The Downsides of Smoking

Anyone knows a person who smokes. Nobody can claim that he/she does not know anyone who smokes. This is a proof that the world is populated by millions of smokers. This fact is very disturbing considering the numerous dangers smoking brings to humans’ health and also to the environment.
Cigarettes contain more than 700 chemical additives and some of them are known as toxic and are not allowed in food. When a cigarette gets lighten up, it reaches a temperature of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. A temperature as high as this leads to the release of thousands of chemical compounds such as harmful carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide as well as 43 carcinogens and a variety of mutagens. Just imagine what all these can do to your health.

Image via Wikipedia The most common diseases that smoking can give a smoker are lung cancer and other respiratory problems and heart ailments. These problems arise from all the harmful chemicals that are inhaled by a person when he/she smokes. As mentioned above, carbon monoxide is one of the dangerous chemical compounds released by smoking a cigarette. The carbon monoxide when inhaled is quickly absorbed into the blood and it reduces the capacity of the blood to carry oxygen to the various parts of the body. Because of that, the smoker needs to exert more effort to physical activities as compared to a person who does not smoke. Specifically, the person’s heart works harder during thorough and rigorous activities. Along with that, there is a risk for having an impaired vision, perception of time and coordination. Other diseases that smoking can cause are cancer of the cervix, larynx, mouth, esophagus, bladder, pancreas and kidney, emphysema and poor stamina. Smoking can also decrease one’s capability to enjoy physical capabilities because of ailments and its other side effects.

Smoking habit ruins a person’s personal hygiene too. Continuous smoking can lead to stained teeth and fingers and of course, bad breath. Sometimes, even the clothes of the smoker tend to smell like a tobacco.

Even statistics show that smoking has more downside than benefits. Based on records, smoking is one of the main causes of death every year. It shortens a person’s life span as well.
Aside from damaging the smoker’s own health, other people’s healths are put to same risks too through secondhand smoking.

With all the loads of negative effects of smoking, it is really surprising why many people engage in it.

One Response to “The Downsides of Smoking”

1. Chemical Engineering » Blog Archive » The Downsides of Smoking Says:
   July 4th, 2008 at 3:40 pm

   [...] Veggie Patch wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt Anyone knows a person who smokes. Nobody can claim that he/she does not know anyone who smokes. This is a proof that the world is populated by millions of smokers. This fact is very disturbing considering the numerous dangers smoking brings to humans’ health and also to the environment. Cigarettes contain more than 700 chemical additives and some of them are known as toxic and are not allowed in food. When a cigarette gets lighten up, it reaches a temperature of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. A t [...]

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