Your girlfriend smokes - how to make her quit? Why do women smoke? Girls who smoke cigarettes.
I have long noticed that near shopping centers, markets and other crowded places you can constantly see women and girls smoking on the sidelines, and in numbers far superior to the male smoking community, why is this happening? It seems that now the number of smoking women is rapidly approaching the number of smoking men, and the male part of the population is now on the contrary trying to quit, and those who do not smoke and are not going to start.
Unfortunately, in the entire history of the tobacco industry, women have always been the main target of tobacco manufacturers, this is especially noticeable in advertising, by entering “cigarette advertising” in Yandex, you can see for yourself that 90 percent of advertising posters use the image of a smoking beautiful girl. Someone might say that this is to attract men, but then why portray a girl smoking?
Nowadays, the tobacco industry mainly uses to attract new customers, but back in the beginning of the century, psychoanalysis was connected for these purposes to get women hooked on cigarettes.
The owners of the tobacco industry, which experienced rapid growth in the first two decades of the 20th century, were well aware that women made up half of their potential buyers. It was clear that cigarettes had to stop being just a male product. At the same time, cigarette manufacturers feared that their attempts to impose smoking on women could cause public outcry. Advertisers and marketers understood that for smoking to become a truly mass habit, it was necessary to change the culture. Beginning with the 1928 American Tobacco advertising campaign "Choose Lucky over Sweet" 
(Lucky - from the name of the brand of cigarettes Lucky Strike), advertising cigarettes for women was associated with style and beauty. Cigarettes have not only become an accessory of a beautiful woman, but have become a symbol of style as such. Moreover, in the 1920s and 1930s, this style was associated with the struggle of women for equal social and political rights with men. A big role was played by the fact that women's smoking has become an attribute of the "good life" - the fruit of American consumer culture. Advertising images suggested that cigarettes are a symbol of chic, beauty, independence and equality. 
President of American TobaccoGeorge Washington Hillbelieved that mass advertising is only one of the marketing tools. For marketing to be effective, additional technologies must be used. Hill invitedEdward Bernays, nephew of Sigmunt Freud. Bernays' work at American Tobacco illustrates a new approach to promotion. In 1929 he wrote a public relations program for American Tobacco. "Educational work", Bernays argued, was supposed to help deal with the criticism that Hill's advertising campaigns were repeatedly attacked, and also to convince consumers that smoking is not dangerous to health.
Bernays also shared ideas with Hill on how to "improve customer experience with Lucky Strike and increase sales." For example, he suggested posting news articles in the press that would talk about cigarettes, women, beauty and smoking accessories, as well as photographs on these topics: “These will be feature articles for fashion magazines that will talk about what each an elegant woman should have a cigarette case and a mouthpiece attached to her toilet. Photos will be attached to the articles. Propaganda will be woven into the article…” It doesn’t remind you of anything…
Bernays noticed that in the 1920s slimness came into fashion, so advertising claimed that Lucky Strike cigarettes helped to stay in good shape. Enlisting the support of fashionable Parisian fashion designers and photographers, Bernays sent hundreds of photographs of thin models in haute couture to the press. 
To enhance the effect, he attracted doctors to his side, who wrote articles about the harmful effects of sugar on the body. Bernays, without mentioning his connections with American Tobacco, organized a conference on the evolution of the ideal of beauty. The artists who came to the conference argued that "the American ideal of beauty is a slender woman." Bernays also conducted a poll - a quick and flawed poll of public opinion. In his hands, the poll was not a means of researching public opinion, but an instrument of its formation. This time, Bernays secured the favor of department store managers: a survey showed that it is more profitable to have a slender figure than a full one. "According to this Lucky Strike poll," Bernays' press release stated, "a slender and fashionably dressed saleswoman earns more money for herself and her employer than her overweight female friends."
