Submitted by the Asian Smokers’ Quitline
Many people start smoking because they believed a myth about what smoking promises, while there are some who want to quit and falsely believe it’s near impossible to succeed. Despite efforts to educate the public about the dangers of smoking, there are still an estimated 43.9 million adult smokers in the U.S.
Here are some myths and facts that Joann Lee, doctor and project manager of the Asian Smokers’ Quitline, thinks everyone needs to know about cigarettes and smoking:
MYTH: Smoking can help you lose weight.
FACT: Smoking cigarettes can lead to weight loss because of how nicotine acts as an appetite suppressant. However, there are far worse effects to smoking, such as serious health consequences like cancer and other chronic diseases.
MYTH: Smoking only harms the person who’s smoking.
FACT: Second-hand smoke causes about an estimated 50,000 deaths a year, according to the American Lung Association. A person who breathes in smoke from the end of a lit cigarette or breathes in smoke exhaled by a smoker inhales many of the same cancer-causing chemicals that smokers inhale.
MYTH: Smoking only causes lung cancer.
FACT: Most people know that smoking is associated with lung cancer, but according to the American Cancer Society, few people realize it can cause or put people at risk for many other types of cancers, including cancer of the throat, bladder, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, stomach, colon, and acute myeloid leukemia. It can increase one’s risk of type 2 diabetes – regardless of what kind of diabetes you have, and makes it more difficult to control. Smoking also increases one’s risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death for Asian Americans.
MYTH: Women who smoke are not at risk as much as men who smoke.
FACT: There are unique risks linked to women and babies. The American Cancer Society says that women over 35 who smoke and use birth control pills are at higher risk of getting a heart attack, blood clots in the legs, and stroke. Pregnant women who smoke have an increased risk for premature delivery, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome.
MYTH: Smoking “light” cigarettes are safer than smoking regular cigarettes.
FACT: “Light” cigarettes are just as harmful to one’s health as regular brands. Sixty percent of smokers believe that the terms “light” and “ultra-light” translates to low-tar and low-nicotine, according to research published by the American Journal of Public Health. In fact, a standard definition does not exist, and tobacco companies admit that these terms actually refer to the cigarette’s perceived taste and flavor, and not what’s inside them.
MYTH: Smoking makes young people look more mature and sophisticated.
FACT: The media tends to glamorize smoking through movies, celebrities, commercials and paid advertisements. Images in the media attempt to show how smoking makes one look “grown up” or “sophisticated.” Truth is, smoking causes premature aging of the skin, wrinkles, yellowing of the teeth, stained fingers, and attributes to the development of gum disease.
MYTH: Cessation medications don’t work.
FACT: Smoking cessation medications, such as nicotine replacement therapies patches, gum, nasal spray, lozenges and bupronian, can actually double the likelihood that a person will successfully quit. Combination therapies, along with counseling, may be even more effective than a single cessation method.
To clear the myths and face the facts about smoking, call the Asian Smokers’ Quitline, a free nationwide telephone program for Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese speakers who want to quit. When you call, a friendly staff person will offer a choice of services: self-help materials, a referral list of other programs, one-on-one counseling over the phone, and a free two-week starter kit of nicotine patches. The Asian Smokers’ Quitline is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Pacific Time:
- 1-800-838-8917 Mandarin and Cantonese
- 1-800-556-5564 Korean
- 1-800-778-8440 Vietnamese
For more information about the Asian Smokers’ Quitline, visit and “like” us at
