Myth Busting of Quitting Smoking
People start smoking for many reasons. However, despite the information available today as to the harmful effects of smoking, many continue to puff away because they buy into certain persistent myths about tobacco use. Therefore, we have decided to bust common myths which persist!
Myth #1: My other healthy habits may make up for my smoking.
Some smokers justify their habit by insisting that proper nutrition and lots of exercise are enough to keep them healthy. Not so.
“Research shows that eating a healthy diet and exercising don’t reduce the health risks associated with smoking,” says Ann M. Malarcher, PhD, senior scientific advisor in the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health.
“Smoking affects every organ system in the body, and thinking that you’re going to find the perfect lifestyle to counteract the effects of smoking is just not realistic.”
“You could take a truckload of vitamins a day and still not undo the deadly effects of tobacco,” says Michael C. Fiore, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis.
Myth #2: Myth: I’ve smoked for so long; the damage is already done.
The damage caused by smoking is cumulative, and the longer a person smokes, the greater his/her risk for life-threatening ailments. But quitting smoking at any age brings health benefits.
“Your health will improve even if you quit at 70,” says Norman H. Edelman, MD, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association.
The benefits of quitting start the day you stop. “Within a month, you will feel like you have more air, because you do,” Fiore says. “Within a year, your risk of having a heart attack will be cut by 50%.”
According to the American Cancer Society, smokers who quit before age 35 prevent 90% of the risk of health problems from smoking.
A smoker who quits before age 50 halves his/her risk of dying within the next 15 years compared to someone who continues to smoke.
Myth #3: Cutting back on smoking is good enough.
Cutting down on the number of cigarettes is not an effective strategy.
Smokers who cut back draw more deeply and smoke more of each cigarette.
So even though they smoke fewer cigarettes, they get the same dose of toxic smoke.
Quitting Fact: 1 year after quitting- Your risk of coronary heart disease is halved compared to a continuing smoker.
WHO Fact: Tobacco caused 100 million deaths in the 20th century.
If current trends continue, it may cause one billion deaths in the 21st century.
Reward Yourself for Your Success at Not Smoking is expensive.
Set aside the money you’re saving by not buying cigarettes and use it for a treat, or save up for a vacation or a major purchase.
Be sure to congratulate yourself for going without cigarettes. It’s a new habit that you can be proud of.
See other peoples reviews on the QSN Stop Smoking Program here: https://www.quitstopnow.com/reviews/