March of the Smokers
Hill began looking for new, more aggressive methods to change public opinion about women's smoking and create mass demand for cigarettes among women. Bernays recalled: “Hill called me: “How can we get women to smoke on the street? They smoke at home. But hell, most of the time they spend outside, we lose half the market, we have to force them to smoke outside. Do something. Take action!” 
Invitation to take part in the New York parade on Easter Sunday came from the lips of a feminist Ruth Hale: "Women! Light another torch of freedom! Break another sexual taboo!"
Young women marched down Fifth Avenue, a spectacular symbol of emancipated damsels and violent suffragettes. Their feat was reported in many newspapers, and as a result, a wave of nationwide discussions arose. Women's clubs denounced the disappearance of tacit bans on women smoking in public, feminists welcomed changes in social norms. Reports of women smoking on the street came from all over the country. Bernays wrote: "I realized that long-standing customs can be destroyed through a flashy, dramatic appeal spread by the media."
Green light
Bernays quickly realized the impact that cigarettes in a film could have on the viewer. Bernays knew that films could shape cultural stereotypes and consumer desires long before "product placement" became a major marketing and promotional tool.
He wrote (anonymously, of course) an article addressed to directors and producers, in which he considered a number of dramatic episodes that can be played using a cigarette: “The cigarette becomes the main actor in a silent scene or in a conversation. With its help, you can express as much meaning as it is impossible to convey in words.
Bernays compiled a list of situations in films where a cigarette can be used. He argued that by operating a cigarette, one can portray different types of personalities and different emotions. Numerous psychological images can be created with the help of a cigarette. The shy hero lights a cigarette to pull himself together before meeting his future father-in-law for the first time. The offender smokes voraciously to calm his nerves or conscience. But perhaps the most dramatic scenes are those in which the cigarette is not lit. How much meaning can be expressed by the scene when the smoker is too excited to smoke! A player who has lost the last thousand dollars in a casino takes out a cigarette with trembling hands, which falls on the floor - we understand that he is in despair. A deceived husband, abandoned by a heartless wife, reaches for a cigarette, but drops the pack, which indicates his loss. An enraged swindler, deceived by his partner, angrily breaks a cigarette, as if it were the body and soul of his former friend, whom he thus took revenge on. A cigarette put into the hands or mouth of a good actor can become an expression of meaning in any genre, from a hilarious comedy to a heartfelt tragedy.
If earlier it was mainly men who smoked, now the cigarette is becoming the companion of the modern woman all over the world. The fair sex believes that their problems go away with smoke rings. Stylish smoking accessories create an image for beauties. Girls with this bad habit can be found everywhere. Many do not even think about how huge the harm of smoking for women.
Smoking girl - the ideal of a new generation
Despite the warnings of the Ministry of Health, public organizations, advertising on television, the number of women who smoke is growing every day. They are not afraid of death and cancer. Knowing the consequences of addiction, girls follow fashion and smoke, considering themselves independent, successful and sexy.
Advertising doesn't work on stubborn women
The media is doing everything possible to show how great the harm of smoking for women is. 30% of Russian women took their first puff at the age of 12. Public organizations are simply shocked by such statistics. They do everything possible to ensure that women lead a healthy lifestyle. People with this habit are informed about what awaits them after indulging in cigarettes. huge for women. It has been scientifically proven that this habit causes diseases and the cardiovascular system. Smoking provokes the development of hereditary diseases. Lung cancer predominantly affects smokers. About half a million women in developed countries die because of this bad habit.
Why do women smoke?
The reasons why women smoke can vary. But the main ones are the following:
- With the development of emancipation, the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity adopt male habits.
- Advertising imposes the image of a sexy and happy woman with a cigarette in her hands.
- The desire to hide their self-doubt, to gain independence.
- Smoking is a kind of reaction to stressful situations.
- Poor living conditions, life shocks, unsuccessful marriages force women to pick up a cigarette.
- Many smoking girls think that it will be easier for them to meet the man of their dreams in this way.
What happens to women who smoke?
