Here are some facts about tobacco smoking. Tobacco, mixed with other additives, is burned and the vapors are inhaled. The active substances, absorbed by the lungs, trigger chemical reactions which result in increased heart rate, memory, and alertness. As of 2000, 1.22 billion people are tobacco smokers. It is estimated that 1.45 billion people will smoke in 2010 and 1.5 to 1.9 billion in 2025.Tobacco smoke contains carcinogens or cancer-causing substances. There are over 19 known carcinogens in tobacco smoke. Some of the most potent carcinogens are:
• Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzopyrene are tar components produced when burned. Tar, known as the most destructive component of tobacco, damages the smoker’s lungs, mouth, gums, and taste buds.
• Acrolein gives smoke its acrid smell. It is a mutagen and carcinogen in human cells.
• Nitrosamines are known to cause cancer of the lungs, pancreas, esophagus, and oral cavity.

Tobacco smoke also contains radioactive carcinogens like lead-210 and polonium-210. These substances can cause lung adenocarcinoma and bladder cancer.

Another component of tobacco products is nicotine, a highly addictive psychoactive chemical. Nicotine plays a role in diseases such as stroke, impotence, and heart disease. Nicotine, in itself is not carcinogenic or mutagenic. But, its ability to inhibit cell death accelerates the growth of existing cancers.

These components of tobacco smoke lead to various diseases that affect the heart and the lungs. Smoking is also a major risk factor for heart attacks, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, oral cancer, and pancreatic cancer.

Tobacco smoking reduces a smoker’s life expectancy from 2.5 to 10 years fewer than a nonsmoker. In 2015, tobacco smoking is predicted to kill 6.5 million people and 8.3 million in 2030. According to the World Health Organization, a current or former smoker dies every 6.5 seconds!

Don’t let yourself become the next casualty among smokers. Save yourself! Quit smoking now!

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A survey concluded that most smokers begin during adolescence or early adulthood. As of 2002, around 20% of young teens (13 to 15 years old) smoke worldwide. Around 80,000 to 100,000 children begin smoking everyday. And half of those teens are projected to continue smoking for 15 to 20 years.There have been a lot of factors as to why teens start smoking. Smoking has elements of risk-taking and rebellion, which appeals among teens. Children of smoking parents are more likely to smoke than children of nonsmokers. Peer pressure is also one of the reasons.

The statistics about teen smoking is overwhelming.
• In the United States, it is estimated that at least 4.5 million teens are smokers.
• If current smoking rates persist, an estimated 6.4 million children will die prematurely from a smoking-related disease.
• 80% of smokers begin before the age of 18 while 90% begin before the age of 21.

Remember that smoking-related diseases develop depending on how long you have been smoking and the type of tobacco product smoked. So if you start smoking during your teens, it is very likely that you will develop smoking-related diseases early in life.

Smoking predisposes a person to the following life-threatening diseases: lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, pancreatic cancer, cancer of the oral cavity, laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, atherosclerosis, tuberculosis, invasive pneumococcal disease, asthma, and many more.

And what’s worse is that you are not just harming yourself. You are putting other people’s lives at risk. Secondhand smoking has also been linked to the same diseases that active smoking can cause!

Are you a teen? Quit smoking now! Talk to your parent about it and find support in quitting the habit. Are you a parent who wants your teen to quit? Talk with your teen about the harm that smoking does. Make him/her understand that quitting is the only option. Choose life! Quit smoking now!

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Tar, known as the most destructive component in smoking, is the resinous material produced by burning of a cigarette. Each time you puff a cigarette, tar enters your lungs.If you have been smoking for a long time, tar begins to accumulate inside your lungs. The lungs will start to remove through the minute hair-like filaments called cilia. Cilia function by sweeping impurities and deposits out of the lungs. Under normal circumstances, the lungs can efficiently clean themselves. But if you are a habitual smoker, heavy smoker, or chain smoker, the increasing tar build-up will damage the cilia. This will now result in tar lungs. If your lungs cannot function efficiently, you will start to cough because this is another method to clean your lungs. This is called smoker’s cough. Therefore, smoker’s cough is a symptom of tar lungs.

Tar is also responsible for lung cancer because it is carcinogenic and mutagenic. In the United States, 87% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking! People who smoked at some point in their lives have a one in ten chance of developing lung cancer! If you continue smoking, the risk increases to one in six! Tar smoking facts are quite worrisome indeed.

Cigarettes are now classified according to tar content. High-tar cigarettes contain at least 22 milligrams of tar. Medium-tar cigarettes have 15 to 21 milligrams while low-tar cigarettes contain 7 milligrams or less. But no study has shown that low tar levels will not cause cancer. First, even if it is a low-tar cigarette, tar is still there. And aside from tar, there are still many carcinogens present in a single cigarette!

What do you do? Quit now! Many studies show that the health risks of smoking can be minimized by quitting. Smokers who stopped smoking before turning 30 years old lived almost as long as those who never smoked! What are you waiting for? Quit now!

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Weed, pot, and marijuana are terms used to pertain to cannabis. Marijuana is the most used drug in the United States today. Smoking is the most common method of consumption. Other methods include vaporization and ingestion.People get addicted to weed because it contains the psychoactive substance called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol which produces the so-called “high.” This is described as any of the following: altered state of consciousness, euphoria, feelings of well-being, relaxation, lethargy, joviality, increased libido, hallucination, and many others.

Even pregnant women experiment with marijuana. They think that it is not harming the fetus. Here are some reasons why pregnant women should stop smoking weed.

First, smoking any substance is discouraged during pregnancy because it interferes with the blood supply of the fetus. This deprives the fetus of oxygen resulting in babies with low birth weight. Smaller babies have higher risk of postnatal problems like infections, jaundice, breathing problems, and many others.

Second, marijuana is usually mixed with other substances like tobacco. Therefore, if you are smoking weed, the fetus may also be exposed to other potentially harmful substances aside from marijuana.

Third, there have been studies showing that smoking weed while pregnant may affect the development of the baby’s nervous system. Other studies have shown that children who were exposed to marijuana during pregnancy sometimes have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, impaired motor skills, leukemia, concentration problems, cognitive deficits, impaired social interactions, short-term memory disorders, and problems with judgment. Some children seemed jittery and difficult to comfort.

Lastly, breastfeeding mothers should be aware that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol can be transmitted through breast milk. Its concentration is 8 times higher in breast milk than in the mother’s bloodstream!

Are you pregnant and have resorted to smoking weed to get “high?” Now is the time to stop because you are harming your baby! Find other ways to get yourself “high” by doing other healthy activities that will give you that sense of fulfillment, happiness and well-being.

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Smoking risks are supported by years of research. The statistics are overwhelming. Below are the smoking risks that actual experience has shown.A smoker’s increased risk of acquiring a disease is directly proportional to the length of time that he continues to smoke as well as the amount smoked. A person who has smoked at some point in his life has a 1 in 10 chance of developing lung cancer. If he continues smoking, the risk increases to 1 in 6. In the United States, 87% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Passive smoking increases a nonsmoker’s risk of acquiring lung cancer by 20 to 30%. Long term exposure to carbon monoxide and cyanide causes increased risk of acquiring emphysema and chronic obstructive disease.

Smokers below 40 years old are 5 times more likely to have heart attack. Smoking also increases the risk of acquiring atherosclerosis, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Passive smoking increases a nonsmoker’s risk of acquiring heart disease by 25 to 30%. And smoking 20 cigarettes a day increases the risk of acquiring tuberculosis by 2 to 4 times.

