Reasons to Stop Smoking
Written by Sam · Filed Under Tips 3,256 views
Reasons to Stop Smoking
I’m writing this article because of all the close friends around me who are smoking cigarettes and haven’t been able to stop. If you are a smoker then I hope you take a few minutes to read this article and if you’re not then I’m sure you can forward the link to this article to someone you know who is still smoking.
The link between cancer and smoking is undeniable. Cigarette smoke and second hand smoke has been linked with pretty much every type of cancer there is (earlier this year scientists have revealed conclusive evidence that women who are or were exposed to tobacco smoke have a 60-70% increase in breast cancer risk). The number of cancer cases is growing at an epidemic proportion, last year alone there was 1.44 million new cases of cancer in the US, and 565,650 deaths (Cancer Facts & Figures – 2008, American Cancer Society).
Wow, I have to say when I looked up this number I was shocked and alarmed that there isn’t more being done to prevent this disease (thankful that my mom is a breast cancer survivor and at the same time sad that I lost a childhood friend to cancer earlier this year).
Ok so here is the biggest reason to stop smoking….point blank! You’re pretty much guaranteed to get some type of cancer and you have to think about this every time you or someone around you picks up a cigarette. This is your life we’re talking about and if you think you’re invincible then you need to rethink this. Going through cancer treatment with radiation and chemotherapy is the worst thing you can ever put yourself through, and trust me on this one I saw my mom go through it (she didn’t smoke but my dad was a chain smoker for several years in the 70’s, and considering my mom was probably one of the healthiest people in my life we have nothing else to suspect but my dad’s smoking and other environmental carcinogens). Nevertheless, chemo and radiation will make your hair fall out, your skin sensitive, nails brittle and cause you to be nauseous to the point of vomiting every time you try and eat something.
The thought of this should be enough to give you reason to stop smoking, but give a quick look at some other negative effects that smoking has on your daily life.
The 559 additives (see all of them here) approved to be added to cigarettes by the government is extremely dangerous because burning changes their properties creating more than 4,000 chemical compounds which are carcinogenic and lethal to our bodies.
These chemicals act as oxidants which damage the structural integrity of all our cells and create mass chaos. All our senses are degraded by the smoke….
Taste - your sense of taste is one of the first to be affected. Food won’t taste as good as the taste-buds in your mouth will be damaged irreversibly and if you won’t experience the euphoria of eating a great steak or even the sweetness of chocolate.
Vision – macular degeneration is prevalent in smokers…translated…colours won’t be as rich and vibrant and long-term you have a much higher risk of losing your eye sight when you get older.
Touch – all our cells are connected and if you think your sense of touch won’t be affected you will be in for a pretty bad surprise. Your pleasure in sex will be diminished and if you’re a guy, you will also have a 50-60% higher probability of erectile dysfunction and impotence.
Hearing – as above the acceleration of the degradation of your hearing quality will be harshly affected by your smoking. Music won’t sound as good and your experience with vertigo will be more common as you age.
Smell – how pleasurable is food if you can’t smell it…I don’t know about you but the smell of a bakery, fresh coffee or cut grass are some of the things that make me feel most alive.
There are so many other reasons that you should stop smoking and this article can become a book, but I think cancer and the loss of all your senses should be more than enough to convince you. Isn’t it worth doing whatever you can possibly do in your power to prevent these from happening? Your will-power is your greatest weapon against this harmful habit, it’s time to exercise this as much as you need to exercise your body.
Have you tried to quit smoking…please make a comment below to let us know what you have tried and if it worked or didn’t work…
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Its hard to think your not invincible. I have smoked for more years than I ever thought I would. Its time to make a change, I don’t want to enter my thirties as a smoker!!!
Really glad to hear that! What do you think it will take to help you make that change?
Its funny when you look back just last century at how they were advertised..
These days it is unbelievable that tobacco companies are allowed to add over 500 chemicals to cigarettes! It is also unbelievable that fluoride is advertised as a benefit to your teeth when it is consumed (after we’ve known for years that chemicals in our bodies causes cancers!)
Ahh whats the world come to? Knowledge is truly power, get informed, and butt out!
Davo
Thanks for this article hopefully it will provide some motivation to the nicotine addict. The junkie within us can rationalize away any of these issues without even thinking. I’d like to include a link to a helpful resource – whyquit.com.
Without whyquit.com I might still be a smoker today. Instead, I’m now an educated recovering nicotine addict (finally quit after a 25 year two-pack-a-day addiction; what a blessed relief!!!)
Not One Puff. Ever.
Thanks for the honest feedback Ron. Of course, it will take much more than this article to get someone to fight their addiction, but it was a first attempt to hopefully plant a nugget to start a change. It seems like most smokers these days are quite de-sensitized to all the anti-smoking campaigns so I’m going to try and find a way to hopefully make a difference. Your link to whyquit.com looks like a great place for smokers to check out. Thanks again!
well….i could;nt agree more…but the thing is that i.ve heard that quitting smoking leads to increase in weight…which is something i dread. im already not in a good shape, but still im ok. but to quit smoking i wont just have to fight the craving, but also the fact that i’ll be gaining weight!
From what I’ve seen the weight gain is only temporary. It’s not going to be easy but you can definitely do it if you set your mind to it. Try and replace your cravings for smoking with some form of exercise or even cleaning! That way you will be increasing your metabolism and counter-acting the weight gain. Give it a GO!