The effect of smoking on women is detrimental, it quickly changes them, and not for the better. A woman's skin begins to turn yellow and age due to a lack of nutrients. Spoiled teeth, brittle hair are the consequences of a bad habit. A smoker can be recognized by bad breath. He will be the first to be overcome by viral diseases. The immunity of a smoking girl is reduced, it is difficult for the body to fight infections. The state of health is gradually deteriorating, the forces are leaving. It becomes increasingly difficult to climb stairs due to shortness of breath. Acquired vegetative-vascular dystonia interferes with a full-fledged lifestyle. Women who smoke have problems with their menstrual cycle.
Only 35% of all women with this bad habit decide to get rid of it. The rest gradually destroy their lives. Because of this bad habit, not only the woman suffers, but also her children. Some women who smoke cannot cognize at all. They often have miscarriages, many suffer from infertility.
What harmful substances are contained in a cigarette
The number of harmful substances in cigarettes reaches more than 4 thousand. One of the most dangerous carcinogens is resin. It has a negative effect on the bronchi and lungs. It causes cancer of the lungs, mouth and larynx. Because of this component, smokers begin to cough, acquire chronic bronchitis.
Cigarettes contain a lot of toxic gases. The greatest danger is Interacting with hemoglobin, carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen supplied to tissue cells. This is the cause of oxygen starvation.
Resin causes the death of smokers, leaving its particles in the respiratory tract of a person. It causes cancer and other lung diseases. Due to the fact that the lungs lose their ability to filter, immunity decreases.
The amount of nicotine in cigarettes
Nicotine belongs to narcotic substances that stimulate the brain. It causes addiction. If you do not constantly increase its dose, it can lead to depression. Initially, nicotine excites, then it depletes. As a result of its daily use, the heart rate increases, the pressure rises. If you quit smoking, the withdrawal syndrome will last 2-3 weeks. The person will become irritable and restless, will have trouble sleeping.
60 mg of nicotine is a lethal dose that can kill a person. How much nicotine is in a cigarette? It is 60 mg of this substance that can be contained in 50 cigarettes. If you immediately smoke them, it is inevitable. Despite the fact that a person does not smoke such an amount, nicotine gradually destroys the body.
How much nicotine is in a cigarette? This figure varies. It depends on the brand of the manufacturer. Usually, the amount of nicotine in one cigarette is indicated on the side of the pack. Depending on this, they have different softness and taste, affect a person to a different extent. A low nicotine level is considered to be 0.3 mg in one piece. Most cigarettes contain 0.5 mg. There is a dosage and 1.26 mg of nicotine. There is more of this substance in domestic cigarettes than in foreign analogues.
The effect of smoking on pregnancy
Every sane woman should understand that you should not smoke during pregnancy. Girls with this bad habit give birth to weak premature babies with low weight, who subsequently get sick more often. Getting used to nicotine in the womb, the little man in the future may become a heavy smoker with criminal tendencies.
The harm of smoking for women is already huge, and if it is also during pregnancy, it is generally destructive, to a greater extent for the child himself. Harmful toxic substances contained in cigarettes pass through the placenta to the baby. The child receives more harmful substances than the smoking mother herself, experiences oxygen hunger. His tender organs are poorly developed. There is a risk of poor pregnancy outcome. In rare cases, completely healthy babies are born. They often lose weight, lag behind in mental development. Often these babies are restless and hyperactive. These children are sometimes aggressive and deceptive. They are at high risk for autism.
It should be noted that those who smoked during pregnancy may have children with facial clefts - cleft lip or
Children of such mothers are more likely than others to have diabetes or obesity by adulthood.
Boys born to mothers who smoke have smaller testicles. Their sperm count is 20% lower.
Children take a bad example from mothers who smoke. They develop addictions earlier than their peers.
Quitting smoking, a beautiful lady can start a new life, always remaining beautiful, young and happy. It's never too late to stop, you just need to want to.
