STOP SMOKING - Why Do You Smoke? What's to be Gained by Stopping?
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2026 3:59 pm
Why Do You Smoke?
What’s To Be Gained By Stopping?
Uk Gov.org says “In 2025, 11.1% of men smoked compared with 8.0% of women. … The prevalence of adults who used to smoke (ex-smokers) in 2025 was 26.4%. The prevalence of those who had never smoked was 64.1%. That is a number in the millions of ex-smokers in the British population and the number is constantly increasing as the public become more aware of the dangers of smoking.
There are no “miracle cures” for smoking. Willpower is the key to success - making a choice not to smoke and continuing with that choice. The smoker who gives up can reduce their risk of smoking-induced ill-health at almost any stage in life.
Most ex-smokers give “health reasons” or “finance” as the main reason for stopping. Price is the predominant factor in younger smokers, and health in those who have smoked longer. Other reasons for giving up include; desire to set a good example to children; the belief that smoking is anti-social, and the desire to prove that “I can do it”.
There are many different types of smoker, and some smokers may belong to several categories. Giving some thought to your smoking type will help you to develop a successful strategy for giving up.
SOCIAL SMOKERS - smoke only when others are around, and probably very rarely, if at all, on their own. When giving up, social smokers should try to avoid “social” situations such as the pub or club or parties for a time.
STIMULATION SMOKERS - smoke because they get a “lift” out of cigarettes. They appear to give them energy. When giving up, stimulation smokers should, for example, take brisk exercise when they feel the urge to smoke, or where this is not possible rhythmic deep breathing will help.
HANDLING SMOKERS - enjoy “going through the motions” of handling, lighting, and putting the cigarette in the mouth. When giving up it may help to handle a pen, play with a coin, or even buy some worry beads!
RELAXATION SMOKERS - really enjoy a cigarette after a meal, with a drink or when relaxing in front of the television. When giving up, it will help to change the routine so that the “cues” to smoke such as the cup of coffee, or sitting in the favourite chair are removed or altered.
STRESS SMOKERS - smoke at times of crisis or discomfort. When giving up, this kind of smoker may find it helps to chew gum or to nibble some low-calorie food.
DEPENDENT SMOKERS - usually do not enjoy cigarettes at all, but nevertheless crave for them. This is related to their dependence on nicotine. Not all dependent smokers find it hard to give up. Having made the effort those who are successful are very unlikely to relapse.
AUTOMATIC SMOKERS - probably get little satisfaction from cigarettes, and often find themselves lighting cigarettes without realising what they are doing. When giving up, this kind of smoker needs to make a clean break and carry a reminder card or some device to jog their memory when they reach for the cigarette pack. A card saying “I Choose Not To Smoke” would suit the purpose.
The majority of smokers find it easier to give up abruptly rather than gradually cutting down on cigarettes. One study of ex-smokers methods of giving up showed that 96% gave up abruptly and 4% gradually.
The success rate of giving up smoking can be more than doubled if motivation is high. Decide exactly WHY you want to give up. If you have not got a good enough reason you may not succeed.
Decide WHAT kind of smoker you are. When you have worked out why you smoke, draw up a list of situations and occasions when you are most likely to smoke - it will help you to avoid them during the first few critical days. Some smokers experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms during the early stages of cessation. They include: lack of concentration, irritability, sleep disturbance, dizziness, and lethargy. By no means do all smokers experience these symptoms and they are usually short-lived.
Decide WHEN to give up. This is important. Do not make it more difficult by choosing to give up at a time of particular stress. On the other hand, the sooner the better as habits become increasingly entrenched the longer we continue in them. There will probably never be a time better than RIGHT NOW.
WHAT’S TO BE GAINED BY STOPPING? There are many different benefits in stopping smoking. In most cases, those who stop smoking, irrespective of how long they have been smoking, are able to reverse some of the damage to their health done by smoking.
Most of the recent slow-down in the rate of improvement of life expectancy, and half the difference in life expectancy between men and women, can be attributed to the fatal effects of smoking. A long-term study of British doctors’ records showed that of those aged 35 and over more, than twice as many smokers as non-smokers died before reaching 65. If a smoker gives up smoking, their extra risk of dying before his time, disappears in 10-15 years. That this is due to his stopping smoking is most clearly shown by the study on doctors, many of whom have responded to the dangers of smoking by giving it up. Since 1954 deaths among doctors under the age of 65 have fallen by 22%, but only by 7% in the general male population, and this difference is due entirely to reduction of deaths from diseases related to smoking.
These who give up smoking after a coronary attack halve their risk of a further attack, compared with, those who continue to smoke.
Those who give up smoking usually lose their chronic cough and phlegm even if they have smoked for several decades.
Those who give up smoking prevent further damage to their cardiac and lung function, and can improve fitness.
Giving up smoking in pregnancy before the third month improves the chance of the mother giving birth to a normal weight baby.
Giving up smoking lessens the risk of gum and mouth infections.
Giving up smoking frequently improves the sense of taste, smell and appetite.
By giving up smoking, the smoker of 20 cigarettes a day can save in the region £6,000++ per annum.
The children of non-smokers are much less likely to smoke than those of smokers. The infants of non-smokers are less likely to develop chest infections, including, pneumonia.
Tobacco smoking is offensive to many non-smokers, and ex-smokers also find that to be the case as they are now free of the pervasive odour of tobacco smoke.
Prepared by the Organisers of the British Temperance Society and the Five-Day Plan to Stop Smoking.
