by Chad Turner
We all remember being taught that smoking is bad, but that doesnt stop a lot of people from trying cigarettes or other tobacco and nicotine products.
There are an estimated 36.5 million smokers in the country. It is incredibly hard to quit and it can take people multiple tries to quit if they are determined to make that change.
Many go their entire lives without quitting.Nicotine, the addictive chemical in tobacco, is one of the most addictive substances that we can consume.
Smoking and smoking related diseases are one of the biggest killers in the country. Smoking leads to a plethora of health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, lung disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Oral Health
Smoking and using other tobacco related products damages your entire body, but one area that is not talked about enough is how it affects your teeth. Some of the major oral health issues associated with tobacco use includes tooth discoloration, plaque and tartar build up, gum disease, tooth loss, and an increased risk of oral cancer.
Tobacco use interferes with the normal functions of gum tissue and increases the amount of plaque and tartar in your mouth. These impact the amount of blood that is able to flow to your mouth which makes it harder and harder for your mouth to heal.
It can be a common misconception that smokeless tobacco products are safer than cigarettes, which is not the case. Especially when referring to oral health , smokeless tobacco products contain more than twenty chemicals related to the development of oral cancer, throat cancer, and esophageal cancer.
Mental Health
Smoking can have a lot of impact on your mood and overall mental health. The effects it has on your body is mostly tied to nicotine, the addictive chemical within tobacco.
Smoking can temporarily put you in a good mood when you get your fix, but when you miss your smoke break it can bring you right back down.
That dependence that grows with use of nicotine can lead to increasing anxiety and irritability when you do not have it. The dependence itself makes it the center of your day. It controls your mood, controls your schedule, and controls your social life.
Financial Health
The amount of money that you spend on smoking and smoking related products is not something you think about in the moment, but if you had the ability to look back and see how much it adds up you would be surprised.
It may be easy to not think about the cost of smoking, but if you take a step back and add everything up you will be shocked. Smoking isn’t cheap, in fact the average smoker spends around $2,200 a year on tobacco/nicotine use. If you smoke for 10 years that is $22,000 of your hard earned money spent on smoking. That money could go to investing, savings or hobbies, but instead it is going to a habit. It could help put your smoking use into perspective.
It goes beyond the direct cost of smoking, the cost of healthcare for smokers is higher and the premiums on life insurance are generally higher. Money is a major motivator in our lives so if you need an extra push to quit, calculate how much you have/will spend on smoking throughout the year.
How to Start Quitting
Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical and it can be incredibly hard to quit. The effects and severity of withdrawal can be different for everyone. It may take you a few tries to find the right way for you to quit.
It is important to set up a plan and stick to it, however hard it may be it will be worth it. While not everybody has access to this, having a support system to help you stick to your plan and keep you in check can be incredibly helpful.
Some will be able to quit cold turkey, stopping without any outside help or aids. Some will need medical assistance through medicine and therapy to quit. Neither option is bad, or should be looked down upon.
There are also many helpful aids used to replace the use of smoking such as nicotine gum, patches, sprays , and inhalers. These options of nicotine replacement allows you to begin to wean off nicotine, but mostly to stop smoking to start letting your body heal.
At the end of the day it is what works for you, and if it works that is all that matters.
The important thing to note is that just because you didn’t quit your first time does not mean you fail every time. You just need to find what works for you and be persistent.
Wrap-up
Smoking kills, so why not try and make a change in your life. It affects more than we think. Taking the first step is the most important part, you can help yourself and the ones you love by quitting today. 
(Chad Turner is a fitness enthusiast, personal trainer, health coach, and triathlete based out of Dallas, TX. His mission is to make the world of health and fitness more accessible to people from all walks of life. Follow him on Twitter @ChadTurner_Fit.”)
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