Smoking
Definition
Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco encased in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Casual smoking is the act of smoking only occasionally, usually in a social situation or to relieve stress. A smoking habit is a physical addiction to tobacco products. Many health experts now regard habitual smoking as a psychological addiction, too, and one with serious health consequences.
Smoking risks
Smoking is recognized as the leading preventable cause of death, causing or contributing to the deaths of approximately 430,700 Americans each year. Anyone with a smoking habit has an increased chance of lung, cervical, and other types of cancer; respiratory diseases such as emphysema, asthma, and chronic bronchitis; and cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, and atherosclerosis (narrowing and hardening of the arteries). The risk of stroke is especially high in women who take birth control pills.
Smoking can damage fertility, making it harder to conceive, and it can interfere with the growth of the fetus during pregnancy. It accounts for an estimated 14% of premature births and 10% of infant deaths. There is some evidence that smoking may cause impotence in some men.
Because smoking affects so many of the body's systems, smokers often have vitamin deficiencies and suffer oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that steal electrons from other molecules, turning the other molecules into free radicals and destabilizing the molecules in the body's cells.
Smoking is recognized as one of several factors that might be related to a higher risk of hip fractures in older adults.
Studies reveal that the more a person smokes, the more likely he is to sustain illnesses such as cancer, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. But even smokers who indulge in the habit only occasionally are more prone to these diseases.
Some brands of cigarettes are advertised as "low tar," but no cigarette is truly safe. If a smoker switches to a low-tar cigarette, he is likely to inhale longer and more deeply to get the chemicals his body craves. A smoker has to quit the habit entirely in order to improve his health and decrease the chance of disease.
Though some people believe chewing tobacco is safer, it also carries health risks. People who chew tobacco have an increased risk of heart disease and mouth and throat cancer. Pipe and cigar smokers have increased health risks as well, even though these smokers generally do not inhale as deeply as cigarette smokers do. These groups haven't been studied as extensively as cigarette smokers, but there is evidence that they may be at a slightly lower risk of cardiovascular problems but a higher risk of cancer and various types of circulatory conditions.
Recent research reveals that passive smokers, or those who unavoidably breathe in second-hand tobacco smoke, have an increased chance of many health problems such as lung cancer and asthma, and in children, sudden infant death syndrome.
Smokers' symptoms
Smokers are likely to exhibit a variety of symptoms that reveal the damage caused by smoking. A nagging morning cough may be one sign of a tobacco habit. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, and frequent occurrences of respiratory illness, such as bronchitis. Smoking also increases fatigue and decreases the smoker's sense of smell and taste. Smokers are more likely to develop poor circulation, with cold hands and feet and premature wrinkles.
Sometimes the illnesses that result from smoking come on silently with little warning. For instance, coronary artery disease may exhibit few or no symptoms. At other times, there will be warning signs, such as bloody discharge from a woman's vagina, a sign of cancer of the cervix. Another warning sign is a hacking cough, worse than the usual smoker's cough, that brings up phlegm or blood—a sign of lung cancer.
Withdrawal symptoms
A smoker who tries to quit may expect one or more of these withdrawal symptoms: nausea, constipation or diarrhea, drowsiness, loss of concentration, insomnia, headache, nausea, and irritability.

