If you are a smoker, quit now. If you have tried quitting before but have been unsuccessful in your attempts, keep trying – chances are you will soon succeed. But if you do not find any good reason to want to quit smoking, consider the following reasons.
Do it for your health
Of the over 6,000 chemicals in tobacco, at least 200 are known to be harmful. And of these 200 harmful chemicals, at least 60 are identified carcinogens – or chemicals that cause cancer. Cigarette smoking is the single, most preventable cause of various cancers including cancer of the mouth, esophagus, larynx, lungs, kidneys, prostate, bladder, and cervix. In addition, cigarette smoking causes both acute and chronic respiratory diseases like chronic bronchitis, acute and chronic asthma, and COPD. Smoking also increases ones risk for contracting pneumonia, developing cataracts, and hip fractures. Moreover, a pregnant woman who smokes puts her at risk for premature labour and low birth weight to her baby.
Do it for your family’s health
Secondhand smoke, also called passive smoking, is considered a carcinogen, or cancer-causing. It is taken in two ways: 1. sidestream smoke, or the smoke given off by a burning tobacco product and 2. mainstream smoke, or the smoke exhaled by a person who is smoking. When a non-smoking individual inhales secondhand smoke, the individual becomes at risk for developing cancer. In the US, over 2,800 deaths occur annually from secondhand smoke, affecting infants, children, and adults. Infants born to smoking mothers have low birth weights and are at a greater risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Secondhand smoke slows the growth of children’s lungs and makes them prone to develop acute and chronic respiratory conditions early on in life.
Save some cash
You may not notice it but you are actually investing a big amount for your untimely sickness and death. The taxation for cigarettes is going up every year with the government putting more pressure on tobacco companies. Try computing your annual cigarette expense and think how much you will be saving if you did not smoke – that includes financial and health considerations. Moreover, think of all the other things you had to spend on because of smoking – teeth whitening, hospitalizations due to recurrent respiratory infections, and replacing your cheap carpet because your smoking habit has burnt too many holes in it.