While not technically ‘real smokers’, rarely carrying a lighter let alone a 20 pack, as the festive season begins, social smokers tend to light up like Christmas trees. ‘Tis the season to toke’, after all…
However, as Professor David Currow of the Cancer Institute NSW told ABC, “The idea that low-level smoking doesn’t do you any harm is a dangerous myth”.
Simon Chapman, Emeritus Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney, tends to agree. In the same ABC report, he suggested that “Smoking a small number of cigarettes, say less than four a day or once a week does elevate your risk of health problems.’’
As party season approaches and the temptation to spark up heightens for some, it’s a good idea to remind yourself that such a habit can still have consequences. If you’re wondering how bad social smoking really is for you, let’s find out.
IT COULD SHORTEN YOUR LIFESPAN
You may think that the odd cigarette with a glass of mulled wine is no big deal, but you’re fooling no one but yourself. Every single cigarette you smoke harms your health and puts you at a higher risk of heart disease and cancer than those who don’t smoke.
The stats are astounding; researchers from the University of Bristol estimated that over a lifetime, each cigarette takes 11 minutes off your life. Suddenly, that ‘cheeky’ fag seems a little more consequential, right?
THE DANGER OF A DEEPER HABIT
Most social smokers don’t think that they have an addiction. But by feeding your addiction, you run the risk of developing a deeper smoking habit.
As CNN explains, “Social smokers may not be addicted to nicotine, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re not hooked on smoking – whether it’s the ritual itself, the sensation of the smoke, or the nicotine high it provides”.
E-cigarettes do not contain tobacco. Although they do contain nicotine, that addictive substance alone actually presents minimal risk to health, according to government evidence. It’s the thousands of other harmful chemicals present in cigarettes that lead to the vast majority of health problems; the nicotine, being addictive, keeps the user returning to those chemicals in cigarettes.
Vaping may help break that link, with Public Health England suggesting that it is ‘’95% less harmful than smoking’’, and could help many more people quit smoking.
Of course, doing so still comes with more risks than going cold turkey. If it’s possible for you to quit without the help of nicotine replacement, you should do so.
IT STILL COULD CAUSE CANCER
Let’s cut to the chase; cancer is the biggest health risk associated with this habit. We don’t need to tell you that. However, what you might be surprised to learn, though, is just how many different types of cancer have been linked to tobacco. It’s certainly not just the lungs and heart that are affected by this habit. Indeed, smoking can cause a total of 16 different cancers including of the mouth, throat, nose and sinuses, cancers of the oesophagus, cancers of the bladder, kidney and ureter, cancer of the pancreas and cancer of the stomach.
As Science Focus highlights, a study into social smoking reveals that “People who smoke socially are more than twice as likely to die of lung disease and more than eight times as likely to die of lung cancer than non-smokers.”
Moreover, the study highlights that “the risk of lung cancer death for “social smokers” – those who smoke fewer than 10 cigarettes per day – is not substantially lower than those who smoke more than 20 a day.”
When the risks are put in such terms, even the occasional cigarette feels like a dangerous habit to succumb to.
SOCIAL SMOKING AFFECTS YOUR LOOKS
If the health implications of social smoking weren’t enough to convince you, then consider the aesthetic risks. Smoking does no good for the skin and general appearance, and often even social smokers will look quite a bit older than they are.
Dr Richard Russell, Consultant Respiratory Physician and medical advisor to the British Lung Foundation, told Cosmopolitan that not only can the toxins from cigarettes in your body cause cellulite, but ‘’Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that gets to your skin. This means that if you smoke, your skin ages more quickly and looks grey and dull”.
And no one wants that.
THE BOTTOM LINE
There’s no level of safe smoking. Check out our article on 5 IDEAL ways to stop social smoking this winter.