Smoke Free: What Is Associated With the Reduced Consumption of Cigarettes?

The reduced consumption of cigarettes is a controversial subject. There are valid arguments from each side. Many smokers who cut down on the number of cigarettes smoked each day are sucking harder on the cigarette. Even though fewer cigarettes are smoked each day, the intake of smoke may be the same. It's important to note that any benefits from reduced smoking depends on the individual.

Wealth

• At the time of publication, the cost of a pack of cigarettes ranged upward of $8 to $12 or more. A smoker who goes through a pack a day at a cost of $10 spends $3,650 a year. Reducing smoking by 50 percent costs the smoker $5 a day to smoke. That means each year, the smoker saves $1,850 to use for things like a rewarding vacation, for example.

Productivity

• With more locales becoming non-smoking areas, it is harder to find places to smoke. During the work day, there is less chance of going outside for a smoke, leaving more time to get the job done. At home, a smoker relaxes with coffee and a cigarette. Although it is only 10 or 15 minutes for the break, over the course of an evening six smokes add up to more than an hour lost. Reducing consumption gives more time for other things.

Addiction

• Nicotine in tobacco is a psychoactive drug that creates dependence. Many who are able to reduce the intake of nicotine are better able to handle fully quitting after a few months. While reducing nicotine intake, the smoker may feel withdrawal symptoms that fade in time. Lack of nicotine causes irritability, anxiety, lack of concentration and an increased appetite. Reducing the body's dependence on nicotine is beneficial on the road to quitting.

Lungs

• After a comprehensive review of medical literature on smoking, professors Charlotta Pisinger and Nina Godtfredsen from Denmark found that reducing intake by 50 percent may improve some respiratory symptoms, along with the overall risk of lung cancer. The performance of the lung function, however, remained the same. While less smoke in the lungs is a good thing, everyone derives different benefits from the reduction.

Cardiovascular

• High levels of carbon monoxide from smoking is shown to raise cholesterol levels and white blood cell counts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These are important factors for heart disease. A study published in the August 2001 issue of Nicotine and Tobacco Research shows that a smoking reduction of 50 percent results in a 17 percent reduction of carbon monoxide levels. This corresponds to lower cholesterol levels and higher blood oxygen capacity reducing cardiovascular risks.