Tobacco Quit Kit
Social Smoking

Social Smoking is smoking less than everyday. A social (or casual) smoker may smoke a few cigarettes one night, then not smoke for days or weeks afterwards.

 

Reasons why people smoke socially:

  • Many people who smoke socially don’t realize that occasional smoking can be harmful
  • They may not be aware of how easy it is to become addicted
  • If you are around people who smoke, you may be tempted to smoke too. It may seem like smoking makes social situations easier.
  • Some people just have a cigarette when they go out with friends and were drinking.
  • Sometimes you find someone that may have been up all night studying and wanted a break or something to help them stay awake, which resorts them to chain smoking through a cramming session

 

Statistics: Social smokers make up the significant population that do not consider themselves to be smokers, but are at risk of becoming addicted to nicotine.

  • About 60% of students are non-smokers, reporting never smoking cigarettes.
  • About 10% of students are smokers- using cigarettes every day or every other day.
  • This leaves us with about a 1/4 students- 30% who probably do not consider themselves smokers but smoke a couple of times each week or month.
  • A high percentage of smokers- 85-90%- must smoke every day or they start to go through withdrawal
  • In contrast- only about 10% to 15% of people who drink alcohol are problem drinkers; which puts nicotine as probably the most addictive drugs.

 

 

Risks: Even if you are smoking “every now and then” you are still subject to physical consequences.

  • You are still exposed to the 4000 chemicals such as arsenic, lead, and mercury.
  • Even after a cigarette or two, smokers will experience a spike in blood pressure
  • 30 minutes of exposure to secondhand smoke can cause heart damage similar to that of an everyday smoker.
  • Addiction could happen within 10 seconds of taking a puff of a cigarette, nicotine reaches the brain and regulates the feeling of pleasure. The thing is within a few minutes the effects wear off, which makes the person crave another cigarette.

 

 

Signs of Addiction:

  • You buy your own cigarettes because you feel guilty about bumming from friends so often
  • You start to smoke alone
  • You think about smoking when you’re not
  • You crave cigarettes when you wake up
  • You don’t feel the dizziness and headaches of a new smoker.

ETR Associates. (2003). FAQs Tobacco (274) [Social Smoking].

California: Ralph Cantor.