Common Questions about Quitting
Here are some of the most common questions we’ve received about quitting smoking – and why quitting is always a great decision.
What makes smoking so bad for my health?
The short answer is that smoking is the number one cause of preventable health problems and death. This is because tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, more than 50 of which are known to cause cancer. These chemicals also cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, tooth loss and gum disease, and gastrointestinal problems.
There is a 50% chance that a smoker will die prematurely from smoking, and they will shorten their life by approximately 22 years. That is why many life insurance companies have higher premiums for smokers.
Also, smokers put their health at risk if they are taking prescription drugs while smoking. The effects of drugs may be changed or rendered ineffective by smoking. For example, women who smoke while on the birth control pill have a risk of a heart attack that is ten times higher than those who don't smoke.
top
Can smoking harm other people?
Yes, second-hand smoke harms children, other adults and even pets.
top
If a woman is pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant, will smoking affect the baby?
Yes, there are significant risks to both the baby and mother. Risks that increase from smoking include:
- Spontaneous abortion (at double the rate of non-smokers).
- Miscarriage.
- Premature delivery.
- Low birth weight. This makes delivery harder because the baby will not be as strong.
- Having a baby who is weak or unhealthy.
- A baby who cries more often.
- Increased chance of the child having intellectual problems.
- Increased chance of the child being hyperactive.
- Increased chance of the child having attention deficit disorder (ADD).
The risks don't stop after the birth of a baby. Parents who continue to smoke put a baby at increased risk for serious physical and developmental problems due to second hand smoke.
top
What if a person smokes only a small number of cigarettes or doesn't inhale? Don't you need to smoke for a long time before you have problems?
Every cigarette causes some harm to the body. The moment smoke touches the lips the chemicals begin to attack living tissues and continues to do so wherever it goes: mouth, tongue, throat, esophagus, air passages, lungs, and stomach. The by-products of smoke eventually reach the bladder, pancreas and kidneys. Thus, even relatively light smokers show lung damage.
It is also very important to note that the vast majority of smokers seem to find it increasingly difficult to smoke only a few cigarettes. Their smoking tends to increase over time until they find themselves smoking “full time” - increasing the risks to health and life.
top
Is it better to smoke "light" cigarettes?
Most smokers get as much tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide from "light" cigarettes as they do regular ones. They do this, often unintentionally, by blocking the tiny air holes placed around the cigarette filter with their fingers and lips. Smokers also tend to take more puffs and inhale more deeply when smoking "light" cigarettes.
top
Are there any safe cigarettes?
Cigarettes are perhaps the only legal product that can kill when used as directed. There are cigarettes advertised that are "light" or "ultra mild". These contain similar amounts of harmful chemicals as other cigarettes.
There are also "smoke-less" cigarettes that are, for example, made of lettuce or a mixture of tobacco and cloves. The tar in these is three times greater than in regular cigarettes. They may claim to be safer, but the truth is that there’s no known “safe cigarettes”.
top
Is all smoking damage permanent?
No, not if stopped soon enough. With smokers who have stopped before the onset of irreversible heart and circulatory disease, the body begins to repair itself. Normally, after a year of non-smoking, the risk of heart attack is cut in half; after ten to fifteen years of non-smoking it's about the same as that of someone who has never smoked.
Smokers who have had a heart attack will greatly benefit from quitting. Stopping smoking will certainly help prevent a recurrence.
While smoking, the risk of lung cancer continues to rise. However, once a person stops smoking, the risk of lung cancer levels off and may even fall.
top
Why is it so hard to quit?
Quitting smoking is hard for at least five reasons.
1.) Nicotine dependence – Like heroin, nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs in the world. The nicotine in tobacco causes dependence by going to the brain quickly (within six seconds) and by, at first, giving a feeling of alertness and increased performance. Generally, people fail to remember the toxic signs of smoking they had when they first smoked: the dizziness and nausea. Eventually the dizziness and nauseas goes away and is replaced by physical tolerance. This means that the smoker needs more and more cigarettes to feel the same effects.
2.) Withdrawal effects – After not smoking for about an hour-and-a-half, withdrawal (or a craving) kicks in. This can include anxiety, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and restlessness. The desire for nicotine and the discomfort of withdrawal is what makes quitting so difficult. If you are a smoker or a former smoker, you will know or remember some of the great lengths taken when you were out of cigarettes. This may include rummaging around the house or car for change, standing outside in really bad weather for a few puffs, not being able to sit through a movie, going to great lengths to get a smoke… This is addiction and withdrawal from nicotine can, at first, be extremely difficult.
3.) Psychological dependence – Smoking becomes a crutch that smokers use to deal with stress and anxiety. The more a person smokes under these conditions, the less other ways of coping are used. Cigarettes quickly replace the other less harmful coping behaviors that a person would normally use. This often leads to an increase in smoking.
4.) Habit – Smoking becomes a habit because it’s practiced many times a day. For example, pack-a-day smokers lift cigarettes to their mouth and inhale about 109,500 times a year. Also, smoking is linked by habit to other behaviors such as drinking coffee, work breaks, drinking alcohol, and social situations.
5.) Pleasure - Many smokers get a great deal of pleasure from the habit. They enjoy the taste, smell and feel of cigarettes. Although directly related to habit, smoking a cigarette can be a very personal, relaxing occasion. This makes it difficult for some smokers to even think about quitting.
top
Will a smoker gain weight after quitting smoking?
Many people find they gain a bit of weight, but in most cases, people gain only 3 to 10 pounds. With healthy eating and increased activity the body will most likely return to normal weight rather quickly.
The body tends to crave sweets after quitting. Keeping iced water and veggies cut up in the fridge is a healthy replacement for a cigarette.
top
What works to stop smoking and how successful are these methods?
There are many different ways that smokers choose to quit - some work better than others. Some involve a Nicotine Replacement Therapy NRT). The most successful programs include an approach that helps you to change your behavior, such as the Stop Smoking Center quit program.
top