Health
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What are the Most Common Reasons to Quit Smoking?

B. Miller
B. Miller

There are numerous reasons to quit smoking, and each person's reasons may differ. The most common reason to quit smoking is, by far, health concerns. Smoking drastically increases the risk of cancer, especially lung cancer. Another one of the most common reasons to quit smoking is to save money; the price of cigarettes continue to increase, as do the taxes on cigarettes, which can take a sizable bite out of a monthly budget.

When trying to quit smoking, it is helpful to figure out the reasons that are most individually motivating. This way, if one gets a craving for a cigarette, it may be helpful to review these most personal reasons to quit smoking until the craving passes. The most common reasons to quit smoking are, as mentioned above, health reasons; it is well known that smoking can cause lung cancer, but it can also increase the risk of breast cancer and even stroke or heart attack. Secondhand smoke is also quite harmful to friends or family members, especially small children, which is reason enough for some people to quit smoking.

Smoking cigarettes can cause a variety of health problems including cancer, heart disease and emphysema.
Smoking cigarettes can cause a variety of health problems including cancer, heart disease and emphysema.

Many people also use financial reasons as one of the best reasons to quit smoking, especially as the taxes on cigarettes periodically increase. This can be accomplished by adjusting the way one spends money; for instance, using cash for everything rather than a credit card can help to illustrate just how much money is being spent on cigarettes, particularly if one smokes a pack or more per day. It can add up to a shocking amount of money.

Women often stop smoking when they plan on becoming pregnant, as the habit can harm a child's health.
Women often stop smoking when they plan on becoming pregnant, as the habit can harm a child's health.

Another one of the most common reasons to quit smoking is to improve appearance. Smoking tends to turn the teeth and nails yellow, and give the skin a sallow, wrinkled appearance. Bad breath is also common in smokers. In addition, people who smoke are often more fatigued, with lower energy levels than people who do not smoke; it can be difficult to breathe, and lead to sore throats and persistent coughs. Maintaining a smoking habit in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise plan is virtually impossible.

Second hand smoke can harm the health of non-smoking individuals in a household.
Second hand smoke can harm the health of non-smoking individuals in a household.

Smoking is an addiction, and it can be incredibly difficult to break. There are many sources of support, however, including medications that may be prescribed by a doctor, or nicotine replacement patches or gum. Rather than trying to think of reasons to quit smoking, it may be more helpful to try to think of reasons not to quit smoking; it will probably be a short list. After all, while smoking once was seen as a way to be popular, the opposite is often true today.

Discussion Comments

Ruggercat68

One reason my brother quit smoking was because of all the reports about secondhand smoke. He didn't want to jeopardize his family's health because of a personal habit like smoking. He tried going outside whenever he wanted to light up a cigarette, but that was not always a comfortable thing to do. He decided to stop smoking and chew nicotine gum instead. He's stepping down to gums with less nicotine in them, and then joining one of those "quit smoking" programs sponsored by a local hospital.

Cageybird

My mother-in-law finally quit smoking for good when she added up the monthly cost of a two-pack-a-day habit. When she first started smoking as a teenager, cigarettes weren't really that expensive. It was like buying a chocolate bar or a pack of gum. She only smoked one or two cigarettes a day, anyway.

We tried to get her to stop smoking for all the other reasons mentioned in this article, but she resisted the idea completely. It was only when she realized how broke she was at the end of the month that she decided it was time to give up smoking.

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Smoking cigarettes can cause a variety of health problems including cancer, heart disease and emphysema.
      By: Oleg Zinkovetsky
      Smoking cigarettes can cause a variety of health problems including cancer, heart disease and emphysema.
    • Women often stop smoking when they plan on becoming pregnant, as the habit can harm a child's health.
      Women often stop smoking when they plan on becoming pregnant, as the habit can harm a child's health.
    • Second hand smoke can harm the health of non-smoking individuals in a household.
      By: Pepsona
      Second hand smoke can harm the health of non-smoking individuals in a household.
    • Nicotine patches are one item that is helpful when trying to quit smoking.
      By: alco81
      Nicotine patches are one item that is helpful when trying to quit smoking.
    • A persistent cough and difficulty breathing can be a good reason to quit smoking.
      By: hartphotography
      A persistent cough and difficulty breathing can be a good reason to quit smoking.
    • Children and unborn children are more likely to suffer from health issues as a result of secondhand smoke because their bodies are still in the early stages of development.
      By: Marcin Sadlowski
      Children and unborn children are more likely to suffer from health issues as a result of secondhand smoke because their bodies are still in the early stages of development.