The research proves that if a couple consists of a smoker and a non-smoker, they are more likely to break up than those with similar habits. When only one spouse is inclined to smoke, there are 75% more possibilities that the relationship will end with online divorce or disputes in court. Apart from that, smoking has a negative impact on family life in general whether only one partner or both are smokers.
Explore the effect smoking may have on your marital life and be ready to deal with the related challenges.
Dissimilarities in Lifestyle
‘When people wonder ‘Is smoking grounds for divorce?’, I usually respond that relationship hurdles result from negative effects driven by smoking rather than a bad habit itself,’ explains the relationships coach in New Jersey Nina Kelly.
Truly, smoking habits are just a part of the whole picture of a person’s habits and lifestyle. When a non-smoker and a smoker live together, they may have to put up with each other’s dissimilarities in their way of life. Eating routine, sports, leisure, bad and good habits, everything can be different together with the lack and absence of smoking tendency. This will lead to multiple arguments over routine activities and choices. As a result, divorce will seem a possible solution for your marital disorders soon.
Negative Past Experience
People often take up smoking after living through drastic experiences. Negative past events not only make a person become a smoker but also form their personality in a certain way. This impact from the past may affect relationships in the future. With certain personality traits and inclinations being formed, a smoker may bring negativity to the marital relationships and family life in general.
This, by no means, doesn’t make a smoker an undesirable partner for family life, but simply creates more chances for relationships to end in failure.
Marital Instability
Smoking is considered to be a stress-reliever and antidepressant for many people. So, if a person smokes, they are inclined to undergo more stress and have depressive tendencies. This way one can make a conclusion that a smoker is usually a mentally and psychologically weaker person than a non-smoker. Such a partner will be unstable in creating and nurturing their relationships. So, you can expect a lack of steadiness and reliability in marital life from a smoking spouse. And divorce is not an exclusive outcome in such a case.
Pressure from Partner
When a smoker and a non-smoker come together, there is a high possibility they may try to change each other's habits to erase dissimilarities between them. Usually, a non-smoking spouse wishes to make their partner get rid of unhealthy habits. Pressure and tension added to the relationships will lead to frequent arguments. What was intended to perfect the family life and save the partner’s health may end up in divorce. Even if you wish your spouse to give up smoking for the sake of family and personal wellness, it is better to choose non-intrusive strategies so as not to ruin the relationship eventually.
Impact on Family
No matter how much a smoker loves their family, their bad habit has a negative impact. There is no surprise that both active and passive smoking has a significant effect on health. Plus, smoking habits will burden the family budget to a certain extent, depending on the intensity of smoking. The result of smoking – arguments over this negative tendency – will poison family life and relationships not only with a spouse but with kids as well. Not mentioning the role model of a smoker and genetic inclinations and flaws that can be handed to your kids.
Whether you want it or not, if you or your spouse smokes, it will leave a negative footprint on your family. If you want to prevent any effect, you can only quit the bad habit.
Conclusion
Smoking and marriage are easier combined when both spouses are smokers or both are ready to give up the bad habit. As long as there is a smoker and non-smoker in relationships, there will be several times higher chances for their marriage to fail than for spouses who both have or don’t have any inclinations for smoking. Check out the possible negative impact of smoking on family life and make the respective decisions to change your marriage for the better.
If you wish to get rid of the bad habit or your partner to choose a healthier lifestyle, ask a professional to help you so that you don’t ruin your relationships in the process. Contrastly, if you witness smoking ruining your life and your family and you can do nothing, it is better to dissolve your marriage so that you can save yourself and your family from further negative impact.
