If you have ever had cigarette smoke blown into your face on a windy day, or if you have ever seen a commercial with a lung cancer patient speaking through a mechanical voice box, you have probably asked yourself the question: Why do people smoke? Why would they subject themselves to something like that?

Unfortunately, even though there are dangers to smoking, a lot of people still consider it their guilty pleasure. Their bad habit they just cannot seem to quit.

Why Do People Smoke?

Most people smoke as a way to cope with their stress. The nicotine calms them down because it is a mood altering drug that impacts the brain. It triggers the release of dopamine, which brings pleasure and relaxation.

Smoking can also reduce appetite. If someone wants to lose weight, they can kill their cravings by putting a cigarette into their mouth instead of putting food into their mouth.

Peer pressure can also trigger a smoking addiction. If someone is in a group of friends who are all smokers and keeps getting offered cigarettes, they might feel tempted and eventually agree to the offer. They might also feel like smoking could bring them closer with their friends and coworkers because it gives them a chance to take smoke breaks together, it gives them a chance to socialize.

Even though there are now anti-smoking advertisements on television and in between Youtube clips, there are still some people who believe smoking makes them cool. They assume they look more attractive with a cigarette in their hand.

They might also feel like they are breaking the rules, like they are doing something naughty, which is thrilling. It gives them an adrenaline rush. It makes them feel like a badass.

Then there are some people who are uneducated and unaware of the negative effects of smoking. They do not realize how harmful it is to their body. They don’t have any clue what it is doing to them.

At the end of the day, the reason most people smoke is because they started when they were younger and more naive and have become addicted. They might not want to continue smoking, but whenever they go through withdrawal, they have trouble sleeping, become restless, and gain weight from their increased hunger.

So many people have trouble giving up their cigarettes because their body becomes dependent on them. That is why the best way to prevent a smoking addiction is to never pick up a cigarette in the first place.

What Does Smoking Do To Your Body?

Smoking can severely damage your lungs, turning them black. It can cause you to develop cancer and, at the very least, will make it more difficult for you to breathe. It will give you a rattling cough that comes and goes as it pleases.

Smoking can also cause high cholesterol which you would have to take medication for, infertility which would prevent you from having children, and erectile dysfunction which would prevent you from having sex. It has also been linked to blood clots which can be fatal.

In addition, smoking can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, gum disease, arthritis, and blindness. It even increases your chances of breaking bones because smokers lose bone density quickly.

Even if you don’t care about your health, you probably care about the way that you look. Even if you are beautiful now, smoking will slowly turn your nails yellow. Then it will turn your teeth yellow. To top it off, it will cause your skin to wrinkle much earlier than it should.

When you are a smoker, everyone will be able to tell, because your voice is going to become raspy and your face is going to look like it has aged ten years when you are still secretly young.

What Are Other Reasons Not To Smoke?

Aside from the obvious health reasons to put down your pack of cigarettes, there are more practical reasons to give up the habit.

For starters, smoking costs a lot of money. A pack of cigarettes can cost somewhere between five to twelve dollars per pack — and some people smoke an entire pack per day. That means they are spending hundreds of dollars on their bad habit per month. That money could be put toward other things, more important things, instead of being wasted on nicotine.

Worse than that, if you’re still single, smoking could make it harder for you to land a date. Most people consider smoking unattractive. They don’t want to kiss someone who tastes like an ash tray. It doesn’t matter how much you brush your teeth in between smoke breaks, because the smell will stick to your clothing and your hair. That is going to make you unattractive to most people you meet.

Smoking also dulls your sense of taste and smell, which means you won’t appreciate your meals as much anymore. You’ll miss out on the delight of sharing your favorite dinners and desserts with friends.

The worst part about smoking is that you are not only putting yourself in danger. You are also putting your parents, your children, and your roommates at risk. Secondhand smoke can cause severe asthma attacks, respiratory infections, and ear infections — especially in young children.

If you don’t want to hurt yourself or your loved ones, then your best bet is to toss your cigarettes in the trash.