Monday, July 30, 2007

Quit smoking motivators: Negative motivation

I know that this is a bit of a negative motivation for some quit smoking tips but it is always important to have motivation. Whether that motivation be positive, such as "I want to see my kids grow up" or "I want to be healthy to enjoy my retirement", or negative, you need motivation.

Here is a list of quit smoking tips that use the negative motivators of smoking to keep your motivation high.

Quit smoking motivator #1: Did you know that half of all smokers will die young as a result of smoking. That means that half won't too!

Quit smoking motivator #2: Did you know that on average, smokers die 8 years younger than non-smokers. If you are one of the unlucky ones, you are statistically likely to die 16 years early. Think about that compared to your current age!

Quit smoking motivator #3: 90% of all lung cancer is found in smokers and former smokers. A large majority of the lung cancer found in non-smokers is thought to be from passive smoking. The 5-year life expectancy for all lung cancer is about 6%.

Quit smoking motivator #4: People who smoke up to 14 cigarettes a day have an 8-fold increase in the risk of lung cancer than non-smokers.

Quit smoking motivator #5: Smoking affects fertility in both men and women, causing abnormal sperm development in men and reducing ejaculate volume. In women, smoking is known to bring the onset of menopause forward by 2 years on average.

Quit smoking motivator #6: Smokers under the age of 40 are five times more likely to be struck down by heart attack than non-smokers.

Quit smoking motivator #7: 80% of all Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which includes bronchitis (the chronic swelling and irritation of the lungs) and Emphysema (the loss of lung tissue elasticity), is found in smokers.

Quit smoking motivator #8: Emphysema is like suffocating to death over a period of 1 to 5 years. It is a very unpleasant way to die.

Quit smoking motivator #9: You are between 2 and 5 times more likely to contract bladder cancer as a smoker.

Quit smoking motivator #10: The next cigarette you smoke could be the one that starts the chain reaction leading to lung cancer.

On a brighter note, stopping smoking before the age of 30 negates about 90% of all the negative effects of smoking.

As ever, never stop trying to quit smoking!