by Johannus Lak

Created on: July 07, 2010   Last Updated: July 12, 2010

Everyone knows that smoking is unhealthy but not everyone knows exactly why. What's so bad about smoking? Known is that five million people a year worldwide die from the effects of smoking. Of all smokers half deceased as a result of smoking.

Why don’t smokers just stop smoking?

The main reason why smokers can’t quit because smoking is an addiction. It falls under the category of drugs and alcohol. It’s all because of nicotine. You get nicotine through your lungs and gives a signal to your brain so you always have the need to smoke. It feels like a drug and when the body runs out of this drug you need to have more. When nicotine enters your body it takes 7 seconds until it reaches the brains and gives a relaxed feeling. But it is a toxic substance and even if only a small fraction of the nicotine of a cigarette gets in your body. A heavy smoker (one pack per day) has a greater need than someone who smokes moderately and after a few hours without a cigarette this person gets withdrawal symptoms. Think of bad temper.

Why should I stop smoking?

Smoking is bad and certainly has an impact on your health and that of others. For yourself you might not see the effects on your health in the short term, but you will in the long term. As a smoker you have more chance to have lung and heart problems.

25% of all smokers will die 10 years earlier.
You have 50% chance of smoking to death.

Smoking increases the risk of all cancers and lung cancer, but it can also cause other symptoms such as:

Brain Haemorrhage
Pneumonia
Vascular Stenosis
Impotence
Infertility
Worse condition

Smoking affects your whole body and the more and longer you smoke the more it influences your body. The problem is that these complaints will take a long time to emerge and then it is often too late. The smoking has already damaged your body. Lung cancer is a example of a effect that you only start to notice when it’s already to too late. Smoking can also cause infertility and impotence. Maybe you don’t notice the effects of smoking now but it will effect the quality of life on long term.

What makes the cigarette so bad?

Cigarettes causes many problems but what does it really do? Nicotine previously been mentioned as a substance that has a negative impact. Nicotine has a addictive effect but also ensures a lower blood circulation in your body. Why are you out of shape? That is because of the substance carbon monoxide. It’s an odourless substance that drives out the oxygen in a room. This is also the case in your body and your blood will get more carbon monoxide then oxygen. Tar is a known substance and was formerly used for example in roads but is also in your cigarette. The tar affects your lungs and makes it function less.

Smoking bad for others?

More often you hear about the effects of passive smoking. Passive smoking is not good. It increases the risk of lung cancer and you have more risk of heart disease. Passive smoking happens quicker then you may think because 85% of the smoke gets into the air and this smoke contains harmful substances. Especially on children it can have a very negative impact.

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