I myself do not smoke and do not tolerate tobacco smoke, so the question " what if my girlfriend smokes?' I think is particularly relevant.
In general, a smoking girl, no matter how beautiful she is, automatically loses a significant part of her attractiveness in my eyes. Maybe that's why I've never had a smoking girlfriend. But, there was still some experience 🙂
It is important to understand why a person smokes. Because there are many reasons for this. For example, you can smoke from nothing to do. When there is a lot of free time, and nothing to do. Or you can start smoking for the company. Or someone may think that it is fashionable. Especially in adolescence, at school, in other educational institutions. And some smoke because it calms the nerves. There can be many reasons. And it will be a big plus if you find out the reason for smoking from your girlfriend.
In any case, never make a fuss about it. Yes, and for anyone else. This is very unproductive, and will only turn the girl against you.
So, let's try to sort out the solution to this issue, How can I get a girl to quit smoking? There are several options. Let's call them a soft option, a hard option, or you can just break up with a girl, which is also not the worst way out in certain situations.
What to do if a girl smokes
soft option
You tell a girl that you don't like smoking. You explain to her that it is harmful. Especially for a girl, as it will affect the offspring in the most negative way, not to mention her own health. You add that all these smells are unpleasant for you at the bodily level, that you get less pleasure from, from kisses and, accordingly, from with her. Suggest you quit smoking.
If the first option should have no effect on it, then the next one can be applied.
hard variant
You once again explain to her your position, which is given above, but much tougher. No scandal. Then, when she starts smoking, you show your negative mood. What would she understand that it was because of smoking. And, on the contrary, at a time when she does not smoke and takes longer breaks, you behave in a big plus.
Over time, she will become uncomfortable reaching for a cigarette, as this immediately provokes your coldness towards her.
Compromise option
You agree on a temporary transition to an electronic cigarette. This is already a much better situation, since e-cigarettes are many times safer and will not smell like a regular cigarette. And, perhaps, by switching to e-mail, over time, your girlfriend will completely give up smoking.
Remember that in such matters your girl is greatly influenced. If your friend in life listens to your opinion, consults with you, then it will not be difficult to convince her to quit smoking.
And, on the contrary, if you are under her heel, then you are unlikely to do something 🙂
My experience
As I said, I myself do not smoke and I have not had serious relationships with smoking girls. However, with those friends with whom I talked, I asked them not to smoke in my presence. And they did everything to ensure that I did not experience discomfort in connection with this. The girls, by the way, understood, and went to meet me.
Sometimes there are girls who smoke relatively infrequently. Good cigarettes. And make sure they don't smell.
If you can't convince or make your girlfriend stop smoking, and it irritates you a lot, maybe even part with it? It's also like a solution to the problem. Think about it, a person does not listen to you, sees that this is important for you, and your communication suffers from this, still continues to smoke. You can find yourself a cool non-smoking girl.
If you decide that you are ready to break up with a girl, then this may be another motivation for her.
Tell your girlfriend you'd better break up. Calmly explain the reason and tell in detail why you decided so. If she loves you and cherishes you, then she will not allow your couple to break up because of her smoking. And try to quit. Otherwise, the conclusion is even more obvious: she smokes, does not listen to you, and is ready to leave.
In any case, the choice is yours. And there are many personal nuances that should also be taken into account. Good luck!
- today it is a common occurrence on the streets of cities. Unfortunately, this fact suggests that the symbol of femininity and purity, the symbol of the mother, is being lost. A cigarette in a girl's mouth, a woman looks at least funny, I'm not talking about what harm it does to the female body.
In this article, I bring to your attention a letter from Uglov Fedor Grigorievich addressed to a smoking girl, and in general to all young people.
Uglov F.G. is a world-famous surgeon, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Medical Sciences. It was just a great Russian man. He was the oldest practicing surgeon in the world. He was the chairman of the Union of Struggle for People's Sobriety. He died at the age of 104.
