Smoking Health Hazards

For ages now, people have delved into statistics and data and proven that smoking can have serious effects on a person’s health in the long run. Despite this, the cigarette and tobacco industry continue to thrive. Because like any substance that is bad for the body, we have the craving and urge to continue. The addiction of smoking is a vice that is very hard to get rid of and requires a very strong will and commitment.
Smoking causes over 80% of all drug related deaths, which is far more than alcohol or illegal drugs. More over, about the same percentage of youths who smoke regularly continue the habit into adult hood. Nearly half of the smokers under the age of 30 started when they were 15. Many smokers will tell you that smoking a cigarette makes them more alert and improves their concentration; others might say that it calms them down when anxious or stressed. Scientific studies have shown that this is because the chemicals in a cigarette (especially nicotine) have reduced the withdrawal symptoms that a smoker gets between one cigarette and the next, thus getting them addicted to the habit.

While the most well known health risk of smoking is Lung Cancer, there are a number of other illnesses that it can cause that are just as deadly. Most people are oblivious to this. To understand how deadly smoking can be, we will look at the composition of its contents more closely. Cigarettes contain more than 4000 chemical compounds and close to 40 toxic substances. When the smoke is inhaled, the cigarette burns at about 700 degrees Celsius at the tip and around 60 degrees Celsius in the core. The heat will then break down the tobacco to create a number of toxins. While the cigarette burns, the residues concentrate at the butt. The most damaging contents of this are:

• Tar: A substance that causes cancer.
• Nicotine: An addictive substance that increases cholesterol levels.
• Carbon monoxide: This reduces the oxygen within the body.
• Components of the gas cause Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder.

It has been well documented that smoking leads to numerous diseases. A few are listed below as well:

• Cancer: Apart from the well known lung cancer, it also causes bladder cancer, cancer of the esophagus, cancer of the kidneys, cervical cancer and pancreatic cancer.
• Cardiovascular diseases like coronary thrombosis, cerebral thrombosis and kidney failure.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a group of conditions where airflow is blocked, making it harder to breathe.
• High blood pressure, hyper tension, blood clots in the eyes and numerous more.