10 Reasons You Should Stop Smoking

You’ve probably tried to quit smoking several times through the years.

You may have tried to give up several times in one day.

It isn’t easy.

If it were, there would be a lot fewer smokers in the world.

If you’re looking for more reasons that you need to quit your bad habit, there are dozens and dozens.

Here are some of the biggest reasons that millions of Americans are putting down those cigs for good.

If you need more inspiration to quit your smoking habit, be sure to check out these quotes about drug use.

Why You Should Quit Smoking Today

1. Your Doctor Will Thank You

You’ve heard this for years: smoking is bad for your health.

But do you know just how bad it is?

Being a smoker increases your chance of various health complications like heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and much more.

Kicking the habit could be the difference between optimal health and going back and forth between doctors.

2. Life Insurance

A life insurance policy is the best protection you can give your family members.

If you were to pass away, it might leave them with debts, a mortgage, and unpaid expenses.

Yet, a life insurance policy can give them the money they need to pay those bills.

Life Insurance policies for smokers are going to cost much more than they would for non-smokers.

In fact, tobacco users can expect to pay twice, if not three times more than a person who doesn’t smoke.

Yes, you need life insurance – but you don’t have to pay through the roof for your coverage.

Thus, the best solution is to quit smoking today.

3. Your Pearly Whites

Smoking can wreak havoc on your teeth and oral health.

Those cigarettes stain your teeth and make them look yellow.

They also increase the chances of:

• tooth decay
• developing sensitive teeth
• having gum disease

Brush all you want to, but those yellow stains will not come off with just a regular toothbrush.

If you want the best smile possible, smoking will keep you very short of reaching that point.

4. Health Insurance

Everyone knows that healthcare is expensive.

Every time you go to the doctor, have to go to the hospital or need surgery done, you’ll find several massive bills in your mailbox.

Health insurance is an excellent tool to offset those rising medical costs.

Similar to life insurance, if you’re a smoker, expect to pay more for your health insurance than someone that doesn’t pick up those cigarettes.

Tobacco users pay an average of 50 percent more for health insurance coverage, which can add up to thousands of dollars.

Quit smoking today so you can put that cash somewhere else.

5. Loss of Taste

Who doesn’t love a nice hot doughnut?

Or a warm slice of pizza fresh out of the oven?

If you enjoy eating your favorite comfort foods and can almost taste them now, kick your bad habit once and for all.

For years, we have known that smoking hurts your sense of smell; but it can also make your taste buds much less effective.

A hospital in France conducted a study that showed smokers were much less efficient at tasting different flavors and their intensity than non-smokers.

Sure, you love the taste of those cigarettes, but does it beat being able to taste your favorite delicious treats for the rest of your life?

6. Enjoy a Longer Life

Not only will quitting smoking help you be able to taste your favorite foods, but it will let you eat them longer.

As we mentioned above, smoking is bad for your health, but it could be much worse.

It could take more than a decade off of your life.

A study from the New England Journal of Medicine looked at data from over 200,000 Americans and showed that people who smoke consistently for a long time could knock ten years off their lifespan.

Luckily, the study also showed that if you quit smoking, you could help you gain some of those years back.

7. More Money in Your Pocket

Sure, you realize you’re spending a good bit of money every time you buy a pack of cigarettes, but do you know how much you’re spending?

Let’s assume that you spend around $25 a week on cigarettes.

That’s not too bad, right?

Well, that translates to around $100 a month; ouch!

But it gets worse.

That means you’re spending $1,200 a year on that bad habit of yours – and this doesn’t account for the extra money you’re spending on life and health insurance, dental bills, and more doctor’s bills because of your smoking.

What would happen if you were to invest that $100 per month?

You could be actually smoking away your retirement.

8. You’ll Look Better

Once upon a time, you may have thought that those cigarettes would make you look cool.

But in reality, they are ruining your looks.

Not only will they stain your teeth, but they are also causing early wrinkles, bags under your eyes, and thinning hair.

If you were a high-school student in a leather jacket in the 60s, cigarettes might have helped you look cool then.

But now, they are just making you look years older than you actually are.

9. Breathe a (Healthier) Sigh of Relief

Have you noticed that you get winded easier than you used to?

It may not mean that you’re out of shape.

It could be those awful smoking sticks.

All the chemicals that are in cigarettes can cause damage to your lungs, resulting in shortness of breath.

You could huff and puff just by trying to walk to the kitchen.

10. Protecting Those around You

If your own health doesn’t convince you to quit smoking, maybe the health of those around you will.

The effects of second-hand smoke have been debated for as long as people have been smoking cigarettes, but we are finally getting a clearer picture of what it actually does to those around us.

You may not think it’s harming those around you when you light one up, but according to the CDC, second-hand smoke still has over 7,000 chemicals that can cause cancer.

In fact, 2.5 million nonsmoking Americans have died because of second-hand smoke.

It is also the cause of asthma in millions of children and young adults.

Do you need any more reasons to quit smoking NOW?

These are only ten of the dozens and dozens of different reasons you should finally put down those cigarettes once and for all.

It isn’t easy, but as you can see, the benefits are endless.

You’ll feel better, smell better, and have hundreds of more dollars.

With all these advantages, how can you not quit smoking?

If you want to quit but don’t think you’ll be able to do it, talk to your doctor; they can recommend resources and techniques that can drastically improve your chances of quitting for good!

Tell us how you quit smoking in the comment section below.

If you have a smoker you love who might need to see this, don’t forget to click the share button.

Paul Moyer

Paul Moyer is a personal finance coach, financial blogger and founder of SavingFreak.com. He is a devoted husband and father of three energetic children. Paul motivates people to manage their finances better and spend less on the things they need so they can focus their spending on what they want to accomplish.