So read "Letter to a Smoking Girl"
I meet hundreds of your smoking peers on the streets. I have operated on hundreds of people for lung cancer. And hundreds - I did not make a reservation - hundreds were forced to refuse, because nothing could be done ... There is nothing more difficult for a surgeon than refusing to help a patient because of his own impotence. And more than once I had to admit my impotence when it came to saving the affected lungs and the lives of long-term smokers.
In recent years, a lot of female smokers have come to the operating tables. I don't scare you. Smoking is a "voluntary" affair. Only since you have begun to read my letter, let me express my opinion, so that later your despair does not break my heart. The opinion of not only a surgeon (unfortunately, who is not able to clearly show you on these pages a cancerous tumor that strangled your lungs), but also a person who knows the value of suffering.
Hundreds of people have passed through my hands and my heart, suffering precisely from the fact that they could not give up their addiction in time. Complaints are the same and begin with the phrase: “Something is wrong with my lungs ...” Once a good friend of mine turned to me with the same words. We agreed to meet, but he came only after a few months. When his chest was opened on the operating table, it turned out that everything had already sprouted with metastases and nothing could help him. It is hard to know that the patient is dying. It's even harder that it's your close friend...
In these lines, addressed to you, there will be facts and figures found by my like-minded people. But I, a surgeon, can imagine with particular clarity what is behind these figures and percentages.
No, I will not frighten you with already banal examples that a drop of nicotine kills a horse - you are not a horse, you are a person, or that 20 cigarettes smoked daily shorten life by 8-12 years; You are young and life seems endless to you. According to British doctors, each cigarette smoked costs a smoker 15 minutes of his life. Nothing if you're only twenty. What do you care about the fact that malicious people get lung cancer 30 times more often than non-smokers, and the cause of this terrible disease in 95-98 cases out of 100 is smoking. American cardiologists give the following figures: the average age of those who died from heart attacks is 67 years, smokers - 47. You are only twenty years old, and up to forty-seven more ... Of course, this will not frighten you. And still…
With great chagrin, I see girls smoking near the school, clutching a cigarette in their fist (as they say, “pioneer style”) so that they can’t be seen from the windows. I am sorry to learn that they have learned by taking the teacher as a model.
Pain seizes my soul from the fact that in a student hostel the girls are going to smoke and chat about future marriage. I can admit that marriage is not yet visible in your plans. And so I'll tell you about something else.
Sociologists conducted an anonymous questionnaire in which they asked: why do you smoke? 60 percent of the girls answered: it is beautiful and fashionable. And 40 percent smoke because they want boys to like them. Let's say. And even in some ways we will “justify” them. Because the desire to be liked is inherent in you by nature. But let's justify it temporarily: it is useful to know the opinions of the boys.
256 young men were interviewed. They were offered three questions and, accordingly, three possible answers: positively, indifferently, negatively.
Question one:
“In your company, girls smoke. How do you feel about this? - 4% positive, 54% indifferent, 42% negative.
Question two:
“The girl you are friends with smokes. How do you feel about this? - 1% positive, 15% indifferent, 84% negative.
Question three:
"Would you like your wife to smoke?" - A storm of protests! Of the 256, only two said they didn't care. The rest strongly objected.
Now let's think together. You are a long way from surgery. You are not going to get married. Everything is fine, and you smoke. Where did this come from? In my opinion, they smoke in those companies where they gather for a fun pastime. A cigarette in your hands is like a signal: you are modern. This means that you treat love and friendship with a considerable amount of frivolity.
Boys with girls who smoke are more relaxed, and girls, in their naivete, believe that they are successful, hardly thinking that they are temporary fun. Yes, yes, you smoking girl- temporary entertainment. It seems to me that by lighting a cigarette, you cheapen yourself, humiliate your dignity, becoming not modern in the true sense of the word, but rather frivolous and more accessible. Who inspired you with the “fashion” of this terrible habit? Who has programmed you for an occupation in which your youth does not allow you to see the whole catastrophe that awaits you?
