Why you should quit smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic
It could be much easier to quit smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic
Trying to quit smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic? You may have an easier time than ever before! For the masses of non-essential workers in Ontario, this is the right time to quit smoking. As life ground to a halt, so did many of the associations and triggers to light up.
Gone are coffee breaks with co-workers. Bye-bye to that smoke or two on the drive to and from work. Bored in between customers at your mall cell phone kiosk? Not anymore. The self-isolation and social distancing measures in force right now have created the ideal circumstances to quit smoking.
Take advantage of this time to build new, healthier routines. Get your lungs in the best shape they can be. In a few short weeks, as the curve flattens, life will start returning to normal. Use this time to reinvent yourself as a non-smoker.
Some people may have to choose between smoking and eating
For a great many people, these are financially uncertain times. Prices and availability of many household and grocery staples are widely fluctuating. Many have splurged on stockpiling essentials. This has surely left a few purse strings tighter than normal. Anyone who’s been spending $400, $500, or even $600 a month on cigarettes has surely questioned their sanity.
In the best of times, most smokers can think of enough reasons to quit. Choosing between smoking and eating is typically not one of them. Unemployment benefits should be rolling out in a few weeks, for those who qualify. When they do arrive, they’ll cover some or most of the basic essential costs. $2000 a month won’t likely support a $550/month smoking habit without feeling a sting somewhere else. Perhaps it is the cost that will finally push you to quit smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The obvious: smoking is unsanitary
The most compelling reason to quit smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic, is that it’s unsanitary. Let’s face it, most of us aren’t washing our hands as well, or as frequently as we should. We touch door handles, gas pumps, railings, elevator buttons. We catch ourselves touching our face, or rubbing our eye. We impulsively sneeze into our hands, forgetting to do so into our elbow. When we do cough into our elbow, we then cross our arms while waiting in line at the cashier, hands tucked neatly into elbows.
The smoker uses those same hands to extract a cigarette from the pack. They remove it from the pack by touching the filter – the very part of the cigarette that will go in their mouth. They roll and press their thumb against the end of the filter, before putting it back in their mouth again and again. Where have those hands been, and what have they touched? When were they last washed?
Many people are still working, perhaps in a factory, fast food restaurant, gas station, or dollar store. They may have been provided gloves by their employer. Dr. Samir Gupta explains that many people are likely using these gloves incorrectly. A smoker who goes on a 15-minute break must be certain to take the best precautions. Gloves, or no gloves, a vigorous and thorough hand-washing should be done before going on a smoke-break. Otherwise, all the exposure from the past couple of hours goes directly onto the cigarette filter. Next stop: the mouth, rich in mucous membranes.
Struggling? We can help - safely.
LaserSTOP is an essential service, and is operating to help people quit smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic. We take all personal protection precautions, and use best practices for sterilizing our equipment. Call us at 289-339-9840, or fill out our web response form and we’ll contact you.
