Myths about tobacco

Below you'll find a list of beliefs and opinions about tobacco. Many smokers believe them and this stops them, or makes it difficult for them to quit smoking. If you share any of these ideas, think about them – they're all an illusion. Once you realise this, it'll be easier to give up smoking.

• If I give up smoking, I'll gain weight.
• It relaxes me.
• I've tried it many times and I'd prefer to be miserable smoking than miserable not smoking.
• I only smoke "light" cigarettes that are low in nicotine and tar, so I'll be alright.
• Imagine going through life not smoking!
• We're all going to die of something.
• I've tried to quit and I just can't.
• It helps me to socialise and flirt.
• After so many years of smoking, the damage is already done. Why quit now?
• It helps me to concentrate.
• It's fashionable.
• With all this pollution, cigarette smoke hardly matters.
• The relation between cigarettes and cancer hasn't been definitively proven.
• I smoke very little and so it won't do me any harm.
• Why would it harm me when it doesn't harm others?
• I can quit whenever I want.
• I am physically dependent.
• If I quit, I won't be as successful as when I smoked.
• I can't function without tobacco.
• It inspires me.
• One cigarette doesn't matter.
• If in two or three months I'm going to feel bad due to not smoking, why quit?

Go through these ideas one by one. We can assure you that each one is a trick! Discover the truth and the path to quitting smoking will run a lot smoother.