Some Things That You Didn’t Know About Smoking…
Now I know that all of you smokers out there know darned well that smoking isn’t good for you, so I’m not going to go on and on about the main problems that smoking can cause you, these things are already well documented, but I will say this; you can eat five portions of fruit and veg a day and exercise regularly, but healthy behaviour means little if you continue to smoke.
The message that ‘smoking is bad for you’ is an old one, so not everyone gives it much attention anymore. Here, however, is a list of some of the facts and figures that are not so well known about the health risks of smoking:
Cigarettes contain more than 4000 chemical compounds of which at least 400 are toxic substances, how can you knowingly suck that into your face?? When you inhale, a cigarette burns at 700 degrees C at the tip and around 60 degrees C in the core. This heat breaks down the tobacco to produce various toxins. As a cigarette burns, the residues are concentrated towards the butt, so you get the full dose of toxins as you finish your cigarette.
These are the worst of the products:
1) Tar, a substance that causes cancer
2) The addictive substance is nicotine, which raises cholesterol too
3) The oxygen in your body is reduced by carbon monoxide
Smoking causes differing levels of damage depending on:
1) How many cigarettes you smoke
2) Whether the cigarette has a filter
3) In what way has the tobacco has been prepared
Although it is well known that smoking kills, what many smokers do not realise is that of the 300 people who die daily in the UK due to smoking, research has now shown that many of them are rather much younger than ever before.
The number of people under the age of 70 who die from smoking-related diseases exceeds the total figure for deaths caused by breast cancer, AIDS, traffic accidents and drug addiction.
The more cigarettes you smoke in a day, and the longer you’ve smoked, the higher your risk of lung cancer (OK, you knew that one but I thought I’d sneak it in anyway as it’s kind of important). Similarly, the risk rises the deeper you inhale and the earlier in life you started smoking. For ex-smokers, it takes approximately 15 years before the risk of lung cancer drops to the same as that of a non-smoker.
Also if you smoke, the risk of contracting mouth cancer is four times higher than for a non-smoker. Cancer can start in many areas of the mouth, with the most common being on or underneath the tongue, or on the lips. Many smokers are not aware of the increased risk of getting these cancers. Smoking is the most common cause of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and is responsible for 80 per cent of cases.
It’s estimated that 94 per cent of 20-a-day smokers have some emphysema when the lungs are examined after death, while more than 90 per cent of non-smokers have little or none. COPD typically starts between the ages of 35 and 45 when lung function starts to decline anyway.
In smokers, the rate of decline in lung function can be three times the usual rate. As lung function declines, breathlessness begins. As the condition progresses, severe breathing problems can require hospital care. The final stage is death from slow and progressive breathlessness, a truly dreadful way to go.
Nicotine itself is known to cause narrowing of the arteries all over the body, but there is one particular problem that affects you guys out there. Men in their 30s and 40s, who smoke, are much more likely to have erectile dysfunction…now you’re listening aren’t you?! Erection cannot happen if the arteries that lead to the penis are not functioning properly, as the blood flow would be reduced, so stopping your performance before it even gets started.
This narrowing effect increases over time, so if you haven’t got problems now, things could change later (and I’m not apologising for scaring you on that one)…in actual fact, erection problems in smokers may be an early warning signal that cigarettes are already damaging other areas of the body – such as the blood vessels that supply the heart.
The smoke that you do not inhale and is released from your cigarette between puffs actually carries a higher risk than inhaled smoke. Maybe it’s time for a little thought for your non smoking partner, kids, friends, etc., (yeah, I’m trying the guilt trip tactic now).
Children who grow up in a home where one or both of their parents smoke have twice the risk of getting asthma and asthmatic bronchitis. They also have a higher risk of developing allergies. Infants under two years old are more prone to severe respiratory infections and cot death.
Passive smoking has also been widely documented and the link between that and lung cancer is pretty well established, although the link between passive smoking and heart disease is not conclusive. What you can be sure of though, is that as a non smoker or an ex smoker, you can look forward towards a happier and healthier old age.
Please do yourself and all those who love you (actually those who don’t but have to be near you when you are polluting the air as well) a huge favour. There are 100′s of stop smoking programmes out there to help you, so quit smoking NOW!
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