9 Reasons To Quit Smoking That You Have Not Heard Of

1. If you smoke, it is very likely that your children will too

It’s no surprise that children of smokers are more likely to smoke. The striking thing is that, even if you stop smoking before they are born, your children can acquire this habit.

A study published in the journal Pediatrics found that children of smokers and ex-smokers had a probability of smoking between 23% and 29%. In contrast, this value was only 8% for the children of non-smokers.

It should be noted that even the offspring of those who dabbled in tobacco secondarily were 3.5 times more likely to smoke than those of those parents who never smoked.

However, these results must be interpreted in terms of association , since the smoking behavior of parents and children could be established in a bidirectional way.

2. You are consuming more nicotine than you think

Another reason to quit smoking is nicotine. That is, even though you have limited your habit of smoking, it is very likely that you are still exposed to the same concentration of nicotine.

In this sense, one of the investigations of the Harvard School of Public Health has come to confirm that there is a significant trend in the increase in nicotine present in cigarettes, this being 1.6% during the 1998–2005 period.

On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that people who opt for light cigarettes smoke more frequently and with deeper inhalations. This practice, far from reducing the amount of nicotine obtained, what it does is compensate or even raise its levels.

3. Smoking makes you weaker

Mounting evidence has shown that nicotine impairs the cardiovascular system, affecting endothelial cells and causing serious diseases such as atherosclerosis. Works like that of Yong Zhang and his team provide new data in this direction.

Likewise, smoking can weaken the musculoskeletal system, as pointed out in a recent review developed by the University of Florida.

This publication indicates that, among other consequences, smokers have a lower bone mass density, an increased risk of fractures, periodontitis and adverse effects on joints, muscles, tendons, cartilage and ligaments.

4. Tobacco will make you sick more easily

To the reasons for quitting smoking should be added the impact that cigarettes have on the body’s defense mechanisms. Chemicals in smoke cause inflammation and cell damage, which can disrupt the regulation of the immune system.

In one of the articles by Professor Zhenhua Dai et al. It is highlighted that this effect takes place both by exacerbating pathogenic responses and by attenuating those that are defensive.

What’s more, exposure to cigarette smoke is associated with respiratory tract infections. An example of this is the experiment carried out by Maisem Laabei’s group, in which this association is confirmed with respect to the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus .

Findings along the same lines have been those of a trial carried out by the University of Colorado, which confirms the harmful action of nicotine on macrophages responsible for dealing with the tuberculosis bacterium ( Mycobacterium tuberculosis) .

5. Smoking is the same as constant exposure to an X-ray machine

A well-known study published in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that smoking a pack and a half a day represents a radiation dose equivalent to 300 chest X-rays per year.

Given the limits of the human body, 30 cigarettes a day (79.5 millisieverts) would not leave room for X-rays that we might need at any time, such as a mammogram (0.4 millisieverts).

Economic reasons for quitting smoking

6. You will lose about $2,920 in tobacco a year

The next reason to quit is money. If a pack of cigarettes costs approximately $8, smoking a pack every day would add up to a total of $2,920 per year.

7. Criminal networks are maintained with tobacco

According to the data and figures provided by the WHO, one in 10 cigarettes and other tobacco products consumed is of illicit origin.

Such trade involves illegal activities, such as smuggling, illicit manufacturing, and counterfeiting, resulting in major health, economic and security problems worldwide.

Despite this, the illicit market is supported by various agents, from small street vendors to organized crime networks that traffic in weapons and people.

Remember that by paying less, buying, for example, smuggled tobacco, you will be helping to sustain this chain of corruption.

Environmental reasons for quitting

8. You are contributing to global poor health

The WHO also reports that about 80% of the 1.1 billion smokers in the world live in low- or middle-income countries, which is more closely associated with the illicit trafficking we just discussed.

In addition, it is noteworthy that involuntary exposure to cigarette smoke causes 15% of annual deaths from tobacco (1.2 million people).

9. You are leaving an indelible stain of disease

Have you heard of thirdhand smoke ? Well, it is another of the important reasons to quit smoking and refers to the chemical residues that remain on interior surfaces due to tobacco smoke.

These remains adhere to fabrics and accumulate on surfaces. They are difficult to eliminate because it is not enough to open windows, use fans or air conditioning, or restrict smoking to certain areas of the house.

In fact, recent research suggests that third-rate smoke actually causes DNA damage beyond what was previously estimated. This is confirmed by a study conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Did you think you would have no reason to quit smoking?

In short, if you want to take care of yourself and yours, it is best to put tobacco aside.

As you have seen, there are multiple reasons to quit smoking. Here we have talked about those related mainly to health, economic reasons and the collateral damage that smokers cause around them, but there are many more that you could take into account.

We invite you to reflect on all these negative consequences of tobacco use and to analyze its consequences.