Is smoking cigarettes a mortal sin?

[thistle]

Ok, can someone please just tell me if I committed a mortal sin or not? I am getting mixed signals here and I am really confused.

Smoking per se is not a sin of grave matter.
Excessive smoking is a sin of grave matter.
The problem is that “excessive” is not defined in terms of the number of cigarettes/packs that are smoked.

Talk to your priest.

By the way, leaving aside whether it is a sin or not it is a dangerous habit because it not only damages your health but damages the health of anyone around when you are smoking.

 

[minkymurph]

Ok, can someone please just tell me if I committed a mortal sin or not? I am getting mixed signals here and I am really confused.

As far a smoking goes, I wouldn’t focus on the mortal sin so much as I would focus on quitting. If you quit, problem solved. The reason I say that is because it obviously bothers you, Lots of people don’t care. If it is a mortal sin, you will torture yourself with guilt, if not, you have a licence to smoke. Neither are good things.

If you want to smoke and it doesn’t bother you, smoke. If it does, that’s an indication you’d rather not. Don’t look for validation of smoking, but don’t torture yourself with guilt either. If you do, quitting will be much more difficult. It’s what I call ‘forbidden fruit syndrome.’ It’s human nature the more you are told don’t do it, the more you want to, even when you don’t. The more you think ‘don’t smoke’ the more you will want to 'cos it’s and addiction. The more you think ‘I can never smoke again’ the harder it will be. Imagine an alcoholic or drug addict approaching giving up from an, ‘I can never do this again for the rest of my life’ perspective. It would seem impossible. Sometimes the more you think ‘I can’t smoke’ the more you a cigarette.

To give up smoking, you have to feel ready to. I have a friend, God bless her, who has been a heavy smoker from a young age. Sadly, her daughter was killed in an awful accident. Now is not a good time for her. She will more than likely fail if she tries and that will put her off trying to stop. A nurse who checked her over said, ‘I know this is not a good time for you, but if you don’t stop your heading for emphysema.’ Of course she said it more diplomatically than that.

I you want to give up, do it when your ready and a step at a time. If you try to give up and fail, don’t punish yourself. OK, you failed, it doesn’t mean you can’t try another day. My husband says giving up smoking is easy, 'cos I do it all the time. Take it a day at a time. If you go a day without smoking, it’s an achievement. If you smoke less it’s an achievement. Try not to smoke around others who don’t. If you do, this, you’re not hurting anyone else. Put yourself in situations were you can’t smoke. That breaks the habit. While smoking is an addiction, it’s also a habit and like any other habit, it helps to break the cycle. If your at home all day and can smoke anytime, that makes it harder. Some people smoke for something to do. Some people smoke because they’re stressed out, like some people eat, exercise to excess, shout, and drive badly for the same reason. Your no more guilty than any of them just because society now sees smoking as anti-social, and the other things I’ve mentioned not to the same extent. It’s become more acceptable to be obese, or a size ‘O’ than a smoker, despite the fact they can be equally as damaging.

One final note, to my knowledge the Church does not advocate smoking, but has not defined as a mortal sin.

 

[Holly3278]

Smoking per se is not a sin of grave matter.
Excessive smoking is a sin of grave matter.
The problem is that “excessive” is not defined in terms of the number of cigarettes/packs that are smoked.

Talk to your priest.

By the way, leaving aside whether it is a sin or not it is a dangerous habit because it not only damages your health but damages the health of anyone around when you are smoking.

Where in the Catechism does it say that excessive smoking is grave matter? As far as I am aware it only says that the virtue of temperance means that we should not smoke excessively. However, it does not say anything about it being grave matter.

 

[Bill_Martin]

Ok, can someone please just tell me if I committed a mortal sin or not? I am getting mixed signals here and I am really confused.

The fact that you don’t know means that you didn’t, since a mortal sin must be done with full knowledge and complete consent.

Also, I don’t think smoking constitutes a grave matter. Yes it’s unhealthy. So are all kinds of things.

 

[Holly3278]

The fact that you don’t know means that you didn’t, since a mortal sin must be done with full knowledge and complete consent.

Also, I don’t think smoking constitutes a grave matter. Yes it’s unhealthy. So are all kinds of things.

Thanks Bill. I agree. I also do not think that smoking constitutes grave matter. I am not 100% certain on that though so I will ask my spiritual director the next time I talk to him. He is also my Confessor.

 

[thistle]

Thanks Bill. I agree. I also do not think that smoking constitutes grave matter. I am not 100% certain on that though so I will ask my spiritual director the next time I talk to him. He is also my Confessor.

I already said smoking is not a sin of grave matter but excess tobacco use just like excess alcohol use is a grave offense.

