Should I smoke?

Dear Very Confused,  

Glad you’ve found the site helpful! Many people struggle with pressure from friends—and your concerns are valid! At the end of the day, it’s truly up to you if you want to start smoking. That said, any amount of smoking is not without risk. Even social smoking can lead to negative health effects, including lung and heart disease. No matter the brand, all cigarettes carry risk and there isn’t one that’s better than others across the board. Peer pressure from friends can make this decision even more difficult, so props to you for seeking out this information!  

Why do people smoke?

People start smoking for many different reasons. Some people begin so they can deal with stress, while others do so because someone close to them smokes. Social norms can play a large role in someone’s decision to smoke, and this could even be a reason why your friends started. Some people identify as “social smokers”, meaning they like to smoke when socializing with other people who smoke but don’t do it daily. However, this doesn’t mean there’s no risk. Social smokers can experience nicotine cravings that are tied to fulfilling their psychosocial needs. When someone understands something as common behavior within their group, they’re more likely to think of it as reasonable and harmless. These social norms combined with peer pressure can lead to taking up smoking to feel accepted within a friend group. 

What are the potential risks with infrequent smoking?  

As you ponder your decision to smoke or not, it's worth considering that many people don’t intend to smoke long-term. However, even people who smoke socially and infrequently can develop a dependence and have trouble quitting. Cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance that can make you feel calm and relaxed and stimulate your mood. After that initial buzz though, those happy feelings can go away and leave you feeling depleted. That feeling is a sign of withdrawal, which then urges you to smoke more to relieve those withdrawal symptoms and potentially leads to chain smoking behaviors. While chain smoking isn’t clearly defined, it’s tied to frequent use (think one after the other) and can be a sign of nicotine dependence. Even people who smoke socially can develop a dependence on cigarettes that can be both physical and psychological, particularly in these social settings. 

People who smoke often mistake the relief of their withdrawal symptoms as the relief of their mental health symptoms and will continue to smoke for this reason. However, this constant fluctuation can worsen mental health over time and damage the nervous system. Smoking can have short-term effects and increase the risk of chronic health conditions, such as cancer, lung disease, and heart disease. Even those who don’t smoke daily have higher rates of smoking-related illness and death. Whether someone smokes one cigarette per day or 20, there are similar risks.  Regardless of the brand, all cigarettes contain nicotine and can impact both physical and mental health over time. Even brands advertised as “organic” or “natural” still contain nicotine and come with long-term risks.  

How do relationships impact your decision to smoke (or not)?

As mentioned, social interaction can play a role in someone’s decision to smoke. You mentioned you have received negative reactions from your friends for choosing not to smoke. As you navigate this decision, it might be helpful to reflect on your friendships some more. 

• What do you want out of your friendships?
• Do your friends respect your boundaries?
• Do you want to be friends with people who call you names and try to push you to do things you don’t want to do?

Peer pressure can be a real issue for people as they try to make the best choices for their own health and well-being. If a simple, “no, thank you” isn’t working, you can try sharing some of the reasons you don’t want to smoke. Depending on how they react to you setting that boundary, you might be able to decide how you’d like to move forward.  

If someone around you can’t respect your boundaries, it may be worth considering if that person cares about your choices and well-being. While there are reasons you might smoke, there are still risks no matter how infrequent a cigarette is lit. In the end, despite what those around you say, only you can decide if you want to start smoking.

Good luck as you make this choice!