One Misconception: One cigarette in the morning will make you feel good all day
This is a self-perception of some "hardcore smokers". The first thing they do when they wake up in the morning is to light a cigarette, calling it a "morning smoke to refresh the mind".
If they don't smoke a cigarette in the morning, they feel lost and even feel like they haven't done something important. Especially for heavy smokers, they often can't wait to smoke in bed before even getting up. Yes, open their sleepy eyes and smoke a cigarette to "compensate" for the nicotine concentration that has dropped in the blood after a night of metabolism. This does indeed "boost" the spirits of those "smoke addicts".
Little do they know, after a whole night, the air in the room is stagnant and polluted, and the smoke from the cigarette is inhaled back into the lungs. In addition, smoking on an empty stomach stimulates bronchial secretion, which can eventually lead to chronic bronchitis. There is a saying: "Smoke in the morning, die early", which serves as a warning to people. Although it may be exaggerated, it does illustrate the harm and seriousness of smoking in the morning to some extent.
One Misconception: One cigarette after a meal is better than being a god
This is even more harmful misconception for smokers. After a meal, blood circulation increases, and nicotine is rapidly absorbed into the blood, making people feel excited and lightheaded, just like what smokers describe as feeling like a "god". In reality, smoking one cigarette after a meal is more harmful than smoking ten cigarettes normally.
Because after a meal, the body's calorie intake increases, and smoking at this time inhibits the secretion of proteins and bicarbonate, hindering digestion and affecting nutrient absorption. It also directly damages the stomach and duodenum, leading to gastrointestinal disorders and increased bile secretion, which can cause abdominal pain and other symptoms. Moreover, while the body is actively digesting and absorbing food, its ability to absorb the smoke from the cigarette also increases, along with the intake of harmful substances. So, it can be said that smoking after a meal brings endless harm.
One Misconception: Smoking and drinking with friends
Many people enjoy smoking while drinking, believing that when friends gather, there must be good alcohol and cigarettes to create a good atmosphere, and both are necessary. After drinking too much, lighting a cigarette and savoring it seems to bring more joy. But you may not know that the combined use of cigarettes and alcohol is more harmful than drinking or smoking alone. Because alcohol dissolves in the tobacco tar, it promotes the transfer of carcinogens to cell membranes.
Data shows that 70% of oral cancer is associated with the combined use of smoking and drinking. What's more serious is that when smoking and drinking are done simultaneously, the liver's metabolic function can only focus on clearing alcohol and it becomes difficult to attend to other tasks, leaving the toxic substances from tobacco in the body for hours or even days, increasing the harm caused by tobacco. Therefore, smoking while drinking is essentially playing with health and life.
One Misconception: Smoking in the toilet is killing two birds with one stone
This is a popular saying that has been circulating among the public for a long time, and because of its popularity, the harm is even more widespread. Many people believe that the toilet has an unpleasant odor, and smoking can dilute it. In fact, the concentration of ammonia in the toilet is higher than in other places, and the oxygen content is relatively low. Tobacco produces more sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide under low oxygen conditions. Inhaling these toxic gases along with the pathogenic bacteria in the toilet can cause great harm to the body. Smoking in the toilet can even trigger acute attacks of angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, or bronchitis in patients with coronary heart disease or chronic bronchitis.
Therefore, smokers must pay attention to the occasion and timing of smoking. Considering their own health, it is best to quit smoking.
