The Cost of Smoking
Just think of all the things you could have spent that money on instead -- concert tickets, gourmet dinners, holiday gifts, relaxing vacations, a better car or computer, retirement savings, a college fund for your kids, donations to charity
If you stop smoking now, you can start putting that money towards your favorite little luxury or long-term goal -- the possibilities are endless!
Of course, this is only part of what it costs you.
You probably already know that smoking causes about 400,000 deaths in the United States annually, and eventually kills about half of all smokers, making tobacco the deadliest product on the market. Along the way, it makes your breath and clothes reek, stains your teeth, makes your voice hoarse, reduces your lung capacity, and prematurely ages your skin.
Smoking can also cause -- or worsen -- impotence, infertility, osteoporosis, exercise injuries, weakened immunity to infections, stomach ailments (heartburn and ulcers), eye problems (cataract and macular degeneration), hypertension, heart disease, stroke, chronic lung blockage (emphysema and bronchitis), lung cancer, and several other types of cancer.
If you're a woman, smoking often brings on early menopause and raises your risk of stroke if you're on the Pill. Smokers have a harder time conceiving, and smoking during pregnancy increases your odds of experiencing a miscarriage or stillbirth, having an underweight baby, and delivering prematurely.
Finally, your smoking can affect the health of others in your family as well. Secondhand smoke is linked to asthma, bronchitis, allergies, recurring colds and ear infections, headaches, and lung cancer. While children seem to be most sensitive to cigarette smoke in their homes, adults certainly aren't immune to the hazards.
Is the cost too high for you?
The good news is that it's never too late to quit -- even if you've smoked all your life, you can reverse some of the damage to your body by quitting. The fewer years you've smoked, the better your chances of reversing all the damage and neutralizing your risk of heart disease and cancer.
