by Victoria Tiegert

Created on: May 17, 2009

With so much education and information regarding the effects of smoking to both the smoker and those who are around them, inhaling their second-hand smoke, one would think that cigarettes would become obsolete and the companies that make them would go under. That is not the case, however, and it is really only the non-smokers who think that way. This is because until you deal with such a strong addiction, you have no real idea of the grip that it has on the person who is caught in the trap. The first step to reasoning with a smoker then is to understand one to the best of your ability.

I have met people who have successfully quit many drugs, including heroin, yet have been unable to quit smoking, no matter how many different ways they've tried. I have met others who have used prescription drugs to quit, only to go back to the nicotine as soon as they were off the medication. It isn't that the smoker doesn't want to quit, it's that they truly can't. While there are some who do quit for the long-term, most of them will readily admit that the cravings continue on for years. Of those who make it through the remainder of life without picking the habit back up, most have had something that inspired them to quit, giving them a strong desire to kick the habit. Maybe they've watched someone close to them die of a cigarette-related disease or gotten one themselves.

If you can understand the incredibly strong addiction the smoker is dealing with, you are going to be better off when it comes to your reasoning. There are several things that don't work. Talking about the health risks to them doesn't work. They already know, so you only sound like a broken record. Telling them that their quality of life will improve is ineffective. Again, they know that! Calling them weak, disgusting, smellynone of that will do the trick. That only makes them feel poorly about themselves and stressed, which makes them reach all the faster for the cigarette pack.

Offering to help them when they're ready will be much more supportive and empowering for the smoker. Find information about new techniques for quitting and present it to them in a non-pressure way. Let them know that you care about them, not that you are trying to control them. If they aren't ready to quit yet, be assured that they can't and they won't, no matter how many threats and coercive speeches you are handing out.

In that case, you will need to begin the reasoning. There are many options that can be reached if you are both willing to compromise a bit. The smoker can take their cigarettes outside and away from you. They can agree to clean up their own waste and ashtrays when they're done. They can not smoke in shared vehicles or other enclosed spaces. Most smokers understand that non-smokers appreciate these considerations and are willing to give a little to make everyone happy.

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