Smoking debate rages on

It seems the smoking issue touched a chord with many of you. This week I share with you a selection of the emails I received.

Some of you hate smokers and others have told me to mind my own business and get a life! (OK, but I want a smoke free one!).

If you are a smoker and need to find the motivation to give up, then type in 'effects of cigarette smoking' to your internet search engine and read a sample of what pops up. Educating yourself about this will hopefully horrify you enough to stop.

As you will see below, one reader feels it is too late to give up but medical evidence shows that it is never too late and your body can recover and reap the benefits at any stage of your smoking career.

Another reader tells how his loving supportive wife and daughters have helped him overcome the weed and yes, Joaquim, that healthy diet rich in fruits and veggies and all those resultant vitamins, minerals and trace elements will help you feel better. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that all that TLC is what really helped you to give up!

Love can work miracles and learning to love yourself and appreciate the miracle of the human body must surely provide a compelling reason to stop killing yourself. I know it's not easy but the benefits are worth it.

If you know a smoker then try to be sympathetic and supportive. As I have learned, being judgmental and lecturing them does not work. It is up to the individual to have that 'moment' that shocks them into quitting. That's when they really need your support.

Exercising, eating healthy food, drinking green tea, focusing on a hobby, burning some clary sage essential oil, falling in love (with yourself, or someone else), eating sugar free mints, getting pregnant (sorry guys) having someone close to you get sick or getting sick yourself are all tips from readers on what motivated them to quit.

I wish Bahrain's MPs would forget about some of the embarrassingly questionable ideas they have and concentrate on banning smoking in ALL public places.

Don't they realise how much money that would save the country and how many beds that would free up in hospitals for patients who don't have self-inflicted illnesses?

Isn't it time to impose a 1000% tax on cigarettes and cigars to deter those smokers, especially young people, as statistics show that more and more youngsters in Bahrain are taking up the habit.

I know this is true, I have two sons and despite both of them being health conscious and very athletic, at 18 and 24, they are both smokers now.

Dear Betsy,

What I liked about your anti-smoking article was that after 20 years of smoking you managed to stop, so it really was a success.

I am 28 years old, have been smoking (on and off) for the last 12 years, and I usually smoke often when I have exams, or when something worries me, or after a meal.

This time I have stopped again and what has motivated me is horse riding. My goal is to concentrate on doing well at the sport and look for a chance to compete in a competition. Your article has motivated me too.

Regards,

DA.

Dear Betsy,

I smoke and I love it. It keeps me sane and stops my stress. If I couldn't smoke then I would be crazy. I know it is unhealthy but what about junk food? What about cola drinks? What about alcohol? What about stupid drivers?

It is up to me to smoke if I want to. Why should I stop if I enjoy it? I have smoked for 34 years and it would be impossible to stop now and I don't want to anyway.

It would not make any difference now anyway as whatever damage I have done to my health is not going to change.

I respect your right not to smoke, so why can't you all respect my right to smoke? My tip for giving up smoking is to tell you not to interfere in my life. I do like your articles, but you do try to interfere in peoples lives a lot. Maybe you need to get a life of your own.

Old Puffer.

Dear Betsy,

I used to smoke two packets of cigarettes a day and my wife was always angry with me. I always went outside into the garden to smoke but my daughters kept telling me to stop, although they are only nine and 11 years old. I wanted to give up for ages but my job was difficult and I needed to smoke because of the stress. However, one day I started choking and coughing and feeling bad and smoking made me feel worse. By the end of that day, eight months ago, I realised that I was killing myself.

I talked to my wife and she helped me to stop. She cooked me good dinners with lots of fruit and vegetables, just like you advised in your recent column. She takes care of me at night to make me relax and cope with the stress. She is a magical woman, she makes everything easy and happy and now I have stopped smoking.

If not for my wife I would be in a trouble with my health. I want to say thank you to her on your page - her name is Myrna.

Please continue to urge people to stop smoking. Although it is hard, if you have someone to help you it can be so much easier. My daughters are happy now, and like you say, my clothes and my no longer smell of stale tobacco. Although work is still difficult I feel better. Maybe, Betsy, it is because of the fruits and vegetables!

Thank you for your page and for helping all in Bahrain to be happy and healthy.

Joaquim.

BETSY SAYS RELAX

Learning to manage stress in everyday situations can keep us young and healthy. The simplest way to deal with a stressful situation is to remove yourself from that situation immediately.

This could mean excusing yourself and visiting the restroom, walking around the block, switching on your iPod or making a phone call to a loved one. Even a few minutes respite will prove very effective allowing your body functions to return to normal mode and giving you time to distance yourself from the problem and rethink your strategy.