Pregnant women who smoke are at increased risk of suffering miscarriages. And smoking during pregnancy puts the life of the fetus at risk. In the United States, 430 infant deaths are caused by sudden infant death due to passive smoking. Smoking also risks infants to be born with low birth weight and small for gestational age.

Lastly, smoking puts your life at risk — not just your life but the lives of people around you! A smoker’s life expectancy is reduced by 2.5 to 10 years. For every puff of a cigarette, a smoker risks losing 11 minutes of his life. Smoking is now the second major cause of death worldwide!

Both passive and active smoking can kill! Will you risk your like just to smoke a cigarette? Quit smoking now. And reduce the smoking risks that can cause your death!

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The facts about smoking health risks are staggering. The increasing rates of smoking resulted to subsequent increases in smoking-related diseases. Because of the health risks of smoking, different countries tried lowering smoking rates by establishing anti-smoking campaigns. Increased awareness of the health risks of smoking may encourage smokers to quit. Are you aware of these risks?A smoker’s increased risk of acquiring a disease is directly proportional to the length of time that he continues to smoke as well as the amount smoked. The association between smoking and lung cancer is the strongest. People who have smoked tobacco at some point in their lives have a one in ten chance of developing lung cancer. In men who continue to smoke tobacco, the risk increases to one in six. In the United States, 87% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking.

Long term exposure to substances found in smoke, like carbon monoxide and cyanide, increases the risk of acquiring emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Secondhand smoke increases the heart disease risk of nonsmokers by 25 to 30% and their lung cancer risk by 20 to 30%. It has been estimated to cause 38,000 deaths annually, with 3,400 deaths caused by lung cancer in nonsmokers.

According to a study, smokers below 40 years of age are 5 times more likely to have a heart attack. Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day increases the risk of tuberculosis by 2 to 4 times.

These are just some of the health risks of smoking. And the most important is the fact that for every cigarette, a smoker loses 11 minutes of his life! That is a reduction in life expectancy by 2.5 to 10 years!

Will you trade your health and your life for a puff of cigarette? Quit smoking now and help your body recover from its hazardous effects!

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Smoking hazards should be apparent to everyone by now. Time and again, it has been said that smoking is hazardous to your health. Not only that, it is hazardous to the health of the people around you. If you have read, heard, or watched these smoking hazards, why do you still smoke? Smoking is addicting because of the nicotine. Nicotine is the highly addicting substance found in cigarettes. But nicotine, also poses various hazards to our health. Aside from nicotine, cigarettes also have lots of carcinogenic and mutagenic substances like tar, acrolein, nitrosamines, and many others.All these substances contribute to the hazards that smoking cause. What are these?

The most popular smoking hazard is lung cancer. Facts show that in the United States, 87% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking. Other cancers related to smoking are found in the oral cavity, esophagus, larynx, and pancreas.

Carbon monoxide and cyanide are commonly found in smoke. Long term exposure to these substances also cause health hazards like emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Also, smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day increases the risk of acquiring tuberculosis by 2 to 4 times.

Another smoking hazard is heart attack. A smoker is 5 times more likely to have a heart attack compared to a nonsmoker.

Even nonsmokers are exposed to the hazards of smoking! Secondhand smoke increases the heart disease risk of nonsmokers by 25 to 30% and their lung cancer risk by 20 to 30%. Annually, 3,400 deaths are caused by lung cancer in nonsmokers.

All these smoking hazards point to death. A smoker’s life expectancy is reduced by 2.5 to 10 years. Today, smoking is the second major cause of death in the world, estimated at 58.8 million deaths worldwide!

Quit now before you inevitably die from smoking! Quit now before more harm is done to your body and to the people around you!

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A study showed that most smokers start during adolescence or early adulthood. In 2002, around 20% young teens, aged 13 to 15, smoked worldwide. 80,000 to 100,000 children begin smoking everyday, with half of them projected to smoke for 15 to 20 years.One factor that entices people to smoke is the glamour that smoking emanates. In films, smoking women were associated with glamour, sensuality, and sophistication. With men, smoking symbolized mystery and distinction.

By the time smokers get to know about the ill-effects of smoking, they have become so addicted to nicotine that most of them just can’t stop. Will you trade glamour, sensuality, sophistication, and mystery to the diseases that smoking can cause?

Exposure to carbon monoxide and cyanide causes emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. And smoking 20 cigarettes a day increases the risk of acquiring tuberculosis by 2 to 4 times.

In the United States, 87% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking. Studies show that people who smoked at some point in their lives have a 1 in 10 chance of developing lung cancer. People who continue smoking increase their risk to 1 in 6. Passive smokers have a 20 to 30% risk of developing lung cancer.

Smoking leads to narrowing of the blood vessels, which increases the risk of blockage. This increases the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and atherosclerosis. Smokers below 40 years old are 5 times more likely to have a heart attack. Passive smokers have an increased risk of 25 to 30% in developing heart disease.

A smoker’s life expectancy is reduced by 2.5 to 10 years. And each puff of a cigarette is equal to losing 11 minutes of your life!

Come to think of it, none of these situations shows glamour, sensuality, sophistication, or mystery. All they show is death related to smoking. Quit now! Stop pretending that smoking means glamour. It is not and it will never be!

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Tobacco products contain substances such as tar, nicotine, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, acrolein, nitrosamines, and other carcinogenic and mutagenic substances. Many studies have concluded that smoking tobacco can cause diseases because of these substances.The most common of these diseases is tar lungs. Tar accumulates in the smoker’s lungs. As tar build-up increases, the harder it becomes for the lungs to remove tar. Therefore, the lungs get damaged. And once disease develops, the lungs find another way to expel tar and that is through coughing. Smoker’s cough is another disease common among smokers.

Emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are also related to smoking. Both diseases result from exposure to carbon monoxide and cyanide on long periods of time. Smoking 20 cigarettes a day increases the risk of acquiring tuberculosis by 2 to 4 times.

About 87% of lung cancer cases in the United States are related to smoking. Studies show that people who smoked at some point in their lives have a 1 in 10 chance of developing lung cancer. People who continue smoking increase their risk to 1 in 6. Even passive smokers have a 20 to 30% risk of developing lung cancer!

Ingredients in tobacco products lead to narrowing of blood vessels. This increases the risk of blockage resulting to heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and atherosclerosis. Smokers below 40 years old are 5 times more likely to have a heart attack. While passive smokers have an increased risk of 25 to 30% in developing heart disease!

Even infants develop diseases if their mothers smoked while pregnant. Such diseases are jaundice and breathing problems. In the United States, 430 infants die every year due to sudden infant death syndrome.

Of course, if secondhand smoking can kill, so does active smoking. A smoker’s life expectancy is reduced by 2.5 to 10 years. And each puff of a cigarette is equal to losing 11 minutes of your life! Because of these overwhelming statistics, smoking is now the second major cause of death worldwide!

Do you smoke? I believe these diseases far outweigh the reason why you choose smoking over living a healthy life. Quit now so you can live healthy and longer!

