 to quit smoking that you probably never even thought of. I'm Cooper Lawrence, health and wellness expert, and this is all well and good. Smoking continues to rank as the foremost preventable cause of premature death. A new Harvard study found that feelings of gratitude can lower rates of smoking behavior and increase the likelihood of finding a smoking cessation program. Why? Unlike other positive emotions, gratitude has the unique ability to make people less inclined to seek out immediate gratification.