Almost all smokers that I met through the course of my practical life indicated that they wanted to quit, yet many failed to do so. I personally worked with some doctors who worked in anti-smoking clinics in Kuwait, and I met some smokers who were addicted to nicotine and seemed to be willing to stop - but only seemed to.

Nicotine replacement products were being promoted in order to help smokers in their quest to free themselves from this obnoxious habit, but this was partially successful and highly dangerous, because they caused high blood pressure as nicotine levels in the body increased because smokers also kept lighting up.

If we study the ingredients of a cigarette, which I do not hesitate to call a “death stick”, one would drop it in a blink. This paper contains no less than 400 significant substances and much worse, produces more than 7,000 chemicals - around 100 of these chemicals are known to cause cancer and other ailments that can be avoided. These chemicals are also found in consumer products, but at least the products have labels warning about the chemicals. But in cigarettes, they are not even mentioned.

Some other chemicals include acetone - I am sure that many people know it is found in nail polish removers. Acetic acid - found in hair dye.  Ammonia - a popular household cleaner. Arsenic - a potent poison used to fight rats and mice. Benzene – found in gasoline. Butane - used in lighter fluid. Cadmium - found in batteries as an active ingredient in the acid. Carbon monoxide - produced by motor vehicles and released through the exhaust. Formaldehyde - found in laboratories to preserve animals for educational purposes and used as an embalming fluid.

Hexamine - this chemical is in barbecue lighter fluid. Lead - a metal that is highly dangerous for the blood and used in batteries. Naphthalene - found in mothballs. Methanol - the main component in rocket fuel. Our famous nicotine is used in insecticides. Tar is used in road paving mix. Toluene is used in paint.

I am sure no sane person is willing to ingest any of them in their natural form - yet when they are rolled in a small piece of paper, they become a favorite! I will leave it to you to take your first step towards a good life. Please be good to yourself and to your loved ones.

Final word: “Rather than you smoking a cigarette, the cigarette is really smoking you.” — Anthony Liccione