Smoking Is Not Cool

Some points highlighting the reasons why smoking cigarettes is no longer cool. Health and money are the two biggest factors.

I started smoking when I was fourteen years old. No one pressured me. There was no semicircle of kids with me up against a wall being talked into taking a puff on a smoke.

I had this notion that cool kids and pretty girls smoked. I wanted to be cool and I definitely wanted to be pretty.

I have quit smoking four times in the last twenty-five years. Each time I picked back up I would yell, "stupid! stupid!" But, I would keep smoking until I decided I had enough.

Here are a few reasons why starting smoking or continuing to smoke are not smart choices.

Smoking Makes You Look Old
Really. According to quitsmokinghelp.net, smoking narrows the blood vessels in your skin which reduces blood flow. Smoking also breaks down collagen. Collagen is the stuff in our skin that gives us that youthful look. Smoking makes your wrinkles appear faster.

Smoking Smells Bad - You Smell Bad
Cigarette smoke stinks! It stinks when it is billowing into the air off of your lit cigarette. It stinks when it is being exhaled. Cigarette smoke gets into everything: our clothes, our hair, our furniture, our cars. The next time you smoke a cigarette, smell your hands and smell your hair if you can. Your hands and hair will stink along with the rest of whatever you are wearing. People who do not smoke can smell cigarette smoke stronger than those who do smoke.

Smoking Is Expensive
When I started smoking, cigarettes were a little more than a dollar a pack. These days, they are about five dollars a pack. Almost nine dollars a pack in New York! If you are smoking, do the math. Put a goal on a piece of paper and put it in a jar. Instead of buying cigarettes, put the money in the jar with the goal paper. Maybe you had your eye on a new laptop or big screen television. The average cost for either of those is about $800 - $1,000 dollars. If you put the money you would spend on cigarettes in a jar, it would take less than a year to save up!

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Quitting
Once you decide to quit smoking, pick a date. Be sure to ration your cigarettes until this date. You should throw away any ashtrays, lighters or other paraphernalia you might have. If you smoke in your car, make a conscious effort to no longer do so. After you stop smoking, drink a lot of water. Aim for ten glasses a day. Keep sugar free mints around and sunflower seeds. These help keep your hands and mouth busy.

Remember, if you wind up smoking, don't beat yourself up. Try to remember the reasons you want to quit. Figure out why you picked up a cigarette again. Visit this link to see a timeline of your improving health. This timeline is helpful through the first couple weeks as it shows the immediate health benefits after quitting. Remember, sometimes quitters do prosper!

Source:
Smokefree.gov