Give your heart a break! Would you willingly consume carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, acetone, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, nicotine and tar? The U.S. Surgeon General reports that every puff delivers these, and 3,000 other toxic chemicals to all parts of your body. Within seconds of lighting up, nicotine in the bloodstream causes blood pressure to rise 10-20 points, and a pulse increase of 15-25 beats per minute. With each exposure to nicotine, your heart has to work harder. It’s like being on a treadmill full-tilt all day long. Carbon monoxide from smoke robs oxygen from red blood cells. Nicotine constricts the arteries by 50%. Blood platelets get sticky from the tar, and make it easier for cholesterol to build up fat deposits. Partially blocked critical arteries that circulate oxygen-rich blood to your heart, brain and extremities, can start to shut down. The result: heart attack or stroke, congestive heart failure, lung disease, and cancer. Smokers’ red blood cells carry less oxygen, creating thicker blood, and making it difficult to pump enough oxygen-rich blood to your heart, your brain, and your lower extremities.

...so, if you don’t smoke or chew, don’t start....and if you do, quit, for your heart’s sake and your body’s health. Next time you reach for a smoke, hum this revised refrain from Jerome Kern’s pop hit, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." Then, distract yourself by taking a walk, doing an activity that engages your hands and your brain, or starting a task on your "to do" list.

Most who attend Bay Regional Medical Center’s smoking cessation program recall what it was like when they smoked their first cigarette: The taste was terrible. There was coughing, nausea, and dizziness. A burning sensation in the chest. It took practice to smoke. Maybe it was peer pressure, or wanting to feel "grown up," or the thrill of doing something forbidden. Pretty soon, it became an addiction. The nicotine rush made them feel calm and in control.

For most smokers, it also takes practice to quit. Usually a lot more practice than it took to start. Sometimes a compelling reason, like a heart attack, open heart surgery, or a stroke kick starts the non-smoking lifestyle. That’s why Bay Regional encourages the smoking cessation program as part of its Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.  individuals also attend after being diagnosed with a pulmonary disease or lung cancer.  The smoking cessation program costs $50, with a $10 off coupon readily available through Bay Regional flyers and ads in The Bay City Times. Cardiac Rehab staff facilitate the clinics, which includes testimonials by those who have successfully quit smoking.

Smokers’ wallets beg for mercy:

Would you set a match to your money? Let’s say you smoke 20 cigarettes, or a pack a day. Each pack is approximately $5.50. Multiple $3.50 x 365 days. $2,007.50 per year that you’ve burned. If you put what you spend on smoking in an interest-bearing savings account (let’s say 4%) over five years, you would have $13,747. Over 10 years -- $22,077. That’s a very nice vacation for the family. Or a recreational vehicle. Or just money in the bank.

• Chemicals in cigarette smoke dull your taste buds and your nose’s ability to distinguish smells. Since smell is such an integral part of eating, food isn’t the zesty and mouth-watering experience it was before you started smoking.
• Cigarette smoke becomes a residue on your clothes, your hair and skin. A non-smoker can smell a smoker from a distance, no matter how you try to cover it.
• Chewable tobacco makes you susceptible to all forms or oral and esophageal cancer. And kissing a "chewer" … well you get the idea.
• If you’ve been a long-time smoker, notice the lines around your mouth because of muscles used to inhale smoke.
• Maybe your eyes water only a bit because you’ve become accustomed to the plume of smoke you exhale; non-smokers start tearing up right away in a smoke-filled room.
• Try to inhale deeply. (Without the cigarette). Is it difficult? When exposed to smokers, non-smokers often feel like gasping for breath. Long-time smokers may have a deep, phlegm-filled cough, become winded easily, and also feel like they must gasp for breath.

Health, cost, the annoyance factor…if any of these are enough motivation to quit, Bay Regional Medical Center conducts a smoking cessation class as an optional part of their cardiac rehabilitation program. Or, you can attend the classes separately. The classes offer knowledge and support. Your physician can prescribe medications to lessen your desire for nicotine. This one you need to do on your own. You can’t send a substitute to quit for you. A final thought: The odds of dying from smoking are 1:2; for Russian roulette, 1:6.