In 1905, the Athonite Elder Silouan spent several months in Russia, often visiting monasteries. On one of these journeys on the train, he took a seat opposite a merchant, who, with a friendly gesture, opened his silver cigarette case to him and offered him a cigarette.

Father Silouan thanked him for the offer, refusing to take a cigarette. Then the merchant began to say: "Is it not because, father, you refuse, that you consider it a sin? But smoking often helps in an active life; It is good to interrupt the tension in work and rest for a few minutes. It is convenient to have a business or friendly conversation when smoking and, in general, in the course of life..." And then, trying to convince Silouan's father to take a cigarette, he continued to speak in favor of smoking.

Then Father Silouan decided to say: "Sir, before you light a cigarette, pray, say one Lord's Prayer. To this the merchant answered: "Pray before smoking, no one goes." Father Silouan replied: "So, it is better not to do any work that is not preceded by unembarrassed prayer."

13. Question: What is the main harm of smoking to health?

A lot has been said and written about the dangers of smoking. As a doctor, I will only remind you that tobacco contains about thirty substances that are harmful to health. The most dangerous of them is the nicotine alkaloid.

Among smokers, there are especially many patients with bronchopulmonary diseases. And, perhaps, the most formidable consequence of smoking is lung cancer. The fact is that tobacco smoke contains carcinogens (substances that cause cancer). These are, for example, benzopyrene and its derivatives. There are a lot of smokers. Among them are all age categories: from children to the elderly. Boys and girls smoke, women smoke, even some pregnant women smoke...

In Moscow, according to the study, the age of initiation to smoking has decreased to 10 years for boys and to 12 years for girls. A deplorable reality.