Smoking is one of the most prevalent causes of death in the world. Nevertheless, many addicts find it extremely difficult to quit this ruinous habit. Despite the fact that many have quit smoking, others still say that they cannot rid their bodies of the addiction to nicotine. Even those who do quit, often find themselves relapsing in moments of high stress. Sometimes, peer pressure plays a vital role in one’s decision to kick the habit, Al-Riyadh daily reports.



According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization, tobacco-related diseases caused the deaths of around 100 million people in the 20th century. This public health disaster, if left unchanged, is set to claim a staggering 1 billion lives in the 21st Century. Despite the numbers, the tobacco industry is doing brisk business as the number of smokers increases every year.



Ali Al-Ghamdi decided to quit smoking two years ago during Ramadan after having been a smoker for over 30 years. He managed to stay away from cigarettes for 6 months but then traveling abroad with his friends, all of whom are smokers, he went back, slowly to the habit.



“I felt dizzy and nauseous from the first cigarette, but my friends told me to light a second one to adjust back to the habit. During my entire time abroad, I was smoking heavily and when I returned to my family, they were very shocked to see me smoking again,” he said. The repulsed looks on the faces of his family members made Al-Ghamdi rethink his decision and he decided to quit for good.



Salih Mousa said he managed to quit smoking for a while but returned to the habit when he began to gain weight. Doctors later told him his weight gain had nothing to do with smoking and that it is a habit people take on when they are stressed. “I also learned that the weight gain was from a lack of exercise and excessive food intake and I decided to kick the habit for good last Ramadan,” he said.



Mohammad Al-Hamry, a smoker for over 15 years, said he was only able to kick the habit when he took part in sporting activities and surrounded himself with non-smokers.



“Taking up sports definitely helped a lot as it improved my overall health. Surrounding myself with non-smokers also kept my head in the right place and prevented me from being negatively influenced. Smoking often starts with peer pressure or psychological or economic stresses. Smoking can break families apart or lead the children of a smoking father to follow in his footsteps,” he said.



Faisal Al-Ghamdi quit smoking 10 years ago and he described it as a life-changing experience. “I now sleep better and treat my family with a much better attitude knowing that my health is also better. There is no reason or good enough excuse for anyone to go back to the habit. Whenever you feel like putting a cigarette in your mouth, ask yourself whether smoking a cigarette will solve your problems and bring you money or is it just a fruitless activity that will bring more harm?” he said.



For Abdullah Al-Abdullah, a deeply-moving religious sermon prompted him to give up smoking for good.



“I began smoking at a very young age, probably when I was in middle school. I was surrounded by bad company, which encouraged me to smoke. My parents tried to get me to quit but nothing worked. I finally decided to quit after 12 years of smoking when I heard a religious sermon that really opened my eyes to all the damage I was inflicting on myself,” he said.



Badr Al-Bugamy, an anti-smoking activist in Jubail, said smoking in the Kingdom is common among both genders and all age groups. He cited a lack of health awareness and responsibility in the community, particularly among parents, as the main reasons smoking is so prevalent in the Kingdom.



“The determination and will to quit the habit is up to the individual himself. Many public locations such as airports and restaurants are enforcing a strict non-smoking policy but regardless of their efforts, the number of smokers in the Kingdom continues to increase. The concerned authorities and associations should cooperate to tackle this phenomenon which will in turn save many lives,” he said. — SG