Smoking is deadly. It kills through cancer, heart and circulatory diseases, emphysema, fires and many other causes. Most people recognize the physical assault smoking exerts on the smoker. But many fail to consider the psychological, emotional and social toll caused by cigarettes.

Since the majority of adults in America do not smoke, people still smoking are subject to greater harassment than they have ever experienced before. Over time, many smokers quit because they were beginning to feel like social outcasts. They no longer felt comfortable as smokers.

Today, things are even worse. Smokers are finding themselves in many situations where smoking is no longer permitted. Many smokers now go through eight hours of peak physical withdrawal symptoms daily, for they are no longer permitted to smoke while on work premises.

They go to social gatherings only to find that they may be the only person in the room smoking. They start to feel unwanted in the homes of their closest friends and family as long as their cigarettes are lit. They either have to suffer the embarrassment of smoking or the withdrawal from not smoking during these gatherings.

More non-smokers are now exerting their right to breathe clean (not smoke filled) air, something which 15 years ago would have appeared radical and in poor taste. All these sentiments are "bad news" to smokers. What they must now consider is that even though it is hard to be a smoker in today's society, the social ostracism is getting progressively worse.

So now, when the urge for a cigarette hits, be sure to consider the full ramifications of taking the first puff. Not only will you reinforce an addiction which is potentially deadly, but also you will be back to a socially unacceptable and very dirty chemical dependency. Do you really want to go through life viewed as a smoker? If not, simply remember - NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!