This page has been translated automatically and has not yet been verified by experts.

SMOKING OR HEALTH – CHOOSE FOR YOURSELF

SCALE OF THE TRAGEDY

Over the past decades, tobacco smoking has become a real disaster for people. According to WHO, about 4 million people die every year from diseases associated with tobacco smoking; in Belarus this figure exceeds 15.5 thousand .

WHAT DOES TOBACCO ATTRACT TO YOU?

The main attractive component of tobacco is nicotine . It has peculiar properties. According to smokers, nicotine calms, tones, and helps to concentrate. But this is a misleading idea.

The main danger facing any novice smoker is first addiction, and then painful physical and mental dependence, just like with heroin, cocaine or any other drug.

EFFECTS OF SMOKING ON THE BODY

• Nicotine gives a quick effect – within seven seconds after the first puff, a chemical process begins in the body that affects the activity of the heart, blood circulation, the functions of almost all organs, as well as mood.

• When smoking, nicotine is quickly absorbed into the mucous membrane of the mouth and penetrates into the lungs. Within a few seconds, it reaches the corresponding receptors in the brain (the so-called “nicotine” receptors), the stimulating substance norepinephrine is released, and the person begins to feel more alert. But this “cheerfulness” does not last long.

• Nicotine also affects the nerve cells of the heart, respiratory tract, and muscles. Blood vessels narrow, which leads to increased heart rate and blood pressure.

• In this case, addiction and the onset of dependence develop in exactly the same way as when using heroin or cocaine – two drugs that cause severe addiction and have a destructive effect on the body.

• Nicotine breaks down in the body in just two hours , so most smokers lose control of themselves if its constant supply to the body stops. The craving for smoking soon becomes a natural state, a kind of love, against which the mind and will are powerless. Many people, once they start smoking, become addicted and continue to smoke in order to avoid the unpleasant sensations of quitting smoking.

SEVERE CONSEQUENCES OF SMOKING

To date, there are more than 60,000 scientific studies confirming the severe consequences of the harmful effects of tobacco on human health.

General facts:

• A lit cigarette is a kind of chemical plant. Scientists have discovered that tobacco smoke contains more than 4,700 substances, 43 of which are carcinogenic.

• Smoking is the most common cause of morbidity and premature mortality in Western countries. At least 24 life-threatening diseases resulting from smoking have been registered.

• The aging of the body accelerates – the life of a smoker is on average 7.5 years shorter. Research shows that every second smoker is at risk of dying prematurely, and half of them are in active age.

Oncological diseases:

• The vast majority of cancers of the mouth, lips, pharynx, larynx, pancreas and urinary tract are associated with tobacco smoking. A direct relationship has also been found between smoking and the occurrence of kidney cancer and uterine cancer.

• The most well-known disease that is directly related to smoking is lung cancer . The earlier a person starts smoking, the more serious the consequences. In the United States, where smoking among women has been widespread for a relatively long time, lung cancer is now more common than breast cancer. In Sweden, where the situation is unique in that women smoke more than men, more and more women who smoke in their 40s and 50s are suffering from lung cancer.

Cardiovascular diseases:

• Smoking is one of the main causes of cardiovascular diseases. British studies show that among people under the age of 40, the risk of a heart attack in smokers is five times higher than in non-smokers.

• Carbon monoxide or carbon monoxide contained in tobacco smoke interferes with the saturation of oxygen in the blood, and this, in turn, leads to a deterioration in well-being and health. At the same time, in the morning the smoker is tormented by a cough with phlegm, and the shape of the chest changes.

• There is also a high risk of vascular spasms, thrombosis and circulatory disorders. Unnatural paleness of the fingers is often found in smokers; in especially severe cases, it comes to amputation of the limbs.

Other diseases and consequences:

• Chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract, infections, asthma, allergies, atherosclerosis, sciatica, stomach ulcers, impotence and infertility are just some examples of the long list of negative consequences of smoking.

• Smokers are more susceptible to negative environmental factors, such as radon and asbestos dust.

Effect on appearance and metabolism:

• When smoking, the metabolism slows down, the feeling of hunger weakens, which attracts young girls who want to lose weight to join the ranks of smokers. However, smoking affects the appearance:

  • toxic substances contained in tobacco smoke reduce the elasticity of skin tissue, which causes sagging skin and the appearance of wrinkles;

  • nails and teeth become yellow;

  • salivation decreases, bad breath appears;

  • blood circulation in the gums is impaired, which can lead to periodontal disease.

Smoking and diabetes:

• Diabetic smokers are especially susceptible to vascular sclerosis. In addition, the latest Swedish research shows that smoking leads to metabolic disorders, resulting in insulin resistance and an increased risk of diabetes.

Danger for teenagers:

• Teenagers who smoke secretly from their parents believe that all these horrors concern others, but have nothing to do with them. They themselves are convinced that they can quit smoking at any time, if they just want to. However, this is far from the case.

PASSIVE SMOKING

It is not only the smoker who suffers from smoking. Three quarters of cigarette smoke is released into the environment. This smoke contains the same toxic substances that are hazardous to health.

Inhalation of tobacco smoke by non-smokers is called passive smoking . It differs from regular smoking in that most often it is not voluntary.

Consequences for pregnant women and children:

• Mothers who smoke are more susceptible to infections and are more likely to experience placental abruption, miscarriages and premature births than non-smokers. They are more likely to give birth to children who are significantly underweight—like those who were hungry during pregnancy.

• Research supports a link between parental smoking and sudden infant death syndrome.

• If the mother smokes, breastfeeding becomes much more difficult. Nicotine gives mother's milk a bitter taste, the baby becomes restless, spits up, and suffers from colic.

Consequences for children in families of smokers:

• Children in families of smokers are especially affected. Sleep and appetite disorders, disruption of the stomach and intestines, increased irritability, poor academic performance and retardation in physical development – this is not a complete list of the consequences of parents smoking their children.

Consequences in the workplace:

• For people working in a heavily smoky environment, exposure to secondhand smoke can reach the equivalent of 14 cigarettes per day , which brings them closer to a regular smoker.

SMOKING OR HEALTH – CHOOSE FOR YOURSELF

The question of smoking or not smoking seems to be a personal matter. But the consequences of smoking affect not only the smoker himself, but also his loved ones, relatives, friends, and the whole society: these include the costs of treatment and sick leave payments, disability, patient care, etc.

There is an alternative to this – don’t start smoking at all, lead a healthy lifestyle, play sports, etc. But if a young man could not resist and started smoking, and then acquired a stable addiction, then he needs to free himself from this harmful and dangerous habit as soon as possible.

How to quit smoking:

There are many recommendations on how to quit smoking, methods of treatment for this disease, but all of them are ineffective if there is no strong desire to cleanse your body of nicotine, to end this addiction once and for all.

Many people successfully cope with the craving for smoking by being distracted by other activities:

• when they feel the urge to smoke, they eat an apple;

• brush teeth;

• do cleaning;

• go for an evening jog;

• and so on.

Others feel better when they think about the harm to their own health they are avoiding, or count the benefits of quitting smoking.

Make your choice to quit smoking!

This will keep you healthy for many years!