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By Diane Griffith, HealthAtoZ writer
If you smoke, you know how hard it is to quit. You may have tried repeatedly, but still haven't been able to kick the habit.
Working with your doctor on a smoking cessation program is the best way to quit. The worst way is "cold turkey," which almost never works.
A survey of smokers enrolled in a smoking cessation program showed some alarming findings. Most of them - especially women - mistakenly believed nicotine causes cancer. The findings were reported at the 2005 meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians.
Nicotine
You smoke because you're addicted to nicotine. Unfortunately, when you inhale, you also take in approximately 4,000 other chemicals. At least 200 of them are poisonous and 43 are known to cause cancer. Some of those ingredients are formaldehyde, ammonia, arsenic and carbon monoxide.
Because they believe nicotine causes cancer, many smokers won't try nicotine replacement therapy, such as the patch. Nicotine replacement is a very helpful tool in quitting. Refusing to use it can severely hamper a smoker's chances of quitting.
"Light" cigarettes
Another belief (again reported by more women than men) was that "light" cigarettes are healthier than regular cigarettes. According to the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute, no cigarette is healthy. Before light cigarettes were available, lung cancer was usually seen in the upper lungs. Now cancer is also seen in the lower lungs. This is because smokers inhale more deeply on light cigarettes to get more nicotine.
Other findings
According to the survey, women worried more than men about how smoking affects their health and their chances of getting cancer. More women than men feared they would fail at quitting. They were also more afraid that they'd gain weight after quitting than were the men. Both men and women worried that they wouldn't be able to manage stress if they couldn't light up.
Forget the myths
If you smoke, remember the following points:
- Nicotine doesn't cause cancer, but there are at least 43 ingredients in cigarettes that do. Nicotine replacement will help with the cravings but will not cause cancer.
- "Light" cigarettes can be more harmful than regular cigarettes. In an attempt to take in more nicotine, smokers inhale the cancer-causing chemicals more deeply into their lungs.
- The best way to quit is to see your doctor and begin a smoking cessation program. This may include medication, behavioral changes and nicotine replacement - such as patches, gum or nasal spray. Nicotine replacement may not be covered by insurance, so check your benefits.
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External Sources
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CHEST 2005, October 31, 2005
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National Institutes of Health
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This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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