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Despite anti-smoking campaigns worldwide, smoking deaths are still on the rise. This is because cigarette smoke contains many carcinogenic and mutagenic substances. And nicotine makes it so addicting in spite of its harmful effects.Look at the staggering statistics on smoking deaths worldwide:

• Because of the harm that passive smoking does, 3,400 nonsmokers die because of lung cancer every year.
• In the United States, 430 infant deaths are caused by smoking-related sudden infant death syndrome.
• In 2004, the World Health Organization projected 58.8 million smoking deaths.
• In 2015, tobacco smoking is predicted to kill 6.5 million people and 8.3 million in 2030.
• A smoker or former smoker dies every 6.5 seconds!
• In the United States, over 443,000 Americans die because of smoking.
• Secondhand smoke kills about 50,000 Americans each year.
• In China, there have been 1.2 million smoking deaths each year.
• Cigarettes cause more than 1 in 5 American deaths.
• Death among smokers is 2 to 3 times higher compared to nonsmokers.
• Secondhand smoke caused 38,000 deaths annually.

Smoking also causes diseases that can certainly lead to death.
• In the United States, 87% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking. People who have smoked tobacco at some point in their lives have a one in ten chance of developing lung cancer. In men who continue to smoke tobacco, the risk increases to one in six.
• Secondhand smoke increases the heart disease risk of nonsmokers by 25 to 30% and their lung cancer risk by 20 to 30%.
• According to a study, smokers below 40 years of age are 5 times more likely to have a heart attack.
Do you want to be one of the smoking deaths in the future? Or would you want to cause the death of your loved one through secondhand smoke? Quit smoking now!

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The results of smoking damage are too horrible to ignore. With the multitude of diseases that are related to smoking, we can surmise that it causes a lot of damage to our bodies.Studies show that smoking does a lot of damage to the respiratory system. Around 97% of lung cancer cases in the United States are caused by smoking. Exposure to common substances in smoke like carbon monoxide and cyanide causes emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day poses 2 to 4 times increased risk of acquiring tuberculosis. Secondhand smoke increases the lung cancer risk of nonsmokers by 20 to 30%. It has been estimated that 3,400 people die from lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke.

Smoking can damage the cardiovascular system as well. A smoker is 5 times more likely to suffer a heart attack. Secondhand smoke increases the heart disease risk of nonsmokers by 25 to 30%. Other smoking-related diseases are atherosclerosis, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.

The gastrointestinal system can be damaged by smoking. Cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus, and larynx are also related to smoking. Periodontitis, teeth stains, halitosis or bad breath, and leukoplakia are also attributed to smoking.

The immune system suffers as well. A smoker has increased risk of acquiring infections like common colds, bronchitis, and other pulmonary and respiratory infections.

Damage to the reproductive system usually manifests by increased risk of miscarriages among smoking pregnant women. An infant prenatally exposed to secondhand smoke usually suffers from sudden infant death syndrome, low birth weight, and small for gestational age.

Smoking causes grave damage to our health. Damage that can be as grave as death! Today, smoking is known as the second major cause of death in world! It causes 58.8 million deaths worldwide!
Why don’t you stop from damaging your body and the bodies of other people? Quit smoking. Stop the damage that smoking has done!

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Chewing tobacco is one of the oldest methods of consuming tobacco leaves. In the United States, this was the most prevalent use of tobacco until it was overtaken by cigarette smoking in the early 20th century.Some people think that chewing tobacco does not predispose them to the dangers of smoking it. But think again. Studies show that chewing tobacco is just as dangerous as smoking is! Because whether you are smoking or chewing tobacco, nicotine and the carcinogenic and mutagenic substances are still present.

The worst danger of chewing tobacco is oral cancer. This can be cancer of the gums, cheek, throat, tongue, or mouth.

Chewing tobacco can still cause lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. These diseases are caused by the carcinogenic substances in tobacco.

Also, nicotine, the addicting substance in tobacco, increases blood pressure and heart rate. Heart rate rises as much as 30% during the first 10 minutes of smoking. Nicotine has also been linked to narrowing of blood vessels and increased likelihood of blood clots. Smokers below 40 years old are 5 times more likely to have a heart attack. Even secondhand smoking increases the risk of a heart attack by 25 to 30%.

Nicotine also causes emphysema and chronic pulmonary disease. Other effects of chewing tobacco include the increased risk of acquiring infections like HIV susceptibility, common colds, bronchitis, and invasive pneumococcal disease.
Infants who die from sudden infant death syndrome have high concentrations of nicotine in their lungs. Even if you chew tobacco, nicotine can travel through breast milk. Thus, nicotine will be ingested by the infant.
These diseases show that if there are anti-smoking campaigns, there should also be anti-chewing campaigns. Smoking causes disease and cancer. Chewing also causes diseases and cancer. There is no other choice but to quit. Quit smoking now! Quit chewing tobacco now!

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The urban legend about smoking banana peels gave rise to the term bananadine. According to Wikipedia, “bananadine is a fictional psychoactive substance which is allegedly extracted from banana peels.”The hit single “Mellow Yellow” was released a few months before the recipe of bananadine extraction was published in an underground newspaper called Berkeley Barb. People assumed that the single was pertaining to smoking banana peels. In March 1967, Berkeley Barb’s founder and editor, Max Scherr, printed a satirical story claiming that bananadine induced a psychedelic high similar to opium and psilocybin. It was perpetuated after publication in The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell. Because of the hit single and various publications, the hoax was believed!

Later on, a New York Times article on illicit drugs noted in passing that “banana scrapings, provide- if anything-a mild psychedelic experience.” This prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a serious investigation. The FDA concluded that banana peels are not psychedelic. In support of this, a study by researchers at New York University found that banana peels do not contain intoxicating chemicals. They reiterated that smoking banana peels only produced a placebo effect, meaning the psychedelic high is merely the person’s perception of how it works.

Even if smoking banana peels has been classified as fictional and an urban legend, a search in the Internet showed contrasting views. Some posted the recipe and promised that it really gets someone high. Others still believe that it is a myth. Why bother with trying it out if studies already showed it to be untrue? Smoking, in itself is already hazardous to your health. Smoking to get high? Even more so! Instead of trying out other things to smoke, read on the health risks of smoking. Quitting is the best choice. Quit now before it is too late!

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Secondhand smoking, or passive smoking, is the inhalation of smoke that is present in the environment. If you are a nonsmoker, you are most likely to be secondhand smoking if you are around smokers most of the time. But did you know that being exposed to smoke also poses a lot of harm? Yes, you are also in harm’s way even if you don’t smoke.Tobacco products have many cancer-causing substances which has made smoking a major risk factor in cancer. Secondhand smokers are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30%. An estimate of 3,400 deaths resulted from lung cancer in nonsmokers.

Substances in tobacco products cause narrowing of blood vessels. This increases the likelihood of a blockage which results to a heart attack. Secondhand smokers are at an increased risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30%.

In adults 50 years old and above, secondhand smoking increases the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.

A pregnant woman who smokes also causes harm to her baby. Aside from causing miscarriages and premature birth, it also increases the risk of giving birth to infants who are low birth weight and small for gestational age. And secondhand smoking has shown to affect a child’s development. Secondhand smoking has also been linked to sudden infant death syndrome, resulting in 430 infant deaths every year.

In children, secondhand smoking causes asthma, ear infections, lung infections, bronchiolitis, allergies, learning difficulties, developmental delays, and neurobehavioral problems.
Secondhand smoking, like active smoking, also increases the overall risk of death. It is estimated to kill 53,000 nonsmokers per year! If you thought that not smoking doesn’t put you at risk, think again! Secondhand smoking is just as harmful as active smoking. If you have friends or family members who smoke, now is the time to convince them to quit. Help them quit now before it is too late for both of you!

