Don't Let Smoking Myths Keep You from Quitting

It may seem harmless - that little cigarette glowing so warmly between your fingers - but smoking can kill you. That's reality. Smoking kills half a million people - just like you - each year.

Kicking your habit means hurdling your roadblocks first. Here are some common myths that you may believe are true:

1. Myth: Smoking is just a bad habit.

   Fact: You're addicted to nicotine, a powerful drug. You're also inhaling 4,000 chemicals, with 60 known to cause cancer. These chemicals can damage just about every organ in your body. Even smoking one cigarette a day can have health consequences, including an increased risk of heart disease and the risk of dying at an earlier age.

2. Myth: I've been smoking all my life and I'm fine. Sometimes I don't even inhale.

   Fact: You're not fine. Years of smoking have damaged your lungs, heart, blood vessels and other organs. You may be ignoring the little red flags - such as feeling winded when going up steps or having trouble getting over colds. Even if you don't inhale, you are breathing in the secondhand smoke that puts you at risk for lung cancer. The good news is that it's never too late to quit. Your body begins healing itself within minutes of your last cigarette.

3. Myth: Smoking helps me relax.

   Fact: Nicotine causes the brain to release special chemicals that make you feel good and give you energy. However, this feeling slips away in about 30 minutes, leaving you feeling depressed and tired. Then you need another cigarette to perk you back up.

4. Myth: I use only menthol, filtered or low-tar cigarettes - so I'm OK.

   Fact: People who use menthol cigarettes can inhale more deeply and hold the smoke longer than smokers who use regular cigarettes. There is no such thing as a safe cigarette.

5. Myth: Smoking doesn't hurt anyone but me.

   Fact: Each year in the U.S., secondhand smoke causes 3,000 cases of lung cancer in people who don't smoke. It is responsible for as many as 300,000 cases of lower respiratory tract infections in children 18 months and younger.

6. Myth: I smoke cigars, so I don't have to worry.

   Fact: Cigars are just as dangerous. They are addictive and have the same cancer-causing substances as cigarettes. Nicotine is absorbed from cigars just as it is from a cigarette. Even if you don't inhale, nicotine is being absorbed into the lining of your mouth. Pipe and cigar smokers are at an increased risk for lip, mouth, tongue, and several other cancers, even if they don't inhale.

7. Myth: The best way to quit is cold turkey.

   Fact: Remember, you are dealing with a powerful drug addiction. For some people, it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine. The average smoker may quit 10 times before being able to quit for good. Talking to your doctor about quitting and using nicotine replacement therapy are good ways to ease yourself off cigarettes.

8. Myth: Quitting is expensive.

   Fact: Consider how much you spend on your habit each day and add that up over a lifetime. Someone who smokes a pack per day spends at least $1,000 a year. Treatment like nicotine replacement costs about $3 to $10 a day over a relatively short period of time. Your health insurance company may cover some smoking cessation products.

Related Articles It's Never Too Late to Break Old Habits

External Sources National Cancer institute U.S. Environmental Protection Agency U.S. Surgeon General American Cancer Society

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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