How Many Cigarettes a Day Classifies You as a Heavy Smoker?

Among the many ill habits that we know and are aware of, smoking is a leading issue that has crippled the lives of millions over the years. The dangers of smoking are well-documented, but the severity of the habit can vary significantly from one person to the other.

If you are curious about what classifies one as a “heavy smoker,” there are several factors at play. There are several influencing factors, and there are numerous health risks associated with this habit as well.

To provide a better understanding, we will assess and discuss how many cigarettes a day is heavy smoking and the consequences that come with it.

Defining "Heavy Smoker": What Counts?

There is no universal, definitive number that classifies someone as a heavy smoker. That said, according to medical terms, there is a certain number of cigarettes one smokes per day that qualifies them as a light, moderate, or heavy smoker.

Based on this classification, it becomes easier for healthcare providers to assess the associated health risks and provide assistance accordingly.

Light Smoker

A light smoker is typically someone who smokes fewer than five to six cigarettes per day. Even then, it seems like many cigarettes are used throughout the day. While the physical nicotine dependence isn’t as bad, the health complications related to smoking are still quite profound.

Moderate Smoker

Up next on the list we have moderate smoker, who is classified if they smoke around one pack of cigarette every day. Due to the extensive number of cigarettes involved per day, they have an unhealthy addiction to nicotine, putting them at risk for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Quitting without assistance is quite challenging for them.

Heavy Smoker

If a person is smoking more than 20 cigarettes or one pack a day, it is classified as heavy smoking. Heavy smoking is closely associated with significant nicotine addiction, which makes quitting difficult and relapse more likely. This level of daily smoking puts an individual at risk of developing lung cancer, COPD, and heart disease.

What are the Factors Influencing Heavy Smoking?

Several different factors contribute to whether one becomes a heavy smoker or not. Be it social influences or biological predispositions, there are several factors at play. Significantly, understanding these factors is quintessential to embarking on the quitting journey.

Following are a few of the influencing factors contributing to heavy smoking:

Nicotine dependence – Surprisingly, heavy smokers are often more physically addicted to nicotine than light or moderate smokers since it alters the brain chemistry, making quitting it very difficult.

Psychological factors - Stress, anxiety, and depression can contribute to higher smoking rates. Many heavy smokers turn to smoking as a way to find an escape from their emotional distress.

Social environment – Factors like peer pressure and wanting to fit in a social group that consists of people who smoke can lead to alarming smoking habits.

What are the Health Risks of Heavy Smoking?

Smoking, in general, contributes to poor physical and emotional well-being. It doesn’t matter if you are a light, moderate, or heavy smoker; the impacts of the chemicals in the cigarette will catch up to you at one point in life.

Some of the health complications associated with heavy smoking are:

• Lung cancer
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Heart Disease
• Other cancers like mouth, throat, oesophagus, bladder, and pancreas cancer
• Reduced life expectancy

In the worst-case scenario, heavy smoking damages the body from the inside, to a point of no return, leading to fatal outcomes.

Quitting Heavy Smoking: Challenges and Strategies

Irrespective of how many and how long you have been smoking, it is never too late to quit. If you want to improve the quality of your life, overcome nicotine addiction, and enable your body to recover and improve, there are several ways to make that happen.

1. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

When you are a heavy smoker who has developed this habit over many years, going cold turkey becomes an impossible feat. The withdrawal symptoms are brutal, and sticking to this quitting route thus becomes painful.

This is why gradual reduction of this habit is a much more effective way to deal with the addiction. However, going from smoking 20 cigarettes a day to 5 can be pretty challenging and lead to nicotine cravings at odd hours, followed by withdrawal symptoms.

To better curb those cravings, NRT-like flavoured nicotine gums, lozenges, etc., come into the picture. Ryze is a leading Flavoured Nicotine Gum Brand, enabling heavy smokers to ease away from their habit of smoking and embrace a smoke-free life eventually.

2. Behavioural Therapy

Heavy smoking isn’t just a physical need; but most people that become reliant on smoking depict that the habit is more psychological than physical.

Hence, identifying the triggers behind smoking is vital to be able to address in real-time and eliminate this habit for good. If you are wondering how to reduce smoking, you need to find the root cause of the habit and uproot it from there.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a popular approach that helps people change the thoughts and behaviours that contribute to smoking.

3. Focusing on Lifestyle

Nicotine addiction, especially in heavy smokers, makes it difficult for them to prioritise their life and their well-being. The habit often makes one feel so sluggish that they don’t have enough energy to focus on maintaining their physical health via exercising or eating healthy.

This is where you need to make a shift in life. As you are quitting your habit through gradual reduction and NRT, make healthier choices in life. This includes exercising at least three times a week, eating a balanced diet, practising mindfulness and meditation and creating a positive headspace so you don’t revert to your old ways of picking up a cigarette when stressed.

Make a Healthy Switch!

Heavy smoking has severe implications on the body, leading to heightened risks of heart attacks, strokes, cancers and more. Beyond the physical impacts, heavy smoking also has negative impacts on one psychologically, pulling them down and making them feel troubled and stressed.

If you are ready to switch to a healthy life, Ryze can be the answer to your quitting journey. With our 21-day Challenge, you, too, can ditch the habit of smoking and live a long, healthier life.