By now, we've all seen the X-rays of perforated, charred lungs. We're aware that cigarettes cause cancer of all sorts. We fully know that secondhand smoke is harmful. And we know that it's really, really hard to quit. Whether or not you smoke, these are facts that you're familiar with (either personally or anecdotally), and you're probably tired of hearing them.
For me, there's an element of "preaching to the choir." I've never been a smoker for a number of reasons: asthma, cancer in the family, a pesky running habit, and frankly, a non-smoking group of friends.
That last reason is super-important. I hear plenty of people say, "I only smoke on weekends!" or "I don't buy my own packs!" as if it negates the act of smoking itself. The thing is... social smoking is still smoking. It's right there in the name. Not to sound like a lecture-y grandma or anything. (Yep, I also remember when people had wall phones, and when I'd walk uphill both ways to school every day, in the snow, etc., etc.)
My point is: If you're a smoker, I'm not going to shame you into quitting. It's just not useful. But I will say that there are some things I've recently learned about smoking that I didn't know before. And so, in partnership with truth, here are some facts that might actually surprise you.
Images: Claire Joines / Bustle; Paul Proshin.
This post is in partnership with truth.
