Last updated on June 23, 2015
Today’s daily prompt is called “Undo” and asked: If I could un-invent something, what would it be? Well, that’s kind of a no-brainer for the Happy Quitter. I would un-invent cigarettes…the tobacco plant would be just an unwanted weed with absolutely no purpose. Yes, I think I would like this idea.
Health officials have known that more than 1 billion people around the world smoke and 4.83 million people die each year from nicotine and tobacco-related illness, according to the World Health Organization. That’s about one person dying every six seconds. 2.41 million in developing countries and 2.43 million in rich nations. This is a world-wide problem and will not just go away by it self.
- In the last 50 years 20 million Americans have died because of smoking.
- If smoking continues at the current rate more than 5.6 millions Americans younger that 18 years today, will be dying prematurely from smoking related diseases.
- 42 millions Americans still smoke and about 3 million middle and high school students continue to smoke.
- The estimated economic costs attributable to smoking and exposure to nicotine and tobacco continue to increase and now approaches $300 billion annually…with direct medical costs of at least $130 billion and productivity losses of more than $150 billion a year.
Yes…I would undo the invention of cigarettes and cigarette related products. I knew all along it wasn’t healthy for me, I just never really wanted to know the facts. Like every other smoker I preferred to live a little bit in denial. I did notice the warning labels on the cigarettes for years…but overlooked them on each and every pack. It’s not that I can’t read…I just decided to not be bothered by some facts. Heck that might have taken the fun out of smoking a decade earlier :-).
I was a happy smoker and now I am a happy quitter. I will continue to post some “smoking hot facts” and will continue to get the word out.
If I could quit and stay quit…so can everybody.
Amen!
The numbers are brutal aren’t they?
So glad to read this. I quitted in 1974, but it showed up that I was so allergic to the smoke so when forced to be in rooms with smokers I was ill for 48 hours. Not easy as a health visitor when people in their own homes could smoke as they wished. I also felt very bad for the poor children in these smokers home. The smoking parents were not very interested in changing habits
We never smoked in the house…I never like the smell of it. Isn’t that weird? Like an oxymoron. I didn’t like the smell of smoke but smoked anyway…go figure!
The stats are gripping!
That image is such a reminder of how stupid we can be 🙂
Yes it is…sometimes pictures speak louder than words.
A really fine plan. And that one could be accomplished — with time travel, of course. And better yet, there would be no negative outcome, except that the people in tobacco growing regions would have had to find another cash crop. I like it. GREAT idea. I have had many difficult things to do in this life, but I think finally quitting smoking completely was the absolutely hardest thing I ever had to do. I did it, but not before it almost did me in.
I love time travel (I think). Right now I would travel back to July and get out of the freezing temperatures. I just came back from our walk and the dogs and I are almost frozen LOL. I don’t know why, but quitting was easier than I thought it would be. I guess I got myself ready for a few years and then just walked away. But it is a roller coaster ride and tricky. My husband still smokes and believe it or not…the smell and his routine is a good reminder for me to stay quit for good.
Congratulations on giving up. I gave up 23 years ago and it is the best thing I ever did. I’d never go back to smoking and it wasn’t as hard as I had expected. Mind you I had tried numerous times before my successful attempt. Thanks for dropping by and following. Look forward to seeing you around here, there and round about.
Thank you for your nice comment. Same here, I expected it to be much harder. It was all in my mind.
Yes I think we listen to people who say they gave up 20 years ago and every day craved a cigarette. Simply not true. In fact I became much less hyped up, dealt with stress better – in fact all the reasons people use for not giving up I found were no longer problems that were a difficulty for me. Interesting.
You really have a powerful message and personal story! It’s interesting that just today I spent some time listening to a coworker describe for me how hard it was for her to give up cigarettes a number of years ago. Cigarettes have such an insidious hold on so many. That picture just about says it all!
Thank you. Yes, you are right, it is a wicked addiction and blogging about it helped me a lot. Nice to meet you
Oooh – I’d love for that to be uninvented. I keep hoping my husband will work up the resolve to quit. I know he’s tried and I know it’s hard. Congrats to you on kicking it!
Wow. You earned that Like for your illustrations even before I read the post. Those are amazing. Amazingly creepy…
You comment just made my day 🙂 Thank you!
You’re thanking ME? You just Followed me!! Whoop-Whoop!!
Thank you! 🙂 🙂
ROFL
Good post. Having never been a smoker – no, I have never even tried one – I can only imagine the challenge in giving up. Good for you in your achievement, and for getting the word out so visibly.
Thank you so much. You might get bored with my smoking blog and might enjoy my cooking blog a little bit more 🙂
Fair enough … will check it out!
that would be my answer as well… oh, now i don’t have to write a post 😉
you’re welcome LOL
Hehe