Do not be angry, but I will try to draw your future as it seems to me. And if you doubt it, look around, look at smoking women older than you.
From smoking your voice will become hoarse, your teeth will gradually turn black, deteriorate. the face will take on an earthy hue. Your sense of smell will suffer sharply and taste sensations will worsen. You've probably already noticed how often smokers spit. I don’t know if you have already noticed that the smoker’s mouth constantly smells ... This smell is so unpleasant that don’t be surprised if one of your boyfriends avoids you. You will wake up with a bitter taste in your mouth and a headache from coughing all night. Very early on, your facial skin will become wrinkled and dry. Female smokers at 25 look much older than their non-smoking peers. That's the real price of your smoking! You will not attract to yourself, but, on the contrary, you will repel any serious guy.
Try to imagine yourself next to a non-smoking peer. And if this comparison does not frighten you or you do not see the difference between you, let me tell you that your appearance is not yet the main indicator.
The sooner you start smoking, the more dangerous the poison will be for you. And if you become addicted to smoking long before age-related changes begin in you, then the development of the body will go more slowly. Under the influence of nicotine, a persistent constriction of blood vessels occurs (the oxygen content in the blood decreases due to the combination of blood hemoglobin with carbon monoxide, one of the components of tobacco smoke). When smoking under the influence of high temperature, 30 harmful substances are released from tobacco: nicotine, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, nitrogen, carbon monoxide and various essential oils. Among them, benzopyrene is especially dangerous - a 100% carcinogen (“cancer” - in Latin - cancer).
If you are inquisitive, you may be interested in the data of American researchers. They found significant amounts of polonium-210, which emits alpha particles, in tobacco smoke. When you smoke one personally, you will receive a radiation dose seven times higher than that established by the international agreement on protection from radiation.
Nicotine is a drug. This is the only way it is called by the highest body of world medicine - the World Health Organization. And this means that every year it will be more and more difficult for you. Tobacco, constricting blood vessels, not only causes increased heart function, but also worsens and destroys the activity of many body systems.
You lit a cigarette ... Then everything goes according to a well-known scheme. Nicotine causes blood vessels to dilate for a short time, increasing the blood supply to brain cells. This is followed by a sharp vasospasm, resulting in various brain disorders. Further. Nicotine disrupts the functions of the nervous system, lungs, liver, digestive organs, sex glands.
It has been irrefutably proven: you will get sick three to four times more often than your non-smoking girlfriends. The time will inevitably come when you will feel bad and constant malaise will turn your life into a burden.
But let's talk about something else. Perhaps you will be interested to know that women suffer heavily from smoking because of the more delicate structure of the body, which nature is intended for procreation. It has long been known facts that heavy smokers cannot give birth to children, since there have been profound changes in the embryonic apparatus. The most common complication caused by smoking is premature termination of pregnancy - up to 36 weeks. It is twice as common in smokers. It does not hurt you to know that women who smoke are much more likely to have prematurity and lower birth weight (yes, newborn, your child, which you probably do not think about, but your smoking will affect his viability). Smokers have a higher percentage of stillborn children and more often pathologies during childbirth. And the undoubted fact is that smoking has an extremely negative effect on the development of an already born child. Knowing this, it makes sense to think about marriage, about a husband who will be expecting a son, and there may not be a son ... And the day may come when doctors will tell you: “Unfortunately, you will never be able to give birth.”
It's hard for you to understand now. But my experience suggests hundreds of such cases. A critical moment is imperceptibly approaching, after which she can no longer give birth, although for this she is ready for anything, for any operation, for any sacrifice. And believe me, you will not be an exception: nature created you to be a mother. And no matter how you swagger today, she will make you live in the interests of children.
Trust me, a cigarette can cripple your life. Yours first. And when they prove to you that smoking is to blame for everything, you will curse yourself and your whole life. Think about the fact that you will not have children. And your husband can leave you. He will go to a less worthy than you, only because of the right to be called a father. Believe me, he can do this, because fatherly feelings are no less strong than motherly ones.
