Seeing Through the Myths of Smoking

Anyone who is trying to quit smoking has surely heard more than their fair share of smoking myths. They might be thinking of looking into smoking cessation programs but ultimately decided against them because of a few untruths that have been planted in their ears. Learning the truth is one of the best ways to proceed with smoking cessation and claim victory over smoking.

Weight Gain

While giving up smoking will make a person gain anywhere from five to 10 pounds, there’s a logical reason for it. When a person gives up one craving, the body usually replaces it with another, like food. Food becomes a coping mechanism and a way not to think about smoking. Individuals who quit smoking should channel their lingering habit into something positive, like exercise or their career.

Tapering Off

Cutting a smoking habit from one pack a day to half a pack a day doesn’t equal quitting. Just because a person switches from being a heavy smoker to a light smoker doesn’t mean their chances of suffering from lung cancer are completely diminished.

Money Myths

Smokers might also be under the impression that if they quit they’ll have to pay for it—literally. The opposite is actually true, and that’s especially considering how much cigarettes cost. For example, it’s not unusual for a smoker in New York to pay as much as $11 for a single pack of cigarettes thanks to an increased tax on cigarettes. Anyone who smokes a full pack a day will wind up paying roughly $4,000 a year to support their habit.

As far as quitting is concerned, the financial outlook is much more favorable. Patches, medication, and gum can cost a person approximately $600 a year. Not only are they saving money in the long run, but the individual is also saving their health and life.

No Harm to Anyone Else

Smoking harms anyone who happens to be around the smoker, not just the smoker themselves. Studies have revealed that the non-smoking spouses of smokers have anywhere from a 20 to 30 percent higher chance of being diagnosed with lung cancer as well as a 25 to 35 percent higher chance of being diagnosed with heart disease.

Not only that, but the babies of individuals who smoke can also wind up in the hospital from being exposed to the chemicals that cigarettes give off. The children of smokers are also at a risk for asthma. Research has shown that about 3,000 Americans die each year from secondhand smoke.

There Are Safer Alternatives

Anyone who is thinking about switching from cigarettes to cigars or chewing tobacco should think twice. Both alternatives are just as much of a risk to a person’s health as cigarettes. Smoking a pipe or cigar can still decrease lung function. Not only that, but cigar smoking also comes with a risk for the tongue, lip, and mouth cancer.

If it’s not because of the health myth, smokers might also be enticed by the fact that cigars and chewing tobacco aren’t taxed as heavily as cigarettes are.

Master the Myth

Maybe the only truth that needs to be known about smoking cessation is that it can improve a smoker’s life and health.

Also Read: What Puts People off Giving up Smoking?