Harms of Smoking and the benefits of quitting

Febuary 26, 2016

     Harms of Smoking and the benefits of quitting

     Smoking is a nasty habit that many Americans continue to take part in their everyday lives. Many people to this day don't know what harms of smoking 1 cigarette does to your body. Tobacco smoke contains many harmful chemicals. They can be harmful to the smoker as well as anybody who breathes in the smoke. There are over 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke. 250 of those chemicals are considered to be very harmful, including hydrogen, cyanide, carbon monoxide, and ammonia. Among these 250 harmful chemicals, at least 69 of them can cause cancer. 

    So you might ask what are my health risks if I do smoke? Smoking has been found to effect every bodily organ and organ system as well diminishing the person overall health. Smoking is the leading cause of cancer and death from cancer. It can cause cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, cervix, as well as the colon. Smoking also causes inflammation and impairs immune function. According to the National Cancer Institute a smokers risk of developing lung cancer has increased compared with nonsmokers, even though the number of cigarettes consumer per smoker has decreased. Smoking also makes it harder for women to become pregnant. If a women who is pregnant is a chronic smoker she is more likely to experience a miscarriage then somebody who is tobacco free. If she smokes while pregnant she is at higher risk of miscarriage, early delivery, a baby born with a cleft lip, or born with SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Men who smoke are at greater risk of erectile dysfunction. Regardless of age, a smoker can reduce their risk of developing these diseases by quitting. There is also risks for nonsmokers as well. The one risk that is against them is secondhand smoke. Second hand smoke has been classified as a human carcinogen which is also know as a cancer causing agent. Almost 7,000 lung cancer deaths occur because of secondhand smoke exposure. 

   Other than cigarettes there are other forms of smoking that have become very popular over the years. All forms are harmful and can become very addictive. Other forms of smoking can be pipes, Hookahs, Bidis, Kreteks, When using a hookah the smoke passes through a partially filled water bowl before being inhaled by the smoker. Some people think smoking hookah is less harmful but after many studies researches believe its as toxic as smoking cigarettes. The second one that can be super dangerous is Bidis. Bidid is a flavored cigarette made by rolling tobacco in a dried leaf from a tendu tree. This type is said to be associated with heart attacks, and cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and lungs. It is recommended to stay away from these to stay clear of the consequences.
   With smoking there is long term benefits as well as short term if you quit. The list of benefits of quitting goes on and on. Within several months of quitting, the person can expect to have improvements in lung function such as breathing better. Heart rate and blood pressure as well go down and return to normal levels for that particular person. Smoking as well has mutiple long term benefits when quitting. According to the National Health Data Survey show that people who quit have gains in life expectancy. Those who quit between ages of 25 and 35 years lived almost 10 years longer. I thought this was very interesting and should give people motivation to quit in order to live a longer life.
    If you have somebody in your family that is trying to quit or you want to take action for them and help them quit there are ways. One resource that is recommended is NCI Smoking Quitline. Its a free service of individual counseling that could help yourself or your love ones quit this habit for good.


Reverence:

 Harms of Cigarette Smoking and Health Benefits of Quitting. (n.d.). Retrieved February 29, 2016, from http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco/cessation-fact-sheet