Too Late To Quit?

Too Late to Quit?

The general health consequences of smoking, especially in the long-term, are widely known by both smokers and non-smokers.  As a result, it is not uncommon for people to believe in the  “I have smoked for years, so I might as well just keep on smoking” ideology.  These individuals believe that the years they have already spent smoking will inevitably cause damage to their health so there is no point in them quitting. 

This ideology does wonders to discourage people from quitting smoking.  If people will inevitably suffer cancer and respiratory illnesses, whether or not they quit smoking, what incentive is there to quit? In fact, there is a disincentive to quit, as this ideology suggests that even if someone forgoes smoking and its benefits (stress reduction, improved concentration, facilitation of social interaction with other smokers, and more), the end result will be the same. If this ideology were accurate, the only plausible path to follow would be the one with pros and cons (continuing to smoke), rather than the path that appears to solely be paved with cons (quitting smoking).

Thankfully, the “too late to quit” ideology is simply nothing more than a common misconception.  There are numerous health benefits that occur just briefly following smoking cessation, whether a person has been smoking for one year or ten years. 

 

While the short-term benefits of smoking cessation never fail to amaze, it is important to not forget the long-term benefits of smoking cessation that exist for even chronic smokers, particularly the great reduction in one’s risk of various cancers, coronary heart disease, and chronic respiratory illnesses.

At the end of the day, there remains just one take-home message: “It is never too late to quit.”

References

Hing Lam, T. (2012). Absolute Risk of Tobacco Deaths: One in Two Smokers Will Be Killed by Smoking. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 172(11), 845-846. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2012.1927.

LTPB PowerPoint 2 (Slide 25)