Causes and symptoms
No one starts smoking to become addicted to nicotine. It isn't known how much nicotine may be consumed before the body becomes addicted. However, once smoking becomes a habit, the smoker faces a lifetime of health risks associated with one of the strongest addictions known to man.
About 70% of smokers in the United States would like to quit; in any given year, however, only about 3.6% of the country's 47 million smokers quit successfully.
Although specific genes have not yet been identified as of 2003, researchers think that genetic factors contribute substantially to developing a smoking habit. Several twin studies have led to estimates of 46-84% heritability for smoking. It is thought that some genetic variations affect the speed of nicotine metabolism in the body and the activity level of nicotinic receptors in the brain. Symptoms That Occur After Quitting Smoking | Symptom | Cause | Duration | Relief | Craving for cigarette | nicotine craving | first week can linger for months | distract yourself with other activity | Irritability, impatience | nicotine craving | 2 to 4 weeks | Exercise, relaxation techniques, avoid caffeine | Insomnia | nicotine craving temporarily reduces deep sleep | 2 to 4 weeks | Avoid caffeine after 6 PM relaxation techniques; exercise | Fatigue | lack of nicotine stimulation | 2 to 4 weeks | Nap | Lack of concentration | lack of nicotine stimulation | A few weeks | Reduce workload; avoid stress | Hunger | cigarettes craving confused hunger pangs | Up to several weeks | Drink water or low calorie drinks; eat low-calorie snacks | Coughing, dry throat, nasal drip | Body ridding itself of mucus in lungs and airways | Several weeks | Drink plenty of fluids; use cough drops | Constipation, gas | Intestinal movement decreases with lack of nicotine | 1 to 2 weeks | Drink plenty of fluids; add fiber to diet; exercise |
SOURCE: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Smoking gam·bling [gam-bling] Show IPA noun 1. the activity or practice of playing at a game of chance for money or other stakes.
2.
the act or practice of risking the loss of something important by taking a chance or acting recklessly: If you don't back up your data, that's gambling. gam·ble [gam-buhl] Show IPA verb, gam·bled, gam·bling, noun verb (used without object)
1.
to play at any game of chance for money or other stakes.
2.
to stake or risk money, or anything of value, on the outcome of something involving chance: to gamble on a toss of the dice. verb (used with object)
3.
to lose or squander by betting (usually followed by away ): He gambled all his hard-earned money away in one night.
4.
to wager or risk (money or something else of value): to gamble one's freedom.
5.
to take a chance on; venture; risk: I'm gambling that our new store will be a success. noun 6. any matter or thing involving risk or hazardous uncertainty.
7.
a venture in a game of chance for stakes, especially for high stakes.
SOURCE: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/gambling
Alcohol
WHO/T. Kiaer In many parts of the world, drinking alcoholic beverages is a common feature of social gatherings. Nevertheless, the consumption of alcohol carries a risk of adverse health and social consequences related to its intoxicating, toxic and dependence-producing properties.
In addition to the chronic diseases that may develop in those who drink large amounts of alcohol over a number of years, alcohol use is also associated with an increased risk of acute health conditions, such as injuries, including from traffic accidents.
SOURCE: http://www.who.int/topics/alcohol_drinking/en/ alcohol bad for health
Drinking alcohol imoderation is not bad for people. To the contrary, drinking in moderation is associated with better health and greater longevity than is abstaining.
However, abusing alcohol can be bad for people.

There are several health risks associated with drinking too much alcohol. These include anxiety, sexual difficulties such as impotence, slowed breathing and heartbeat, impaired judgment leading to accidents and injuries, loss of consciousness, suffocation through choking on your own vomit and potentially fatal alcohol poisoning. Drinking heavily also increases your calorie intake, and it is frequently associated with obesity. There are 125 calories in a medium-sized (175ml) glass of wine and over 500 in a bottle, the same as in a large hamburger! Alcohol irritates the stomach, so heavy drinking can cause sickness and nausea and sometimes diarrhoea. '''Alcohol also has a dehydrating effect, which is why excessive drinking can lead to a thumping headache the morning after. ''' Being hungover is not a beauty aid. It dries out your skin, and if you drink heavily you may develop rosacea, a skin disorder that starts with a tendency to blush and flush easily and can progress to facial disfigurment, a condition known as rhinophyma. Alcohol is a depressant, not a stimulant. You may wonder what you did the night before, feel guilty or low.

Physical Effects: Liver disease has traditionally affected drinkers in middle age, but now sufferers are getting younger. Up to one in three of the adult population is drinking enough alcohol to create a risk of developing alcohol-related liver disease....."

