Reasons for Giving Up Smoking
- Aside from lung cancer, the CDC reports that smokers have an increased risk for cancer of the stomach, pancreas, kidneys, bladder and cervix. A CDC epidemiologist, Dr. Sherri Stewart insists that people do anything they can to quit: "We knew this was a big problem and a preventable problem. But when you start to see the hard numbers, you start to see the profoundness of the problem."
- Smoking has a significant effect on blood-vessel walls. Both the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association report that smokers have two to four times the risk of cardiovascular disease than nonsmokers and are at double the risk for a sudden heart attack. Pipe and cigar smoking adds significant risk as well, although not to the degree of cigarettes.
- Studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association report a 44 report increase in Type II diabetes among smokers, contributing to 12 percent of all Type II diabetes cases diagnosed each year. Over time, the disease can lead to kidney damage, immune deficiency and blindness.
- With pressure mounting on the tobacco industry and increased government taxation, the cost of cigarettes will continue to rise. Considering that a pack of cigarettes currently averages about $6 a pack, single-pack-a-day smokers would be spending $2,190 each year to support their habit. The huge cost savings is one of the most immediate benefits to quitting, while improving the quality of your life.
- Because tobacco naturally contains the highly addictive drug, nicotine, most smokers find quitting difficult. One of the most popular methods of kicking the smoking habit is with nicotine-replacement therapy that allows a smoker to absorb reduced dosages of nicotine through a patch that helps to curb the dependency over time. For more information on the effects of smoking and available methods of quitting, visit the American Cancer Society website.
