Most people assume you only quit for medical reasons. However, there are dozens of reasons to quit smoking besides health that impact your daily life, your bank account, and even your social life at the bar…
When we’re alone with our thoughts, things we’d rather forget start creeping in—like that scene at the clinic with the man who asked you for a cigarette. He seemed so normal, in such a good mood. Sure, he had a bit of a «dad bod,» but he looked healthy and was incredibly friendly. Then, just like that, he has a heart attack while waiting for a routine check-up.
It makes you remember the conversation you had with your friend at the bar weeks ago, pestering you to quit. But you tried to make him see your point: smoking doesn’t affect you like that. You aren’t like that man who just collapsed. No, there’s no way you can compare the two of you.
In the middle of your spiraling thoughts, your phone buzzes. You pull your hands out of your pockets and answer, mentally cursing whoever is calling.
«What?» you snap, literally shivering.
«Whoa, what’s up with you?» a voice answers from the other end.
«My hands are frozen solid, that’s what! So whatever it is, say it now or forever hold your peace!»
«Hahaha! I know it’s freezing. That’s why the whole crew is holed up at our usual spot. You in?»
«I’m there. See you in five. Over and out.» You shove the phone back, bury your hands in your pockets, and pick up the pace, arriving even sooner than you said.
The wall of heat inside the bar hits you instantly, melting the chill. It’s the exact opposite for the people sitting by the door, who catch the blast of freezing air from the street. Their faces tell you exactly what they’re thinking without saying a word: Close the damn door.
But you don’t notice their glares. You’re too busy struggling out of your coat before closing the door. Because of that, one of the guys sitting nearby shouts:
«Would you do us a f***ing favor and close the goddamn door?» The man is a head taller than you, even while sitting on a barstool. He looks completely disheveled—days of stubble, wrinkled clothes, and eyes that suggest he’s had a few too many beers.
«Excuse me?» you stammer, completely thrown off by his aggression.
«The door! Dammit! Do I have to repeat myself?» he says, sliding off his stool and stepping toward you.
«The door is already closed. You happy now?» Anna, one of your friends, snaps as she steps right in front of you.
The man looked like he was itching for a fight, but he backs off, grumbling as he returns to his seat at the bar. It surprises you how quickly he backed down just from her words. After all, it was two against a giant. But then you turn around and see your entire group standing behind you with «don’t-even-try-it» looks on their faces.
«Hey there, Ice Cube. Come on, we’re at the back,» Anna says with her best smile, grabbing your shoulders and guiding you to the table. You smile back, but even though everyone around you is friendly now, that run-in left you rattled. So much so that you don’t want a warm drink; you want a smoke.
Surprising Reasons to Quit Smoking Besides Health
«I think I’m gonna head out for a cigarette. Anyone want to join?»
«Are you kidding?» says Manuel, a tennis coach and a natural-born athlete. «You just got here. Plus, you want to open that door again so that psycho can blow a gasket? Are you looking for trouble today or what?»
«No! I’m just really on edge.»
«I get it,» Eva says from beside you. «But why do you want to smoke?»
«To calm my nerves. To forget about what just happened.»
«If you want to forget and disconnect, that’s what we’re here for! You don’t need to go back out there.»
«Why do you keep pushing me not to smoke? Especially you—you used to smoke too! It’s true what they say: ex-smokers become the most radical anti-tobacco activists. You’re getting a little annoying, you know?» you tease.
«Because I care about you, you moron. You’re one of the few friends I have left who still smokes, and I’d love to see you quit. Is it a crime to want that for you?»
«No, but it’s my decision. Respect it. Besides, my health is fine… I’ll quit later on.»
«Yeah… when you’re already sick and it’s too late… ugh!» she mocks you. «But who said anything about health? I quit for the money. I was spending over two thousand dollars a year on cigarettes!»
«I did it for my kids,» Carlos adds. «The day I saw my youngest put a pencil in his mouth, pretending to smoke… that was it for me.»
«I did it so I wouldn’t run out of breath playing soccer!» Miguel chimes in.
«You? More breath for soccer? Miguel, you’re still just as bad at it as before!» you joke.
«Hahaha! Shut up, man!»
«For me, it was when I looked in the mirror and saw my teeth and fingers turning yellow. It grossed me out! And I hadn’t even realized how much I stank like an old ashtray…» Loli adds.
«What made my husband quit was this one night at 4:00 AM,» Angela says. «He found himself standing on a street corner in a literal downpour, freezing his butt off just to find an open gas station for a pack. He realized the cigarettes were calling the shots in his life, and he hated that feeling.»
One by one, your friends share their «why.» Finally, the one who started it all looks at you and asks:
«What about you? Forget about health for a second… is there nothing else you think would make quitting worth it?»
- If you think there are things that might make quitting worth it…
- If you want to quit smoking, click here.
- If you don’t think you can quit, click here.
- If you don’t want to quit smoking, click here.
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If it still feels harmless, you might want to take a step back and look at the whole story.