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Since its use as early as 5000 BC in religious ceremonies, smoking has evolved into a form of recreational drug use. Today, around 1.22 billion people smoke. About 20% of which are young teens. With the discovery of its hazardous health effects, many countries tried to lower smoking rates by instituting high taxes on tobacco products, anti-smoking campaigns, and smoking bans in most public buildings. In the developed world, smoking rates have declined or stayed constant. For example, in the United States, smoking rates from 1965 to 2006 have dropped from 42% to 20.8% of adults. But in the developing world, consumption is still rising by 3.4% per year as of 2002.Because of its high consumption, prevalence of diseases and deaths caused by smoking has also drastically increased.

• Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer. In the United States, it is estimated that 87% of lung cancer cases were caused by smoking.
• If you smoke, you are five times more likely to have a heart attack.
• Secondhand smoke kills about 50,000 Americans every year. You are killing others, too!
• Today, smoking is known as the second major cause of death in the world! It accounts for 58.8 million deaths worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, a smoker dies every 6.5 seconds!
• Smoking is the leading cause of vascular stenosis, heart attacks, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• Smoking while pregnant can cause birth defects.
• For every cigarette, 11 minutes of your life is lost!

The statistics are staggering! I hope that these numbers will make you realize what smoking does to your body. Quit now before a number of diseases have already developed because of your smoking. Quit now before it affects your loved one’s health. Quit now before it’s too late!

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Today, around 1.22 billion people smoke. About 20% of which are young teens. Are you one of them?Do you know some important facts about smoking? Let me share some of them.

• Long term exposure to compounds found in smoke like carbon monoxide and cyanide is responsible for causing emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• In the United States, it is estimated that 87% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking.
• Exposure to secondhand smoke increases heart disease risk by 25 to 30% and lung cancer risk by 20 to 30%. Secondhand smoke kills about 50,000 Americans every year. Your smoking is harmful to others as well!
• Smoking also causes cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus, and larynx.
• Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day increases the risk of tuberculosis by 2 to 4 times.
• Smokers have a fourfold increased risk of having invasive pneumococcal disease.
• Smoking increases the risk of infections like common cold, bronchitis, chronic bronchitis and other pulmonary and respiratory infections.
• Smoking is a significant factor in miscarriages among pregnant smokers.
• Secondhand smoke is connected to sudden infant death syndrome. It results in 430 infant deaths in the United States every year.
• You are 5 times more likely to have a heart attack if you smoke.
• Today, smoking is the second major cause of death in the world! It accounts for 58.8 million deaths worldwide! 443,000 Americans die because of smoking!
• A smoker or former smoker dies every 6.5 seconds!
• You lose 11 minutes of your life for every cigarette that you consume.
• Compared to a nonsmoker, a smoker’s life expectancy is reduced by 2.5 to 10 years fewer.

All these facts are supported by years of research regarding the effects of smoking. If smoking causes diseases and deaths, why don’t you quit? You were a nonsmoker before. You can be one again! Quit now!

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The current President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama II, was born on August 4, 1961. He was inaugurated on January 20, 2009 after defeating Republican candidate John McCain.A known vice of President Obama is smoking cigarettes. Before starting his presidential campaign, he resolved to quit. Reports say that he used Nicorette chewing gums and nicotine patches. And he succeeded! Unfortunately, it only lasted for a few months. In a recent interview by Barbara Walters, President Obama said that he had “fallen off the wagon.” And when pressed as to whether he actually quit, he replied, “Fair enough. What I would say is that I have done a terrific job under the circumstances of making myself much healthier. You will not see any violations of these rules in the White House.” At least, he is trying. And with President Obama’s experience, I have learned one important thing about quitting smoking.

According to reports, President Obama’s resolve to quit crumbled because of stress during the campaign. It has been a well-known fact that cigarette smoking relieves stress. It makes a person calm down and relax. Why? Cigarettes contain nicotine. And it is nicotine that invigorates and relaxes a smoker! It is this de-stressing effect that makes cigarettes addicting!

Therefore, in order to quit smoking cigarettes, it is important to look for other de-stressing activities that are good for your body. When you start feeling stressed, think of a million ways to do instead of smoking! For instance, you can eat out with friends and family. Or you can watch a movie, take a nap, read a book, go to the gym, and many others. It’s a choice that you always have to make: smoking or a healthy alternative. Always choose the latter because if you keep on choosing smoking, you might as well be choosing death.

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Nicotine, an ingredient of cigarettes and tobacco products, is what makes smoking addicting. On average, it takes nicotine 10 seconds to reach the brain.Aside from causing physical and psychological dependence, nicotine also plays a role in a many smoking-related diseases. Although nicotine is not carcinogenic, it inhibits apoptosis which accelerates the growth and migration of existing cancer cells, and has the ability to turn some precancerous cells cancerous.

Lung cancer is one of the diseases attributed to smoking. People who have smoked at some point in their lives have a 1 in 10 chance of developing lung cancer. If they continue smoking, the risk increases to 1 in 6. In the United States, around 87% of lung cancer cases are smoking-related. Secondhand smoking also increases the risk of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30%.

As a stimulant, nicotine increases blood pressure and heart rate. Heart rate rises to as much as 30% during the first 10 minutes of smoking. Nicotine has also been linked to narrowing of blood vessels and increased likelihood of blood clots. Smokers below 40 years old are 5 times more likely to have a heart attack. Even secondhand smoking increases the risk of a heart attack by 25 to 30%.

Smoking increases the risk of acquiring infections. Infections include HIV susceptibility, common colds, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.

Secondhand smoking is connected to sudden infant death syndrome. Infants who die from this disease have high concentrations of nicotine in their lungs. Even if the parents do not smoke, their exposure to smoke also increases the infant’s risk. This is because the nicotine inhaled through smoke travels through a woman into her breast milk. Thus, nicotine will be ingested by her infant.

You have lived without nicotine before, right? Quit smoking and get nicotine out of your system. Remember, nicotine can cause many diseases which can cost you your life. Quit now!

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Considered as one of the most popular first ladies, Laura Lane Welch Bush was married to George W. Bush in 1977. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 2001 to 2009. During her tenure, she advanced her trademark interests of education, literacy, and women’s health.Since women’s health was one of her interests, she became involved with The Heart Truth awareness campaign, serving in the honorary position of ambassador. The campaign was established to raise awareness about heart disease in women and how to prevent the condition. Heart disease is the number 1 killer in American women today.

Laura Bush’s role in The Heart Truth has raised questions as to her habit of smoking. Smoking is known as one of the risk factors in heart disease. And in her interviews and speeches as ambassador, she usually talks about reducing risks by quitting smoking. Many people have been asking if she already quit smoking.

In recent interviews, Laura Bush said that she has stopped. On the contrary, there are still stories that friends have seen her smoking once in a while. Thus, the debate is still on.

The Heart Truth campaign is a very important one. It is not about Laura Bush. It is smoking as one of the causes of heart disease. It is about heart disease being the number 1 killer in American women today. It is about spreading the word that heart disease can be prevented by quitting smoking. Through her own experience, Laura Bush knows that quitting is very difficult. Do you smoke? If your answer is yes, I would ask you to quit now before it is too late. If you do not smoke, that’s great! And keep it that way because as Laura Bush said, “the secret is not to start.”

