One of the hardest habits to break is smoking. An addictive drug, smoking can become a bad habit after just one cigarette.
Described as the practice in which tobacco or cannabis is burned and smoke is tasted or inhaled, smoking is extremely damaging to your health. The combustion process releases an active substance called nicotine that, once inhaled, travels to your lungs, compromising their health over time.
Knowing this, why would someone start smoking? Some start purely out of curiosity or because their parents or other family members smoke. Most young people begin smoking because of peer pressure. Sadly, teenages are more likely to become addicted. In fact, statistics show that nine out of 10 tobacco users began smoking before the age of 18.
What is tobacco?
Grown for its leaves, tobacco is the primary ingredient for producing cigarettes. Most
people smoke tobacco, tobacco leaveswhile others chew it or sniff it to achieve a variety of effects. Tobacco itself is an ddictive substance before nicotine, a very dangerous chemical, is added to the equation. Tobacco also contains more than 19 chemicals that may cause cancer and 4,000 other chemicals that result in several health diseases.
Side effects of smoking
Smoking is associated to an array of very dangerous health diseases:
Lung Cancer – A disease characterized by the uncontrolled growth of cells in the tissues of the lungs. When left untreated, lung cancer can metastasize to nearby tissues and spread rapidly to the other parts of the body.
Respiratory and lung problems – Diseases such as:
– Emphysema; occurs when the air sacs in the lungs are gradually destroyed.smokers lung
– Chronic bronchitis, characterized by a cough occurs every day with sputum (mucous), lasting at least three month over two consecutive years.
– Asthma; a disorder that causes the airways of the lungs to swell and narrow, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing.
Heart and blood vessel problems:
– Poor blood supply to the legs
– Blood clots and aneurysm which may lead to stroke
– Blot clots in the legs
– High blood pressure
– Coronary artery diseases such as angina
Erectile problems, including infertility
Delayed or poor wound healing
Problems during pregnancy, including premature labor, low birth weight babies, and miscarriage
Tooth and gum diseases, including tooth discolouration
Aging skin, including wrinkles and skin discolouration
Decreased ability to smell and taste
Unfortunately, smoking does not only affect the person holding the cigarette. People who inhale secondhand smoke may also suffer the consequences, including: child with asthma
– Lung cancer
– Heart disease
– Lower respiratory tract infection
– Asthma
– Lung da