Kick the habit and stub out cigarettes for good
Smoking is an ancient activity that has its roots in Mayan culture where priests and worshippers would smoke ritual pipes during ceremonies. Nowadays, smokers don't need the excuse of a special occasion or ceremony to light up. After becoming widespread in the 20th century, the cigarette industry now accounts for billion of pounds each year as well as thousands of lives. Even more recently, health studies and hard facts have given smokers even more reason to quit as the risks, cost and unsociable nature of smoking comes under intense scrutiny.
Believe it or not cigarette butts and packaging put a massive strain on the environment. From cutting down forests to produce the paper in each cigarette to chemicals from discarded butts poisoning rivers and waterways, cigarettes are a very real threat to flora and fauna. In a recent coastal clean up, cigarette ends were found to account for 24.7 of all rubbish collected at the cleanup. Despite the argument that paper is biodegradable, some campaigners suggest this can take up to 15 years if at all.
Since the 1st of October 2007, the UK's decision to ban smoking in all enclosed public places made the habit particular antisocial. With clubbers and pubbers having to smoke their cigarettes outside, the rise of 'smoking gardens' is on the rise where patrons can smoke in the company of others. 'Nosmoking' bands already exist in places such as hospitals, aeroplanes and even bus shelters. Smoking lobbyists have hit out government policy to little avail. It's just no longer social to be a smoker.
Causing the NHS 5billion each year, smoking is not only an expensive habit for the UK healthcare provider but also for smokers themselves. Smokers will find they could be paying more than their nonsmoking counterparts for a variety of different things not just their health. Compare life cover for example and you'll always find smokers to be paying more given the health risks associated with the addiction. Smokers' cars and even their homes can fall foul to the damage caused by cigarettes the scent of stale smoke isn't attractive to anyone!
Are you a smoker Now's the time to quit and with your financial health, social life and the environment at risk there's plenty of places to draw inspiration to turn over a new page.
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