How Smoking Affects You

by Jefferson K.S. Delport

How smoking affects you as an individual goes far beyond what many have cared to carefully consider. According to the American Heart Association smoking statistics the United States has an estimated 45 million nicotine addicts or smokers. 23.1 % of these are men and 18.3% are women.

It doesn't matter altogether whether one is cigar smoking, cigarillos smoking or tobacco cigarette smoking. The first in line of a smoking health risk is the smoker himself or herself. Tobacco products are harmful to health. In China a country with 350 million smokers there are an estimated 700 000 thousand deaths per year from smoking diseases.

Lung cancer is one of the most common effects of smoking. The tar contained in cigarette smoke accumulates in the lungs coupled with the effects of nicotine and other toxins gives way to cancer. Smokers may also suffer from other cancers such as cervical cancer. Cigar smokers in particular have a higher risk for lip, tongue and mouth cancer.

Smoking affects smokers cardiovscular system by leading to nerve diseases causing intense pain in the body. Heart disease is also linked to smoking. Smoking also leads to high blood pressure. In fact smoking is a leading cause of heart related deaths such as heart attacks and strokes not only in smokers but also people who take in side stream smoke. Smokers may also suffer from other diseases such as periodontal disease which is associated with bad breath. Cigars in particular result in gum recession as shown in these chewing tobacco pictures.

Second hand smoking affects you even if you do not smoke cigarettes. This often happens when smokers smoke in public places. To curb this problem, most governments are imposing tobacco regulations which often culminate in smoking laws to prevent people suffering from passive smoking effects. Visiting bars, restaurants and hotels that allow smoking will expose you to second hand smoke.

The effects of second hand smoking includes heart attacks, heart disease and exacerbated asthma conditions and amongst other things. People who smoke indirectly cause grievous harm to the environment. Cigarette design and manufacture requires that cigarettes be wrapped in paper. This paper comes from trees which must be cut in order to convert to paper. Trillions of tobacco cigarettes are manufactured each year. This posses a huge burden on the environment which ultimately affects everyone.

On an annual basis an estimated 5 trillion cigarette butts are cast to the ground. These accumulate overtime and leach into the soil polluting water sources. Due to increasing regulations on tobacco most tobacco companies are seeking to hire farmers in developing countries to grow tobacco on their behalf. This is causing a great demand on farm land leading to increased land clearing enlarging the carbon footprint in the process.

Smoldering cigarettes disposed by the road side have been linked to bush fires that claim huge portions of the natural habitat in addition to property destruction. This is a great environmental hazard that costs local authorities millions of dollars and endless men hours trying to put out the fires.

Smoking affects societal stability. Usually teenage tobacco users become delinquent and produce very poor school grades. This often affects family relations amongst the smoker parents and other siblings. Smoking teens may become outcasts in society. Research has also shown that teenage smoking will most likely lead to abuse of other substances such as alcohol and hard drugs like cocaine and heroin.

Smoking teens will result in a huge number of smoking adults in future. It is clear that millions of smoking adults started smoking as teens. An estimated 80 000 teens world wide start smoking every day. This smoking will affect communities and countries in years to come.

Children living with smoking people are at risk of nicotine poisoning from recklessly abandoned cigarette butts. Pets may also fall trap to these used cigarettes and suffer similar consequences.

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