“It is easy to quit smoking; I’ve done it hundreds of times,” Mark Twain once quipped jocularly. It is no wonder most smokers who want to quit smoking end up like the illustrious American author.

When you smoke, you breathe in over 4,000 chemicals including those present naturally in the tobacco and those formed as a result of burning it. Passive smoking, also known as secondhand smoking, occurs when a non-smoker breathes in smoke exhaled by a smoker. Passive smokers also inhale the same 4,000 chemicals.

Smoking is now prohibited in many public places such as government offices and public buildings, educational institutions, theatres, and on public transportation. But even if you smoke in the privacy of your home, you would be putting the members of your family at risk.

Children exposed to passive smoking are more likely get chest illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis. They are prone to get ear infections, tonsillitis, and childhood asthma. Children of smoking parents are also more likely to pick up this bad habit. Early exposure to smoke increases the chances of developing cancer.

There are many physical benefits to stopping smoking. You can breathe more easily as the circulation of blood improves. Your body sheds the excess carbon monoxide and you become more energetic. Youthful hues return to your skin. Your potency level increases. For women, the chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy improve.

Quitting smoking brings many lifestyle benefits too. Your house will be noticeably fresher, and your family members will not be exposed to the secondhand smoke. Financial benefits are another one of the major advantages of stopping smoking, as the price of cigarettes is very high these days.