Can Social Smoking Hurt?
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Everybody’s heard about social drinking. There is a population out there that advocates having an alcoholic drink or two in social gatherings to maintain that perfect balance. If trends are anything to go by, social smoking could soon be a common phenomenon. As the term implies, social smokers light up only occasionally in a gathering or an event.
The reasoning is that a few cigarettes a week are definitely less harmful than a whole pack or packs every day. While this may seem consistent, there are many compelling reasons why social smoking cannot be dismissed as another harmless practice. The first reason is that the definition of social smoking is subject to a whole range of interpretations; it could mean one cigarette or several packs at one go.
The possibility of social smoking developing into a full-blown habit cannot be ruled out either. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s estimated that 46 million Americans smoke and 70% of them want to stop. Moreover, the human body is not built for smoking tobacco, period. Even one cigarette leaves an imprint on body chemistry and arterial walls. Occasional smoking may not put your chances of getting cancer on par with a serious smoker, but it will definitely be higher than a non-smoker’s.
A worrying fact is that most social smokers are young, and are the targets of marketing campaigns by tobacco companies who don’t want to lose out on this segment. The Anti-Tobacco Bill aims to protect this vulnerable chunk of the population from such campaigns that can increase tobacco usage.
Electronic cigarettes are a good choice if you’re not ready to kick the habit just yet. Apart from being available in a variety of flavors, it also offers the benefits of being tar free. The nicotine is still there though but if you want to retain your social smoker status, an electronic cigarette is a step in the safer direction.
