Smoking Effects

Smoking is harmful due to the chemicals in cigarettes and smoke. Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 different chemicals, out of which at least 50 are carcinogens and many are poisonous.

Many people think that lung cancer is the only smoking-related disease and it is the number one cause of death among smokes. But it is not right. Cigarette smoke affects the body from head to toe. Smokers have a much higher risk to developing a number of life-threatening diseases.

Smoking may also lead to the cancers in kidneys, oral cavity, larynx, breast, bladder and pancreas etc. Many chemicals in tobacco smoke damage the air passageway, which leads to emphysema and other respiratory disorders.

Smoking also has effects on the circulatory system. The carbon monoxide present in tobacco smoke lessens the oxygen-carrying capacity of hemoglobin. Many other chemicals in smoke increase the production of blood platelets. When platelets are more than the normal numbers, they make the blood viscous and it can lead to arteriosclerosis.

Smokers are at greater risk of developing infections, particularly in the lungs. For example, smoking increases the risk of tuberculosis by two to four times, and of pneumonia by four times.

Smoking is also responsible for weakening and staining the teeth. Tooth loss is 2 to 3 times higher in smokers than in non-smokers.