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Reasons Not to Smoke and Information on Smoking

Reasons not to smoke are plentiful, but the prospect of an early death is the most compelling. Men who don't smoke live an average of 13.2 years longer than smokers, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; for women the gap is 14.5 years. Even if a smoker's habit doesn't kill him, its debilitating effects linger throughout his shortened lifespan. Smoking is also a lasting financial drain. Although withdrawal from smoking cessation can be miserable, it's finite, and preferable to an early grave.

  1. Cancer

    • The American Cancer Society reports that smoking causes approximately 30 percent of cancer deaths. Smoking is responsible for numerous cancers afflicting organs such as the esophagus, stomach, pancreas and bladder, though a smoker's biggest cancer risk remains lung cancer. The CDC indicates smoking is responsible for about 80 percent to 90 percent of lung cancer cases, noting that lung cancer accounts for 16 percent of cancer deaths in the United States. Time Magazine indicates that the five-year survival rate for patients is only 15 percent.

    Heart and Lung Disease

    • Smoking contributes to hypertension, which causes scarring within the arteries. This in turn increases the risks of blood clots and atherosclerosis, the arterial accumulation of fats. The accompanying inhibition or complete blockage of blood flow can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Smoking can destroy the lungs' air sacs, leading to emphysema, while also scarring and inflaming a smoker's air passages to cause chronic bronchitis. These two conditions combine in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which kills 120,000 Americans annually.

    Financial Costs

    • A pack-a-day habit at $5 per pack costs a smoker more than $1,800 annually. In a 2008 article, MSN Money reported that a 40-year-old smoker who invests that sum in a vehicle with a 9 percent return would have more than $250,000 at age 70. The Society for Human Resource Management noted in the same article that 5 percent of companies charged higher health insurance premiums for smokers, and companies such as Union Pacific and Alaska Airlines simply won't hire smokers. Smoking can hurt your chances of selling your home as well, since the lingering smell is likely to drive off a many potential buyers.

    Cessation and Withdrawal

    • Withdrawal can feel nightmarish, but its worst effects diminish significantly after the first week. Immediately after quitting, the ex-smoker is irritable and on edge, and she feels like snapping at anybody who says as much as, "Good morning." It's difficult to concentrate on simple tasks, which can turn into daunting challenges. Your appetite can spike, and the urge to reach for junk food can feel overwhelming. Even weeks after these symptoms pass, you might find yourself thinking, "Just one won't hurt." Ignore those thoughts; they'll pass, and you don't want to start again from square one. Your doctor might suggest nicotine gum, patches or medication to reduce withdrawal's intensity. Although none of these aids eliminates the symptoms, they can make them more tolerable.

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