And if you smoke while pregnant, then know that it has been established by experiment: as soon as a pregnant woman smokes, after a few minutes nicotine enters (through the placenta) into the heart and brain of an unborn child. And with this poison you involuntarily poison him. Scientists have traced the developmental features of children born from mothers. These children, observed up to 5-6 years of age, lagged behind to a large extent in their physical and mental development. By the way, among children whose fathers are heavy smokers, malformations are observed twice as often.
And your child will be sick all the time. Pneumonia and bronchitis are waiting for him. In desperation, you will look for reasons, not knowing that they are in you. Even if you smoked in the corridor, on the landing - even a tiny fraction of the smoke that entered the room will be enough for your child to suddenly have a fever.
For mothers who smoke, 100% of children smoke. And your child, who considers you the most intelligent, affectionate, kind, seeing you with a cigarette, will also start smoking. And this means that you have programmed it in advance for the same torment that awaits you.
My experience suggests a scary case involving teenage smoking. In one of the boarding schools in the morning they could not wake up the boy. He died at night. An autopsy showed that he had a bad heart - because he learned to smoke early, smoked a lot, and on the eve of his death, as the guys said, he smoked "to satiety."
In families where parents smoked but then stopped, 67 percent of boys and 78 percent of girls nevertheless start smoking.
The flick of the lighter, a deep puff, and the lingering problems fly away in smoke rings. A stylish pack of cigarettes, a glamorous lighter, a souvenir ashtray have become attributes of the female image and lifestyle. Women smoke on the street, in the park, in cafes, on the playground, in the office, in movies and on billboards.
At the same time, doctors and public organizations are calling for women to give up this habit, arguing with statistical data on female mortality and oncology. We know that smoking is dangerous, but the number of women who smoke continues to rise.
Smoking, which was considered a purely male occupation, with the flourishing of the emancipation of women, became widespread in Europe, America, Russia and, gradually, around the world. Tobacco manufacturers, who make billions in profits from the sale of tobacco, cigars, cigarettes, and accessories for their use, have developed and introduced into all sectors of society a special subculture that forms the image of a successful, strong, sexy hero.
Once exclusively masculine, smoking has become feminine
Well informed but stubborn
In recent years, cigarette advertising campaigns have been more targeted towards women. Today, 30% of women in Russia smoke, many of them started smoking at the age of 12. Public organizations, frightened by the statistics, are actively promoting a healthy lifestyle. Almost every woman who smokes is aware of the dangerous changes in the body that tobacco smoking causes. Doctors have proven that tobacco smoking is the cause of many diseases, such as cancer, asthma, cardiovascular disorders, and a host of hereditary diseases. In 96.99% of cases of lung cancer, the cause of the disease is smoking, which is not surprising, because tobacco smoke contains more than 40 substances that cause cancer. More than 500,000 women die each year from the effects of smoking in developed countries.
Only 35% of women quit smoking.
Unconscious motives and imposed stereotypes
Smoking changes a woman very quickly. The skin turns yellow and ages because its cells do not receive enough nutrients. Teeth, nails and hair deteriorate, an unpleasant odor appears. Immunity is sharply reduced - acute respiratory infections, and influenza epidemics are no longer bypassed. General well-being worsens - increased fatigue, shortness of breath, vegetative-vascular dystonia interfere with an active and fulfilling lifestyle. But according to the same statistics, only 35% of women quit smoking, and the remaining 65% continue to destroy themselves daily.- Firstly, this is the unconscious desire of a woman to compete with a man, realized in the development of "male" attributes and habits.
- Secondly, it is the implementation of the styles and images introduced by tobacco companies advertising - a successful and sexy woman "from the cover."
- Thirdly, it is a compensation for a complex of self-doubt, and the desire to control one's life - through the violation of "prohibitions".
