Are You Ready to Quit Smoking?

For many people, this is one of the toughest questions to answer. Whether it's the cost of smoking, health concerns or one of the many various reasons to say goodbye to nicotine once and for all, giving up the habit is hard. It is also decidedly harder if you are not yet ready to quit. It takes dedication and perseverance to develop a plan for success and to stand by it even when the going gets tough. Need to find a reason to quit? Here are 6! 1. Cost: It may seem that dropping $6-$9 doesn't add up, but when you are a smoker and this becomes a daily or even every-other-day type habit, that money adds up quickly. Figure out how often you go through a pack, the cost of your favorite brand and how much you go through in a year. Even as someone who goes through one pack every other day, the cost is more than 1,500 a year! Think about all the other uses you have for that money. Why not save up for something you really want or need, or help get your health back on track with a gym membership? 2. Harm to others: Even if you love smoking, despite the risks to your health, you must also think of the harm you are causing to those around you. Secondhand smoke can be just as harmful to those you love as it is to you. The American Cancer Society has found that being exposed to the smoke and the more than 4,000 chemicals it contains, causes cancer. They also have stated that of all these chemicals 60 are known to, or suspected to, cause cancer. New studies have also revealed that not only people are affected by secondhand smoke, but also pets too. If you are pregnant, or plan on soon becoming pregnant and you are a smoker, then you have a greater chance of having an underweight and unhealthy baby. 3. Harm to yourself: The days of the nation's belief that smoking wasn't all that damaging to your health are long gone and though denial is a persistent thing, few smokers can claim they don't know what it is doing to their body. Even those who don't know the specific complications know that it's not helping out their body in any way. Cancer, emphysema, heart attack, stroke and chronic bronchitis are just a few of the health complications that are associated with smoking cigarettes. 4. Stronger bones: Many different medical studies have revealed that those who smoke may be at a greater risk for developing osteoporosis or bone fractures. Many professionals are still slightly unsure why smokers appear to be more at risk for these things. It may be that smokers have other factors that put them at risk (like being very thin) or it may have a more chemical reason. While the exact cause is unknown, the percentage of people suffering from this condition who are smokers appears to be much higher. 5. Food tastes better: One of the most common things you will hear someone who recently quit smoking say is that "everything tastes different." This is because when you smoke cigarettes, you are actually deadening your taste buds. Nicotine actually has the ability to suppress nerve activity in the brain that are linked to taste also. 6. Your teeth and breath will be healthier: Smoking takes a toll on your teeth, both aesthetically and health wise. Not only do the teeth stain an unpleasant color, but you are also at risk for periodontal disease. No matter how much gum you chew or how desperately you try to hide the smell of smoke on your breath, it's one smell that is extremely hard to mask.