29 May 2020

The World Health Organisation has declared this Sunday 31 May to be World No-Tobacco or Smokefree Day. While we are all aware of the serious costs that smoking causes to your health (not to mention your bank balance), it is a timely opportunity to check out a few other compelling reasons to quit the habit.

1. Helping your whanau

Smoking is also seriously harmful to those you love. According to the Cancer Society of New Zealand, the impacts of smoking on your friends and whanau are extremely scary – including:

The noxious chemicals from tobacco leach not only into your clothes, but also soft furnishings like carpets – and even car seats

Babies exposed to second-hand smoke have an increased risk of SIDS or cot death

Children exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to develop illnesses such as asthma, coughs, colds and even ear infections

They are also more likely to have problems with learning and behaviour

2. Reducing your insurance costs

There is no question that smoking is hazardous to your well-being. That means smokers incur higher premiums when it comes to health insurance. What you may not be aware of is that vaping is also regarded as just as risky as smoking when it comes to setting your health insurance premiums. Most insurance companies view vaping, vaporiser use and smoking as one and the same – as we discuss here.

3. Premature aging

We all want to look our best, but smoking is at the top of the list when it comes to causing premature aging. As HealthEd explains, the habit deprives your skin of oxygen, making it look dry and grey. The delicate areas around your eyes and mouth will also wrinkle at a younger age, compared to a non-smoker, and even the best whitening toothpaste will struggle to remove the residue on your teeth from tobacco tar.

Free help is just a phone call away

Asking for help is the first step to help quitting the smoking habit – and there are plenty of free resources and experts available ready and waiting. Quitline is one of these services that can work with you to achieve your smoke-free goal. Your whanau, body and bank account will thank you for it!

And there is more good news

Stopping smoking will also bring some more good news when it comes to your insurance. If you have been a non-smoker (or stopped vaping) for more than 12 months,

 make sure to inform your insurance company. It will mean that you can apply for a non-smokers rate. If you are accepted as a non-smoker, that could potentially save you thousands when it comes to the cost of your premiums. You can access our Asteron Life smoking update form here.

If you want to talk to an adviser about your life insurance policy, you can find one here.