Dangers of Smoking
A smoker can easily be identified in any group. Not only does he reek of stale smoke, but he also has bad breath, much to the dread of non-smokers. Everyone knows that tobacco use can have disastrous consequences on your health. However, the effects of smoking are far more insidious than the offensive smell associated with smokers. Nevertheless, many people decide to ignore the risk and go on smoking.
Dangers of smoking are beggar description. Cigarette smoke contains many toxic substances like carbon monoxide, nicotine, and carcinogens that not only cause irreparable damage to the smoker but also to those around him who inhale the smoke. One puff of cigarette smoke contains more or less nicotine, methyl alcohol, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, arsenic, benzopyrene, and several other acids that are fatal to human beings. One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes. When you smoke, the poisons from the tar in your cigarettes enter your blood. Smoking has been found to harm nearly every organ in the body and reduces a person’s overall health.
Carbon monoxide reduces blood capacity to carry oxygen, thus causing fatigue and panting even with the slightest physical exertion. It can affect your breathing, causing coughing and shortness of breath. Nicotine constricts the size of the blood vessels which impedes the flow of blood and oxygen in the body The lack of oxygen in the body acts as a catalyst that accelerates the aging process, causing wrinkles. It increases the risk of respiratory tract infection, including bronchitis. Smoking is not only a danger to you but can be to others as well through passive smoking. In a cigarette, there are more than 700 chemical Additives, some of them can be classed as toxic and are not allowed in food.
The nicotine contained in cigarette smoke reduces the activity of the brain and nervous system. It also raises the risk of high blood pressure. Nicotine causes the contraction of blood vessels and decreases of blood supply. This ultimately leads to heart attacks. Smokers are at higher risk of developing pneumonia, tuberculosis, and other airway infections, and smoking weakens the immune system. It also increases the risk of cot deaths and if a pregnant woman smokes it can affect the baby’s development.
Smokers are at a higher risk of developing certain kinds of cancers because cigarette smoke contains carcinogens. It is a leading cause of cancer and death from cancer. Long-time smokers often develop cancers of the mouth, larynx, and lungs. Smoking damages your heart and your blood circulation, increasing the risk of conditions such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease. It causes cancers of the lung, esophagus, larynx, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, liver, pancreas, stomach, cervix, colon, and rectum.
Smoking not only endangers the smoker himself but also those who inhale secondary smoke – smoke exhaled smokers. In view of the many dangers of smoking, more smoking cessation programs should be introduced to smokers. With the help and a good action plan, everyone can quit smoking for good. Make the right choice for your health and quit smoking now!
