It’s well known that smoking causes many health problems. Smoking has long been linked to several illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, chronic bronchitis, etc. Cigarettes were once marketed as “light” or “low tar,” but they still carry the same risks. Even occasional smoking can damage the lungs, says Prokhorov. To reduce their risk, smokers should consider nicotine replacement therapy and other quit-smoking methods.
Smoking is Good For Your Baby
Smoking during pregnancy harms both the mother and the baby. It reduces the amount of oxygen the fetus receives, causing its heart to beat more quickly to compensate for the loss of oxygen. It raises the risk of asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia in children and adults. Furthermore, it may result in preterm labor and low birth weight. In adult life, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are more prevalent among babies exposed to secondhand smoke. Smoking during pregnancy increases the incidence of miscarriages, preterm difficulties, and childbirth-related deaths in women. Passive smoking can also harm babies, making them more prone to respiratory illnesses and having poorer growth than those born to non-smoking mothers. It is important to dispel myths about smoking and quitting, as they can encourage people to start smoking or deter them from quitting. It is especially important to break down these myths among groups of smokers that may find it harder to finish, including people with mental health conditions. This group often faces several challenges that make quitting more difficult, such as having more friends who smoke, limited resources and a stronger dependence on nicotine.
Smoking is a Social Activity
Most smokers start as teenagers when influenced by peers who smoke and by tobacco industry marketing. Anti-smoking ads, pack warnings, news reports about research, and personal encounters with people who have passed away impact them. But a commitment to health equity includes ensuring that people are not exposed to the stressors that make smoking more appealing or harder to quit, like financial problems, discrimination, and unsafe neighborhoods. These social determinants of health can also lead to higher rates of illness, disability, and premature death from smoking.
In the long term, smoking may also cause smokers to become more isolated and lonely as they age. A new study using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing found that current smokers are likelier to report high levels of loneliness and social disengagement than non-smokers. Smokers are also less likely to participate in civic activities and less often engage in cultural activities. They also tend to have worse breath and more wrinkles than non-smokers. These variables have the potential to start a domino effect that worsens health in later life and increases the need for social and medical services.
Smoking is Harmless
Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 dangerous compounds. Smoking harms almost every body organ and increases your risk for cancer, heart disease and premature death. People who smoke light cigarettes or use e-cigarettes may think they can escape the dangers because the products contain less nicotine. However, both regular and low-nicotine cigarettes increase the risk of disease. Nicotine is addictive and is the main cause of smoking-related diseases.
Smoking also makes blood clots in the heart and lungs more prone to form. A stroke or amputation may ensue from these clots obstructing blood flow to the brain, heart, or legs. It is a major cause of type 2 diabetes and worsens some health problems associated with the condition, such as kidney disease. It weakens the immune system, which can make it more difficult to fight infections.
Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have babies with oral or facial defects called orofacial clefts. Smoking also increases the chances of a woman having trouble getting pregnant in the future and can reduce fertility in men.
Smoking is Good For You
Many people think that occasional smoking won’t hurt them. However, cigarette smoke can damage every organ in your body. You are more likely to get heart disease, lung cancer, and early aging. Smoking damages your lungs, leading to coughing, bronchitis, and chronic shortness of breath. It also increases your risk for asthma and other respiratory diseases. It affects your blood vessels, leading to heart attack and stroke. It can even damage your bones, leading to osteoporosis and spinal fractures. It can cause bad body odors, discolored teeth, and premature skin wrinkling. Using any tobacco product, including electronic cigarettes, hookahs and cigars, can damage your health. Quitting will help reduce the disease risk and improve your quality of life. The sooner you stop, the better.
Smoking Helps You Relax
Many smokers use smoking as a way to escape from a stressful situation or to relieve feelings of anxiety. However, the reality is that smoking does not help relieve stress. Smoking increases stress and anxiety because it is a stimulant. Nicotine causes a temporary high that makes the brain think it is relaxing, but when the brain does not get a constant supply of nicotine, it begins to demand more. It creates stress and irritability in the smoker. Smoking does not relax the body because it stimulates the heart and breathing, creating stress and irritability. It is not the cigarette that helps people feel relaxed, but rather the feeling of stepping away from their stressful situation and taking a deep breath. Smokers should seek other ways to reduce their stress and improve their mood. These include exercise, a well-balanced diet, meditation, acupuncture and counseling. Many people have more energy and are less anxious when they stop smoking. It is because they no longer have to fight their cravings.