In this life, some things just go together. Two events, things or objects that seem so synonymous with one another it’s hard to imagine them functioning apart. When you think of one part of the double act, thoughts and memories of the other immediately come to mind. Yes, sometimes two things are so closely linked it’s hard to even then of them as separate.

When it comes to smoking, most people immediately associate the habit with lung cancer. Smoking and lung cancer are two of those things that go together, apparently seamlessly. The risk of lung cancer among smokers is much higher than in a non-smoker, but many smokers seem to have accepted their chances. The close relationship between the concepts of smoking and lung cancer has, if anything, blunted many to how severe and almost certain the link may be.

Any smoker, however, should be awoken from this attitude of acknowledging the link but ignoring it. Lung cancer is a horrific disease and should never, ever be underestimated. It often proves to be fatal, even with medical intervention, and many smokers focus on the life-threatening aspect of it rather than the general lifestyle. The common refrain is “we all have to die of something”, and with this actuality in mind they find it easier to continue smoking despite it’s sudden associations with lung cancer.

Any smoker looking for motivation to quit need look no further than lung cancer. Try focusing on the non-mortal aspects of lung cancer and the kind of life a smoker would lead before their death from the disease. Lung cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer any human can contract, often laying undetected for months. When it is detected, treatments are difficult and painful, from the standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy to operations to removing part of the lung.

People must consider that death is not the only thing that cancer can cause. Lung cancer can ruin and destroy both your quality of life and the memories people have of you. It may seem easy to flippant and insist that everyone has to die, but dying of lung cancer is one of the more foul ways of departing this planet.

And, of course, it doesn’t stop with lung cancer. Smoking is also linked with a variety of other cancers – throat, stomach, thyroid, mouth cancer for a start – as well as causing high blood pressure, heart disease and eventual heart attacks. A smoker may be reconciled to the fact that their favourite habit may kill them – but have you ever really considered how your last days on earth will be?

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