“Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times.”

Mark Twain, Author

Advantages & Disadvantages of Smoking

Many millions of people all over the world smoke cigarettes on a regular basis.

For many people, smoking has become kind of a lifestyle or even a passion.

Although smoking has some advantages, there are also many problems related to smoking.

In this article, the pros and cons of smoking are examined in detail.

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Advantages of Smoking

1. Smoking can be relaxing
2. Smoking is often considered to be cool among teenagers
3. Easy to socialize
4. Feeling of community
5. Instant gratification of your need
6. Smoking cigarettes is legal in most countries
7. Smoking is a passion for many people
8. Alternative to other substance
9. Smoking can help you to lose weight
10. Some people just love the taste
11. You will still be able to drive a car

Smoking can be relaxing

One benefit of smoking is that it can be quite relaxing.

Especially if you have a stressful day, you can light a cigarette and the nicotine will bring you down a little bit.

Even though the initial feeling of the nicotine rush will become far lower over time, cigarettes can still give you a good feeling and may help you to relax from your stressful daily life.

Smoking is often considered to be cool among teenagers

Many young people also consider smoking to be cool.

This might also be the reason why so many young people smoke and why so many older people try to quit at one point in time.

Hence, if you are a rather unpopular kid at school, you may also be able to increase your coolness factor by smoking.

However, I would not recommend that you do so due to the many problems related to smoking which are examined in the next chapter.

Easy to socialize

Smoking also gives you the opportunity to socialize with other people.

If you take smoking breaks, you will often meet many new people who also smoke.

Hence, over time, you will be able to make many new connections and friends through smoking since it simply puts you in a spot where you are more likely to communicate with people.

Feeling of community

Another advantage of smoking is that many smokers often also feel to be part of a big community.

Smokers often support each other when they run out of cigarettes and often also share similar values and beliefs.

Thus, if you currently feel lost and want to be part of a big community of people, smoking may be quite tempting since you could find many like-minded people.

Instant gratification of your need

Smoking is also quite convenient in the sense that it gives you instant gratification.

You just have to light up a cigarette and after just a few seconds, you will feel a certain effect.

Since cigarettes are rather small, it will also be quite easy to carry them around with you and every time you need a cigarette, you can just pull your cigarette case out of your pocket.

Hence, the supply with cigarettes is quite easy and cigarettes will also be easily available in many countries all over the world.

Smoking cigarettes is legal in most countries

Smoking tobacco is also legal in most countries of our planet.

This makes smoking a rather convenient hobby since you can easily buy cigarettes in many stores in a legal manner.

Especially if you live in big cities, chances are that you will only have to walk a few minutes until you find the next cigarette automat.

Therefore, also access to tobacco will be quite easy and you don’t have to struggle to find stores that sell them.

Smoking is a passion for many people

For many people, smoking is more than a hobby.

It is rather a passion they want to follow for the rest of their lives.

Especially in the age of vaporizers and other means of smoking, smoking has become quite practicable and many people really enjoy smoking and trying many different flavors.

Hence, if you are one of those people who really have a passion for smoking, you will have a quite hard time to ever quit since you will simply enjoy it too much.

Alternative to other substance

The use of substances to alter our minds had been present throughout the history of mankind.

There is plenty of proof that even our remote ancestors smoked plant material and consumed certain other substances.

Consequently, consuming substances is part of human nature and instead of consuming illegal substances that might be potentially even more harmful than smoking cigarettes, smoking can be a way to avoid the temptation of trying even more harmful substances.

Smoking can help you to lose weight

You will also have noticed that many smokers are actually quite slim and don’t suffer from overweight or obesity too often.

This is due to the fact that many smokers lose their appetite and therefore eat far less compared to a state in which they would not smoke.

Hence, if you currently suffer from serious overweight, smoking might also help you to lose weight.

However, there are much better options to lose weight.

You can simply exercise and you will lose plenty of weight over time.

Thus, smoking should never be the preferred option to lose weight, even though it might do the job.

Some people just love the taste

There are also many people out there who just love the taste of tobacco.

Especially for those people, smoking can be a quite enjoyable hobby since they will be able to get this special taste by simply lighting up a cigarette.

However, if you are one of those people who really love the taste, be aware of the fact that this may also make it much harder for you if you want to quit at one point in time.

You will still be able to drive a car

Compared to other substances like alcohol, you will still be able to drive a car by smoking cigarettes.

In fact, you will not feel too much different and in most countries, you will also not get fined if you smoke tobacco and drive right after you finished smoking.

Hence, smoking can also make you more flexible regarding the use of vehicles compared to other substances that might prevent you from doing so.

