Top 10 Benefits of Quitting Smoking

Most of us know that quitting smoking can reduce our risk of heart disease and save money on the cost of cigarettes, but there are many additional benefits. For example, smoking cessation will help you to:

Save at the Coffee Shop

A smoker’s body rids itself of caffeine 56 percent faster than a nonsmoker’s body. So, for more buzz for your buck, stop smoking. Also, be aware that if you do quit, you should cut back on your usual caffeine intake to lessen your risk of insomnia and irritability caused by caffeine overload.

Be Buddies with Smokey the Bear

According to one study, people who live in smoking households were more than twice as likely to suffer fire injuries as those in nonsmoking residences. Another study showed that cigarettes cause 55 percent of all fatal house fires.

Keep your Head of Hair

Compared to nonsmokers, men who smoke are twice as likely to become bald.

Get a Better Night’s Sleep

According to results of a study appearing in Chest, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, smokers are 4 times more likely to report feeling like they had a bad night’s sleep. Apparently, nicotine withdrawal during the night leads to sleep disturbances.

Avoid Germs

Recent research suggests that cigarettes are loaded with germs that you can inhale. Even if those germs don’t make you sick, who wants to suck on bacteria?

Boost Your Sex Appeal

Avoid smoking so that you can prevent bad body odors, discolored teeth and wrinkles around your mouth. Plus, studies show that smoking increases your risk of developing psoriasis.

Enjoy Public Places

Many restaurants, libraries, bars and other public venues – both in the United States and abroad – are smoke-free.

Save Hidden Cash

As taxes on tobacco continue to rise, you pay more and more each year for your nicotine fix. The reason for those rising taxes? States are trying to reduce high medical costs related to smoking.

Cut Down on Arsenic

If fast food restaurants sold chewing tobacco, the counter workers might ask, “Want arsenic with that?” Surprisingly, arsenic is one of the ingredients you get when you chew or dip tobacco. In addition to this toxic item, smokeless tobacco products include:

  • Polonium 210 (nuclear waste)
  • Formaldehyde (embalming fluid)
  • Cadmium (used in car batteries)
  • Lead (nerve poison)
  • Nitrosamines (cancer causing substances)
  • Cyanide

Improve Your Sex Life

By affecting your circulation, smoking reduces blood flow to the genitals, ultimately making it more difficult for both men and women to become aroused. Smoking might even prevent you from getting that first date. According to a survey of one online dating site, 56 percent of participants said they would not date a smoker.