Why is it so Hard to Quit Smoking?
CrowdScience
BBC
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 14 July 2017
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
A billion people across the world smoke cigarettes, and many would agree it’s the hardest habit to quit. One such smoker, listener Sharif, emailed CrowdScience from Uzbekistan to ask if we could find out why giving up is so difficult. Marnie Chesterton travels to San Francisco to meet addiction experts and discovers how nicotine tricks smokers into thinking tobacco’s good for them. And we meet ex-smokers at a weekly therapy session aimed at retraining the brain.
Do you have a question we can turn into a programme? Email us at crowdscience@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producer: Marijke Peters
(Image: Lit cigarette. Credit: Getty Images)
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, the Science of |
| 0:07.0 | Happiness Podcast. |
| 0:08.0 | For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want |
| 0:14.4 | to share that science with you. |
| 0:16.1 | And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley. |
| 0:19.4 | I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that |
| 0:25.4 | calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:38.0 | Can I ask a quick question? Can you smoke in in the bar have a patio and they do not serve food. |
| 0:49.0 | Okay, but you guys have food. |
| 0:51.0 | We serve food here so you can't smoke outside yeah okay thank you you're |
| 0:54.1 | welcome. |
| 0:54.5 | Can you smoke on the tram? No. No. No. Can you smoke in the queue for the tram? |
| 1:05.0 | No, you can't. |
| 1:07.0 | No, you can't. |
| 1:08.0 | Smoke in the queue. |
| 1:10.0 | Even though it's outside. Even though it's outside. |
| 1:21.0 | You've got a sign on the wall that says smoke-free dining and I'm just wondering does that mean can we smoke in this section? No, not at all. No smoking anywhere in San Francisco. |
| 1:24.4 | Nowhere, they're trying to eliminate it from the streets actually. Yes, no. Smoking, no good. |
| 1:30.0 | Hello and welcome to crowd science, the show that travels the globe to find answers to your science questions. |
| 1:37.0 | I'm Marnie Chesterton and I'm here in San Francisco on the streets actually right next door to a no smoking sign. Now out of |
| 1:44.5 | everywhere I've traveled it has some of the toughest smoking regulations and |
| 1:48.7 | California has one of the lowest rates of smoking in the US but San Francisco has one of the lowest rates of smoking in the US, |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

