Risk management/Risks in cigarette smoking

Risk Management aims to facilitate the exchange of information and expertise across countries and across disciplines. Its purpose is to generate ideas and promote good practice for those involved in the business of managing risk. All too often assessments of risk are crudely made and the consequences of getting things wrong can be serious, including lost opportunities, loss of business, loss of reputation and even life.

There are many risks of smoking and the purpose of this article is to outline the specific risks that are associated with smoking.

1. Smoking kills over 400,000 people a year - making it more lethal than AIDS, automobile accidents, homicides, suicides, drug overdoses, and fires combined. Smoking may be even more dangerous now than 30 years ago, most likely because the lower tar and nicotine levels in most cigarette brands cause people to inhale more deeply.
2. Second-hand or side-stream smoke are also at risk - Smoke that is exhaled not only contains the same dangerous contaminants as inhaled smoke, but the exhaled smoke particles are smaller, so that they can reach distant sites in the lungs of involuntary or passive smokers and do great harm.
3. Smoking a cigarette raises the blood pressure by 5-10 mm Hg for about 30 minutes.
4. Greatly increases your risk of heart disease.
5. Addiction
6. Smoking Related Cancers: Adult Acute LeukemiaAdult, Chronic LeukemiaCervical,CancerEsophagus Cancer, Laryngeal Cancer, Lung Cancer, Kidney Cancer, Oropharyngeal Cancer, Pancreas Cancer, Stomach Cancer, Urinary Bladder.

How to mitigate and probably control these risks:

1. List all the reasons you want to stop - Every night before going to bed, repeat one of the reasons 10 times.
2. Decide positively that you want to stop - Try to avoid negative thoughts about how difficult it might be.
3. Develop strong personal reasons to stop in addition to your health and obligations to others.
4. Begin to condition yourself physically - start a modest exercise program; drink more fluids; get plenty of rest; avoid fatigue.
5. Have realistic expectations - stopping isn't easy, but it's not impossible either.
6. Ask your partner or friend to stop with you.