since millions of people have successfully quit
smoking, it simply means that kicking the tobacco
habit is not impossible. Quitting smoking does not
only make one feel better, it also entails making
drastic yet positive changes in one's life. Putting
an end to one's nicotine addiction will enable a
person to have better health, gain savings by no
longer spending on cigarettes, enhance social
acceptance, and set a good example for the younger
generation to follow.
Taking care of one's health is the most obvious and
equally the most important reason why a person should
stop smoking. Almost everyone knows that smoking can
cause lung cancer, but only a few know that smoking
also increases the risk for other types of cancer,
lung diseases, heart attacks, stroke, and peripheral
vascular disease. The said habit also causes
premature wrinkling of the skin, bad breath, yellow
fingernails, pregnancy problems (miscarriage or low
birth weight), and higher risks of heart attacks,
stroke, and clot formation for women who uses oral
contraceptives. It really does not matter how long
one smoked, but as long as one stops smoking, this
will definitely bring benefits to one's health. In
fact, those who stopped smoking before 35 avoid 90
percent of the health risks associated with nicotine
and tobacco.
The next thing to consider would be the actual
financial cost of smoking. Smoking is expensive, and
the economic cost of smoking is estimated to be about
$4,000 a year for an average smoker. Figure out how
much a person spends on smoking by multiplying how
much money is spent for tobacco each day by 365. Now
multiply this by the number of years that a smoker
used tobacco. This equals to how much one spends on
smoking. Another way would be multiplying the amount
spent per year by 10. This will be the cost if one
keeps smoking for another ten years. Think of other
ways to spend that kind of money. This computation
does not even include higher costs of health and life
insurance, and the medical costs due to
tobacco-related conditions.
Smoking is less socially acceptable now that it was
in the past. In fact, employers nowadays prefer to
hire nonsmokers. Some workplaces even restrict
smoking. The reason for this is probably because past
studies reveal that smoking employees cost businesses
more because they are "out sick" more frequently.
Smoking in a building also increases the maintenance
costs of keeping cleanliness and odors at an
acceptable level. Landlords, too, may choose not to
rent to smokers since maintenance costs and insurance
rates may rise when smokers occupy buildings. Friends
may ask you not to smoke in their houses or cars.
Public buildings, concerts, and even sporting events
are largely smoke-free. And more and more communities
are restricting smoking in all public places,
including restaurants and bars. In fact, finding a
place to smoke nowadays can be quite a hassle. It can
be frustrating but that's only because smoking is an
inconvenient habit. It is really much easier to stop
smoking than try to change or adapt the
circumstances, things, and people around you to
accept smoking.
