Too Late To Quit?

Too Late to Quit?

The general health consequences of smoking, especially in the long-term, are widely known by both smokers and non-smokers.  As a result, it is not uncommon for people to believe in the  “I have smoked for years, so I might as well just keep on smoking” ideology.  These individuals believe that the years they have already spent smoking will inevitably cause damage to their health so there is no point in them quitting. 

This ideology does wonders to discourage people from quitting smoking.  If people will inevitably suffer cancer and respiratory illnesses, whether or not they quit smoking, what incentive is there to quit? In fact, there is a disincentive to quit, as this ideology suggests that even if someone forgoes smoking and its benefits (stress reduction, improved concentration, facilitation of social interaction with other smokers, and more), the end result will be the same. If this ideology were accurate, the only plausible path to follow would be the one with pros and cons (continuing to smoke), rather than the path that appears to solely be paved with cons (quitting smoking).

Thankfully, the “too late to quit” ideology is simply nothing more than a common misconception.  There are numerous health benefits that occur just briefly following smoking cessation, whether a person has been smoking for one year or ten years. 

 

While the short-term benefits of smoking cessation never fail to amaze, it is important to not forget the long-term benefits of smoking cessation that exist for even chronic smokers, particularly the great reduction in one’s risk of various cancers, coronary heart disease, and chronic respiratory illnesses.

At the end of the day, there remains just one take-home message: “It is never too late to quit.”

References

Hing Lam, T. (2012). Absolute Risk of Tobacco Deaths: One in Two Smokers Will Be Killed by Smoking. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 172(11), 845-846. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2012.1927.

LTPB PowerPoint 2 (Slide 25)

 The Beauty of an Ugly Addiction

Frieke Janssens, a young Belgian born photographer brings a creative touch to the art of photography. Nurturing her passion which started from the young age of 15, she works on images of lifestyle and individuals in society while trying her best to avoid clichés. She works with an eye for detail, humour and surrealism.

2 year-old Ardi Rizal is photographed smoking a cigarette.

One of her most controversial and talked about pieces is “Smoking Kids”.  

The inspiration and idea for this project came from a viral video on YouTube featuring an Indonesian toddler who started smoking at the tender age of 18 months, and reported smoking a staggering amount of two packs a day. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4c_wI6kQyE) 

Janssens states that 'the video highlighted the cultural differences between the east and west, and questioned notions of smoking being a mainly adult activity’. Adult smokers are the societal norm, so her intent was to point the viewers to the issue of smoking itself, and not the smoker.  

She carefully chose children for her portraits dressed in traditional 1920’s wear, as Victorian missionaries and British schoolmistresses. Using a dull background and surrounded by a haze of smoke, they were photographed performing the rituals of a smoker - forcing out smoke through the nose, lighting one cigarette with another, or mouthing smoke rings.

As beautiful as these children are, the expressions on their faces are sad and sickly. She has made beautiful, innocent, and pure children portray a sad and unhealthy look. Although they represent the faces of innocence and beauty, some people may find the cigarettes lingering between their fingers or pipes hovering between their lip deeply disturbing.

The photographer did not use real cigarettes during the shoot. Instead, she relied on sticks of chalk or cheese for props, and used candles and incense to create the smoke.

On her website, she states: 'I felt that seeing children smoke would have a surreal impact on the viewer and compel them to truly see the acts of smoking rather than making assumptions about the person doing it.'

In regards to the styling of the photographs, she explains: 'the culture around smoking has a retro feel. It’s like a throw back to the ‘Mad Men’ era when smoking on a plane or in a restaurant was not unusual.'

She added: 'there is a nod to less attractive aspects, on the line between the beauty and ugliness of smoking.

She intended to show that the addiction, while often unattractive, can also be the opposite, and can appear regal or sophisticated.

The unsettling photographs have the capacity to warn against the unhealthy habit as well as warning smokers against lighting up in front of their children.

A critic familiar with the artist states: 'by portraying adults as children all the attention went to the smoking. An adult would draw to much attention to the portrayed person. Thus these portraits evoke question such as: is the smoking ban the right way to get rid of an absurd addiction and are smokers treated like little kids who can’t make the difference between good and bad?'

By:  Hina Parmar, Campus Program Coordinator