Smoking Habit Hurts Relationships

Think smoking's popularity is in the past? For smokers, lighting up is still seen as stress relief, a part of a social life and less helpfully, an addiction to nicotine. Years of peer pressure, picking up old habits or just trying to fit in with the crowd, can leave people struggling to kick the butt when starting a new relationship. Canada's highest rate of smokers are adults aged 19 to 29, the largest age range in the dating pool. So it's no coincidence that the Canadian Cancer Society opted to launch a campaign entitled "Break It Off" this year, which focuses on the same problems people have in their relationships. "When you talk to smokers, they say it's like a bad boyfriend," says Kyle McKeown, communications coordinator for the Canadian Cancer Society's Smokers' Helpline. "You know you shouldn't go back to them, but you find yourself in the same bad habits." Candace Plattor says these bad habits get worse when a non-smoker is involved. As a registered clinical counsellor based in Vancouver, she says smoking can lead to disputes if one person is lying to the other. "It's an issue for relationships if finances are involved. When somebody decides to smoke their money away, it can be very devastating to the other partner," she says. In other cases, Plattor says smokers and non-smokers may not be on the same page. "When some smokers are upset or anxious, they light up a cigarette," she says. "The smoker is not emotionally present for the other person, and this leads to problems."