Myths busted
Smoking’s addictive – so we want to trick ourselves about the facts and make excuses not to quit. There are some common myths about smoking. See why they don’t hold up:
Cigarettes are bad for you - but not that bad.
Cigarettes are made with over 7000 harmful chemicals. More than 60 are known to cause cancer. Cancer’s a debilitating disease, but it’s not the only one caused by smoking. Smokers are also at risk of stroke, heart disease and heart attack - to name a few.
Myth bustedSmoking helps with stress.
Many people think smoking helps stress. But it actually causes it long-term. Withdrawal symptoms include stress, anxiety and feelings of depression. But continuing to smoke only feeds this cycle. Given time, those who quit feel less physically, emotionally and financially stressed. Some tips for managing stress include: going for a walk, talking with friends, or meditating.
Myth bustedI can quit any time.
Research suggests that nicotine is one of the most addictive substances in the world. Investigation on dependence show that of all people who initiate tobacco use, almost one-third become addicted. This is a much higher addiction rate than for users of heroin (23%), cocaine (17%) alcohol (15%) and cannabis (9%).
Myth bustedI can worry about the health effects later in life, they won’t affect me now.
Every cigarette damages your health, and harms nearly every organ in your body. Disease creeps up without any warning. So waiting for the worst to happen is a losing game. Cigarettes hurt not only your body, but your wallet. This causes severe financial stress, and lifetime smoking is linked to poverty.
Myth bustedIt’s too late to quit as the damage is already done.
Quitting at any age will greatly reduce your risk of disease and death however the earlier you stop the greater the benefit. If you quit smoking by age 30 your life expectancy will be similar to someone that has never smoked. Quitting by age 50 decreases your risk of dying in the next 15 years by half.
Myth bustedElectronic cigarettes are safe and an effective way to quit.
The short and long term health effects of electronic cigarettes are unknown. There is currently insufficient evidence to demonstrate that they are effective in assisting people to quit smoking and no brand of e-cigarette has been approved under the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.
Myth bustedSmoke-free environments are implemented to punish the smoker.
Smoke-free environments were first implemented to protect non-smokers, especially children, for the dangers of second-hand smoke. In addition, smoke-free environments have contributed to a decrease in the up-take of smoking amongst youth. Smoke-free environments also support smokers that are trying to quit by making the environment more supportive and encouraging more quit attempts.
Myth busted