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Laura Lane Welch Bush, born in November 4, 1946, was married to George W. Bush in 1977. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 2001 to January 2009. Considered as one of the most popular first ladies, Laura Bush was involved in many initiatives concerning education, children, and women’s health.One of these is The Heart Truth awareness campaign aimed at raising awareness of risks of heart disease and stroke in women. She serves in the honorary position of ambassador. Her involvement in campaign has raised questions when it comes to her credibility as an ambassador. This is because of her smoking, which some people believe she hasn’t stopped doing.

In different interviews, Laura Bush did admit that she used to be a smoker. And even former President George W. Bush used to smoke, too! The former president quit smoking by taking up running. And in some interviews, Laura said that she quit when she was pregnant with the twins. And when the twins were born, Laura admitted to smoking once in a while mostly because of stress. Whether she still smokes up to this day is still up for debate.

Laura Bush’s role in The Heart Truth is a very important one. Whether we believe that she has quit the habit or not isn’t what’s important. The important thing here is that she is spreading the word about the bad effects of smoking. Smoking causes heart disease and stroke — two of the number one causes of death in the world today. During Laura Bush’s campaign, she shared that quitting is very difficult. She said that “the secret is not to start.” Let us take her advice to heart. Smoking is not an easy habit to quit. Once you start, you also start killing yourself. Better quit than be sorry. And better to quit even before you started.

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According to Wikipedia, “smoking is a practice where a substance, most commonly tobacco, is burned and the smoke tasted or inhaled. This is primarily done as a form of recreational drug use.”Smoking dates to as early as 5000 BC. It was associated with religious ceremonies like cleansing rituals or offerings to deities. It spread throughout the world after the European exploration and conquest of the Americas. Today, smoking is practiced by around 1.22 billion people, about 20% of which are young teens. Rates of smoking have declined in the developed world. For instance, in the United States, smoking rates from 1965 to 2006 have dropped from 42% to 20.8% of adults. But in the developing world, consumption is rising by 3.4% per year as of 2002.

Smoking is among the leading cause of diseases such as lung cancer, heart attacks, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, vascular stenosis, and birth defects! And today, smoking is the second major cause of death! How many people die from smoking?

How many people die from smoking?

In 2004, the World Health Organization projected 58.8 million deaths, with 5.4 million attributed to tobacco smoking. In 2015, tobacco smoking is predicted to kill 6.5 million people and 8.3 million in 2030. According to the World Health Organization, a current or former smoker dies every 6.5 seconds!

In the United States, over 443,000 Americans die because of smoking. And secondhand smoke kills about 50,000 of them. In China, smoking causes 1.2 million deaths each year. That is 2,000 dead people a day! The numbers are staggering!

Knowing all these smoking hazards and death tolls, which side of the statistic would you want to belong? Will you be counted under the death toll? Or would you rather quit smoking to live a long and healthy life? Remember, with every cigarette smoked, you are losing 11 valuable minutes of your life!

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Everybody knows by now: smoking is harmful. It is harmful not just to smokers but to nonsmokers as well!What harm can smoking do to nonsmokers?
Secondhand smoking or passive smoking is also harmful. Exposure to smoke increases the heart disease risk of nonsmokers by 25 to 30% and their lung cancer risk by 20 to 30%. Every year, 3,400 nonsmokers die because of lung cancer.

If you are pregnant, smoking can cause miscarriages. And smoking while pregnant is also harmful to the fetus. Low-birth weight, small for gestational age, and sudden infant death syndrome are common problems in infants born by smoking mothers. In the United States, 430 infant deaths are caused by smoking-related sudden infant death syndrome.

What harm can smoking do to smokers?
Smoking is harmful because it causes a multitude of diseases and cancers. 87% of lung cancer cases in the United States are related to smoking. Other smoking-related cancers can be found in the oral cavity, esophagus, larynx, and pancreas.

Emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are caused by long term exposure to carbon monoxide and cyanide, two of the common substances in smoke.

The risk of acquiring tuberculosis is 2 to 4 times greater among smokers.

A smoker is 5 times more likely to have a heart attack.

And the most harmful effect of smoking is death! Smoking has caused an estimated of 58.8 million deaths worldwide! And a smoker’s life expectancy is reduced by 2.5 to 10 years.

Remember, these findings are supported by years of study. Even the government acknowledges these because it has instituted the printing of government warning labels on cigarette packages. Even television and radio commercials have these warnings! It’s about time that you acknowledge these harmful effects as well. Quit now and be a hero by saving your life and the people around you!

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The facts on smoking can be pretty scary. Whenever a consumer buys a pack of cigarette, a government warning is always printed on its package. It reads: “Government Warning: Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerous To Your Health.” Are you aware of the dangers that smoking imposes on your health? Here are the facts:• Cancer. Smoking causes cancer because smoke contains 19 known carcinogens. Nicotine, the highly addicting substance in cigarettes, accelerates the growth of already existing cancers. In the United States, 87% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking. Cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus, larynx, and pancreas have also been related to smoking.
• Heart Disease. A smoker is 5 times more likely to have a heart attack compared to a nonsmoker. Exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart disease by 25 to 30%.
• Pulmonary disease. Long term exposure to carbon monoxide and cyanide, commonly found in smoke, causes emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day increases the risk of acquiring tuberculosis by 2 to 4 times.
• Infection. Smoking increases the risk of acquiring infections like invasive pneumococcal disease, bronchitis, and other pulmonary and respiratory infections.
• Miscarriage. Miscarriages are common among pregnant smokers.
• Infant disease and death. Women who smoked during pregnancy usually gave birth to low-birth weight infants. Smaller babies have higher risk of postnatal problems like jaundice and breathing problems. In the United States, secondhand smoke results in 430 infant deaths annually.
• Death. The life expectancy of a smoker is reduced by 2.5 to 10 years fewer than a nonsmoker. Today, smoking is the second major cause of death in the world! It causes 58.8 million deaths worldwide! A smoker or former smoker dies every 6.5 seconds!

“Government Warning: Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerous To Your Health.” Don’t take these words for granted. Stop smoking now! Save your life and the life of others!

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Do you smoke? If yes, are you completely aware of the effects smoking has on your body? If you do not smoke, are you aware of the effects smoking has on your body as well? Yes, even if you don’t do it yourself, smoking still has hazardous effects.Let me remind you some of the effects smoking has on our bodies.

First, since smokers and nonsmokers inhale the smoke, it is just logical that the respiratory system will be affected. Inhaling smoke, no matter the substance, has effects on our bodies. This is because smoke has many substances like carbon monoxide and cyanide. Both substances, when inhaled over a long period of time causes emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Also, smoke has many carcinogenic and mutagenic substances which increase a smoker’s risk to lung cancer. Around 97% of lung cancer cases in the United States are effects of smoking. Even secondhand smoke increases a nonsmoker’s risk by 20 to 30%.

Effects of smoking on the cardiovascular system included diseases like atherosclerosis, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Smokers are 5 times more likely to suffer a heart attack. Secondhand smoke affects nonsmokers by increasing their risk of acquiring heart disease by 25 to 30%.

Smoking affects the immune system by increasing the risk of smokers in acquiring infections like common colds, bronchitis, and other pulmonary and respiratory infections. Effects of smoking on the gastrointestinal system include periodontitis, teeth stains, halitosis or bad breath, leukoplakia, and cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus, and larynx.

These are just a few of the diseases. If you ask your physician, or try reading materials about the effects of smoking, I am certain that you will see more diseases as effects of smoking. And what is worst is the fact that even death is an effect of smoking. For every puff of the cigarette, you lose 11 minutes of your life. Smoking is now considered as the second major cause of death worldwide!

