Three Reasons Why Health Education Does Not Help Smokers to Quit Smoking

I have noticed that one of the main weapons, which is used to motivate smokers to quit smoking, is health education. Cigarette packs contains warnings, which announces that smoking is harmful to one’s health. In some countries they even print shocking images illustrating smoking related illnesses to cigarette packs. And if one tries to search information about smoking, one should be prepared to find a lot of information about the health risks of smoking and a lot less information about smoking itself.

All this health education is not created just to influence smokers. Its other important goal is to reduce the number of future smokers. Even though it might be successful of reducing the number of new smokers, it does not help existing smokers to quit smoking. Actually, its effect might be just the opposite. I will explain my reasoning by giving you three reasons, why health education does not help smokers to quit smoking:

1. Addicts do not listen to reason. Health education is trying to spread its message by using the language of reason. Unfortunately, its message does not reach smokers, because addicts do not listen to reason. Addicts are concentrating only for getting their next fix. Smoking is often referred as a bad habit, but as I have written before, it is actually an addiction. Smokers are addicted to a substance called Nicotine. Addicts do not accept anything, which tries to restrict their usage of the addictive substance. Smokers are often describing health education as propaganda, and as i know from my experience, feeling this way creates resistance among its target audience. Thus, an opposite reaction is triggered, and a smoker lights a new cigarette.
2. Smokers are living in denial. Smokers are experts of living in denial. For some mystical reason, they seem to believe that they can avoid developing smoking related illnesses. The most surprising thing about this is that health education is actually providing the facts, which are used by smokers to create an illusion that they will be fine. As you might have noticed, health education talks about probabilities of obtaining smoking related illnesses. The weird thing is that every smoker assumes that they belong to the group, which members will not become sick. When thinking about an individual smoker, this can indeed be the case. And the smokers love this kind of reasoning, because they can continue smoking as usual.
3. Fear triggers smoker’s urge to smoke. Smokers tend to claim that health education has no effect to them. I can tell you a secret: They are lying. Smokers are very well aware that this so called health propaganda is telling the truth. I can tell you that smokers get very restless when they are thinking about the health effects of smoking. They are not immune to fear. However, fear does not trigger the wanted response. Instead, it triggers the smoker’s urge to smoke. After Nicotine has been delivered to a body of a smoker, he will feel relaxed and calm. Nicotine takes good care of him and his fears disappear. He probably won’t think about these moments of despair, until he sees an another shocking example of health education. The process is started from the beginning, and he lights an another cigarette.

I have now given you three reasons, why I feel that health education does not help smokers to find their inner motivation to quit. Since these reasons are heavily based on to my own experiences as a smoker, it would be interesting to hear your opinion about this matter. Do feel that I have forgotten something? Perhaps you feel that I am mistaken? In any case, let me know what do you think.