Stop smoking: quit making excuses

If you're a smoker, you probably have loads of excuses you use to delay quitting. But are they really justified? Here are seven common excuses and how to overcome them.

Excuse 1: 'the damage is done'




Find out more about the health benefits of quitting.

Excuse 2: 'I'll gain weight'

Medical evidence shows that nicotine doesn't stop you getting hungry. Smoking makes you burn calories faster, but as long as you remember that you need less food energy, quitting won't actually make you gain weight.

Try cutting down on sugar and fat and take up an activity instead of replacing cigarettes with food or alcohol.

Read more about how to stop smoking without gaining weight.

Excuse 3: 'I'll get stressed'

Despite what you may think, nicotine doesn't calm you down.

Nicotine cravings between cigarettes actually make you feel stressed and anxious, so when you smoke the cigarette you feel calmer. But you'll feel less stressed once you quit and don't have cravings any more.


Here are some more stress-busting tips .

Excuse 4: 'it's not the right time to quit smoking'

Although it's true that you shouldn't try to quit during particularly stressful times, don't use this as an excuse to keep putting it off.



Read more about 8 great times to quit smoking.

Excuse 5: 'quitting will ruin my social life'


In reality fewer than one in five people now smokes, so there will be plenty of people who don't smoke to be social with if you look out for them.

Although social smoking may seem better than smoking 40 a day, there is no safe level of smoking. If you have to make some compromises in your social life, it's well worth it for the sake of your health.

Excuse 6: 'smoking looks good'


But many people find the sight of a smoker unattractive. Yellow fingernails, blackened fingers and a stained tongue and teeth are not a pretty sight.



Watch this video to see how smoking can ruin your looks.

Find out how stopping smoking will help banish bad breath.

Excuse 7: 'I can't quit because I'm addicted'

There is some truth in this. Smoking is an addiction that's undeniably tough to break. But it's not impossible and every year thousands of people manage to give it up. With a lot of determination, you can do it too.


The chemical addiction causes physical symptoms when you quit, such as tiredness, irritability and poor concentration. Your doctor can prescribe medication to replace the nicotine and you can access support sessions for extra motivation to help you manage your cravings.

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