In excess, it can be bad for you. For example, being in charge of a vehicle whilst over the legal alcohol limit can lead to hefty fines, disqualification from driving, loss of employment, imprisonment and death.
SOURCE: http://alcoholdrinkingman.blogspot.com/
25 Signs of Dota Addiction
Posted 03-03-2011 at 12:30 PM by aishikto

1. Whenever you lose a Dota game, you want to grab your weak team mate and punch him in the face.

2. Your left thumb is always on the alt button whatever you're doing at your computer. Maybe you want to check your facebook friend's hp bar.

3. When you get amazed at anything you call it 'imba'. 'He scored 99 at his math test, imba!'. You also call things that annoy you, 'imba. 'That guy is imba, he is damn fat'.

4. You relate people's appearances with Dota characters. You call guys with sharp teeth, Gondar. You call black friends, Nevermore. You call ugly fat guys, pudge.

5. Winning a Dota game makes you feel like a celebrity. You stand up feeling that everyone is looking at you. You tend to snob weaker players and treat them as your fans.

6. You start getting fat because of lacking exercise but you ignore it. You think that as long as you win, you'd be a handsome celebrity.

7. You play Dota from the moment you wake up until the last hour you are awake. Then, you continue playing in your dream.

8. Playing Dota is having several code names like, "mom, I'm doing my research I'll be home at 2am.", "yeah, dad I'm changing the tires of my car.", "hello sweetheart, where am I? (thinking...) Damn, damn, the battery is low... (turn cell phone off and resume game)"

9. You become so thrifty on anything except on Dota. You would endure not buying food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, then spend everything you earn playing Dota.

10. Dota became a third party on your relationship. Your girlfriend is starting to let you choose between her and Dota. The worse thing is, you choose Dota.

11. You say the word 'aw' in really life. Girlfriend: "my mom is sick." You: "aw, sorry to hear that.."

12. You have a facebook photo album full of Dota screen shots though people don't really care about it.

13. You judge the totality of the person based on how good he plays. Ugly but good player would say, "How the hell that noob guy got a hot girlfriend?! I'm gonna tell his gf that he's noob so she can change her mind."

14. You are enumerating Dota character names while doing other things like watching tv, walking to school, cooking, eating, pooping, dating.

15. Sexy fan arts of lady Dota characters make you aroused. Worse, you search for more sexy pics of Dota character. Worst! You search for their nude pics.

16. You find it difficult to sleep after losing a Dota game. Your body rotates like 30 times while thinking before you sleep. You even hammer your pillow and repeat a phrase several times, like "I did my best!". And sometimes, you'd do the most pathetic thing ever you can do with your life, you cry.

17. When you go to a party with your friends to hang out, the topic you're going to discuss are the following: Dota games played, Dota new plan, Dota character's strengths and weaknesses, and how 'imbalance' is the food you're eating.

18. You try teaming up with good players because you get so afraid to lose a Dota game. You feel like losing a Dota game would turn you into a vapor and dissolve out from this planet.

19. You remember the exact time you bought all your items but forget the time your home will be locked.

20. You try to play better whenever a girl is near, thinking that they would approach and ask you to be her boyfriend after.

21. The years you are addicted to Dota would be the years you are in a different world, forgetting your real life. You wake up suddenly, "wtf, I'm 30 and I'm still at high school?!"

22. You depend on Dota games whether you'd be having money for your meal or not.

23. It's your birthday and your birthday wish is to play Dota and won't be disturbed by anyone.

24. You start to have a hot-temper, like you want to cast lightning bolt on your teacher.

25. This is the ultimate test. Check your yahoo messenger, if 90% on the list are Dota buddies, congratulations! You are within the portals of Dota Realm.