Your question to your priest should not be is smoking a sin of grave matter but is EXCESSIVE smoking a sin of grave matter. Then ask him how he would define excessive.

 

[Holly3278]

I already said smoking is not a sin of grave matter but excess tobacco use just like excess alcohol use is a grave offense.

Your question to your priest should not be is smoking a sin of grave matter but is EXCESSIVE smoking a sin of grave matter. Then ask him how he would define excessive.

Okay, I am sorry if I misunderstood you. That said, please show me where in the Catechism it says that excessive smoking is grave matter because I do not see it.

 

[Holly3278]

I already said smoking is not a sin of grave matter but excess tobacco use just like excess alcohol use is a grave offense.

Your question to your priest should not be is smoking a sin of grave matter but is EXCESSIVE smoking a sin of grave matter. Then ask him how he would define excessive.

By the way, I don’t know if you intended it like this but it felt like you were jumping down my throat in this post that I quoted of yours. If you did mean it like that then I just want t explain that I was not debating whether or not smoking in excess is a sin or is grave matter in that post. I was only agreeing with him that smoking is not grave matter. I did not intend it to aggravate you or anyone else.

 

[Holly3278]

Hi everyone. I have decided that I am going to try to quit smoking starting today. I am going to put a nicotine patch on soon and I am going to try as hard as I can to quit. I really don’t think I’ll succeed but I am going to try anyway. I’d appreciate your prayers on this matter.

 

[Holly3278]

I have a question for you all. Smoking in moderation is a venial sin as opposed to a mortal sin, right? I ask this because I have had a few cigarettes today but I have made sure that I spaced them out by at least an hour or two so that I am not smoking in excess as compared to before. I know some people would probably consider what I am doing to be excess but I don’t. I used to smoke a pack a day so 5 cigarettes is a major improvement on that. I am going to try as hard as I can not to pick up another one. This is incredibly difficult. I feel so ashamed that I fell in to sin again. I did go to Confession this morning. I sincerely hope that I did not commit another mortal sin by smoking those 5 cigarettes.

 

[thistle]

I have a question for you all. Smoking in moderation is a venial sin as opposed to a mortal sin, right? I ask this because I have had a few cigarettes today but I have made sure that I spaced them out by at least an hour or two so that I am not smoking in excess as compared to before. I know some people would probably consider what I am doing to be excess but I don’t. I used to smoke a pack a day so 5 cigarettes is a major improvement on that. I am going to try as hard as I can not to pick up another one. This is incredibly difficult. I feel so ashamed that I fell in to sin again. I did go to Confession this morning. I sincerely hope that I did not commit another mortal sin by smoking those 5 cigarettes.

You mean you went to Confession and you did not even ask the priest if smoking was any kind of sin, if excessive smoking is a sin of grave matter, or how excessive is defined but you come back here and ask us???

 

[Facite]

Many saints and popes have smoked as a hobby (e.g. Bl. John XXIII) and smoking in moderation is probably not sinful. However, it would be sinful to a greater extent if one were to be addicted to smoking, let’s say.

 

[jenwha]

I don’t think it is a mortal sin, but I think it is sinful in the way that it harms the good healthy body God gave you. I quit almost seven month ago, for God and for my health, and it was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Non smokers will never, never, never understand how difficult this addiction is, but I do since I was addicted to it for 24 years.

Just a bit of advice, Holly, I would not try to quit unless you are absolutely sure you want to stop MORE than you want to smoke. Unless you want to quit you won’t. Good luck.

 

[Richard320]

Another thread about smoking? Gosh, has it been 3 months already?

Considering that as recently as the jubilee year 2000, one could gain an indulgence for not smoking, you can logically assume it’s not sinful. We don’t gain any indulgence by, say, not taking the Lord’s name in vain…

Actions which express in a practical and generous way the penitential spirit which is, as it were, the heart of the Jubilee.
abstaining for at least one whole day from unnecessary consumption (e.g., from smoking or alcohol, or other goods of one’s choice)…

ewtn.com/jubilee/indulgence/charity_and_penitence.htm

 

[underacloud]

Many saints and popes have smoked as a hobby (e.g. Bl. John XXIII) and smoking in moderation is probably not sinful. However, it would be sinful to a greater extent if one were to be addicted to smoking, let’s say.

It is usually understood than an (unwanted) addiction lessens one’s culpability for their sins, not makes it greater.

IMO, but not stated by the Church, choosing to smoke may be considered sinful since we know so much now about the negative health consequences. But one fighting an addiction lacks the free choice that someone not fighting the same addiction has. eg an adult who has never smoked but decides to take it up, knowing the terrile health consequences that (potentially) await them and the grief it may cause to family and friends (not to mention the negative effects of the passive smoke they may inflict on others), makes a far worse decision (a greater sin?) than someone who wishes they could quit smoking but is afflicted by an addiction to nicotine.

