If you think smoking at parties, events and with friends won’t hurt your body, think again.

To some people, social smoking is a “safe” form of smoking. While you might not expose your body to as many toxins as someone who smokes a pack a day, you’re still hurting your health if you smoke once in a while. Social smoking isn’t a healthy way to enjoy cigarettes. When it comes down to it, there’s no safe way to smoke.

Learn the dangers to your health
There are many serious side effects of social smoking: Heart disease, cancer, respiratory tract infections and slower injury recovery. Whether you’re a young student or a grandparent, these side effects could have serious repercussions in your life. Did you know that smoking also affects your brain? Even social smoking can influence your memory. Do you really want a few cigarettes at a party to have lasting effects on your ability to think?

How to quit social smoking
This is an instance where peer pressure may be a good thing. Remind smokers that they’re hurting those around them by exposing people to secondhand smoke. If you want to quit, take it seriously. It’s still habit forming, and you may need as much support as someone who smokes all the time.

The good news about social smoking
There’s nothing safe about social smoking, but the good news is as soon as you quit, your body will begin healing. Give your health a fighting chance by quitting social smoking today.

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Discover why smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes

Some tobacco users mistakenly think that smokeless tobacco is safe to use because it doesn’t involve inhaling smoke. Don’t let this misconception fool you. Before you try smokeless tobacco as an alternative or because your friends are pressuring you, consider these facts about smokeless tobacco.

Smokeless tobacco devastates your mouth. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, smokeless tobacco can cause oral cancers that can be life threatening or cause serious facial scarring and deformities. According to the CDC, smokeless tobacco can contribute to leukoplakia. This is precancerous lesion in the mouth that cannot be scraped off.

Smokeless tobacco is addictive. This form of tobacco still contains nicotine, which is absorbed into your bloodstream. It’s just as habit forming as smoking cigarettes and is very difficult to quit if you become addicted.

Smokeless tobacco use is on the rise. Drugabuse.gov reported a 47% increase in the number of new smokeless tobacco users between 2002-2008. Teens report using smokeless tobacco as early as middle school.

Smokeless tobacco contains more nicotine than cigarettes. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that smokeless tobacco delivers 3-4 times more nicotine than a cigarette. The nicotine absorbed this way stays in the bloodstream longer.

Smokeless tobacco use can lead to cigarette use. According to the CDC, adolescents who use smokeless tobacco are more likely to become cigarette smokers.

Smokeless tobacco should not be used as a way to quit smoking. If you’re trying to quit smoking, talk to your doctor about healthy, safe ways to quit. Tobacco is never safe and using it is never recommended as a way to quit smoking.

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