For every smoker, quitting seems like a definitive step towards a healthier lifestyle. It takes a strong will, but there are plenty of successful examples around to prove that it’s not impossible. Getting ready to quit involves bargaining with yourself — is such a major deprivation really worth the pain? This is where smoking myths enter the scene. Read on to see how we bust some of the more popular ones in this blog post.
Smokers sometimes outlive non-smokers, so why should I bother?
Some smokers do indeed live into old age, but it doesn’t mean that the health risks involved in smoking are overrated. Risks are all about probability: 5 out of 6 players in a round of Russian roulette end up unhurt, but do we take those players seriously when they try to persuade us that pulling the trigger of a loaded gun pointed at your head doesn’t cause some harm?
I don’t have to quit, as long as I cut down my smoking
Although reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke does reduce health risks, the chances of dying from heart disease or lung cancer, to mention only the most severe risks, are still significantly higher for people smoking 1 to 4 cigarettes a day (“light smokers”) when compared to non-smokers. In addition, as your appetite tends to grow with eating, keeping up your existing daily routine means keeping the door open to possible increased cigarette consumption.
I’ve smoked for so many years, it’s too late for me to quit
The fact that you have continuously put your health at risk all your life doesn’t mean that you can’t reduce that risk by quitting at a certain point. On the contrary, quitting smoking is sure to improve your health and overall quality of life. A stable heart rate, improved blood pressure, lighter breathing — these are benefits you’ll not fail to notice in your daily life.
Your own rolled smokes are healthier than factory-made cigarettes
It’s amazing how persistent this myth is. Whatever the reason behind it, it’s somehow understandable that the ridiculous idea of “natural” rollies vs. chemically-treated factory ciggies could have some imaginary ground in the past. Today however, hard data clearly proves the contrary: loose tobacco contains on average 20% more additives than manufactured cigarettes, including (most notably) flavouring and humectant chemicals which allow for repeated exposure to open air.
Vaping is a healthy alternative to smoking cigarettes
This is a case where less harmful clearly does not mean any more healthy: health risks connected to e-cigarettes range from teeth and gum disease to vaper’s cough, impaired wound healing and the all-too-obvious lung and heart diseases. So if you go along with the idea that vaping is a less dangerous alternative to smoking, you have to drop the idea that it’s a harmless practice fully compatible with a healthy lifestyle. If your way out of the pernicious addiction of the past century must lead through vaping, go for it, but for the sake of your wellbeing, don’t let this halt last.
The first step on your way to a healthier lifestyle is your full commitment to your goal. Start small and build up your own path towards DeepHealth! #DeepH
