STOPTOBER

Dear World

Have we all heard about STOPTOBER?

This STOP SMOKING IN OCTOBER has been going for 7 years.

This is what the official government health website is saying –

Public Health England run a campaign to stop smoking in October and this has been going since 2012.

Stoptober has driven over 1 million quit attempts to date and is the biggest mass quit attempt in the country.

It is based on research that shows that if we can stop smoking for 28 days, we are 5 times more likely to stay smoke free. (1)

When Stoptober started in October 2012 – research shows 50% increase in quitting compared with other months of the same year. (2)

Stoptober offers a range of free support to help people on their quitting journey (1)

• Download the App
• Get Email support
• Try an E-Cigarette
• Message the chatbot
• Get a personal quit plan
• Read smokers’ stories who quit
• Join Social Media community (3)
• Expert face-to-face advice from local stop smoking services. (1)
• Manage cravings with patches, gum and other nicotine replacement therapies (3)

Those who use stop smoking aids and who get face-to-face support are 4 times more likely to quit smoking successfully.

The overarching objective is to trigger significant numbers of quit attempts by increasing motivation to quit and providing products to make this quitting easier. (1)

The battle against smoking is far from over.
It is still the country’s biggest killer causing 79,000 deaths a year.
For every death, another 20 smokers are suffering from a smoking-related disease.
Professor Gina Radford | Deputy Chief Medical Officer (2017) (4)

According to the British Lung Foundation stopping smoking is the best thing we can do for our own health and the health of people around us.
It is never too late to quit and the benefits are immediate, not just our health but our finances too. (5)

Investing the money spent on cigarettes into stock markets could accrue £59,645 over 20 years if Stoptober is used to quit smoking altogether. (6)

Quitting smoking is the single best thing you can do for your heart health.
Coronary Heart Disease is the UK’s single biggest killer and by giving up smoking you will be dramatically reducing your chances of having a potentially deadly heart attack or stroke.
Dr. Mike Knapton | Associate Medical Director | British Heart Foundation 2016 (7)

GLOBAL

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems

The following information is from the World Health Organization

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are devices which heat a solution (e-liquid) to create an aerosol which is then inhaled by the user.

Electronic cigarettes are one type of ENDS.
Other names are E-Cigs | vapes | e-hookahs | vape pens

They vary in ways in which they produce toxicants and deliver nicotine due to differences in design, battery voltage, unit circuitry, possibilities for modifications and adaptability for use with substances other than nicotine.

Sales for ENDS have increased rapidly since their introduction in 2012

US$ 26.84 billion market projection by 2023

The use of products containing nicotine in any form among Youth and pregnant women, including ENDS is unsafe.

For all ENDS users, the aerosol inhaled contains toxic substances that may increase the risk of Cancer or cardiovascular or pulmonary disease.

Inhaling the aerosol exhaled by ENDS users increases exposure of non-smokers and bystanders to nicotine and a number of toxicants over existing background levels. (8)

Nicotine is addictive and ENDS use could lead people, particularly young people to take up more harmful forms of tobacco consumption.

Existing evidence shows that ENDS aerosol is not merely “water vapour” as is often claimed in the marketing for these products. (9)

Tobacco users need help to quit   

Studies show that few people understand the specific health risks of Tobacco use. (8)

HELLO 

As we all like proof – we have studies confirming that only a few of us actually understand the specific health risks of Tobacco use.

So WHY is this, when we have our so-called academic Intelligence₁?

WHY is basic education about Tobacco use not on the school agenda?

What can we do about it?

Simple Living Global is on the front foot and has taken the steps needed so that clear information can be presented without any bias about the REAL TRUTH ABOUT TOBACCO.

Our 3 part book is on this website and ready to publish in print with all the stats and facts needed to educate and bring awareness about this toxic substance that we all know is not for human consumption in any form.

For those who are currently using Tobacco, this book presents some important Questions to consider as this is needed if we are to ever get to the root cause, so that we never go back to it in years to come.

