As smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes takes a toll on the body, the risk for health problems grows, while financial stability shrinks. Long-term tobacco use has been linked with a wide range of diseases and mental and physical disorders, not the least of which is nicotine addiction itself. Spending money on tobacco products and medical bills, and receiving less money when the ability to work declines, can constitute a major drain on personal finances.
Decreased Respiratory Function
Smoking cigarettes damages the airways and lungs over time. Daily irritation to the bronchi and lung tissue results in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, which may affect young and old smokers. Teenagers, for instance, experience "long-term" effects in a relatively shorter time, based on their ages.
The American Lung Association lists among long-term health problems the daily or periodic coughing of phlegm that accompanies chronic bronchitis, an early form of COPD. Symptoms worsen as lung function diminshes, until emphysema develops. This form of COPD severely limits breathing ability, and both lung obstructions can cause death.
Poor Physical Fitness
The effects of tobacco use on the heart combine with lung health problems to decrease exercise tolerance. This makes smokers less active, raising their risk for coronary heart disease and heart attack.
The American Heart Association notes that atherosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries, brought on by smoking cigarettes reduces circulation over time. The carbon monoxide in smoke displaces the normal amount of oxygen in red blood cells as well, further decreasing oxygen levels. The result is poor physical condition and a higher possibility of death from cardiac malfunction.
Increased Cancer Risk
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that cancer risk grows over the years with the number of cigarettes smoked. Because tobacco use deposits carcinogens in the blood, cancer can arise wherever the blood flows. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' website cites scientific evidence that links cigarettes with cancers of the mouth, lip, throat, larynx, blood, lung, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, cervix and uterus.
Financial Drain
Chronic health problems create long-term medical expenses as well as an increased incidence of acute illnesses, such as colds, flu and pneumonia. These bouts cause tobacco users to miss work more frequently than nonsmokers.
An American Lung Association survey showed that COPD can also limit the ability to work productively. With employment opportunities restricted by lower performance, and the price of tobacco products and health care rising, the financial impact of smoking cigarettes significantly affects the quality of long-term smokers' lives.
