D. Ориентирование в тексте. Quitting smoking

Many people who are addicted to tobacco believe that smoking has no effect on the heart, but the evidence is loaded against them. The nicotine in tobacco smoke increases your heart rate and raises your blood pressure, while the carbon monoxide cuts down the amount of oxygen that can be carried by your blood. The heart must work harder but has less oxygen supplied to it. If you smoke, the best way to reduce your risk of heart disease is to quit.

Everybody knows that smoking can cause cancer, but not everyone realizes how bad it is for the heart. Overall, cigarette smokers have a death rate from coronary heart disease that is 70% higher that that of nonsmokers. The more heavily you smoke 40 or more cigarettes a day, you are between two and three times more likely to die of heart disease than a nonsmoker.

Smoking also increases the likelihood of cerebrovascular disease (disorders of blood vessels in the brain) and thus increases the risk of stroke. It is also directly related to diseases of the arteries in the legs. Smokers make up at least 95 % of patients suffering from these diseases – which can result in gangrene and amputation of the leg.

Stop now.

A strong motivation to quit smoking is the most important factor in being successful. Some people find it easiest to go “cold turkey”, quitting all smoking at once. Many people benefit from behavior modification programs.

If you give up smoking, your risk of heart disease declines rapidly. For example, if you consume less than one pack of cigarettes a day and give up now, after about 3 years of not smoking your risk of heart disease is almost identical to that of a lifelong nonsmoker. As the years without tobacco pass, the risk diminishes for other diseases as well. Every day spent without smoking is an investment in your future health.

Why do you smoke?

Find the answer to the given questions:

1.Do you smoke out of sheer habit or whenever you are unoccupied?

2.Do you smoke because you need something to do with your hands or mouth?

3.Do you smoke only when you are with other smokers?

4.Do you smoke because you are truly addicted to nicotine?

5.Do you reach for your cigarettes as a way of relieving tension?

6.Do you smoke to help with tasks requiring mental concentration?

To help you stop smoking it is useful to think about your reasons for smoking and to decide what type of smoker you are. Answer these questions after careful consideration. Be honest in your assessment of your smoking habits. And remember – your desire to quit smoking is the most important and effective means of becoming an ex-smoker.

1. If so, you probably begin to feel restless and crave another cigarette a few minutes after finishing the previous one. You will do best with the “cold turkey” approach. Nicotine chewing gum, available by prescription, helps relieve withdrawal symptoms.

2. You must break your habit pattern. Delay your first cigarette by an hour each day, smoke less of each cigarette, don’t carry cigarettes, and sit in the “no-smoking” areas in restaurants and on airplanes. Also, try using your other hand to hold the cigarette.

3. If so, you probably have a problem with mental discipline. Physical exercise increases mental alertness and stamina and relieves depression, which will help you concentrate without cigarettes. In addition, it is difficult to smoke and exercise at the same time.

4. Many smokers reach for a cigarette to alleviate boredom. You may need a hobby that keeps your hands occupied and is mentally stimulating in a nonstressful way. To keep your mouth occupied, try chewing on coffee stirrers, toothpicks, or gum.

5. You may need to avoid socializing for a while with friends who smoke. This may seem to be a drastic measure, but consider it a short-term sacrifice that will add to the quality of your life. Once you have built up your resistance to the temptation to smoke, you can join them again.

6. In the long term, smoking can add to personal stress by impairing your health and thus your ability to cope with stress effectively. Learn some other ways of dealing with stressful situations. Smoking doesn’t solve any problems.