Picture this scene. We were in gross anatomy lab when we were asked to cut open the chest cavity of our cadaver. Feeling squeamish yet?
What happened next was a bit of a shock. Cadavers have been soaked in formaldehyde for at least six months before they get to the lab so you might imagine that they smell like formaldehyde on the outside as well as on the inside. That wasn't the case.
When we opened the chest cavity the first thing I could smell was not formaldehyde. I could smell cigarette smoke. It was a real eye opener. Imagine my surprise when I found that this former smoker's lungs were black through and through. There were no pink spots to be found. The lungs were black on the outside and they were black on the inside.
After slicing through one of the lungs, we found that it was the same degree of blackness all the way through. Everything was black. I understood right then and there what smoking could do to the human body.
When I was a young boy, I remember that my great aunt had emphysema. I can still see the oxygen canister that was ever present in her home. It was never far away. Life has many hardships but I think some of the bitterest are the ones we bring upon ourselves.
Practically everyone knows that smoking is bad and yet so many people continue to smoke. If you are a smoker you probably have thought of quitting many times. Nicotine is very addictive. Yet, people can and do quit.
My mother was a smoker. I was stationed far away in Hawaii for my first tour in the Navy and it would still bother me whenever I thought about her smoking. One day I sent her a subliminal tape designed to help her quit. In a few weeks she reported that she did indeed quit.
Smoking increases the risk of developing many diseases such as cancer, emphysema and heart disease. Believe it or not, even the possibility of developing gum disease is increased by smoking.
The cost of cigarettes is pretty high too. I was in the store the other day and the person next to me purchased a pack of cigarettes. I was surprised to hear the clerk ask for four dollars and twenty-five cents. Some people smoke a pack or more per day. The cost adds up. Seems like cigarettes are easy prey for the taxing authorities.
I don't know how you feel, but it appears that there are plenty of good reasons to quit smoking. I still have a relative that smokes and I hope she quits too. I'd like to see her preserve and protect her health.
If you are still smoking and assuming you would like to quit, you could print this article out and read it every day for motivation. If you know of anyone who is still smoking, maybe you could send it to them for inspiration. If these stories can help a few more people it would be good.
David Snape writes for the ToBeInformed.com website, you can find resources to help you quit smoking there. Read more about gum disease at GingivitisKiller.com
Article Source: All Things Pondered