What will you do now that you know the effects of smoking? I suggest that it’s about time to quit. Quit smoking! Stop death!

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Diseases caused by smoking can be pretty scary. Smoking causes a multitude of diseases because of the ingredients in cigarettes and tobacco products. Some of these disease-causing substances are acrolein, nicotine, tar, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrosamines, and other carcinogenic substances. Below are a few of those diseases.• Tar lungs and smoker’s cough. A smoker’s lungs become damaged as tar accumulates. And when the lungs can no longer function efficiently, it will resort to finding another way of removing tar. And that is what causes smoker’s cough.
• Heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, and peripheral vascular disease. Ingredients in tobacco products lead to the narrowing of blood vessels which increases the likelihood of a blockage. Smokers below 40 years old are 5 times more likely to have a heart attack. Passive smokers are at an increased risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30%.
• Lung cancer. People who have smoked at some point in their lives have a 1 in 10 chance of developing lung cancer. If you continue smoking, your risk increases to 1 in 6. In the United States, 87% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking. Passive smokers are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30%.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema. Both diseases are the result of long term exposure to substances commonly found in smoke, like carbon monoxide and cyanide.
• Tuberculosis. Smokers who consume 20 cigarettes a day increase their risk of acquiring tuberculosis by 2 to 4 times.
• Infection. Smokers have increased risk of acquiring infections like common colds, bronchitis, and other pulmonary and respiratory infections.
• Infant diseases. Infants born to smoking mothers have low birth weight and are small for their gestational age. These conditions predispose the infants to other diseases like jaundice and breathing problems. Sudden infant death syndrome has also been linked to secondhand smoke. In the United States, 430 infants die annually because of sudden infant death syndrome.

In all these conditions, death is inevitable. Life expectancy of smokers is reduced by 2.5 to 10 years. And secondhand smoke is just as hazardous. All these diseases will go away if only smokers will quit. Do you smoke? Quit now and save us all from the hazards that a single puff of cigarette can do.

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The danger of smoking should be known to everyone by now. Smoking is a dangerous habit. When you buy a pack of cigarettes, what do you usually see on the package? That’s the government warning label! It constantly reminds cigarette consumers that smoking poses danger to their health. Starting with buying a pack of cigarettes, people are already forewarned of the dangers of smoking.
Smoking is dangerous because it causes cancer. In the United States, around 97% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking. Passive smoking or secondhand smoking increases lung cancer risk of nonsmokers by 20 to 30%. Around 3,400 people die from secondhand smoke. Cancers of the oral cavity, larynx, esophagus, and pancreas can also be caused by smoking.Danger to the heart can also be caused by smoking. A smoker is 5 times more likely to suffer a heart attack. Secondhand smoke increases the heart disease risk of nonsmokers by 25 to 30%.

Another danger of smoking is that it affects the immune system. A smoker has increased risk of acquiring infections like common colds, bronchitis, and other pulmonary and respiratory infections. Smoking more than 20cigarettes a day increases a smoker’s risk of acquiring tuberculosis by 2 to 4 times.

It is also dangerous for women to smoke while pregnant. Smoking increases the risk of miscarriages. And, if the fetus was exposed to secondhand smoke, various diseases manifest once born. For instance, an infant may suffer with sudden infant death syndrome, low birth weight, and small for gestational age.

These are just a few smoking-related diseases. And the worst danger of smoking is reduced life expectancy by 2.5 to 10 years! For every cigarette smoked, you lose 11 minutes of your life! Today, smoking is known as the second major cause of death in world! It causes 58.8 million deaths worldwide!

Your life is in danger. And your smoking also endangers the lives of others. Quit now before it’s too late!

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Many diseases today point to one cause — smoking. This is due to the fact that tobacco products contain many ingredients that are harmful to the body. Some of these substances can even cause cancer!Tar is a by-product of smoking. This substance accumulates and damages the smoker’s lungs which cause tar lungs. Consequently, the body will resort to coughing to remove the tar. This is how smoker’s cough begins.

Tobacco products have many cancer-causing substances. These cause smoking to become one major risk factor for cancer. People who have smoked at some point in their lives have a 1 in 10 chance of developing lung cancer. If they continue smoking, the risk increases to 1 in 6. Passive smokers are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30%.

Still, substances in tobacco products cause narrowing of blood vessels. This increases the likelihood of a blockage which results to a heart attack. Smokers below 40 years old are 5 times more likely to have a heart attack. Passive smokers are at an increased risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30%

Another cause of smoking is that it affects the immune system. Smokers are at an increased risk of acquiring infections like common colds, bronchitis, and other pulmonary and respiratory infections.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema are also caused by smoking. Both diseases result from long term exposure to carbon monoxide and cyanide in smoke.

Tuberculosis is also another cause of smoking. Smokers who consume 20 cigarettes a day increase their risk of acquiring tuberculosis by 2 to 4 times.

The worst cause of smoking is death. A smoker’s life expectancy is reduced by 2.5 to 10 years. And a puff of the cigarette equals losing 11 minutes of your life. Smoking today is the second major cause of death in the world! Therefore, it is important that you quit smoking now! Not tomorrow but now! Quit now to live a longer and healthier life!

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Statistics on the affects of smoking have been rising. Read the information below as to some affects of smoking on our body systems.RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Affects of smoking on the respiratory system include emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These are caused by long term exposure to substances in smoke, like carbon monoxide and cyanide.

The carcinogenic and mutagenic substances in smoke cause lung cancer. In the United States, around 97% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking. Even secondhand smoke increases a nonsmoker’s risk by 20 to 30%.

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
Affects of smoking on the cardiovascular system include heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, and peripheral vascular disease.

Smoke inhalation causes immediate changes within the heart and blood vessels. Within 1 minute, heart rate rises. And it continues to rise by as much as 30% during the first 10 minutes of smoking. Carbon monoxide in smoke reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. Several ingredients in tobacco products lead to narrowing of blood vessels which increases the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke. Smokers below 40 years old are 5 times more likely to have a heart attack.Even short term exposure to secondhand smoke can cause changes in the cardiovascular system that increases the risk of a heart attack by 25 to 30%

IMMUNE SYSTEM
Affects of smoking on the immune system include increased risk of acquiring infections like common colds, bronchitis, and other pulmonary and respiratory infections. Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day increases the risk of tuberculosis by 2 to 4 times. Smokers have a fourfold increase in their risk of acquiring invasive pneumococcal disease.

There are still many smoking-related diseases, like periodontitis, leukoplakia and cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus, and larynx. And the worst affect of smoking is that it can shut down your entire body! Smoking is now the second major cause of deaths in the world! So what are you waiting for? Quit smoking now!

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Many smokers start or continue their habit in order to deal with stress. But quitting smoking increases stress itself. That double-whammy makes it doubly hard to stop. Understanding what creates stress and finding healthier ways to deal with it well help in that struggle.

At low dosages, nicotine is a stimulant. It increases heart rate and raises the blood pressure. Those biological changes interact to produce psychological ones. They’re perceived, up to a point, as pleasurable. At higher levels, nicotine induces a relaxing state.

Both those effects tend to alleviate stress. Stimulation generates alertness. That gives a positive feeling, induced to a degree by the dopamine generated in the brain, along with other changes to its pleasure centers. Inducing relaxation has a clear and direct influence on stress level.

Yet, physiologically, stress or anxiety and feeling the exhilaration of challenge are very similar. The key to the difference lies in how we evaluate the external events and the reactions to them within ourselves.

