Casual Smoking Risks – “I don’t smoke every day, I just smoke once or twice a week with friends or when I’m stressed.” – This statement has become very common among today’s youth and working professionals. ‘Social smoking’ (occasional smoking) at a party, over a cup of tea or on weekend get-togethers has come to be considered an innocent and ‘cool’ habit. People think that as long as they are not a chain smoker, their body and heart are completely safe. But does ‘fewer cigarettes’ really mean ‘safer health’?
According to health experts and cancer experts, this thinking is just an illusion. According to Dr. Akshat Malik, Senior Consultant and Head and Neck Oncologist, Apollo Hospital, Delhi.There is no such thing as a safe amount when it comes to smoking. Whether you smoke one cigarette a day or two a month, the smoke along with nicotine, carbon monoxide and dozens of carcinogenic chemicals enter your bloodstream and start wreaking havoc.
How does even a cigarette affect the body?
When you take a puff of a cigarette, the mixture of toxic chemicals passes directly through the lungs and reaches the blood vessels. This increases the chances of blood clots forming and impairs blood circulation. The result is that even occasional cigarette smokers have almost the same risk of heart disease and brain stroke as regular smokers.
Furthermore, head, neck and mouth cancer are directly related to tobacco. Many people think that cancer is caused only by heavy smoking for years, whereas the truth is that the carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) present in tobacco have the ability to damage the DNA of cells in the first place.
The journey from ‘party smoking’ to nicotine addiction
Often its origins seem innocent enough—to relieve stress, over tea or coffee, or under pressure from friends. The person thinks that he has complete control over his willpower and can release it whenever he wants. But nicotine directly attacks the ‘reward system’ of the brain. It increases the secretion of dopamine in the brain, which provides momentary relief.
Gradually the brain starts demanding to repeat this special feeling. What started as a once a week habit becomes an inevitable part of every stressful situation or every social gathering. Thus, even the smoker himself does not know when the limit of ‘occasionally’ is crossed.
Why is it important to get out of the illusion?
Anti-tobacco campaigns among youth can no longer be limited to the harms of ‘chain smoking’ alone. It is very important to break the myth related to ‘just one cigarette’. Reducing the number of cigarettes can be a good direction, but complete health security is possible only when tobacco is said goodbye completely.
Remember, there is no such thing as ‘less harmful smoking’. The first step towards a healthy and long life is to recognize the ‘one cigarette’ deception today.
FAQ
Is smoking just 1 or 2 cigarettes a week harmful to health?
yes of course. No amount of cigarettes is safe. Smoking even just one or two cigarettes introduces toxic chemicals and carbon monoxide into the body, which damage blood vessels and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
What is Social Smoking and how does it become an addiction?
Smoking cigarettes occasionally with friends, at parties or during times of stress is called social smoking. The nicotine present in it affects the reward system of the brain, due to which the person gradually becomes mentally dependent on it and this habit turns into regular smoking.
What is the risk of cancer by smoking less cigarettes?
Smoking less cigarettes does not eliminate the risk of cancer. Carcinogens present in tobacco smoke can damage the body cells even in small quantities, which increases the risk of mouth, throat and lung cancer.