Counselling and medication can more than double a tobacco user’s chance of successful quitting.

National comprehensive cessation services with full or partial cost-coverage are available to assist tobacco users to quit in only 23 countries, which represents 32% of the world’s population.

Mass media campaigns can reduce demand for Tobacco₁ by promoting the protection of non-smokers and by convincing people to stop using Tobacco₃  (8)

UK  

2018

60% want to quit smoking    

E-cigarettes remain the country’s favourite stop smoking aid

3.2 million adult users of vaping (10)

1 in 5 age 25 – 34 smoke (11)

1 in 10 pregnant women smokers (12)

22% of ALL hospital admissions for respiratory diseases attributable to smoking

47% of admissions for cancers that can be caused by smoking attributable to smoking. (13)

85,000 people have received a lung cancer diagnosis (14)

Cancer Research UK tells us the following –

Smoking causes at least 15 different types of Cancer

• Lung
• Liver
• Stomach
• Bowel
• Cervix
• Ovarian
• Oral Cavity
• Larynx
• Oesophagus
• Bladder
• Pancreas
• Kidney
• Stomach
• Nasopharynx
• Pharynx (15)

Tobacco – World Health Organization

July 2019  

Tobacco is inherently toxic and contains carcinogens even in its natural form. (8)

Hello

Does this sentence tell us everything we need to know?

In other words, Tobacco is not for human consumption

Our World Health Organization is telling us something important here for us all to pay attention.

ALL FORMS OF TOBACCO ARE HARMFUL.

So WHY is the world not united on this and doing something about it?

WHY is the World Health Organization not on the front foot and putting a stop to this substance once and for all?

WHY are we allowing people to have access to Tobacco under the banner of Free Will and a licence to do what we want because we can?

1.1 billion smokers worldwide

Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year (8)

Cancer Research UK states that the 1 billion statistic ‘is an underestimate of total tobacco exposure worldwide as it does not include childhood smoking, smokeless tobacco or second-hand smoke’. (16)

Note – the above statistic does not include childhood smoking

So what is the real figure and can we admit we have not been great role models if our kids are using Tobacco?

The burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest in low and middle income countries.

Tobacco use contributes to poverty by diverting household spending from basic needs such as food and shelter to Tobacco.

The spending behaviour is difficult to curb because Tobacco is so addictive.

The economic costs of Tobacco use are substantial as well as the lost human capital that results from Tobacco-attributable morbidity and mortality.

In some countries, children from poor households are employed in Tobacco farming to boost family income. These children are especially vulnerable to “green tobacco sickness” which is caused by the nicotine that is absorbed through the skin from the handling of wet Tobacco₁ leaves. (8)

Dear World

How have we got to the point where a lifestyle choice is one of the biggest public health threats in our world today?

WHY have we endorsed this poison for over a century and WHY are we not all in agreement with a total ban on smoking?

Do we care enough about children sent out to work and subjected to green tobacco sickness?

WHY do we have such utter disregard for the human body that we are willing to continue smoking?

WHY does our mind have its own agenda running the show which has no respect for the human frame when it is smoking?

7,000 chemicals found in Tobacco smoke

250 known to be harmful

69 known to cause cancer (8)

100 million deaths worldwide caused by Tobacco use in 20^th century

1 billion deaths in 21^st century if current trends continue (16)

Even if there was one known chemical in Tobacco found to be harm-full to the human body – is that not enough?

We have 250 chemicals and yet we continue to produce and supply

Let us not Blame the companies making vast profits on products that are literally killing us.

Let us STOP and look at where the demand is coming from.

If we the customer stopped using tobacco – there would be no demand and so the suppliers would not have a Business. Full stop. The End.

While we are being told things will get worse and 1 billion people will die this century because of Tobacco – let us not be Fooled.

We are the consumers and it is up to each and every one of us to make changes that stop harming our body.

