Module 6 Unit 3 Reading
Advice from Grandad
Dear James,
It is a beautiful day here and I am sitting under the big tree at the end of the garden. I have just returned from a long bike ride to an old castle. It seems amazing that at my age I am still fit enough to cycle 20 kilometers in an afternoon. It's my birthday in two weeks' time and I'll be 82 years old! I think my long and active life must be due to the healthy life I live.
This brings me to the real reason for my letter, my dear grandson. Your mother tells me that you started smoking some time ago and now you are finding it difficult to give it up. Believe me, I know how easy it is to begin smoking and how tough it is to stop. You see, during adolescence I also smoked and became addicted to cigarettes.
By the way, did you know that this is because you become addicted in three different ways? First, you can become physically addicted to nicotine, which is one of the hundreds of chemicals in cigarettes. This means that after a while your body becomes accustomed to having nicotine in it. So when the drug leaves your body, you get withdrawal symptoms. I remember feeling bad-tempered and sometimes even in pain. Secondly, you become addicted through habit. As you know, if you do the same thing over and over again, you begin to do it automatically. Lastly, you can become mentally addicted. I believed I was happier and more relaxed after having a cigarette, so I began to think that I could only feel good when I smoked. I was addicted in all three ways, so it was very difficult to quit. But I did finally manage.
When I was young, I didn't know much about the harmful effects of smoking. I didn't know, for example, that it could do terrible damage to your heart and lungs or that it was more difficult for smoking couples to become pregnant. I certainly didn't know their babies may have a smaller birth weight or even be abnormal in some way. Neither did I know that my cigarette smoke could affect the health of non-smokers. However, what I did know was that my girlfriend thought I smelt terrible. She said my breath and clothes smelt, and that the ends of my fingers were turning yellow. She told me that she wouldn't go out with me again unless I stopped! I also noticed that I became breathless quickly, and that I wasn't enjoying sport as much. When I was taken off the school football team because I was unfit, I knew it was time to quit smoking.
I am sending you some advice I found on the Internet. It might help you to stop and strengthen your resolve. I do hope so because I want you to live as long and healthy a life as I have.
Love from,
Grandad
How Can You Stop Smoking?
It is not easy to stop smoking, but millions have managed to quit and so can you. Here are a few suggestions.
◆ Prepare yourself. Decide on a day to quit. Don't choose a day that you know is going to be stressful, such as the day of a exam. Make a list of all the benefits you will get from stopping smoking. Then throw away your last packet of cigarettes.
◆ Be determined. Every time you feel like smoking a cigarette, remind yourself that you are a non-smoker. Reread the list of benefits you wrote earlier.
◆ Break the habit. Instead of smoking a cigarette, do something else. Go for a walk, clean your teeth, drink some water, clean the house; in fact, do anything to keep your mind and especially your hands busy.
◆ Relax. If you start to feel nervous or stressed, do not reach for a cigarette. Try some deep breathing instead. Do some relaxation exercises every time you feel stressed.
◆ Get help if you need it. Arrange to stop smoking with a friend so you can talk about your problems, or join a stop-smoking group. If you feel desperate, you might like to talk to a doctor or chemist about something to help you, like nicotine chewing gum.
◆ Keep trying. Do not be disappointed if you have to try several times before you finally stop smoking. If you weaken and have a cigarette, do not feel ashamed. Just try again. You will succeed eventually.