Journey to Wholeness – hopeFM radio programme every Friday 2-4 p.m.
What’s To Be Gained By Stopping?
Uk Gov.org says “In 2025, 11.1% of men smoked compared with 8.0% of women. … The prevalence of adults who used to smoke (ex-smokers) in 2025 was 26.4%. The prevalence of those who had never smoked was 64.1%. That is a number in the millions of ex-smokers in the British population and the number is constantly increasing as the public become more aware of the dangers of smoking.
There are no “miracle cures” for smoking. Willpower is the key to success - making a choice not to smoke and continuing with that choice. The smoker who gives up can reduce their risk of smoking-induced ill-health at almost any stage in life.
Most ex-smokers give “health reasons” or “finance” as the main reason for stopping. Price is the predominant factor in younger smokers, and health in those who have smoked longer. Other reasons for giving up include; desire to set a good example to children; the belief that smoking is anti-social, and the desire to prove that “I can do it”.
There are many different types of smoker, and some smokers may belong to several categories. Giving some thought to your smoking type will help you to develop a successful strategy for giving up.
SOCIAL SMOKERS - smoke only when others are around, and probably very rarely, if at all, on their own. When giving up, social smokers should try to avoid “social” situations such as the pub or club or parties for a time.
STIMULATION SMOKERS - smoke because they get a “lift” out of cigarettes. They appear to give them energy. When giving up, stimulation smokers should, for example, take brisk exercise when they feel the urge to smoke, or where this is not possible rhythmic deep breathing will help.
HANDLING SMOKERS - enjoy “going through the motions” of handling, lighting, and putting the cigarette in the mouth. When giving up it may help to handle a pen, play with a coin, or even buy some worry beads!
RELAXATION SMOKERS - really enjoy a cigarette after a meal, with a drink or when relaxing in front of the television. When giving up, it will help to change the routine so that the “cues” to smoke such as the cup of coffee, or sitting in the favourite chair are removed or altered.
STRESS SMOKERS - smoke at times of crisis or discomfort. When giving up, this kind of smoker may find it helps to chew gum or to nibble some low-calorie food.
DEPENDENT SMOKERS - usually do not enjoy cigarettes at all, but nevertheless crave for them. This is related to their dependence on nicotine. Not all dependent smokers find it hard to give up. Having made the effort those who are successful are very unlikely to relapse.
AUTOMATIC SMOKERS - probably get little satisfaction from cigarettes, and often find themselves lighting cigarettes without realising what they are doing. When giving up, this kind of smoker needs to make a clean break and carry a reminder card or some device to jog their memory when they reach for the cigarette pack. A card saying “I Choose Not To Smoke” would suit the purpose.
The majority of smokers find it easier to give up abruptly rather than gradually cutting down on cigarettes. One study of ex-smokers methods of giving up showed that 96% gave up abruptly and 4% gradually.
The success rate of giving up smoking can be more than doubled if motivation is high. Decide exactly WHY you want to give up. If you have not got a good enough reason you may not succeed.
Decide WHAT kind of smoker you are. When you have worked out why you smoke, draw up a list of situations and occasions when you are most likely to smoke - it will help you to avoid them during the first few critical days. Some smokers experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms during the early stages of cessation. They include: lack of concentration, irritability, sleep disturbance, dizziness, and lethargy. By no means do all smokers experience these symptoms and they are usually short-lived.
Decide WHEN to give up. This is important. Do not make it more difficult by choosing to give up at a time of particular stress. On the other hand, the sooner the better as habits become increasingly entrenched the longer we continue in them. There will probably never be a time better than RIGHT NOW.
WHAT’S TO BE GAINED BY STOPPING? There are many different benefits in stopping smoking. In most cases, those who stop smoking, irrespective of how long they have been smoking, are able to reverse some of the damage to their health done by smoking.
Most of the recent slow-down in the rate of improvement of life expectancy, and half the difference in life expectancy between men and women, can be attributed to the fatal effects of smoking. A long-term study of British doctors’ records showed that of those aged 35 and over more, than twice as many smokers as non-smokers died before reaching 65. If a smoker gives up smoking, their extra risk of dying before his time, disappears in 10-15 years. That this is due to his stopping smoking is most clearly shown by the study on doctors, many of whom have responded to the dangers of smoking by giving it up. Since 1954 deaths among doctors under the age of 65 have fallen by 22%, but only by 7% in the general male population, and this difference is due entirely to reduction of deaths from diseases related to smoking.
These who give up smoking after a coronary attack halve their risk of a further attack, compared with, those who continue to smoke.
Those who give up smoking usually lose their chronic cough and phlegm even if they have smoked for several decades.
Those who give up smoking prevent further damage to their cardiac and lung function, and can improve fitness.
Giving up smoking in pregnancy before the third month improves the chance of the mother giving birth to a normal weight baby.
Giving up smoking lessens the risk of gum and mouth infections.
Giving up smoking frequently improves the sense of taste, smell and appetite.
By giving up smoking, the smoker of 20 cigarettes a day can save in the region £6,000++ per annum.
The children of non-smokers are much less likely to smoke than those of smokers. The infants of non-smokers are less likely to develop chest infections, including, pneumonia.
Tobacco smoking is offensive to many non-smokers, and ex-smokers also find that to be the case as they are now free of the pervasive odour of tobacco smoke.
Prepared by the Organisers of the British Temperance Society and the Five-Day Plan to Stop Smoking.
Journey to Wholeness – hopeFM radio programme every Friday 2-4 p.m.