Recent studies show that the price increase of cigarette did little in reducing the number of smokers in the United States. When there is an increase in cigarette price, you will see a spike in the number of people trying to quit. A good example of that would be callers to Quitline increasing by as much as tenfold in the beginning cycle of the price increase. The problem is that only small number smokers who supposedly want to quit follow through. The initial shock fades over time and smokers will once again find their own reasons to keep smoking. Overcome by the fear of giving up smoking, it becomes easy to justify paying an extra 50cents or a dollar per pack.
Most smokers are thought to cut back when there is a price hike in cigarettes. But as a former smoker, it’s hard for me to believe that these smokers will stick to their cut back figures. Unless you are quitting for good, cutting back is temporary measure that is not sustainable. Once nicotine dependency sets in, it becomes a struggle for every minute you go without the necessary amount nicotine in your system. The new smokers control the number of cigarettes they smoke far better than those who have smoked for many years already. In my experience in dealing with smokers, it appeared to me that the longer you’ve been a smoker, the harder it is to quit smoking.
Right now the trending of social norms is that smoking is socially unacceptable. Perhaps instead of price increase in cigarettes, changing how people live should take precedence. Many studies show that public ordinance such as smoking ban in indoor places is far more effective in combating the smoking epidemic. Smokers are losing their space in suburbs and cities across America and the trending will continue without a doubt. I fear that smokers will be pushed and antagonized into quitting smoking in the near future. Whether that’s right or wrong it’s debatable. What is not debatable is the fact that you can choose not being in the middle of this debate. Simply Quit Smoking. Continue with “The Famous Who Died From Smoking”.