What will it take to turn the tides and are we ready?

There are immediate and long-term health benefits in quitting smoking for all Tobacco users.

We will not reach global targets to reduce Tobacco use and related deaths if we do not help people to quit now.
World Health Organization (9)

Cessation Support Helps Tobacco Users to Quit

Nicotine is a pharmacologically active drug that naturally occurs in the Tobacco plant and is highly addictive. It is delivered rapidly to the brain following inhalation or ingestion of Tobacco₁ products or the use of non-Tobacco₂ products that contain nicotine. (9)

So here is a fact – nicotine is found in Tobacco and it is highly addictive.

This poison goes straight to the brain and alters our natural state.

If something is highly addictive, does it explain why many who try to quit simply cannot do so despite all their efforts?

Could it be possible that sheer will is not enough when it comes to cessation forever, because we need to get to the root cause of why we started smoking in the first place?

How Quitting Tobacco Helps Our Body

Within 20 minutes       
Heart rate and Blood Pressure drop

Within 12 hours           
Carbon monoxide level drops to normal

2 – 12 weeks               
Circulation improves and lung function increases

6 weeks after quitting smokeless tobacco use
97% of oral leukoplastic lesions are completely resolved

1 – 9 months
Coughing and shortness of breath decrease

1 year later
Risk coronary heart disease half of a smoker

5 – 15 years
Risk of death due to ischemic heart disease half and risk stroke reduced to same as non-smoker

10 years
Risk of lung cancer falls to half of a smoker
Cancer risk of mouth, throat, oesophagus, bladder, cervix and pancreas decreases

15 years after quitting smoking
Risk of coronary heart disease is that of a person who never smoked (9)

It is clear from the above that our body is quick to make changes to reverse the harm caused but are we certain we have not replaced one bad habit with another?

NEXT

We have many self-help tips out there telling us stuff but it may not be enough or if we do apply it, there is a strong chance it will not continue.

Example – thinking positive may be just head talk for us and our thoughts may feel like they are not even us.

Our good intentions, promises and plans with affirmations may all sound great but because true actions speak louder than words, this may not cut it and knock out our ill behaviour patterns.

Whilst the healthy approach is easier said than done, we need to get Real and feel what is possible.

Trying to change our diet and drinking habits all at the same time may be too much, so a wise move could be simply doing one thing at a time and appreciating any changes that are made along the way and building on from that…

Read up on the facts and the stats – check out the full 3 part series on this website THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT TOBACCO

https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-tobacco-part-1/

https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-tobacco-part-2/

https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-tobacco-part-3/

Then re-read and this time around what if we answer the Questions that have been presented and see where it leads to…

Scientific studies₍₁₇₎ tell us that exercise cuts cravings so this is worth considering even if it simply starts with a 10 minute walk. 

Whilst we all know it is not easy to give up something that is highly addictive – it would be wise to consider all the Solutions that are on offer.

Many of us know people who give up smoking and then move on to nicotine lozenges and are still taking them 10 years later.

So if we are being Honest – is that really quitting or is it a band aid job?

Are we ready to admit SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT and it may have started way way back in our teens when we first took the false breath of a ciggie instead of breathing our own breath?

We have a responsibility to knock this ill habit out and Real education can bring a level of understanding to get us on our way.

However, we do need to commit to being Honest and asking Questions like ‘what on earth happened and why’?

If we do not get to the root cause of WHY we started smoking in the first place, there could be a danger of replacing one ill behaviour for another and then banging on about how great we did as we gave up smoking but instead we took on 2 more habits that are just as bad.

NEXT

We all know that the 10^th month in the year may not be the answer to quitting for life when it comes to smoking.

We have to be ready, committed and willing to look at more than just the ra ra of jumping on the bandwagon for a month, thinking we can do that.

A step by step steady and sensible approach may be a wise choice and we could include looking at when we smoke and asking the WHY Questions and keep asking WHY until we get some answers.

