Imagine you buy a used Tacoma, full of potential. You spend two-and-a-half years restoring it, upgrading every detail.
Now imagine leaving the engine in the rain to rust, while burning a $10 bill every day. After all that work, the one part that makes it run is ruined, and you have drained your wallet at the same time — much like cigarettes damage your health while costing you money every day.
That’s the closest analogy for completing a long-term drug treatment program while continuing to smoke cigarettes or vape nicotine.
At Habilitat, I talk with friends rebuilding their health and relationships while nicotine sits in the corner whispering, “You are stressed, buy me again.” It is still addiction, expensive and deadly. Quitting tobacco isn’t about perfection. It’s about giving recovery its best chance and protecting the health people are fighting to get back.
Jessica Marie Cross
Kaneohe
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EXPRESS YOURSELF
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