中華心理衛生協會

As we all know, cigarette smoking has a negative influence on one's health. However, the smoking rate is still rising through out the world. It not only damages one’s physical and mental health, but influences ”national competition.” Finding an effective way to help smokers quit smoking has become one of the major goals for countries all over the world. Although there are studies addressing smoking behavior and related issues in our country, research that studies smoking history from the smokers’ point of view is hard to find. The purpose of this research is to explore smokers' behavior implicitly and further understand factors that related to their smoking experience.This is qualitative research. All the data is collected from three sources: interviews from researchers, interview papers, and counseling records from smokers' helpline center counselors. A triangulation investigation is utilized to increase credibility of the data found.The research indicated that smokers usually started smoking during their teenage years and then developed a habit due to peer pressure, or stress from their job or life. Once smokers decided to quit smoking, the most difficult part was not only overcoming the withdrawal symptoms during abstinence, but dealing with the inner conflict resulting from the change of the self-image. These two factors are usually the main reasons causing relapse in smokers. The research also found that women smokers are still dominated by the patriarchal authority and are greatly affected by the stereotyped image of the society.The research suggests that the middle school system should advocate the benefit of quitting smoking and emphasize that smoking is hazardous to health. The cultural practice of providing cigarettes as a courtesy at certain occasions should also be prohibited if necessary. People who regard smoking as a way to reduce pressure are advised to develop healthier activities to replace smoking behavior.