COPD – Every Smoker has it

Geoff Spice is a former London banker who is desperate to quit smoking. He has marooned himself on Sgarabhaigh, an uninhabited island with no electricity or running water for one whole month.

I’m a 21 year veteran smoker. I’m not proud of it but I never seem to try hard enough to quit. Quitting takes a lot of will power or a terminal disease. I haven’t got either, I hope. I smoke more when I’m sad, angry, down, excited, happy or when stuck in a traffic jam. I smoke after every meal, before I go to sleep and when I wake up in the morning (or afternoon, depending on how late the previous night was).

We smokers come in all shapes and sizes, all races and religions but we do have one thing in common – COPD. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is not a single disease but is the term used to describe two types of lung damage; bronchitis and emphysema. Continuous abuse by tobacco injures the lung cells but air pollution, chemical fuels, riding a motorbike behind a Metrobus and cannabis are also culpable of lung damage.

The symptoms of COPD are breathlessness, wheezing, extra phlegm and coughing (the infamous smoker’s cough). Inhalers may provide temporary relief from the symptoms but there is really no cure for COPD and unlike asthma (which has similar symptoms), it is not reversible.

Smoking is a very bad habit, to put it mildly. Smokers emits a foul odour, have stained teeth, bad breath, smelly fingers, tend to be inconsiderate towards the people around them and are litter “cigarette-butt” bugs.

Smokers are also one of the biggest tax payers.