How To Convince A Smoker To Quit: False Statements

While dissuading people from quitting smoking is never a good idea, when presenting the reasons as to why a smoker should quit, it is important to be factual. If someone suspects any aspect of your reality talk is not actually true, then they may doubt the things – such as the substantial health risks associated with smoking – that are actually true. Any kink in your argument armour can cast doubt on the truthfulness of your entire statement, so if you are trying to persuade someone not to quit, don’t fall in to the trap of making false statements.

When it comes to smoking, one of the biggest lies told by those convincing smokers to quit is that “smokers raise smokers”. The idea is that people who smoke will inevitably, even if not deliberately, encourage their children to become smokers when they are open – and thus perpetuating the cycle of lung and health abuse for a new generation. It’s a statement that can have quite an impact on doting parents, who immediately redouble their efforts to quit in the hopes of saving their children from a life of nicotine addiction.

In reality, however, smokers do not raise smokers: in fact, studies and statistics show the opposite is true. The children of smokers – particularly if both parents smoke – are less likely to smoke than those raised in a non-smoking house, largely because they have been exposed to the unpleasant side of smoking, such as the smell, their entire lives. So resist saying to a smoker in an effort to convince them to quit, and focus instead on the financial and health implications of their habit.