I need to know which is more harmful, a cigarette or bidi. I smoke daily one cigrate except Saturday Sunday because I don't like smoking at home on my offs and also my body does not ask for it so much that I have to take it like many people have great urge. But somehow I feel I should not quit it because one cigrate everyday gives me enjoyment and since I am having only one I feel I can go with it, not so serious. If bidi is not harmful than cigrate I wonder if it will be a good move to switch over it as I don't smoke publicly so can use it. Please educate me.

Dr. K V AnandPsychologist14yrs exp

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Dear lybrate-user, Welcome to Lybrate. Cigarette and bidi are equally harmful. Tobacco is addictive. Cigarette also contains 4000+ carcinogenic chemicals other than nicotine. Nicotine and other chemicals can cause cancer of different types and areas. Throat cancer, mouth cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer and brain problems can result. Over and above smoking may also increase the risk factor of heart attack and brain stroke. Please quit smoking. The best method is to leave it and continue with your will power. There are other methods like Nicotine Replacement therapy and pharmacotherapy combined. If you?re ready to stop smoking and willing to get the support you need, you can recover from nicotine addiction and abuse?no matter how bad the addiction or how powerless you feel. The first step in treating nicotine addiction is accepting that you have a problem. Confronting an addiction and accepting responsibility for your actions isn?t easy. But it?s a necessary step on the road to treatment and recovery. You should then consult a psychiatrist / psychologist who fill follow this treatment. 1. Detoxification using medicines. 2. Behavior modification with the help of therapies. 3. Counseling. 4. Medication to sustain and 5. Long term support. These given steps are essential for any addict to get effectively rid of smoking. Therefore, you need to stick to the treatment plan and cooperate with your psychiatrist / psychologist. Mind power building therapy, motivation therapy etc should help you doing so. Take care. 

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