4 Reasons Why People Quit Smoking. No Smoke. No FOMO!

Ready to quit smoking? You’ll want to read four real-life, relatable reasons to finally get you breathing fresh air. 

Everyone has their reasons for quitting smoking: giving up an old habit, hygiene, or even the cost. While taking this step might be a no-brainer for some, the good news is that ex-smokers can empathise with your plight and will want to give you some tips. We spoke to former smokers Bryan Perez, Raymond Cruz, Paolo Panganiban, and Fidel Saspa about their reasons for bidding the yosi life goodbye, and why they decided to get it started.  

If you’ve been thinking about starting to quit smoking, are in the process of putting down cigarettes, or need an extra push to get started, here are four reasons from these people that has recently switched to vape.

1. Smoke Smell is So Last Year

One major complaint about smoking is the smell that sticks to your clothes. The distinctive amoy-usok has always been a tell-tale sign of a smoker to everyone around them. Enter a taxi, and you might experience the long-term exposure of upholstery to that smell first-hand–it’s really unpleasant.   

“One of the main reasons that really convinced me to switch was the smell!” Bryan Perez, a copywriter, said. He spoke about the distinct smell everyone associated with him, even joking that “ashtray” was his eau de toilette. He claimed that by switching to vaping, he felt good about socialising with his peers without worrying about any unpleasant smells.  

"When I switched, I was finally able to hang out with my friends without stressing about how I smelled,” Bryan revealed.

2. Smoking is Hard on The Wallet

Smoking is an expensive habit – save up to buy the things you really love

Buying a pack of cigarettes daily could cost you as much as around PHP 3,782 per month, or a hefty PHP 45,384 annually. That amount of money could have been used to buy a basic laptop, a premium tablet or even the much raved-about PS5, both of which have a far more enjoyable and functional purpose compared to cigarettes.  

This was the choice Raymond Cruz, a graphic artist in Manila, made. “I was spending way too much on cigarettes. I was actually shocked when I computed how much money I was losing because of the habit!” Raymond shared. 

According to Raymond, that realization made him think of switching immediately. 

Now, Raymond spends his weekends streaming his video game sessions on Twitch—and he’s quickly building up a following on the platform. “Not only was the PS5 a far more cost-effective purchase compared to cigarettes, but streaming games actually helped take off some of the stress I’ve been feeling because of the pandemic,” Raymond added.

3. Smoking Kalat Begone!

Imagine the ash is falling off the table 

Apart from the smell and cost, one other issue that drives people away from smoking is the ash and trash that result from the habit.  
 
“It’s bad enough that smoking leaves a smell, but the stains and burns from ash on clothes and your surroundings give the impression you’re makalat, or worse, unhygienic!” said Paolo Panganiban, an editor from Makati. 

According to Paolo, he got fed up with the all the mess caused by cigarettes. “One time, I was vacuuming some ash in the middle of the night, and it got me into trouble with my neighbours!” Paolo laughed. 

Not only that, but cigarette ash can go everywhere — even in places where you wouldn’t expect them to be. 

“I once used up an entire roll of lint removing tape because there was a lot of ash on my clothes” Paolo stated. 

Switching to vape, he said, doesn’t pose these problems. “Once you’ve used up the pod, that’s it. No smoke, no ash!” Paolo added.  

4. Smoking Wastes So Much

Smoking is one of the least convenient habits once can have. Let’s face it, how many times have you forced yourself to finish smoking an entire stick, just because you have to attend a meeting?  

“This is where switching to vape comes in,” Fidel Saspa, a musician, said. 

“I was just smoking during my break but I had to force myself to finish an entire stick at twice my usual pace because of a sudden meeting!” 

According to Fidel, vaping presents no such problems: “Just take the puffs you need, turn the device off to attend to your tasks, and then turn it back on once you’re done. Easy!” 

Not only are vapes very accessible, Fidel says, they also don’t cause any of the problems associated with cigarettes, such as funky smells and messy ash, making them convenient for the everyday user. 

There are numerous reasons why people kick the habit and have taken up alternatives to quit smoking. Vaping is a good alternative for those who want to have a no-smoke, no-ash journey in the long run. And after our chat with Bryan, Raymond, Paolo and Fidel, now people will have more reasons — unpleasant smell, costliness, mess, and the hassle — to quit smoking.