Few external events, if any, are inherently stressful. It depends on how we evaluate their potential impact on our goals and values. Yet, the facts that lead to that evaluation are real. The loss of a loved one, the risk of losing a job, even everyday situations such as someone changing lanes rapidly in front of us on the highway are all potentially stressful. There’s a high likelihood those will negatively impact what we want.

Turning to cigarette smoking to deal with that stress is, in part, substituting a chemical for a change in attitude.

We can, for example, conclude that everyone on the road is rude and dangerous. But that’s obviously an overgeneralization. Most people don’t take foolish risks on the road most of the time. The risk of lower income from losing a job can happen. But we might also get another, even better, job in a day or a week.

It’s difficult to take that positive attitude right at the moment of quitting smoking. That’s one of the reasons only about 6% of those who stop succeed long-term on their first try. One thing can help: build up that attitude before reaching for a cigarette. Work on it while engaging in the habit.

Look to events that are often associated with lighting up, even when they don’t directly involve stress. An after meal cigarette can be delayed. Delay it longer and longer each day or week. Before long, that one is eliminated from the daily nicotine dose.

Build a more long term solution to stress by saving a small part of your income each week or month. Let it lay in an account collecting interest. Small amounts build up over time and provide a cushion to fall back on if the job does disappear. That lowers the stress at the moment, but also all the time you’re saving. Knowing that money is there now in case it’s needed later reduces the stress that can come from imagining the worst in the future.

Look for ways to reevaluate situations that cause stress. No one becomes stoic overnight. Nor is the attitude that ‘nothing matters’ helpful, either. Some things do and should matter. But slowly building confidence in one’s ability to meet challenges successfully reduces the odds and frequency of stress.

That program eventually reduces the felt need to smoke, and increases the odds of being able to quit permanently.

Smoking is pleasurable, up to a point. That, after all, is why so many do it. If there were no gain, the practice would quickly die out. But a lot of meaning is stuffed into that innocent phrase ‘up to a point’. While the short term benefits of smoking cigarettes is real, the harm is equally real - and it’s potentially much more serious and long lasting.

There are several common factors that tend to lead someone to smoke. Stress, peer pressure and other psychological factors are present for virtually everyone. Substituting a toxic chemical for a healthier means of dealing with them is often viewed as simpler. But the long range consequences can be dire.

Official estimates are that 87% of lung cancer cases can be attributed to long-term, heavy smoking. The odds of stroke are 2-4 times higher for smokers than non-smokers. The risks of coronary heart disease are similar. For COPDs (chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases), such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis or asthma, the statistics are equally frightening. About 80-90% of COPD cases are among those who smoke.

The specific scientific facts took a few generations to establish. But there are now thousands of studies that correlate smoking with ill health effects. While the exact causes and links between smoking and stroke or cancer are still not fully known, the correlation is overwhelming.

The relationship, for example, between the increased build up of fatty deposits on the arteries as a result of smoking is well established. The effects on the lungs as tar builds up in the alveoli are plain to see. The hacking, reduced energy and other effects require no scientific study to know.

Several dozen carcinogenic compounds have been identified in cigarette smoke. They range from such familiar terms as tar and benzene to nitrosamines. Carbon monoxide is present in cigarette smoke, where it binds with hemoglobin to deprive the blood stream of needed oxygen.

Quitting isn’t easy. On average, only 6% succeed in stopping smoking permanently the first time they try. But it’s possible to be in that group, and to increase that number by joining it.

As with any long term health decision, it requires willpower. But that mental commitment can be aided by counseling as well as a wide range of products available today. Nicotine gum, patches and inhalers can help. Several non-nicotine alternatives are on the market, too. Anti-depressants like Zyban are an option. A newer prescription drug called Chantix has shown promise.

Dealing with the consequences of stopping smoking are trying. Weight gain is possible. Cravings are almost inevitable, for a while. But the long term benefits of quitting are real, immediate and enormous.

After a few years, the risks of stroke and heart disease return to what they are for non-smokers. The skin regenerates to a normal state. The overall energy level rises and the body and mind are better able to deal with the normal challenges of life.

Quit now and gain those advantages. The alternative is grim.

One of the more serious possible conditions from long-term cigarette smoking is heart disease. That’s a statement we hear often in discussions of smoking. But what does it really mean? What is heart disease, and how does smoking cause it?

In this context, the phrase ‘heart disease’ usually refers to coronary artery disease. That’s a condition in which a major blood vessel that leaves the heart carrying oxygen-rich blood becomes constricted. That increases the odds of a clot or closure that causes a heart attack. That’s why it’s sometimes called ‘having a coronary’.

Long term, heavy smoking greatly increases the odds of that happening for several reasons.

Carbon monoxide is present in cigarette smoke. It binds with hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that helps transport oxygen throughout the body, including the heart. Reducing the oxygen to the heart ups the odds of heart disease.

Nicotine also reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, while contributing to other conditions that are potentially harmful. It increases blood clotting, which can have a direct effect on the risk of heart attack, as we saw above.

But even more subtle, yet still dangerous, effects are produced by nicotine. One of the most serious, long term, is that it encourages the growth of fatty deposits on the arteries, constricting blood flow and hardening the blood vessel.

One of the ways smoking carries out that damage is by decreasing the amount of HDL (high density lipoprotein), the ‘good’ type of cholesterol. That encourages the growth of those fatty deposits. That condition is called atherosclerosis and it’s a major factor in heart attack risk.

Reducing the diameter of the artery increases blood pressure. That makes it more likely that any weakness present in the artery wall, something termed an aneurysm, will lead to a rupture. That leads to oxygen starvation to the brain, resulting in a stroke. That’s why one so often sees ‘raises the risk of heart disease and stroke’ discussed in the same sentence.

Hardening an artery makes it less able to withstand the normal stresses and strains of its function, as well. Remember, a blood vessel is both similar to a hose and different in important ways.

Like a hose, it carries fluid and can only do so when there are no holes. At the same time, unlike most hoses, it’s ‘on’ all the time. Any stoppage of blood flow, however temporary, causes immediate health problems. Tissues need a continual supply of blood or they die very quickly.

There’s also an overall effect from cigarette smoking that contributes to the risk of heart disease. Smoking causes several physical effects that reduce health. Reduced oxygen, shortness of breath and other effects make exercise more difficult and unpleasant. That, and lifestyle choices often associated with smoking, reduce overall fitness.

That lack of exercise, and the increased weight gain and body fat percentage that tends to accompany it, increases further the chances of heart disease and heart attack. The body is unable to withstand strains that might otherwise be minor. It is less able to withstand the serious biological shock that occurs when a heart attack finally happens. That ups the odds that the attack will be fatal.

Long-term, one-pack-a-day smokers have 2-4 times the chance of developing coronary heart disease than do non-smokers. Quitting today improves your odds immediately. Within 3 months circulation improves. After a year, the odds are half that of a smoker. After 5-15 years, the odds are that of someone who has never smoked. Don’t think it’s too late. Start today on a program to quit smoking.

Stopping smoking often brings on cravings for that foregone cigarette. There’s no one magic method for dealing with withdrawal cravings that works for every individual. Each person employs a different stop-smoking method and each one will react differently as nicotine levels are reduced. But there are a handful of techniques that have proved effective for a wide group.