I made this post to warn people. I am giving a lot of Dota Strategies but I don't want you to give up your priorities. Dota should never come first nor second. There are a lot of things to focus on. If you are making enough money from Dota to run a big family, no problem. What you should spend time thinking about is how to be successful in your real life, not your Dota life. Treat this game, not your studies, as past time. Play for fun. The only thing that can beat all the strategies I told you is having fun. If you have fun, nothing can beat you. Win or lose, you still won because you didn't waste your time being slamming your keyboard out of stress. This is the main purpose of games - to have fun.
SOURCE: http://www.playdota.com/forums/blog.php?b=2698
31 REASONS OF DOTA ADDICTION
Submitted by neverendtech on December 30th, 2012 – Flag this news as inappropriate
Category: Gaming
1. A Time Killer: Boredom is the most common problem of most people today. Dota can consume a lot of time without you even noticing it. You'll just say "wtf I'm late!" after the game.

2. Non-exhausting Game: Unlike Basketball or other physical sports, you can play Dota 'til you can still manage to sit, look at the monitor, use mouse and keyboard, and think. Yes, using your mind is also tiring but it'll take an average of 3 games before you'd want to take a rest.

3. Fame Source: Most players want to be the best in this game to gain fame which I find natural but technically nonsense. I have to admit that thirst for fame drove me to practice and improve my game. After getting the fame I wanted, I asked myself "Now what?". For players who don't plan on having Dota as their profession, Fame isn't that important.

4. Team Work Game: When we were kids we already love having team battles. That's why a lot of team sports came up and multi-player computer games have been invented. Playing with team mates is more addicting than playing alone.

5. Tranquilizing: Dota makes you forget your problems and make you think of simpler problem - how to win.

6. Non-violent war: We love wars. That's why there are shows like Wrestling, UFC, Action Films, etc. Dota is a chance to engage in wars safely. We can fight all day long and just stand up from our computer without even having a scratch.

7. Topic Provider: Dota is a great topic provider. That's why you talk about it while hanging out with your dota buddies. That's why there are forums and blogs like this. We love chatting and Dota is a great topic to talk about.

8. Sweet Sound Effects: "Rampage!!!" - How sweet that sound is? This sound effect is unconsciously a source of self-affirmation. Everyone loves to be praised and accepted. Dota can be a source of this.

9. Easy to Play: Survey shows that Dota is played by more people than other strategy games like Starcraft. One of the reason is it's simplicity. You only have to control one hero - a great news for people who are not into doing micros.

10. Total Freedom: In Dota, you have all the freedom to do anything you wish. You can gank, farm, lane top, lane mid, lane bot, buy items you wish, you can even annoy your team mates if you wish. It is like an alternative for people who doesn't that much freedom in their real lives.

11. Mind Exercise: Intelligent people love exercising their minds. This is the reason why crossword puzzles, Rubic's cube, and other mind games are created. Dota also have this feature needing analysis, prediction and decision making.

12. Physically safe: People care about their safety. In my case, I don't jump that much in Basketball because I hate landing on another player's foot and causing my ankles to be sprained. I don't want to try Rugby, Boxing, UFC and other dangerous sports because I care about my safety. Dota, on the other hand, doesn't offer dangerous injury. Eye problems may occur though but it's still avoidable. Just give your time proper rest and use low radiation monitors.

13. Game Variations: Every game is different. You buy different items, you lane against different opponents, you have different combos, you pick different heroes, you plan different attacks, etc. Variation is important to stay addicted on something. Nobody would want to do same things over and over again.

14. Source of Money: Money is becoming the goal of every humans. Poker won't be popular if you can't gain money from it. Dota have been used for betting games and tournaments; obviously, money is involved.

15. Ability to feel like having supernatural skills: We all love to have supernatural skills. In Dota, we have it. Just pick the hero that possess the skill you want. You want to teleport? You want to be invisible? Do you want to cast lightning on a person? It's all in Dota Allstars.

16. Tool for anger discharge: Dota can be the place where you release your anger. You can pick a killer hero, make it monster-like, then kill everyone you see.

17. Varieties of Skills to improve at: You can improve at farming, ganking, supporting, killing, teamwork, using different heroes, combos, etc. These are the things that will cause you to be practicing and improving. More skills learned means more addiction. More skills to be learned also means more addiction.

