One thing that many people want to understand is why people smoke, even when they know how bad it is for them?  There are countless excuses that people use to justify their smoking.  Here are many of peoples excuses:

• Coping with anger, stress, anxiety, tiredness, or sadness
• Smoking is pleasant and relaxing
• Smoking is stimulating
• Acceptance – being part of a group
•  As a way to socialize
•  Provides support when things go wrong
•  A way to look confident and in control
•  Keeps weight down
•  Rebellion – defining self as different or unique from a group
• A reminder to breathe
• Something to do with your mouth and hands
• Shutting out stimuli from the outside world
•  Shutting out emotions from the inside world
• Something to do just for you and nobody else
• A way to shift gears or changes states
• An way to feel confident
•  A way to shut off distressing feelings
• A way to deal with stress or anxiety
• A way to get attention
• Marking the beginning or the end of something

Now for people who do not smoke, these all seem like sad attempts to make their smoking seem alright.

Another effective way to quit smoking is chewing nicotine gum. The concept is similar to that of the nicotine patch. The gum provides nicotine to the body. The body absorbs the nicotine through the tissues in the tongue. The gum comes in individual foil wrappings and come in different flavors such as orange and mint.

To use the gum, you are supposed to chew it until it produces a tingling or “peppery” taste on your tongue. You then tuck the gum between your cheek and gum. When you no longer feel the tingling sensation, then you are directed to re-chew the gum again until the tingling comes back, then once again tuck it between your cheek and gums. The gum is said to last about thirty minutes.

23% of women smoke, despite all of the side effects it causes.  Women who smoke increase their risk of cervical cancer, heart disease, respiratory problems and more.  Women who smoke are more at risk for cancers and other problems than men are.  

One of the big downfalls of women smoking is that their fertility is reduced.  Smoking while trying to conceive is harder than trying as a non smoker.  Mothers who smoke during their pregnancy are putting their babies in serious risk.  Their babies are more at risk for birth defects and low birth weights.  Smokers are also more likely to have miscarriages, premature rupture of the membranes and placenta previa.  If you are planning on conceiving, you should quit smoking while you are pregnant as to not put your baby in danger.

If you want to learn more of the many bad effects that smoking has on women visit: http://www.womenshealthcaretopics.com/smoking_and_women.htm

Here are some smoking statistics that you may find interesting about smoking among different races in the United States.

• Among whites, 23.5 percent of men and 18.8 percent of women smoke.
• Among blacks, 26.1 percent of men and 18.5 percent of women smoke.
• Among Hispanics, 20.1 percent of men and 10.1 percent of women smoke.
• Among non-HIspanic Asians, 16.8 percent of men and 4.6 percent of women smoke.
• Among American Indians/Alaska Natives, 35.6 percent of men and 29.0 percent of women smoke.

All together, 26.2 million men in the United States and 20.9 million women in the United States smoke.  These people are at very high risks for heart attacks and strokes.