Disadvantages of Smoking

1. Smoking can cause cancer
2. Smoking is bad for your teeth
3. It can hurt your overall fitness level
4. Many people get addicted in the long run
5. Smoking can be expensive
6. You may gain weight once you quit
7. May be harder to find a partner
8. Unpleasant smell on your clothes
9. Smoking significantly lowers life expectancy
10. Harmful effects are underestimated by many people
11. You have to empty your ashtray on a regular basis
12. Smoking is not allowed in some locations
13. You may burn something with your cigarette
14. Smoking can waste plenty of your precious time
15. Pulmonary issues
16. Smoking may lead to yellow skin
17. Incorrect disposal of cigarettes can lead to wildfires
18. Smoking is quite harmful during pregnancy
19. Passive smoking can also hurt non-smokers
20. May be bad for your sleep
21. Smoking may lead to the use of other substances
22. Can also harm our healthcare system

Smoking can cause cancer

Although smoking can have some upsides, it can also imply serious issues.

One big problem with smoking is that it can cause cancer.

In fact, many people who smoke will suffer from cancer sooner or later.

Cancer is one of the worst diseases known to humanity and chances are that people will suffer a lot due to it.

In many cases, smokers will often also die at a rather young age from cancer.

Hence, if you want to minimize the risk of getting cancer, you may want to refuse from smoking or you if you currently smoke, you may want to quit as soon as possible.

Smoking is bad for your teeth

Another downside of smoking is that it can be quite bad for your teeth.

You will often notice that the teeth of smokers are no longer white, they often have a yellow color, which comes from the many harmful substances that are contained in cigarettes.

Moreover, not only the color of your teeth will become rather unpleasant, also the substance of your teeth will become worse in general.

This could mean that you will become more vulnerable to caries or other issues with your teeth if you smoke on a regular basis.

Therefore, if you want to do yourself and also your teeth a big favor, you should refrain from smoking for sure.

It can hurt your overall fitness level

In case you smoke on a regular basis, you will also notice that your overall fitness level will significantly suffer over time.

In fact, the fitness level of the average smoker will be far lower compared to the average fitness level of people who don’t smoke.

This is due to the fact that smoking will hurt our lungs, which in turn will no longer be able to work in an optimal manner.

In turn, smokers often feel quite exhausted, even if they only exercise for a few minutes.

Hence, if you want to stay fit and vital, smoking may not be the way to go for you.

Many people get addicted in the long run

Many smokers also get addicted sooner or later.

Even though smoking is still belittled by many people, it is in fact quite hard to quit from smoking and many people will not be able to quit for their whole lives.

Hence keep that in mind when it comes to the decision whether you want to start smoking or not.

You will greatly underestimate how hard it can really be to quit smoking and you may simply not want to take the risk of becoming dependent on tobacco.

Smoking can be expensive

Another downside of smoking is that it can become a quite expensive hobby over time.

Especially if you are a chain smoker, chances are that you will smoke more than one package of cigarettes a day.

This also implies that you will spend several thousands of dollars a year on cigarettes.

Imagine all the nice things you could buy if you didn’t spend this money on smoking.

Thus, you should definitely take this fact into account and evaluate for yourself if smoking is really worth spending so much money on it.

You may gain weight once you quit

Although smoking may help you to lose weight, it can also turn into the opposite in case you want to quit smoking.

Many people who quit smoking will eat much more compared to the state when they still smoked and over the course of just a few weeks or months, many people gain plenty of weight.

Hence, smoking can also result in significant weight gains in the long run, especially in case you decide to quit smoking at one point in time.

May be harder to find a partner

Also if you are currently searching for a partner, chances are that smoking will not help you too much in this regard.

In fact, many people in our nowadays society don’t want to marry a partner who smokes since they simply don’t want to be affected by the several downsides associated with it.

Therefore, smoking may also lower your chances of finding a good partner for you.

Unpleasant smell on your clothes

Smoking also leads to significant levels of unpleasant smell of your clothes.

In fact, one can easily tell if a person smokes or not by just getting close to this person.

If the person smokes, chances are that his or her clothes will emit a strong smell of cigarette flavor.

This level of smell will be quite unpleasant for many people surrounding you and you can do everyone a favor by just quitting smoking so that you will smell much better.

Smoking significantly lowers life expectancy

In general, if you smoke, you will also have a significantly lower life expectancy.

This is due to the fact that you will be much more likely to suffer from cancer or from several other serious health conditions.

Thus, if you want to live as long as possible, you may want to quit smoking since your chances to live longer will greatly improve.

Harmful effects are underestimated by many people

Many people also still consider smoking to be rather harmless.

This is due to the fact that smoking is socially accepted in many countries all over the world and it is often even encouraged through advertising.

Hence, many people think that it is ok to smoke and those people also often think that since smoking is legal, it cannot be too bad for our health.

Thus, many people may also greatly underestimate the true risks related to smoking.

You have to empty your ashtray on a regular basis

Another disadvantage of smoking is that you will also have to empty your ashtray on a regular basis.

Even though this may not sound like too much work, it can add up, especially if you are a chain smoker.