ADD to that a daily dose of good medicine called Honesty and chances are we are on our way to quitting.

The most important thing is to not be Fooled by our mind or by anything out there in the world.

We need to learn to re-connect first – in other words Plug In to our own body and then feel what the next step is.

This is not a race and this is not for everyone.

Those of us who are free of any form of Tobacco have a responsibility to support others and this website is doing exactly that.

A message to anyone on the Stoptober bandwagon –

We cannot fail – we can only learn from our Mistakes

Smoking is not the Truth simply because our body is telling us.

This website is here to bring awareness and support a common sense living way that works for us all.

 

References

(1) (n.d). Stoptober. www.campaignresources.phe.gov.uk Retrieved October 12, 2019 from
https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/campaigns/6-stoptober/overview

(2) Brown, J., Kotz, D., Michie, S., Stapleton, J., Walmsley, M., & West R. (2014, February 1). How Effective and Cost-Effective Was the National Mass Media Smoking Cessation Campaign ‘Stoptober’? NCBI. Retrieved October 13, 2019 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3929003/

(3) (n.d). Stoptober. NHS. Retrieved October 12, 2019 from
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/for-your-body/quit-smoking/stoptober/

(4) (2017, September 27). Highest Smoking Quit Success Rates on Record. www.gov.uk Retrieved October 14, 2019 from
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/highest-smoking-quit-success-rates-on-record

(5) (2019). Stoptober: the 28 Day Stop Smoking Challenge. British Lung Foundation. Retrieved October 12, 2019 from
https://www.blf.org.uk/take-action/campaign-with-us/stoptober

(6) Jones, J. (2019, October 1). Stoptober: How Quitting Cigarettes Can Make You £60K. The Telegraph. Retrieved October 12, 2019 from
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/investing/news/stoptober-quitting-cigarettes-can-make-60k/

(7) Public Health England. (2016, September, 20). Quitting Smoking Sweeps the Nation as Stoptober Returns. www.gov.uk Retrieved October 14, 2019 from
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/quitting-smoking-sweeps-the-nation-as-stoptober-returns

(8) (2019, July 28). Tobacco. World Health Organization. Retrieved October 13, 2019 from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco

(9) (2019). WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2019. World Health Organization. Retrieved October 14, 2019 from
https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/326043/9789241516204-eng.pdf?ua=1

(10) Public Health England. (2018, September 20). One Person Quits Smoking Every 80 Seconds in England. www.gov.uk Retrieved October 14, 2019 from
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/one-person-quits-smoking-every-80-seconds-in-england

(11) Selbie, D. (2018, July 3). Turning the Tide on Tobacco: Smoking in England Hits a New Low. www.publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk Retrieved October 14, 2019 from
https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2018/07/03/turning-the-tide-on-tobacco-smoking-in-england-hits-a-new-low/

(12) (2019, July 2). Statistics on Smoking, England – 2019. NHS Digital. Retrieved October 14, 2019 from
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-smoking/statistics-on-smoking-england-2019

(13) Statistics on Smoking, England: 2018. NHS Digital. Retrieved October 14, 2019 from
https://files.digital.nhs.uk/0C/95F481/stat-smok-eng-2018-rep.pdf

(14) (n.d). Lung Cancer Statistics. British Lung Foundation. Retrieved October 14, 2019 from
https://statistics.blf.org.uk/lung-cancer#targetText=How%20many%20people%20in%20the,have%20risen%2023%25%20since%202004.

(15) (2018, July 23). Tobacco Statistics. Cancer Research UK. Retrieved October 14, 2019 from
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/risk/tobacco#heading-Zero

(16) (2018, July 23). Tobacco Statistics. Cancer Research UK. Retrieved October 14, 2019 from
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/risk/tobacco#heading-Six

(17) (2018, October 25). 10 Self-Help Tips to Stop Smoking. NHS. Retrieved October 14, 2019 from
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking/10-self-help-tips-to-stop-smoking/