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Why Quit?

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Smoking: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Good? What's good about smoking?! Well... there must be something you get out of the habit or you wouldn't be doing it... would you?

 

You will have a chance to think about this a bit more as you move through the program. Some people smoke because they use cigarettes to take a smoke break, tune out the rest of the world, or have some quiet time to think. Some people smoke to mark transitions in their day e.g. to start the day along with a cup of coffee, finishing work, driving home, or relaxing after dinner. Some people use tobacco to manage stress or anxiety.

 

I know you have your reasons, but for now we will focus mostly on the Bad and the Ugly because, as you already know, whatever a part of your brain may try to tell you, there really is nothing good about smoking.

The Bad

  • Your clothes, hair, breath, car, and house smell terrible and your teeth and fingers become discolored

  • Smoking gives you wrinkles

  • Secondhand smoke harms pets as well

  • Smokers have higher rates of insomnia and sleep apnea (stopping breathing while asleep)

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​What does your habit cost?

 

Smoking costs a lot of money! If you smoke a pack a day, the regular cost of this program is about what you would spend on cigarettes in month. Figure out exactly what your habit costs you. And if you are brave... figure out what your habit has already cost you over the years.

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The Ugly

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  • Every year in the U.S., more than 480,000 people die from tobacco use and secondhand smoke... more deaths than from alcohol, cocaine, heroin, car accidents, homicides, suicides, fires, and AIDS combined! â€‹â€‹â€‹

  • Smoking is a major cause of cancer. You have 10 times the risk of getting lung cancer, and increased risk of cancer (mouth, throat, nose, sinus, esophagus, bladder, kidney, ureter, pancreas, stomach, liver, cervix, ovaries, bowel), and acute myeloid leukemia.​​

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  • ​One out of every five heart disease deaths is attributable to smoking. Smokers have three times the risk of heart disease.

  • Nicotine can harm the developing adolescent brain.​

  • Smokers are nearly 3 times as likely to die before age 65 as are nonsmokers.​

  • Smoking causes Type II diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and increases your risk of cataracts and glaucoma, ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke, hearing loss, psoriasis, osteoporosis, Crohn's disease, lupus, vascular dementia, and premature baldness.​

  • Smokers are at greater risk of developing all types of dementia and up to 79% greater risk for Alzheimer's.

  • Poor circulation in your hands and feet can lead to amputations if severe.​​​

  • If you smoke while pregnant you are more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy, a low birthweight baby, or a child with a cleft palate.​

  • Smoking causes dental and mouth issues such as inflammation of the salivary gland openings in the roof of the mouth, increased build-up of plaque and tartar, bone loss in the jaw, leukoplakia (white patches inside the mouth), gum disease, and delayed healing.

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