By Vanessa • 15 years ago

Note to women smokers: Quit smoking.


If only you knew Betty, if only you knew…
This is a stark reminder: women smokers lose 14.5 years off their life span.
I’m going to disclose a little, shameful secret: I’m a smoker. Well, not your average pack-of-cigarettes-a-day smoker, but depending on my stress level, I can be a pack-of-cigarettes-a-week smoker. And I hate it. I’ve been smoking casually, socially, whatever you want to call it, for over 10 years.
But that “I’m a social smoker” excuse is a complete cop-out. I’m in the process of trying to quit, and if you’re a smoker, this is a great time to kick the gross-ass habit too. Reasons? Gee, let’s see…

  • Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in women.
  • Since 1950, lung cancer deaths among women have increased more than 600 percent, according to ACOG.
  • Smoking significantly increases the risk of many other cancers in women, including breast, oral, pharynx, larynx, esophageal, pancreatic, kidney, bladder, uterine, and cervical cancers.
  • Women who smoke are twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease and 10 times more likely to die from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than nonsmokers.

    • Are there any former smokers out there who can share their quitting stories? I know I can use all the help I can get.

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