Many people also neglect emptying their ashtrays and as a result, their homes often smell quite bad.

Smoking is not allowed in some locations

In many countries, there are also restrictions regarding smoking in place.

For instance, in many countries, it is not allowed to smoke in closed rooms anymore in order to protect the health of the other guests.

Hence, if you live in one of those countries or states, chances are that you will have to make many concessions over time.

You may burn something with your cigarette

As we all know, cigarettes can be quite hot and if you are not careful, chances are that you will burn your clothes or other things at one point in time.

This can be especially bad if you are not careful and burn the things of other people. In such a case, you may even have to pay compensation for this damage.

Smoking can waste plenty of your precious time

If you smoke cigarettes on a regular basis, chances are that you will also waste plenty of time on this hobby.

In fact, many people will leave their workplace several times a day in order to light up a cigarette.

Therefore, you may also have to stay at work for longer compared to someone who doesn’t smoke in order to get similar amounts of work done each day.

Pulmonary issues

Apart from the increased risk of cancer related to smoking, there are also many other pulmonary issues related to it.

For instance, people who smoke quite often also suffer from COPD or also from asthma.

Hence, if you also want to minimize the risks of getting those conditions, you may want to quit smoking for sure.

Smoking may lead to yellow skin

Smoking may not only make your teeth more yellow, it might also contribute to more yellow skin and fingernails.

This is due to the fact that the smoke from cigarettes contains plenty of harmful chemicals and if those substances get in contact with your skin, chances are that your skin will get a yellow touch over time.

Incorrect disposal of cigarettes can lead to wildfires

It is a sad fact that many wildfires each year are started due to the incorrect disposal of used cigarettes.

Many people simply just dispose of their cigarettes in nature since they think that this will not lead to any problems.

However, under certain conditions, the cigarette may still burn in the inside and will heavy winds, it can happen that those cigarettes ignite dry leaves, which may turn into huge wildfires pretty soon.

Smoking is quite harmful during pregnancy

Smoking is not only quite harmful to the average person, it can also lead to serious complications in case cigarettes are smoked during pregnancy.

In fact, the chances for birth complications and several other long-term health issues for the baby increase significantly if the mother smokes during pregnancy.

Thus, especially if you are currently pregnant, make sure to avoid smoking at all costs.

Passive smoking can also hurt non-smokers

Passive smoking is another big issue related to smoking.

In fact, the negative effects of passive smoking are greatly underestimated by many people and chances are that passive smoking can lead to serious health effects for people who never even smoked a single cigarette in their entire life.

Hence, also in order to protect other people, it might be a good idea to quit smoking.

May be bad for your sleep

If you smoke way too much, chances are that you will develop a strong tobacco addiction and you may even wake up in the middle of the night since your body and your brain tell you that it is time to get the next tobacco dose.

Consequently, smoking may also harm your overall quality of sleep in the long run.

Smoking may lead to the use of other substances

For some people, tobacco may also be the first substance that they consume.

However, if this inhibition threshold is broken, chances are that people who decided to smoke a cigarette may also try out several other substances that are around.

Hence, smoking can also lead to the start of a substance career which might end in a quite bad manner.

Can also harm our healthcare system

Apart from the many bad consequences for smokers, also our healthcare system may greatly suffer.

The treatment of pulmonary diseases and other issues related to smoking is quite costly and over time, our healthcare systems may even collapse if too many people decided to smoke.

Hence, you could also do our healthcare system a big favor if you stop smoking or, even better, don’t even start it.

Top 10 Smoking Pros & Cons – Summary List

Smoking Pros	Smoking Cons
Smoking can help you relax	Smoking can cause cancer
Can give you a good feeling	Plenty of pulmonary diseases associated with it
You can get instant gratification	Your clothes will smell bad
Smoking is cool among young people	Hard to quit
Can make you more popular	Can turn into serious addiction
Smoking can give you a feeling of community	Smoking can let you waste plenty of time
Makes it easy to socialize	Smoking can become quite expensive
Can help you to lose weight	Harder to find a partner who doesn’t smoke
You can still drive after smoking tobacco	Many people underestimate the harmful effects
Many people just like the taste	Not allowed in some locations

Should You Smoke?

We can see from the previous discussion that there are numerous advantages and disadvantages of smoking.

However, in my opinion, the cons of smoking outweigh the pros and if you aspire to a long and happy life, smoking on a regular basis may not be the right way to go for you.

Sources

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/lifestyle/what-are-the-health-risks-of-smoking/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324644

About the author

My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people of all ages about our environmental problems and how everyone can make a contribution to mitigate these issues.

As I went to university and got my Master’s degree in Economics, I did plenty of research in the field of Development Economics.

After finishing university, I traveled around the world. From this time on, I wanted to make a contribution to ensure a livable future for the next generations in every part of our beautiful planet.

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