There are plenty negative associations with tobacco smoking, including the smell and serious impact on the environment, as well as arguably the most severe implication to the individual: the impact on their health.
Smoking cigarettes causes a host of diseases and reduces overall health in smokers.
It increases risk of lung cancer, heart disease, throat cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as stroke.
On top of the negative impact on health, there are a host of other larger-scale
issues that are caused by cigarettes.
These include damage to the environment (based on things like cigarette butt litter) and of course, damage to smokers’ bank accounts, given the financial cost of smoking cigarettes.
GoSmokeFree.co.uk conducted a survey of 1,100Brits to find out what aspect they feel is the biggest drawback to smoking cigarettes.
Three in four people said they think the health impact in the worst drawback to cigarette smoking, which is unsurprising giving the severity of health-related issues that cigarettes can cause.
In fact, more than half (56%) of people said they think smoking should be made illegal, considering the burden that it places on the NHS.
Smoking cigarettes can cause damage to nearly every organ in the body and increases individuals’ risks of developing a number of different types of cancers.
The habit damages the airways in the lungs a increases risks of developing chronic bronchitis in smokers, as well as emphysema.
It’s also impossible to ignore that smokers may develop a ‘smoker’s cough’, which is caused by the smoke particles irritating the airways and lungs.
When these enter the body, the system tries to rid itself of the particles by creating more mucus, thus, causing more of a cough.
Another common sign of a smoker is an early morning cough, which can happen for a variety of reasons, such as the previous one.
Usually, there are cilia (tiny hair-like structures) located in the airways to help sweep foreign material away from the lungs. However, tobacco slows down this removal action, leaving some smoke particles inside the lungs and airways.
When a smoker goes to sleep (and of course, doesn’t smoke during the night), some of these cilia recover and resume functioning.
Therefore, when the person wakes up, they cough due to their lungs attempting to clear out the build-up of mucus and irritants from the previous day.
The second biggest drawback of smoking cigarettes, as respondents, 0answered, was the financial cost – 16% of people said this was the main downfall of the habit.
Given the addictive nature of smoking, coupled with how easy it can be to get through a 20-pack of cigarettes, the habit can become an expensive one on top of other everyday lifestyle expenses, such as groceries, socializing, fuel, electricity costs and water.
The cost of cigarettes has also increased significantly since the last tax hike in 2021, doubling the cost over the past decade.
In fact, over half (59%) of people weren’t aware that the cost of smoking to the UK government is approximately £12.6 billion per year.
Nearly 1 in 10 (9%) respondents said the biggest downfall of smoking cigarettes as a habit is an environmental impact, considering how severe it can be.
Often, people think cigarette butts consist of paper and cotton, however, not many are aware that they are actually made from highly packed plastic fibres, which are hazardous waste.
When these are left on the ground, the chemicals inside can release into the environment, negatively affecting living organisms in surrounding areas.
And if released into water sources, these chemicals can have an even greater impact on marine life.
Wrongly, more than a quarter (27%) of people thought cigarette butts were biodegradable and in fact, nearly half (48%) of current and past smokers admit they’ve flicked their butts on the ground.
It can be a difficult switch for many smokers but changing their smoking habits from cigarettes to vaping can be a welcome change for both individuals, and the environment.
Oftentimes, it takes the influence of others for people to follow along.
In fact, 80% of people said they don’t feel like celebrities who vape do enough to promote its health benefits, such as helping people on the path to quitting smoking.
And when asked what the biggest benefit has been since switching from s0moking cigarettes to vaping, nearly half (42%) of those who have done so said it’s been overall healthier for them, while 24% said switching the habit has been cheaper.
Another 19% said they feel it’s safer to vape; 8% said there’s more variety with vaping than smoking tobacco, and 7% said they experience fewer after-effects with vaping.