Marianne Dimain came by the offices at KMA this afternoon to ask me about what a social smoker actually is.

The term 'social smoker' is usually reserved for people who don't always smoke on a daily basis, but engage in social environments like bars, nightclubs, and events.

The danger with using the term social smoker is its denial of the harmful effects that smoking has on the body and brain - in fact, studies have shown that social smokers endure almost just as much physical damage as smokers who smoke one or more packs per day. The majority of the harm that comes from smoking is not about how much one smokes, but the fact that they smoke at all.

In my psychotherapy practice, I often work with people who are looking to quit smoking. What I have found is actually quite surprising (and matched up with some research that I found). People with higher levels of conscientiousness and will-power are the most likely to successfully quit smoking. So smokers, sadly, are usually the same people that don't have the will power to stick to exercise, eat healthily, or stay faithful in a relationship.