Friday, May 30, 2014
One person dies every six seconds due to tobacco-related diseases. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) smoking is the leading preventable cause of death. On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day, we spoke to Gulf News readers who have quit the habit of smoking and share how they overcame the addiction.
Sneha Rathod, an Indian national based in Dubai, got rid of the habit after eight long years because of a promise she made to her younger brother.
She told Gulf News: “I tried multiple times to get rid of this cancerous part of my life, but failed to do so since the attempt to quit made me hungry, irritated, lost and sleepy.
“Last year, my brother came for a visit and he didn’t approve of my smoking habit. He made me promise that I would quit smoking entirely. In my mind, I knew that this was going to be the most difficult thing for me to do. I requested him to allow me to quit for three months initially, to see how it takes a toll on me.”
She kept her promise and didn’t smoke a cigarette for three months. However, once the three months were up, she realised that she didn’t need to smoke anymore.
Rathod said: “I wish more people had the willpower and quit this disastrous habit for the sake of the family and friends that they love.”
Ikhlaq Ahmad, a Pakistani national based in Dubai, kicked the habit because of the amount of money he was spending on it.
He said: “I realised that I was spending a lot, at least Dh250 a month, just to smoke on a daily basis. Additionally, one day I was smoking at a construction site and the engineer caught me. This incident made me realise that smoking was the cause of a cough that I had constantly and I also started noticing people’s expressions of disapproval when I was smoking in their vicinity.”
Ahmad started smoking at the age of 14 years. He was intrigued when he saw his elders smoke. When they would throw away the cigarette butt, he would pick it up from the ashtray and smoke it. Only after 31 years of smoking did he decide to quit the habit.
He said: “My mother would always tell me stop smoking. Now I feel guilty that I didn’t quit while she was still alive to see it.”
Several Gulf News readers shared their experiences on our official Facebook page, too.
Charles Cunningham, a resident of Ireland, was one of them.
He wrote: “I decided to quit smoking because I have a four-year-old granddaughter and I hope to live long enough to see her grow up.”
Cunningham started smoking at the age of 16 due to the mental pressure of having to take care of his family.
He wrote: “My father died of cancer when I was 16, leaving me with much of the responsibility of our farm and younger brother and sister. At that time, I thought that smoking might make life more bearable. Cigarettes are very expensive in Ireland, almost 10 euros (Dh50) a packet, so I was spending around 300 euros (Dh1,500) per month.
“My wife and I decided that it was time to quit. After many failed attempts we decided to try electronic cigarettes. We managed to quit smoking with no problems at all and have now recently reduced to zero per cent nicotine.”
Hafis M. H., a resident of Dubai, wrote: “I used to smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day, but quit the habit a year ago. I started going to the gym and now feel good overall. Moreover, my family is happy and I can approach my two-year-old daughter anytime without the harsh smell of cigarettes in my mouth and on my hands.”
Archana Sen, a resident of Abu Dhabi, wrote: “My husband, who was a heavy smoker, quit the habit eight years ago. During that time, my five-year-old daughter was working on a project for her school about the bad effects of smoking. She was fixing a picture of a pair of black lungs, when she asked me whether her father’s lungs would be damaged in a similar manner. When I said ‘yes’, she showed the project to my husband and asked him to quit. She was making that project for public awareness and she was successful, as at least one person — my husband — quit the habit.”
Mohammad Basil, a resident of Abu Dhabi, wrote: “I’m currently a university student and picked up this bad habit when I was in school, mainly due to the wrong company. I see many of my fellow mates doing the same. Even though I have quit smoking, they continue to smoke, which has lead to worse things. I’m glad I got out; it wasn’t easy, but well worth it.”
On this day, take a moment to think about the habit of smoking. But, don’t wait six seconds…
By Rabab Khan Community Interactivity Editor
Gulf News 2014. All rights reserved.