18. Character's Appearance: Dota Characters' appearances are made with great imagination. Dota Fan arts spread in the internet showing their appreciation in the Heroes' appearances. Cool arts and animations add to the addicting potion of this game.

19. Constant Map Improvement: Just when you learned enough strategies for you to be called a Dota genius, here comes another new map with new items and heroes. Now, your learned strategies need upgrade. You need to study, try and analyze new stuffs again making you more into the game.

20. Professional Gamers as Inspiration: Watching pro dota gamers execute strategies perfectly make you want to be like them. You will be training more after getting inspired by these Pro Dota players and teams.

21. Peer Pressure: Right when you don't feel like playing, here comes a Dota Buddy saying: "It's weekend let's play!" or while you're at home, you got a "Buzz!!" followed by the word "rak". How can you ever forget playing if these peer temptations are all around you?

22. Game illusion: While playing Dota, the map becomes your world and your hero becomes you. Feeling a different world which is more fun and breath-taking is way better than your old room with old stuffs. When the game's world is experienced, your mind would be constantly searching for that more pleasurable world making you really addicted.

23. It's haunting: This game haunts you. While you're in your classroom, you kept on thinking why you lost or how great your game was. You would then be thinking of playing Dota as soon as you arrive at the computer shop or at home. You would also think of what hero you would play or what play style you're going to have.

24. Winning Feels Good: Yup, feeling good is really addicting.

25. Losing makes you thirsty to win: On the other hand, losing is still addicting because you become more urge to have that wonderful feeling of winning.

26. No height or other physical disadvantage: In basketball you cannot have a team composed of 5 short players. In Rugby, you should be muscular. In Dota, you can be as thin and short as you want and still own everyone.

27. A balanced game: Since banning was introduced in Dota Allstars, I considered it to be a balanced game. Having a balanced game, you wouldn't think of quitting while whining "unfair!".

28. A vast number of strategies: More strategies means more trial and errors. More trial and errors means more games. "More games" means more game illusions. More game illusions means more chance to be trapped in the world of Dota.

29. Merely being a Strategy Game is addicting: Strategy games are so fun because it offers unpredictability.

30. No age limit: Yup, no age limit is a cause of Dota Addiction. Many players should be practicing their professions in real life but they are still stuck in Dota world.

31. Opportunity to become a Hero: It is so pleasurable to be feel like a hero. It is like hitting a buzzer beater in a basketball game or saving a kid from getting hit by a car. The appreciation is simply awesome. Self-esteem boosts quickly and exponentially with this.
SOURCE: http://www.bubblews.com/news/99028-31-reasons-of-dota-addiction
Defense of the Ancients From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search For other uses, see DOTA. Defense of the Ancients Defense of the Ancients loading screen as of version 6.73c, featuring depictions of severalheroes. Designer(s)
"Eul"
(2003) Steve "Guinsoo" Feak
(2003-2005)
"IceFrog"
(2005-present)

Platform(s) Mac OS, Mac OS X, Windows
Latest release
6.73c / January 10, 2012
[1]

Genre(s) Mod
Mode(s)
Multiplayer with 2-10playersSingle-player (AI versions) Defense of the Ancients
(
DotA
) is a mod for the real-time strategy video game
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion,
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
,based on the "Aeon of Strife" map for
StarCraft
.The objective of the scenario is for each team to destroy the opponents'Ancients, heavily guarded structures at opposing corners of the map. Players use powerful unitsknown as heroes, and are assisted by allied heroes and AI-controlled fighters. As in role-playing games,players level up their heroes and use gold to buy equipment during the mission.
[2]
The scenario was developed with the "World Editor" of Reign of Chaos
, and was updated uponthe release of its expansion,
The Frozen Throne
. There have been many variations of the originalconcept; the most popular being DotA Allstars
, which eventually was simplified to DotA with therelease of version 6.68.
[3]
This specific scenario has been maintained by several authors duringdevelopment, the latest of whom being the anonymous developer known as"IceFrog" developing the game since 2005 SOURCE: http://www.scribd.com/doc/84806428/Dota-Addiction