What Are the Top Reasons for Smoking?

Smoking is a habit that generally begins in the teenage years because of peer-pressure or to appear "macho" to the girls. Because of smoking's addictiveness, it soon becomes a hard habit to quit. Every individual has reasons for smoking, but some common reasons include as a stress buster and the feel-good syndrome. Apart from these reasons is the simple fact that people smoke because they get addicted to nicotine.

Stress Buster

• Life is full of stress, on the personal and professional fronts, and smoking is a coping mechanism. Every day brings its own share of problems, and lighting up is a way to deal with the stress. For smokers, emotional needs take precedence over the physical damage smoking does to the body. Smokers are well aware of smoking's harmful effects but can't stop because they have no other defense mechanism against stress.

Smoking Is Viewed As A Reward

• For reward-hungry people, smoking is a reward that can be enjoyed as often as the smoker chooses. Smokers often promise themselves a cigarette as soon as a particular task is completed. A smoker's first and last cigarettes of the day are the best rewards: The first one symbolizes an anticipated recompense, and the last one symbolizes the end of a hard day's work. Smoking, to some people, is the reward introduced into everyday living to compensate for having to go to work, get stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, put up with a nasty boss and deal with screaming kids back home.

Smoking Provides Oral Pleasure

• One reason why people smoke is the oral pleasure it gives them. This oral pleasure goes beyond the taste, which is often not sufficient satisfaction. Oral pleasure is likened to hunger or thirst --- fundamental needs that require gratification. Watching smokers inhale, you can see the satisfied expression on their faces. Habitual smokers need to feel the sensuous thrill of the first smoke inhalation after they light up a cigarette.

Companion Effect Of Smoking

• For some people, smoking is like being with a friend. Watching a cigarette glow in the dark makes the smoker feel less alone. A lit cigarette takes on the appearance of something alive. The companionship aspect of smoking is also reflected in the fact that being a smoker helps people make friends. It breaks down social barriers and helps people start conversations with total strangers easily because of a shared habit.