It's time to kick the 'social' habit
Smokers are justifying their habit by labelling it as a social activity, and claiming they are nothing more than a social smoker, according to new research.
But in actual fact, many people are stubbing out up to a packet a day.
The survey found that a quarter of smokers are in denial of about their habit because of the stigma associated with it and now only class themselves as social smokers. In reality though, over a third of these are smoking between 6-20 cigarettes a day, according to the research from The Co-operative Pharmacy.
The study also revealed smokers willingness to flout the law by lighting up in prohibited areas.
Catherine Cox, Primary Care Manager from The Co-operative Pharmacy, said: “The smoking ban in public places has had a major effect on the health of the nation with a significant number of people giving up, but many smokers are convincing themselves that they are consuming less tobacco than they actually are by classing their habit as a ‘social’ one. People see it as more acceptable to be social smoker than admitting they regularly light up each day, even though our research shows that this is the case.
“Just smoking a few cigarettes a day has an impact on your health and the wellbeing of those around you. While quitting smoking is extremely difficult, it is encouraging to see that individuals are cutting down on the amount they smoke, even if they aren’t successful first time. We know that many people don’t give up on the first attempt so staying positive and not being too hard on yourself can make all the difference. With a variety of different ways to help people stop smoking it is important that everyone finds a way that works for them.”
Overall, three in five smokers had previously tried to give up and women were more likely to have tried to quit than men (63 per cent compared to 57 per cent). Around one in six of those who had tried to quit smoking succeeded for over a year before being tempted into lighting up again.
But women were more likely to cite a lack of willpower for not attempting to quit – 22 per cent compared to 16 per cent of men. Friends were blamed as a common cause for people lighting up again with 13 per cent of respondents admitting they didn’t like being left alone on nights out while their mates went outside for a cigarette.
Other reasons people weren’t wholly successful in their attempts included drinking too much, their football teams losing and because they didn’t want to miss out on socialising with work colleagues. One in 20 also felt like they were missing out on key business discussions with co-workers.
Of those who did cave in to temptation on a quit attempt, almost half reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked when they started up again.
Public Health England’s National Director of Health and Wellbeing, Kevin Fenton, said: “Smoking has a huge impact on health and every time someone smokes, blood filled with harmful toxins circulates through the body in seconds - increasing the chances of a heart attack or stroke. By quitting, this will immediately bring about real benefits.
“There are a variety of different ways to help people stop smoking and it is important that everyone finds a way that works for them. Pharmacists are easily accessible and well-placed to offer ongoing support, keeping motivation levels high along the way.”
The Co-operative Pharmacy is supporting Public Health England’s January NHS Smokefree campaign to help smokers give up for good. The campaign raises awareness of the damaging effect that toxins from smoking have on the blood, lungs, heart and brain.
Tobacco smoke contains toxic chemicals including carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. Smoking still remains the biggest cause of premature death in England, accounting for 80,000 deaths a year, with half of all long-term smokers dying prematurely from a smoking-related disease.
As part of this campaign, smokers will be able to pick up the new NHS Quit Cards, which are available at almost 490 Co-operative pharmacies. The Quit cards are designed to help smokers quit successfully by helping them find the right support tool for them.