Cigarette smoking is a habit. As such, when you quit, you want to continue the habit, by definition. For the first two weeks, as the body flushes the chemical products of smoking out of your body, it reacts by trying to return to the status quo. That’s a biological mechanism that works in a number of circumstances.

The technical term is homeostasis. The body tries to maintain a kind of equilibrium. When something changes drastically, it reacts to return things to ‘normal’. Recognizing that it is an in-built mechanism can actually be used to your advantage.

Part of the difficulty of quitting smoking is the anxiety and guilt that often accompany the effort. One feels out of control, uncertain whether we can stick to the decision. That perceived lack of control increases stress, which encourages us to smoke a cigarette to counteract it. That sets up a cycle that’s difficult to break.

That situation is hardest the first couple of weeks as those physical changes take place. Understanding that they are, in fact, beyond one’s control at least, by sheer willpower - but that the commitment is still up to us - can help see you through that difficult period.

During that period, try to minimize any other potential stress-inducing factors. Avoid starting a quit-smoking program when starting a new job. Don’t begin that long-term commitment when a child is about to undergo a serious medical procedure.

Make use of every healthy distraction.

Have small pieces of fresh fruit on hand. When you feel the urge to reach for that cigarette, pop one instead. It helps if the fruit is tangy rather than just sweet or bland. Pineapple and orange work well, but choose your favorite.

When you feel the urge to light up, turn on one of your favorite tunes. A song lasts about the same length of time as a cigarette and, like smoking, you can continue doing what you were while listening. Let the music you love carry you through that period. Pick something elevating. Don’t reinforce negative moods with negative music.

Find small exercises to do with your hands. That may be something as simple as squeezing a tennis ball or using a stress-relieving hand spring. Work up to exercises involving the whole arm, shoulder and back. That helps two ways: it eliminates that harmful cigarette and gets your circulatory system back in shape.

Do something that requires intense concentration, such as trimming a beard, fixing your hair exactly, making a sketch, working a math problem - whatever suits your personality and circumstances. It should be short, but leave little room to think about anything else, including that cigarette you want so much.

Before long, the cravings will decrease to a minimum. They’ll recur from time to time at random over the next few months. Repeat the rituals you used the first couple of weeks, if necessary. Think about the long term good you’re doing for yourself. Before long, it will outweigh the short-term advantages of lighting up.

Stop Smoking - Smoking and Cancer

Heavy, long-term cigarette smoking is often said to cause cancer, most prominently lung cancer and cancer of the larynx. And, the evidence is very strong, amounting to near certainty. But, interestingly enough, exactly how it does so is not fully known. It remains an active area of research.

Normal cells may be damaged, but they have the ability to repair themselves. In other cases, the cells are sloughed off and eliminated by the lymph system, then replaced by new ones. But this process can go awry. Cells can grow abnormally, taking on inappropriate shapes and performing incorrectly. When they do, and that growth reaches a certain level that the body can’t cope with, the result is cancer.

It is known that cigarette smoke contains many carcinogenic substances.

Tar, for example, is present in cigarette smoke chiefly from the burning paper that holds the tobacco, about 10-14 mg per cigarette. It gradually builds up in the alveoli, the small sacs in the lung that make possible absorption of oxygen into the blood stream. It’s believed that their presence is a continual irritant to the cells. That irritation eventually leads to uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells.

Other compounds, called nitrosamines, are present in varying amounts. They’re known to be carcinogenic from hundreds of clinical studies on small mammals. NNK is present in a very low concentration: 56.53 nanograms per cigarette. Other nitrosamines, like NNN and NAT, are present in roughly similar amounts.

A few dozen nanograms (one billionth of a gram - 1 g = 0.0353 oz) may sound like a small amount. But sometimes small amounts can have a large effect. Dog’s noses, for example, are so sensitive they can detect a few molecules of certain substances. Some systems in humans are equally sensitive to certain chemicals. Add to that the fact that many of the compounds and their effects are cumulative and the case begins to look very strong.

No study has found any link between cancer and consuming one or two cigarettes per day. But such smokers are extremely rare and the odds of them catching some other serious disease are so much higher it may be masked. A smoker who consumes a pack a day for 20 years has 2-4 times the chances of getting lung cancer than a non-smoker.

Non-smokers do, in fact get it. But that doesn’t show that smoking isn’t a cause, only that other causes can lead to the same effect. One reason scientists have good cause to believe that smoking increases the odds of getting lung cancer is just the odds cited above. Studies also show that lung cancer was much more rare prior to WWI when smoking rates were much lower. As the number of people smoking cigarettes rose, so did the cancer rate. Similarly, as people smoke more, the rates go up.

No single fact or study proves the case. But put enough of them together, over a long enough period, and eventually the case becomes very strong. So strong that saying ‘long-term, heavy smoking greatly increases the odds of acquiring lung cancer’ becomes a very reasonable statement indeed. It’s estimated that 87% of lung cancers are attributable to that habit.

Don’t let the odds get you. Start a stop-smoking program now.

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Many smokers start or continue their habit in order to deal with stress. But quitting smoking increases stress itself. That double-whammy makes it doubly hard to stop. Understanding what creates stress and finding healthier ways to deal with it well help in that struggle.

At low dosages, nicotine is a stimulant. It increases heart rate and raises the blood pressure. Those biological changes interact to produce psychological ones. They’re perceived, up to a point, as pleasurable. At higher levels, nicotine induces a relaxing state.

Both those effects tend to alleviate stress. Stimulation generates alertness. That gives a positive feeling, induced to a degree by the dopamine generated in the brain, along with other changes to its pleasure centers. Inducing relaxation has a clear and direct influence on stress level.

Yet, physiologically, stress or anxiety and feeling the exhilaration of challenge are very similar. The key to the difference lies in how we evaluate the external events and the reactions to them within ourselves.

Few external events, if any, are inherently stressful. It depends on how we evaluate their potential impact on our goals and values. Yet, the facts that lead to that evaluation are real. The loss of a loved one, the risk of losing a job, even everyday situations such as someone changing lanes rapidly in front of us on the highway are all potentially stressful. There’s a high likelihood those will negatively impact what we want.

Turning to cigarette smoking to deal with that stress is, in part, substituting a chemical for a change in attitude.

We can, for example, conclude that everyone on the road is rude and dangerous. But that’s obviously an overgeneralization. Most people don’t take foolish risks on the road most of the time. The risk of lower income from losing a job can happen. But we might also get another, even better, job in a day or a week.

It’s difficult to take that positive attitude right at the moment of quitting smoking. That’s one of the reasons only about 6% of those who stop succeed long-term on their first try. One thing can help: build up that attitude before reaching for a cigarette. Work on it while engaging in the habit.

Look to events that are often associated with lighting up, even when they don’t directly involve stress. An after meal cigarette can be delayed. Delay it longer and longer each day or week. Before long, that one is eliminated from the daily nicotine dose.

Build a more long term solution to stress by saving a small part of your income each week or month. Let it lay in an account collecting interest. Small amounts build up over time and provide a cushion to fall back on if the job does disappear. That lowers the stress at the moment, but also all the time you’re saving. Knowing that money is there now in case it’s needed later reduces the stress that can come from imagining the worst in the future.

Look for ways to reevaluate situations that cause stress. No one becomes stoic overnight. Nor is the attitude that ‘nothing matters’ helpful, either. Some things do and should matter. But slowly building confidence in one’s ability to meet challenges successfully reduces the odds and frequency of stress.

That program eventually reduces the felt need to smoke, and increases the odds of being able to quit permanently.