It is easier to quit a bad habit when you understand why you do it in the first place. If you are looking for the right time to quit smoking, this is it. There really is no better time than now. During the entire month of March, we are dedicating our blog to providing you with tips and natural remedies for dropping this habit that can cause some very serious health problems.

What Makes a Person Try Their First Cigarette?

Depending on your age, there are several reasons why a person might try a cigarette for the first time. Teenagers may try smoking to look mature, to be accepted or liked by their friends, or to experiment.

Teens or young adults may also see people around them smoking, which can spark a curiosity. Smoking may make some adults and teenagers seem older. If their friends are smoking, they may feel pressured to do it too.

Teenagers may especially start smoking because it is forbidden or looked down upon. In many areas, it is against the law for anyone under the age of 18 to smoke. Underage smoking can be rebellious or a way of acting out. It might be exciting for a teenager to sneak around and smoke cigarettes without being caught. The impact to health this habit can have, is never really thought of as a teenager and many of these reasons were the spark behind adults that have been smoking for decades.

Adults may then go on to try smoking because they think it may help be a way to reduce stress. Smoking may also be comforting when going through hard times to some adults. Adults (especially women) may also smoke in an attempt to control their weight by reducing their appetite. As smoking reduces a person’s ability to taste and smell, food can become unappealing. And because nicotine gives you a rush, most people don’t feel the need to eat food for energy anymore.

Smoking as a Form of Friendship

Some people rely on smoking as much as they rely on a best friend. It’s there for them when they need it. Smoking may even replace healthy relationships in a person’s life.

Smoking may have always been in a smoker’s life even before they were smokers. Young children who grow up with ash trays in their house might think that smoking is normal behavior.

Smokers may reach for a cigarette before calling a friend when they need help. Some smokers may tell you that a nicotine fix is all they need to get through a hard time.

Smoking At a Young Age

Health risks do not mean much when you are young, so smoking may not seem like a bad thing. It can help you fix in with your peers and look mature. And besides, many people hold the mistaken belief in mind that they can quit whenever they want to.

Many smokers started smoking long before they knew about the health risks, or before they knew how addicting it was. Some people who have been smoking for many years may tell you that they do not even remember why they started smoking.

An Addition to the Physical Process of Smoking

Many adults say that they smoke because it relaxes them. But the truth is that nicotine is a stimulant. It makes your heart beat faster and raises your blood pressure.

But to many smokers, the physical act of smoking is relaxing. It becomes a comfortable habit. Eventually, smoking becomes as natural to a smoker as drinking coffee is to a coffee drinker. You think about it when you first wake up in the morning and you carry it with you wherever you go throughout the day.

The process of holding a cigarette in between your fingers, lifting your hand up to your mouth and inhaling is very addictive. It accompanies many activities. It’s social and can be done while doing just about anything. Think about the term “smoking break.” Although many countries don’t allow public smoking anymore, there was a time when people took breaks from work to smoke. This is how acceptable it was at one point in our culture and thankfully it is beginning to change.

Nicotine Addiction

Nicotine addiction is the main reason why people use tobacco products. It is the drug within tobacco that causes addiction. Approximately one third of all people who try smoking once will eventually become daily smokers. Nicotine is so addictive that only 5 percent of all people who try to quit smoking will be successful.

Nicotine addiction occurs during the persistent use of the drug, when withdrawal symptoms are experienced if the drug is discontinued, and when the effects of the drug create dependency. Because of its highly additive components, the best way to combat a nicotine addiction is to never start. Many people start smoking as a teenager or young adult and they continue the habit well into their adult years. But the consequences to health can be so tragic that if you currently smoke, you it is in your best interest to plan a time to stop soon.

Quitting Smoking. It's Your Time. And It's Never Too Late.

Whatever your reasons are for smoking, now is the time to stop. Smoking carries a great risk to your health. But luckily, the body is an amazing machine that can reverse and in many cases fully heal those health risks when you stop smoking. It can help a great deal to spend time thinking about why we do something, so we can still be active in deciding whether we still want to carry on be it smoking or anything. Be sure to check out part two of this blog series focusing on how to help you quit smoking. If you find this blog useful please let us know on our Facebook page.