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Are you thinking of trying cigarettes?
Before
you take that first puff, there are a number of “things” you may
want to consider.
There are a number of reasons people start smoking. Some claim it is
because of peer pressure, others think it makes them look older (do
you know anybody in their 30’s that are doing everything in their
power to look older?), and others do it out a sense of rebellion (do
you see people in their 40’s rebelling against their 70 year old
parents by smoking?). No matter why they started, people continue to
smoke for one reason.
Many teenagers
think they will only smoke a few cigarettes a week to be cool or
sociable and that will be it. When asked, only
3% of
teenagers believe there is a chance they will become addicted to
cigarettes. The reality is if a person smokes even a few cigarettes
a week, there is an
87%
chance of becoming addicted
to nicotine. Once hooked it is extremely difficult to quit.
Upwards of
70% of
current smokers have expressed a desire to quit smoking but each
year
only
5-10%
are successful in their quit attempts.
 When asked what
they think the odds of getting a disease from smoking such as
cancer, emphysema (COPD), or heart disease; smokers reply by saying
they think their odds are around
15%. The
reality is that their chances are closer to
50% (1 in 2).
The chances of dying early from tobacco related diseases is
33% (1 in 3)
and the average loss of years is
13-14 years.
Is smoking cigarettes really worth losing 14 years of your life?
Using tobacco
causes many other health problems, but we should move on to cover
other “things” because it isn’t going to happen to you – right? You
won’t be among the people that become addicted. And, even if you do
become addicted, you won’t be among the
50%
that
get a
chronic and fatal disease
from it, or be among the
1 in 3
that
dies from
it
– right?
 What about the
co$t$?
The average pack a day smoker will spend over $38,000 over 30 years of smoking
(if they live that long). What about other costs? More and more
employers are refusing to hire smokers.
This is because employers know that smokers cost them
more money to employ than non-smokers, because smokers have higher
illness rates and lower productivity. Employers are not in business
to lose money.
When you go to apply for a job, you will be competing
against the 80% of the population that does not smoke. You are
likely to have to pay more than non-smokers for health insurance.
You will have to pay more for auto and life insurance.
 Consider
the dating scene.
Since
80% of the population does
not smoke,
your dating options in the years to
come will be severely limited if you become a
smoker. Even if you
are able to
impress
somebody with some special WOW factor, that WOW factor will wear off
soon because of your EWWW factor. You might be able to hold on for a
little while, but eventually the EWWW factor
will override any WOW factor you may have and you’ll be going to the
movies alone.
So, if a “friend”
suggests you try smoking, think about some of these “things”
and consider just how broke and lonely you could be.
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