Insecurity and Cigarette Smoking: Unrequited Love!

Cigarette smoking has been a sensitive issue in our communities. It’s a most common substance used worldwide. Previously it was men who were smoking 7 times more than women, but as per current data, the gap is becoming very narrow especially in developed countries.

While cigarette smoking is becoming less in developed countries, it keeps increasing in developing countries – mostly in Asia and Africa.

One of the triggers for cigarette smoking had been found to be insecurity. Insecurity as a state of being unsure, afraid or threatened in different aspects of life has pushed many teenagers to start smoking. So what are the common insecurities?

Childhood insecurity

Children who grow up in challenging environments where they are not sure of life or depressed due to stressful conditions like single parental care or/and abusive parents have been seen to most likely start smoking at an early age with the intent of cooling their stress.

The earliest age for most children to start smoking is 15 years. One of the research done in 2014 revealed that the possibility of people starting to smoke gets lower as they grow past teenage age. Again children watching their fathers smoke are at a high risk to start smoking.

What to do?

Be careful with which environment you raise your child. Take care of your family and try to provide for your children. Don’t smoke in front of them and you will be protecting them from this dangerous addiction.

Financial insecurity

A study done in 2018 revealed that among 30 graduates who were researched, 60% of those who didn’t get employment were smokers 5 years later while only 20% of those who got employed were smoking. Financial stress is real and people tend to use cigarettes as a relief.

However cigarette smoking was seen to increase the financial strain due to addiction developed which in turn increases the need to have money to smoke.

What to do?

Cigarette doesn’t remove the stress for money, it worsens it and eventually leads to depression. Use the power of broke. Don’t smoke, just use the economic strain to work harder and find solutions.

For example the research done on smokers in Tanzania revealed the following amazing facts:

Minimum retail price for one cigarette is 150 Tshs. A normal smoker smokes about 10 cigarettes per day. Worse enough most smokers buy at retail price not wholesale. Hence a common person will necessarily need 1500 Tshs for smoking before even thinking of food and other needs!

Does cigarette really ease you financial insecurity? Think twice.

Health insecurity

Research shows health insecurity more in people diagnosed with long-term diseases like HIV & AIDS, Diabetes, Cancer, Depression and Mental diseases etc.  The stress these diseases produce makes these people use cigarettes as a way to relieve their tension. But is it worthy it?

Many researches show that the combination of nicotine from cigarette and the complication of these diseases has led to deadly outcomes.

The relationship between tobacco and cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory diseases are obvious. Smoking also plays a part in mental health illnesses. For example, smoking is known to be an independent risk factor for suicide, suicidal attempt and suicidal risk.

Also, tobacco has been pointed out as a risk factor for schizophrenia. Relating to depression, interesting study held in China pointed out that in teenagers, tobacco was only related to depression in girls.

It is important to point out that it is not just the smoker who suffers the health consequences, but also those exposed to smoke by second or third hand exposures.

Do you find yourself in the above insecurities?

Be warned not to succumb into the lowly thinking of using cigarette as a stress relief. In the long run you are creating other cravings which will sink you deeper into problems.

There is only one solution to the above insecurities: which is to solve your problems. Approach your problems and solve them….slowly or faster. Through finding solutions, you can get the true relief.

To understand more about cigarette, its consequences and why you should quit it, read my book “Sigara, Jasusi Anayetabasamu!”, which is already available at our shop.

Ansbert Mutashobya, MD.

Chief Content Officer (CCO) at Abite Afya

I’m responsible for overseeing the entire content strategy, ensuring that all published materials align with the blog’s mission, audience needs, and business goals.