The World Health Organization’s statistics on the prevalence of smoking are shocking and alarming.
On the day designated as World No Tobacco Day, May 31st, the WHO’s website reports that the rate of “electronic cigarette” use among boys aged 13 to 15 has surpassed its use among adults worldwide, reaching 37 million.
This led the organization to establish a day to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking on health, a day spent without smoking. This might inspire some to quit permanently.
A Deceptive Name!
Before I share my story with the cigarette, let me ask you: Have you noticed the name adopted by tobacco and cigarette companies for the new smoking devices they produced, keeping pace with the era in which technology has invaded everything?
It is the “electronic cigarette,” or “e-cigarettes.”
What a deceptive name!
It undoubtedly targets the minds of the young, even if they are older in age, by making them believe that using an “electronic cigarette” makes them modern. They smoke an “electronic cigarette,” matching their “smart” phones, digital watches, cameras, tablets, and computers, all of which have become part of what is “trending” in modern tools.
So, anyone who wants to be “modern” must smoke an “electronic cigarette.” Thousands, even millions, have fallen and continue to fall into this electronic trap.
What has increased the appeal of the new product is the illusion of its safety to health.
My Story with the Cigarette
This World No Tobacco Day reminded me of my story with the cigarette, which, when it invaded my life, its puffs were real, unpleasant smoke, not electronic.
I was not born into a family of smokers, and smoking never crossed my mind until I finished my university studies.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in the Faculty of Arts, I decided to pursue post-graduate education. By God’s grace, I secured a good job that allowed me to support myself and buy the books I needed.
My day was divided between working in the morning at the English Girls’ College in Alexandria, attending preparatory year lectures for my master’s in the evening, and studying diligently at night.
Sometimes, I found it difficult to stay up late, especially since I wanted to maintain my academic excellence, having graduated with a “Second Class” grade.
I casually mentioned this to a friend, who suggested, “You should drink coffee with a cigarette!”
I was no stranger to coffee, having tried it before. But the cigarette was unknown to me. My dedication to my studies drove me to try what my friend suggested, may God forgive him.
The Illusionary Worlds of the Cigarette
The cigarette invaded my life. The way of holding it between two fingers, nestling it between the lips with each puff, and watching its wisps of smoke swirl around the room convinced me it was an indispensable companion, whisking me away for moments to imaginary worlds that crumble as the smoke rings dissipate above my head.
I became attached to it as its nicotine clung to my blood, and our relationship lasted fifteen years. During those years, I developed unhealthy habits known to smokers, including the morning cigarette right after waking up, the post-meal cigarette, and the social cigarette, where the goal of smoking is merely to socialise by exchanging and accepting cigarettes in smokers’ gatherings.
My Journey to Quit Smoking
When my daughter was born, the idea of quitting smoking truly came to me. I felt that if I smoked, I would fill the place with toxic smoke that could harm the pure, innocent baby, who did not deserve to suffer due to my bad habits and toxic relationship with the cigarette.
I began my journey to quit, convincing myself that I gained nothing from the cursed cigarette but ruined health, a drained wallet, and the distaste of having a smelly breath.
I made the decision. I mustered the courage to throw the remaining pack of cigarettes in the trash. I felt a great relief.
The Cigarette and the Microphone
I realised the blessing of quitting smoking later when I went to London to continue my post-graduate studies and had the chance to fulfil an old dream of mine since my youth – working in radio. The opportunity came at the BBC.
Among the skills of a successful broadcaster is the ability to break down the text he/she shares with his/her listeners into phrases and sentences of varying lengths, depending on the meanings he wishes to convey.
A broadcaster cannot read an entire text in one breath, so he/she must divide it into phrases and sentences that allow him, firstly, to regulate his breathing so he can continue, and secondly, to complete the reading simultaneously without hurting his listeners’ ears with the hissing of his inhalations. This, unfortunately, is a mistake some radio and television broadcasters make.
A broadcaster cannot fully control his breathing while reading if he/she is a smoker. Smoking deprives him/her of that ability due to its effect on the lungs and breathing process. His/her chest becomes tight, feeling as if he/she still needs more oxygen.
I personally realized this when I heard the gasps of some broadcasters in the studio during broadcasts or recordings.
This shows us the difficulty of combining the cigarette and the microphone. If you wish to maintain your relationship with the microphone, you must divorce the cigarette, as they are two rivals that cannot coexist.