To the OP…well done for deciding to try to quit. As thistle and others have advised, discuss the matter with you confessor, who can guide you in the moral aspects of this. Try to find the best means for you to quit this habbit. It’s hard to do, so don’t beat yourself up too much when you struggle. For many people, it takes several attempts to quit and there’s arguably no one ideal way to go about it.

 

[Facite]

It is usually understood than an (unwanted) addiction lessens one’s culpability for their sins, not makes it greater.

IMO, but not stated by the Church, choosing to smoke may be considered sinful since we know so much now about the negative health consequences. But one fighting an addiction lacks the free choice that someone not fighting the same addiction has. eg an adult who has never smoked but decides to take it up, knowing the terrile health consequences that (potentially) await them and the grief it may cause to family and friends (not to mention the negative effects of the passive smoke they may inflict on others), makes a far worse decision (a greater sin?) than someone who wishes they could quit smoking but is afflicted by an addiction to nicotine.

To the OP…well done for deciding to try to quit. As thistle and others have advised, discuss the matter with you confessor, who can guide you in the moral aspects of this. Try to find the best means for you to quit this habbit. It’s hard to do, so don’t beat yourself up too much when you struggle. For many people, it takes several attempts to quit and there’s arguably no one ideal way to go about it.

However, smoking excessively as an addiction is probably more culpable than smoking in moderation.

 

[underacloud]

However, smoking excessively as an addiction is probably more culpable than smoking in moderation.

We should not confuse the nature of the sin with the culpability of the sinner.

If smoking is a sin, then heavy smoking is an objectively worse sin than is moderate smoking. But addiction may lessen or even completely remove culpability. So someone who is not addicted and chooses to smoke moderately may be entirely culpable for such sin, whereas an addict may have minimal culpability, if any, for their sin, even though it may be objectively greater sin. (if smoking is a sin).

On the other hand, if smoking is not in itself sinful, then a moderate smoker commits no sin. A heavy smoker may commit an objective sin of immoderate smoking, but their culpability may be minimal or none.

Does that help?

 

[CopticChristian]

Many saints and popes have smoked as a hobby (e.g. Bl. John XXIII) and smoking in moderation is probably not sinful. However, it would be sinful to a greater extent if one were to be addicted to smoking, let’s say.

Facite,

If tobacco is the most addictive substance on earth and you smoke when do you decide that someone is addicted?

 

[CopticChristian]

Hi everyone. I have decided that I am going to try to quit smoking starting today. I am going to put a nicotine patch on soon and I am going to try as hard as I can to quit. I really don’t think I’ll succeed but I am going to try anyway. I’d appreciate your prayers on this matter.

From Stanton Peele, PhD…The Truth about Addiction and The Life Process Program for quitting addiction.

People All Around Us Quit Addictions
In spite of what the government and treatment programs tell us, we all know that many people escape addictions without treatment. How do we know? Because so many of us, our friends, and our loved ones have quit addictions, including the most common drug addiction, smoking. You have heard, and no doubt believe, that smoking is an addiction. But you may feel it’s not an addiction like heroin addiction or cocaine addiction or alcoholism. However, those in the best position to know—alcoholics and drug addicts who smoke—rate smoking at the top of the list of hardest addictions to quit.

Yet, around 90 percent of addicted smokers who quit do so without any kind of treatment. This percentage of smoking self-quitters has gone down slightly since the 1980s, since so many medical treatments for quitting (i.e., nicotine gums and patches) are promoted endlessly on television and other media. But self-quitters smokers are still the large majority of ex-smokers. You can prove this by asking a group of middle-aged people if any of them has quit smoking, and then asking how many did so through any form of treatment (like a nicotine patch).

In a further development, in 2012 leading smoking researchers checked to see whether people who quit cigarettes did better with nicotine replacements (like gum or patches). They did no better than those who quit without the drug replacement. And the worst smokers (the most addicted) were twice as likely to relapse when they relied on such medical interventions as those who quit cold turkey!2

1. H. Alpert, G. Connolly, L. Biener, “A prospective cohort study challenging the effectiveness of population-based medical intervention for smoking cessation,” Tobacco Control doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2011-050129

 

[Holly3278]

You mean you went to Confession and you did not even ask the priest if smoking was any kind of sin, if excessive smoking is a sin of grave matter, or how excessive is defined but you come back here and ask us???

Well, I intended to ask him about it during Confession but my mind often goes blank while I am confessing my sins. That said, I did ask a different priest about it and he said it is not a sin.