Community, Support
and Information
For Those Thinking
of Quitting Smoking

Health Effects of Smoking

Wouldn't it be strange if lung cancer was considered to be a rare disease that few doctors ever saw in their lifetime? For a moment think about the ramification if that were the case. Amazingly enough before World War I, lung cancer was considered to be such a disease.

The over-all side effect of smoking is a massive degrading of your body over time. Slow, painful and agonizing. Smokers really don't think about smoking that way though. They think, "Okay, so my teeth are a little yellower and I can't run farther than 100 yards, big deal. If I'm being chased by a cougar he's not going care what shade my teeth are and he would catch me anyway if I smoked or not..." Or similiar scenarios.

Or perhaps the smoker is well aware of the ultimate side effects of smoking and think they're powerless to stop. They truly believe that nicotine has captured them and no sad story, monetary cost, or ill effects are going to be able to break that hold.

This actually reminds me of a scene in the last Indiana Jones movie The Last Crusade. The main character is after the Holy Grail and, as one of the final tests, he reaches through a column of burning flames. His hand and forearm are vividly seared and melted off to the bone. It's portrayed as seemingly the most excrutiating pain he has ever felt. He endures (as you can imagine) for the ultimate prize - everlasting life. When he pulls his hand back we see that it was all an illusion to begin with, even though it seemed perfectly real in the moment.

It's easy to draw parallels from this example to smoking. Any pain or discomfort you experience during the quitting stage should be considered just an illusion. And the prize for having the courage to persevere through the experience is:

1. Increased vitality
2. Improved financial condition
3. Longer life

So when you may be struggling, think of this example. The discomfort you feel now during quitting is only momentary compared to the lifelong benefits you will reap by staying triumphant with your quit.