Questions and Answers

What does the Bible say about smoking?

Although the Bible does not address the subject of smoking directly, there are a number of principles relevant to the discussion. While it is difficult to prove smoking is a "salvation issue," I would certainly strongly discourage it. Smoking weakens us not only physically, but also morally, which opens the door for other sins or compromises to enter and take over.
Following is an article I wrote in 1986 (now slightly modified) for A Light to London. I hope you find it helpful-do feel free to share it with your struggling friend.


WARNING: SMOKING CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR SALVATION

"Smoke pours forth from his nostrils..." (Job 41:20)
"And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever" (Revelation 14:20).

Whether the verses above have been properly exegeted or not, it remains a fact that smoking is a serious social problem. In fact, I am writing to you just 350 miles from the Lung Cancer Capital of the world-Glasgow, Scotland, according to a WHO report. Yet it is not just Glasgow that is belching up think clouds of cancerous smoke; the nicotine craze has spread over the entire inhabited earth. All of us have friends who are "hooked." The purpose of this article is to offer a practical study on the subject of smoking, one that you will be able to use as you teach your friends God's word.

  1. Smoking enslaves
    Smoking cigarettes, cigars, etc. is enslaving, and it is a principle of God's word that we should not allow ourselves to be enslaved by anything (Romans 6:12-13, 2 Peter 2:19).
  2. Honor God with your body
    The scriptures teach that our physical bodies are not our own, and that we are to honor God with our bodies. Clearly this rules out all self-destructive habits (1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 7:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:23).
  3. Bad example
    Cigarette smokers are setting a terrible example for those they love: friends, relatives, immediate family. Perhaps those who are heard the most are children. In London it is not uncommon to see ten- or eleven-year-olds puffing a "fag" (British slang for cigarette). I certainly appreciate having grown up in a home environment where no one smoked. Never underestimate the force of example.
  4. Waste of money
    At $5.00 a pack [depending on the region of the world you are in], smoking can be an expensive habit. God expects us to use his money wisely (Matthew 25:14, etc.).
  5. Professional hazard
    There are many advantages to hiring non-smokers. Premiums on health, life, accident, and fire insurance policies are lower. Cleaning and maintenance costs for office furniture and equipment are reduced. Further, smokers take 50% more sick leave than their non-smoking co-workers. And mortality rates in the peak working years (ages 30 to 45) are four to seven times as great for smokers as for non-smokers. Thus, over a period of five years, an employer can save up to $2000 a year by hiring a non-smoker instead of a smoker. Moreover, morale has been shown to be significantly higher in smoke-free work environments. So it is no surprise that personnel managers of large U.S. companies, considering candidates of equal qualifications, opt for the non-smoker 15 out of 16 times! (Source: Toronto Globe and Mail, 4 October 1986.)
  6. Undermines influence
    Considering the importance of influence in reference to our goal of evangelizing the world, we cannot afford to tolerate habits that undercut our ability to win others to Christ. Smoking alienates non-smokers, the majority of religious people, and smokers trying to quit. In the US, 30% of the population smokes, and 87% of those who smoke want to quit, according to polls.
  7. Violates others' rights
    Smoking can at times be a public nuisance. Did you know that 1/3 of all fire-related deaths are caused by careless smokers? Smoke fouls clothing, irritates the eyes-especially for contact lens wearers-and significant increases cancer incidence. (The non-smoking spouse of a smoker who consumes 20 cigarettes a day runs a 33% higher chance of contracting smoke-related cancer.) Jesus clearly taught us to put others first. The principles of Matthew 7:12 (the "Golden Rule") and Philippians 2:4 are more than common courtesy. They are God's will for our lives.
  8. Serious medical risk
    One third of all cancer cases are lung cancer, and 90% of these are caused by smoking. A smoker's chances of getting cancer are ten times higher than a non-smoker's, while a pack-a-day smoker's chances are twenty times higher. Sadly, only 5% of cases of lung cancer are curable. Smoking is also known to cause cancer of the bladder, kidney, larynx, mouth, pancreas, pharynx, and trachea. Non-smokers feel better, are more healthy, and live longer than their non-smoking counterparts. In fact, the annual death rate (all causes) is 58% higher for smokers.
  9. Years off your life span
    How can we make the most of every opportunity, or "redeem the time" (Ephesians 5:16), when we chop years off the end of our lives? On average, a pack of cigarettes reduces your life expectancy by six hours. Life is a precious gift, one which we must conserve, cherish, and use wisely in the Master's service.
  10. It is folly
    In the U.S., one may be warned, "The Surgeon General has determined that smoking causes lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease." In the U.K., where smoking is tolerated in more public buildings (even until recently, in hospitals!), the warning, somewhat more dilute, brings the same message: "Cigarette smoking can cause cancer and other serious health problems. Tobacco lobbies notwithstanding, smoking is lethal. Ignorance may have been an excuse 50 years ago, but not these days. In light of all the evidence, it is folly (see Mark 7:22) to smoke.