- Fourthly, it is a way of responding to stress formed in childhood (with early weaning from breastfeeding, or pacifier abuse).
The decision to quit smoking is a step towards a better quality of life.
How to quit smoking? Take the first step
The decision to quit smoking is one of the most important in a woman's life, making it - we make a choice of quality of life. The decision lies in the same plane as the choice of a permanent life partner, the birth of a child or the purchase of a house. In order to rise to a new level of quality of life, you need to go through several steps on the ladder of change.1 First stage- Exploring and accepting yourself. Here it is necessary to understand what exactly tobacco smoking does to the body and quality of life. It is important to realize how much internal ideas about oneself - appearance, state of health, attitude of others correspond to the actual state of things. To start? Just take a sheet of paper and fold it in half. On one side, describe your idea of yourself, for example: “I am completely healthy”, “My skin looks amazing”, “Teeth, of course, are yellow, but they can be whitened” and so on. Then, on the second side, it is necessary to describe as honestly as possible the look at oneself through the eyes of others. “My husband doesn’t like the fact that I smell bad”; “I often stay on sick leave - the boss is dissatisfied with me”; “I can’t explain to my son why I cough in the morning”; "I smoke 40 cigarettes a day"; “My lungs are filled with tar”, “I can’t get rid of excess weight”, and so on. Without an objective view of yourself, you can’t go any further. You can use a mirror, run behind the bus, call honest friends, friends and parents to a frank conversation. When the information is collected, we unfold the sheet and proceed to introspection. The first step gives you the opportunity to understand yourself - your capabilities and limitations. Here, the facts, causes and consequences of smoking and the impact of cigarettes on life are sorted out.
2 Second step makes a choice - how to live on? At the second stage, an important decision is made - a healthy, fulfilling life, or a lifelong sacrifice of oneself to the spirit of the tobacco leaf. If you did a good job at the first step, and the difference between the desired and the actual is obvious, the choice is obvious: “I quit smoking!”.
3 Third step cleanses the body and mind. First of all - cigarettes, a lighter, an ashtray? Solemnly sent to the trash can, in front of the whole family. When the decision is made - it does not make sense to quit smoking, gradually reducing the number of cigarettes. Cleansing herbal preparations, a bath, vitamins will help get rid of physical dependence. In extreme cases, a treatment prescribed by a toxicologist, a nicotine patch or chewing gum. Psychotherapy sessions, hypnosis, meditation, new good habits will help get rid of psychological dependence. At this stage, it is important to immediately engage in active sports - running, cycling, skiing, tennis. Sports activities will very quickly bring the body into shape, cleanse the lungs and train the heart. Regular activity is best combined with a contrast shower - it will restore the immune system, improve skin condition and vascular tone.
4 Fourth step- improving the quality of life. Quitting smoking has already brought a lot of opportunities - free money and time have appeared. The body feels much better - lightness has appeared, attacks of weakness and dizziness have passed, shortness of breath and morning cough no longer bother. The taste and smell became aggravated, and men began to make compliments. This stage offers new opportunities - hobbies that could not be afforded before. For example, diving, skydiving, cycling, mountaineering. The desire to smoke will still arise - in moments of stress, sadness, or when there is nothing to do with yourself. Yoga and Qi Gong will help to cope with stress and bring the body and soul into a harmonious state. Instead of a cigarette - breathing exercises, herbal tea, walking the dog, and tennis with friends.
5 Fifth step– a review of the past and an open look into the future. The ladder of changes led to the goal - life has already become different. At the last stage - even if you try to inhale out of curiosity - the cigarette becomes a source of discomfort. Acrid smoke, unpleasant persistent smell from fingers, aftertaste and nausea - this is what a cigarette actually does to a healthy body. The fifth step - gives you the opportunity to highly appreciate yourself and your capabilities. The opportunity to feel strong and free. It is the one who controls himself and his life.
Text: Sofia Kremleva
A photo:EAST NEWS