Be cautious about the harmful effects of smoking and learn several motivational tips to give up smoking.

2. Harmful Effects of
Smoking
Cigarette contains nicotine, an extremely
addictive stimulant that causes
psychological and physical dependency.
Cigarette smoking has been linked to 11
types of cancers, including cancer of the
kidney, bladder, pancreas, mouth, esopha
gus etc. Recent study suggests that
smokers are 26 times more prone to die
of lung cancer than non- smokers.
Smoking reduces high-density lipoprotein
(HDL) or “good” cholesterol, increases
blood clotting and blood pressure, and
significantly decreases the amount of
oxygen that reaches the heart. The two
most hazardous health effects of smoking
are emphysema and lung cancer.
Emphysema is a chronic disease which
destroys parts of the lungs and results in
asthma-like attacks, hyperventilation, and
shortness of breath. Lung cancer is the
No.1 cause of cancer deaths for men and
women, worldwide. Other serious side
effects of smoking are back pain, peptic
ulcers, high risk of stroke, reduced
fertility, cataracts, coronary
thrombosis, kidney failure, gangrene etc.

3. Smoking Ban
Smoking ban is a public policy, comprising
occupational safety and health
regulations and criminal laws, which
prohibit or restrict tobacco smoking in
public spaces and/or workplaces. It is
essential to enforce smoking ban as the
practice of smoking kills millions of
people worldwide. Researches reveal a
strong association of smoking with lung
cancer, emphysema, chronic bronchitis,
and cardiovascular diseases. There are
many scientific organizations which have
stated that tobacco smoke adversely
affects the health of a person in the
vicinity of a smoker as well as pollute the
environment. The stringent anti-smoking
laws will reduce the tobacco use to a
large extent.
Since ages, smoking bans are evident.
Mexican ecclesiastical council banned the
use of tobacco in Spanish colonies in the
Caribbean and in all churches in Mexico.
The Pope also prohibited smoking.

4. Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the main cause of
cancer deaths for men and women,
worldwide. The greatest factor behind
the occurrence of this form of cancer is
smoking. A disease in which the cells
of lung tissues grow up uncontrollably
and form tumors is known as lung
cancer. It is most common between
the age group 40 -70. Lung cancer is of
two types: - primary and secondary.
Primary lung cancer begins in the
lungs. Secondary lung cancer begins in
any part of the body; cancerous cells
then spread to lungs which are termed
as Metastasis. Lung cancer kills more
than 1.3 million people worldwide
every year

5. Heart Diseases–
Vulnerable to smoker’s
heart
The risk of coronary heart disease is
increased by smoking cigarettes.
Smoking increases the tendency of
blood to clot; decreases exercise
tolerance and increases blood
pressure. Cigarette smoking also
increases the risk of recurrent
coronary heart disease after bypass
surgery. The connection between
heart disease and passive smoking or
second hand smoke is significant.
Every year due to other people’s
smoke, more than 69,600 deaths from
heart disease are caused. Second hand
smoke contributes to heart problems
of people who are frequently around
smokers.

6. Women and smoking
The risk of heart disease is 50% greater
in women smokers than in men
smokers according to researchers in
Denmark. This may be due to the
interaction of estrogen with the toxins
ingested when they smoke.
Approximately 34,000 women smokers
die of heart disease – attributed to
smoking – each year in North America
alone. And it’s not just an old persons’
problem; the risk of heart disease is
very high for young women smokers.

7. Harmful Effects of
Smoking
Smoking damages blood vessels and
speeds up atherosclerosis. This can
reduce blood circulation resulting in
peripheral arterial disease. Peripheral
arterial disease can lead to
amputation, gangrene, infection and
blood clots. Cigarette smoking increases
the risk of heart stroke by three times
and heart attack by two to six times.
Cigarette smoke contains carbon
monoxide which is a poisonous gas that
replaces oxygen in the blood and makes
heart beat faster. The other ingredients of
cigarette such as tobacco, nicotine and
tar are also very harmful to the heart.
Research implies that smoking may create
irregularities in the timing of
heartbeats, decreases oxygen supply to
the heart, tightens major arteries and
increases heart rate, all of which make
one’s heart work weaker. Smoking
adversely affects fibrinogen, which is a
blood clotting material. As a result, the
risk of blood clot increases which leads to
a heart attack.

8. Facts about Smoking
Tobacco smoke contains nicotine which is
an addictive and harmful drug and
reaches brain within 10 seconds of
inhaling it.
Smoking kills over 440,000 people in the
United States, 106,000 people in the
United Kingdom and 990,000 people in
India every year.
Smoking has been recognized as the most
significant source of premature mortality
and preventable morbidity across the
world.
Cigarettes contain 43 known carcinogens
and more than 4000 harmful chemicals.
A major chemical component in urine –
“urea” is added in cigarettes to enhance
flavor.
Cigarette is the most “buy and sell”
product on the planet and one of the
worlds growing industries.
According to a research study at the 14th
World Conference on Health, 250 million
women and 1billion men use tobacco
every day around the world.
Before the age of 18 years, most smokers
smoke their first cigarettes.