We have all heard the millions of reasons of reasons to kick the habit. And for those of us who don’t smoke we sometimes wonder how people can use a cancer stick when they know it’s their ticket to a premature death. Well the problem is that smokers do try and quit. Only problem is the success rate. According to the Center for Dieses Control (CDC) located in Atlanta Georgia over 15 million smokers try to quit every year. Only 8% are successful.

But they have also found that smoking restrictions at work and public places can help people quit. So the next time you see that no smoking sign…think of it as a public service to you the nonsmoker and for those of us who is trying to quit, that just might be one of the ways to kick the habit.

Since you’ve heard all the other reasons I thought I might bring up some of the ones that are not well known. What follows are ten interesting facts about tobacco and smoking.

1. Smoking weakens bones. Bones density is directly proportionate to its strength. This means that as the bone looses density it weakens, which can result in fractures and as menopause comes on in women osteoporosis. Smoking has been directly linked to the loss of bone density by studies carried out by Dr. Cummings and Klineberg.
2. Smoking causes more than just lung cancer. It has also been linked to lip, mouth (oral cavity), throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx), trachea (wind pipe), esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, bladder, kidney, cervix, leukemia, colon, skin and cancer of the penis. This has been documented by the US Preventative Services Task Force along with many other doctors.
3. Contrary to popular belief that smoking cigars, pipes, and chewing tobacco is healthier than the cigarette itself, studies have proven this to be false. One of the main reasons is those who switch from cigarettes to cigars, pipes etc are prone to use more than they would if they smoked a regular cigarette. That’s why it’s good to make a clean break as this is the only proven way to kick the habit.
4. There are over 4,000 different chemical compounds identifiable in cigarette smoke. Most of these being carcinogens (cancer causing) and toxic to the arteries.
5. SIDS Linked to cigarette smoke. One of the most frightening statistics about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is that those exposed to cigarette smoke are two times more likely to die than those who are not. Mothers who smoke during and after pregnancy put their babies at three times the risk than mothers who do not. The British Medical Journal published research that a mother who smoked during pregnancy increased the risk of her baby dying with SIDS before eight weeks of age. The death risk jumped 55% for every 5 cigarettes she smoked. Fathers are not left out of here. Studies showed that the risk was greater with a father who smoked. But the studies found that the risk was generally after 24 months and every 5 cigarettes smoked each day increased the child’s risk of SIDS threefold.
6. The IQ of smoking children born to smoking mothers who smoked at least 10 cigarettes a day during pregnancy were 9 points lower than children born to nonsmoking mothers. This might not seem like a lot but a quick look at the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Scale shows that just 9 points can mean the difference between a normal child and one who is mentally challenged.
7. Annually, more people die from smoking than alcohol, microbial agents, toxic agents, sexual behavior, firearms, motor vehicles and illicit drugs combined. That adds up to over 468 thousand people a year just from cigarette smoke.
8. Annually the medical cost for smokers is $50 billion. This adds up to about $500 billion in a life time. Meaning that every one million young person’s to start smoking add an estimated $10 billion during their lifetime to the health care cost in the US.
9. Every year the average American family has to pay close to $1,000 in taxes and increased insurance premiums to help keep the 46 million smoking adults continue their habit.
10. $538,000 is the amount a person at age 65 could have if they put their cigarette money ($2 a day for 50 years) in a nest egg earning an average of 10% a year.

Well now that you know these you might be more concerned about those who smoke and how much time you spend around them as second hand smoking can be worse than first hand smoking.

One of the best ways to stop smoking is to go cold turkey. Of course this is easier said than done but a couple ways to help is to do a detoxification program. Craving is caused by a low nicotine count in the body. Eliminating the nicotine content completely is the best way. This can be achieved by taking certain nutritional and herbal supplements. Another good one is to go on a juice fast. This means only drinking fruit and vegetable juices for the period of the fast. The fruit and vegetable juices help to eradicate the nicotine content in the body. And last but not least one of the most successful ways of helping to quit the habit is to get support. Joining a support group, getting help from a friend who has already quit the habit or trying to (even one who has never smoked) is one of the best ways to help the process.