Smoking doesn't just affect the person who smokes. Secondhand smoke is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths each year, according to the American Heart Association. Aside from increasing your disease risk, if someone close to you smokes, you may also have to continually worry about her deteriorating health and appearance. Your friend's decision to quit smoking is her choice to make, but a few things can be done to help persuade her to put the cigarettes down for good.
Step 1
Volunteer together at a cancer treatment center. Your friend will see firsthand the reality of smoking's effects on her health, and the experience may persuade her to quit. According to an article published on MayoClinic.com, volunteering and helping others can have a deep impact on emotional well-being.
Step 2
Speak honestly with her about why you'd like her to quit. Emphasize that you love her and that you worry about her health. Tell her you want her to be in your life for a long time and with as few health complications as possible. Point out the effect her smoking has on your feelings and that it's not something that just affects her life.
Step 3
Offer to quit smoking together. If you both quit at the same time, you can distract each other during times of cravings. You can talk through your feelings and stresses rather than leaning on cigarettes. You can exercise together to prevent weight gain and improve lung function.
Step 4
Calculate how much money your friend spends on cigarettes per week. Multiply that by 52 and present her with a list of all the things she could do with that money instead. Calculate the 5-year and 10-year amounts and present her with those numbers as well.
Step 5
Educate your friend about all the dangers of smoking. Most people know smoking leads to lung cancer, but not everyone knows that smoking increases your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. Smoking also causes premature aging, outwardly in the form of wrinkles and loose, hanging skin. Explain that some of these problems improve over time once you quit smoking, according to the American Cancer Society.
