Smoking Is the First Step Toward Addiction
Contribution by Companion Marzieh, a Nicotine Traveler
Our presence in Congress 60 is about healing the triangle of body, psyche, and worldview. As a companion, when I enter the program, the first areas I begin working on are the psyche and worldview. For us companions who have unfortunately stepped into the darkness of cigarettes, hookah, or vapes, the reality is this: until we treat tobacco use, our worldview remains clouded. We must take the journey of smoking treatment so that, alongside overcoming nicotine [addiction], we can also elevate our worldview and truly stand by our traveler as a good companion.
As it’s often said, the first gateway into addiction is cigarettes, hookah, and now electronic devices like vapes and pods. As Mr. Dezhakam reminds us, this is a real warning for the youth, who are increasingly drawn to hookah and cigarettes because they are easy to access and wrongly believed to be harmless.
In truth, hookah and electronic cigarettes are even more harmful than regular cigarettes. They were marketed as “harmless” or “less harmful,” but research shows otherwise. The vapors and toxic liquids released by e-cigarettes are dangerous: the smoke is poisonous, and the substances inside are carcinogenic. Once analyzed, the extent of their damage becomes undeniable.
While cigarettes may appear to offer minor effects that some call “benefits,” the overwhelming harms erase anything that might seem positive. Our brains naturally produce nicotine-like compounds, but smoking disrupts this natural process. External nicotine takes over, suppressing the brain’s own production and replacing the body’s natural opioids with harmful substitutes, causing deep and lasting damage.
As a companion, I see myself as a role model within my family: for my child, my spouse, and my household. But by smoking, I harm not only myself but also my loved ones, my community, and even the environment. This, too, is one of the hidden harms of tobacco.
Women’s bodies are especially vulnerable to osteoporosis, and nicotine directly accelerates bone loss. In this regard, Mr. Dezhakam has mentioned: “The number of deaths caused by smoking is higher than the total deaths from accidents, drug use, floods, or earthquakes combined. This is a warning and an alarm for all of us.” When I was a smoker, I never imagined such destruction was happening inside my body. I thank God countless times that the path of Congress 60 opened for me. Each day I feel stronger than the day before, and I now know that I must not harm my body. My goal is to be a flawless role model: to remain free from these substances and to live a long, dignified life.
Contribution by Companion Fatemeh, nicotine traveler
At the very beginning, we must ask: Why cigarettes? And what about replacement? The truth is, the body already holds the best replacement inside us. It produces natural endorphin-like substances that regulate our moods, emotions, and even our patience. Whenever these chemicals fall out of balance, everything from our sleep to our tolerance is affected.
Factors like lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, and irregular sleep patterns can disturb this delicate system. Over time, this imbalance may lead to cravings for alcohol or nicotine without realizing that the human body already has its own built-in “pharmacy.” By turning to external substances as an anti-x, we replace the body’s natural endorphins with harmful substitutes.
Travelers (those on the path of narcotic cure) disrupt this system with drugs. Likewise, companions, caught in negativity or despair, may turn to cigarettes or hookah. What starts as a casual pastime quickly becomes a constant habit.
Mr. Dezhakam explains: “From this Sizdah Bedar (the 13th day of the Persian New Year) to the next, if you keep smoking hookah even casually, you are already a regular user.” Many resist this idea, thinking an occasional puff is harmless. But without the right knowledge and worldview, they argue rather than face the truth of how much harm they are causing their own body. With patience and persistence, however, real recovery is possible. Yet many people still chase shortcuts, forgetting that half-cooked food isn’t edible. This is the very message of Congress 60: awareness takes time.
Travelers use narcotics, and their treatment is with OT medication. Companions may use cigarettes or hookah, and their treatment is with nicotine gum. For nicotine recovery, the first three months are for adjustment. After that, the tapering process begins, giving the body a chance to reawaken its natural nicotine function. Managing sleep is also critical; without proper rest, fatigue pushes us toward coffee or instant coffee, and caffeine itself can become yet another substitute.
Once, at my father’s suggestion—he believed old traditional pipes would be less harmful than cigarettes or hookah—I tried one. But it was far too heavy, leaving my body tense and uncomfortable. Cigarettes, on the other hand, give a kind of false euphoria. It’s like turning up the wick of an oil lamp all the way: it burns brightly for a few moments, then the fuel is gone.
Those who begin their nicotine recovery journey often notice improved eating habits. This is because smoking causes fat to build up in the body. As Mr. Dezhakam states: nicotine leads to fat accumulation, which blocks proper nutrition. But through William Travel (the path to cure nicotine addiction), and by quitting tobacco, these fats gradually break down. With healthy nutrition, balance returns, and even a proper body shape can be achieved.
Photo: Companion Zahra, pupil of Guide Samaneh (Legion One)
Submitted by: Companion Arezoo, pupil of Guide Zahra (Legion Eleven)
Branch: Salman Farsi Companions Branch of Congress 60
Translated by: Traveler Arash, Artesh Branch
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