients” in cigarettes were part of our physical make-up, seeing as we were constantly imbued with the toxins from even before the moment of conception.
Here is a list of all the 599 known additives in cigarettes; upon reading it I was wondering if there is anything they haven’t put in there. It almost verges on being ridiculous if it wasn’t for the severe dangers of so many of the additives.
http://quitsmoking.about.com/cs/nicotineinhaler/a/cigingredients_2.htm
The nicotine that seems to have everybody so worried is only one of all the additives in cigarettes. Nicotine leaves the body quite rapidly but heavy metals and other chemicals are stored in your body-system and takes a very long time to get rid of. I would say that nicotine is only a part of the problem. Too bad not enough attention has been focused on some of the other additives: (following is taken from about.com)
Benzene
Benzene can be found in pesticides and gasoline. It is present in high levels in cigarette smoke and accounts for half of all human exposure to this hazardous chemical.
Pesticides
Pesticides are used on our lawns and gardens, and inhaled into our lungs via cigarette smoke.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a chemical used to preserve dead bodies, and is responsible for some of the nose, throat and eye irritation smokers experience when breathing in cigarette smoke.
Chemicals in Cigarettes: Toxic Metals
Toxic / heavy metals are metals and metal compounds that have the potential to harm our health when absorbed or inhaled. In very small amounts, some of these metals support life, but when taken in large amounts, can become toxic.
Arsenic
Commonly used in rat poison, arsenic finds its way into cigarette smoke through some of the pesticides that are used in tobacco farming.
Cadmium
Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal that is used in batteries. Smokers typically have twice as much cadmium in their bodies as nonsmokers.
Chemicals in Cigarettes: Poisons
Poison is defined as any substance that, when introduced to a living organism, causes severe physical distress or death. Science has discovered approximately 200 poisonous gases in cigarette smoke.
Ammonia
Ammonia compounds are commonly used in cleaning products and fertilizers. Ammonia is also used to boost the impact of nicotine in manufactured cigarettes.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is present in car exhaust and is lethal in very large amounts. Cigarette smoke can contain high levels of carbon monoxide.
Hydrogen Cyanide
Hydrogen cyanide was used to kill people in the gas chambers in Nazi Germany during World War II. It can be found in cigarette smoke.
Nicotine
Nicotine is a poison used in pesticides and is the addictive element in cigarettes.
In coming posts I will tell you my story and some of all what I discovered. Hopefully it will be of help to others, I certainly wish I had had this information from the start.
to be continued…
