| “I’m a social smoker and I exercise. I’m healthier than other types of smokers.” |
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| There is no such thing as a “healthy smoker”. Healthy habits such as regular exercise do not reduce the health risks of smoking. In fact, even one cigarette a day on a regular basis can significantly increase your risk of stroke and lung disease. |
| “Heated tobacco products are healthier alternatives than traditional cigarettes.” |
| Heated tobacco products (“HTPs”) contain the same assortment of toxicants as traditional cigarettes, albeit at a lower level for some of the toxicants. HTPs also release around 80 chemicals that are either unique to HTPs or present at a higher level than in conventional cigarette smoke. Most HTP users smoke cigarettes concurrently and they are exposed to the known and unknown risk of both products. Similar to traditional cigarettes, HTPs also generate secondhand smoke which may affect the health of non-smokers. The healthiest choice is to quit smoking completely. |
| “Smoking relaxes me and is my stress relief.” |
| Smoking may seem like it makes you feel better, but it is just temporary relief from the withdrawal symptoms caused by nicotine dependency. Smokers often mistake withdrawal symptoms from cigarette smoking as feelings of “stress” which is often alleviated by smoking another cigarette. This nicotine dependency creates a vicious cycle that makes you feel “stressed” all the time except for when you are smoking. |
| “I’ve smoked all my life, it’s too late for me to quit.” |
| Even if you have smoked all your life, quitting in your 60s or 70s still gives you health benefits. You would reduce your risk of severe diseases and death from smoking, compared to those who continue smoking. For example, 2-3 weeks after quitting, your blood circulation and heart functions improves significantly. Within 10 years of quitting, your risk of dying from lung cancer is reduced by half compared to smokers and your risk of stroke is reduced to that of a non-smoker. To live a healthy and disease-free life, the best way is to quit as early as possible. |
| “I’ve already tried to quit and failed. I don’t think I will ever be able to quit.” |
| Every smoker’s quit journey is different. Most smokers need to make multiple attempts to successfully quit smoking. Even if you fail at quitting, by just making that quit attempt, it may lead to a net reduction in cigarette consumption, and make it easier for you to quit next time; every quit attempt counts and is a step towards your tobacco-free future. |
| “Smoking doesn’t necessarily cause cancer. It could be because of genetics or air pollution.” |
| Cigarette smoking is the greatest risk factor for lung cancer. Over 70% of all lung cancer deaths in the world are attributable to tobacco use. Environmental factors such as radon gas, asbestos, or air pollution play a much smaller role compared to cigarette smoking in causing lung cancer. Smoking causes at least 12 cancers and many other diseases. |
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