The Dangers Of Smoking

Friday, December 17, 2010
Many people knows that smoking is bad for health. When smokers inhale cigarette smoke bellows large surface area of the lungs allows nicotine to enter the bloodstream immediately. This is a "hit" of nicotine that smokers want, but there is more to smoke than just nicotine. In fact, there are over 4000 chemicals that make cigarette smoke and many of them are poisonous.

Cigarette smoke consists of 43 carcinogenic substances and more than 400 other toxins that can also be found in wood varnish, nail paint remover, and rat poison. All of these substances accumulate in the body and can cause serious problems on the heart and lungs.

Cancer is the most common disease associated with smoking. Smoking is the cause of 90% of lung cancer cases and is associated with 30% of all cancer deaths. smoking-related cancers including cancer of the mouth, pancreas, bladder, kidney, stomach, esophagus, and larynx.

Besides cancer, smoking is also associated with several other lung diseases. Emphysema and bronchitis can be fatal and 75% of all deaths from this disease associated with smoking.

Smokers have shorter lives than non-smokers. On average, smoking takes 15 years from your lifespan. This can be explained by high levels of exposure to toxic substances found in cigarette smoke.

Smokers also put others at risk. Dangers of inhaling secondhand smoke famous. Smokers harm their loved ones by exposing them to smoke they exhale. All kinds of health problems associated with breathing in second hand smoke. Children are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of secondhand smoke because their organs are still developing. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are more susceptible to asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, bronchitis, pneumonia, and ear infections.

Smoking also can be dangerous for children not yet born. Mothers who smoke are more likely to suffer from miscarriages, bleeding and nausea, and babies of mothers who smoke have reduced birth weight or may be premature. Babies are more susceptible to sudden infant death syndrome and may also have lifelong health complications due to chest infections and asthma.

It's never too late to quit smoking, even those who had smoked for 20 years or more to realize the tremendous health benefits of giving up the habit.