Health implications of cigarette smoking and other abusive substances - Nr. Abdullahi Musa

 MY CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF THE TOBACCO SMOKERS (CIGARETTE) LAST

YEAR DURING FASTING.

Him: ''Nurse Abdullahi, please let's discuss one important issue.''

Me: deeply in my mind thinking what that could be? I said to him ok, let's sit at that table under the

tree so that we can receive fresh air the town is so hot.

As we all sat.

He looked at me and said, ''you're a health practitioner right?

I replied yes, I'm a Nurse.

He also said ''I used to come in contact with your writings on social media platforms enlightening

the masses''

I replied yes, I do whenever am chanced.

He said ''please I want you to advise me on how I can get rid of cigarette smoking.''

I looked on at him smiled and said ok, like how long you're on to it, and how many sticks of

cigarette you can smoke daily?

He replied, ''I can't recall exactly the year I started but it is more than 10 years and I can take about 12, 15 up to 20 sticks each day.''

I said, please can I ask you some questions?

He replied, ''yes, by God willing I will provide you with answers if it is not beyond my

knowledge.''

Me: ''what do you understand by the term fasting?''

He smiled and then, replied, ''fasting is an act of depriving oneself of eating, drinking, smoking,

sexual intercourse, and avoiding all other actions that can terminate it from dawn to sunset.''

I further asked him, ''why can't you continue taking your cigarette even when you're carrying the

fasting and abstain only from eating, drinking, and others?''

He laughed rigorously and said ''because if I do so even at once it terminates my fasting which

attracts 60 days of fasting uninterruptedly.''

I said ok, let me ask you again, ''how many hours it takes someone to break the fasting?''

He replied, ''13 to 14 hours approximately.''

I said ok, please can I ask you another question?

He replied, ''yes go on.''

''If you deduct 14 hours out of the whole hours in a day how many hours remain?''

He said, ''10 hours.''

Afterward, I said to him, ''out of these 10 hours if you deduct hours for sleeping and the time you

will wake up to prepare for the next fasting you have only 3 hours free, for instance, if you break

up your fast by 7pm and go to the bed by 10pm. So, that means out of 24 hours in a day you have

only 3 hours for eating, drinking, smoking and other things. Meanwhile, despite the restriction and

craving for smoking you still survive.''

I called him by his Mr. Bold and said ''this is my last question for you, although whether you

give me the answer or not I will similarly, give you a chance to ask me a question(s) which by

God grace I will provide you with an answer(s) at the sametime offer assistance on how you

can get rid of this situation.''

The question is, ''can you tell me the benefit of cigarette smoking and other abusive substances to

your health or any other benefit you can think of?''

He ceased for awhile and later said, ''actually I don't know any.''

So now, you are free to ask me any question(s).

He said, ''nurse my question to you is, what are the effects of smoking cigarette and other abusive

substances on our health and others?''

I replied, ''the health effects of cigarette smoking and other abusive substances are enormous but

below are a few:''

• Respiratory problems such as lung cancer, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

(COPD).

• Heart problems such as cardiac arrest, hypertension, and stroke.

• Liver problems e.g liver cirrhosis

• Brain damage and memory loss

• Legal problems

• Loss of job

• Academic failure

• Kidney problems such as kidney failure

• Malnutrition

• Changes in skin color

• Aggressiveness

• Financial difficulties etcetera

In addition, my little advice to you since is a fasting period and you must abstain yourself for some

hours from eating, drinking, smoking, and other activities that can go contrary to the rules guiding

the fasting; upon all the limitations from eating, drinking, and smoking inclusive over a period of

14 hours, but you didn't die, why? I believe you can make it in transforming your life into a

 healthier one even after the fasting.

Although, the question I asked you before is the last but please can you give me one more chance

to ask you?

He replied, ''granted.''

How do you feel between the fasting period that you smoke less and the time that is not fasting

whereby you can spend the whole day taking cigarettes at your regular interval and convenience?

He took a deep breath, looked at me, and then replied, ''nurse in comparison: I feel much better in

my body than those days that often if I smoke I fell like difficulty in breathing especially when am

running, also difficulty in carrying out some activities that require much energy.''

I said, in this period you can make everything possible with the help of Almighty God.

My reason is, as you're fasting you're at the same time training your body on how to survive

without smoke, remember that abstinence is an order from our Creator.

He quickly looked at me and said ''sure''

I nodded my head and said, the typical example I can give you is, If you're taking 12 sticks each

day start reducing by one stick since the fasting is also training your body how to survive without

smoke. If you take 12 sticks today reduce 1 by taking only 11 after three to four days, then take

only 10 after another three to four days and keep on reducing believe me if you adhere and endure

with this one day you would find yourself out of this situation.

Furthermore, to the reader what do you expect if he adhere unfailingly? Do you really want to

know? So, follow me to the next paragraph.

The most enjoyable and prideful part, this client is now living a free smoke life, he is neither

taking cigarettes or any abusive substance.

Finally, my advice to those that find themselves in this situation, it is not the end of your lives

remember, if there is life, there is hope, but be conscious about the consequences mentioned.

Fasting is a great chance to combat yourself into a healthier life, you can live a free smoke life by

adhering to the modality stated above since Ramadan is quickly approaching.

I believe that you can make it, just take a bold step toward living a free smoke life, oneday it

would metamorphose into reality.

This is my Ramadan giveaway for the victims.

#SayNoToDrugAbuseYesToLife.

#FreeSmokeLifeIsAHealthierLife.

                                                            Nr. Abdullahi Musa,

                                        An advocate of a free substance abuse society.

                                                    muserabdullahi01@gmail.com