Smoking cigarettes gets blamed for many negative things, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, confirms that it is dangerous. It kills more people every year than illegal drug use, alcohol use, murders, suicides, car accidents and the human immunodeficiency virus combined, according to the CDC. It also has a variety of other effects on smokers and the people around them.
Respiratory Problems
Smoking cigarettes can cause many different respiratory problems like bronchitis, emphysema and chronic airway obstruction. The CDC explains it does this because it damages the airways and the small air sacs inside of the lungs.
Cardiovascular Problems
Cigarette smokers are at greater risk for developing several different cardiovascular problems, according to the CDC. Smoking often impairs circulation by narrowing the arteries, This raises the risk of peripheral artery disease. Smokers are also more likely to get coronary heart disease and abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Strokes
Smoking boosts the risk of suffering from a stroke significantly. The CDC reports that cigarette smokers are two to four times more likely to have a stoke than nonsmokers.
Cancer
Cigarette smoking is often associated with lung cancer because it damages the lungs, but the CDC advises that it increases the risk of developing several different types of carcinoma. It has been linked to a greater chance of getting larynx, pharynx, esophageal, bladder, kidney, stomach, cervical and uterine cancers.
Reproduction/Pregnancy Difficulties
The CDC warns that smoking can interfere with reproduction for female cigarette smokers. They often have a harder time getting pregnant and are more likely to deliver premature or stillborn babies. Children born to smokers have a greater risk of low birth weight and dying of sudden infant death syndrome.
Odor
Health risks are not the only cons of smoking cigarettes. Tobacco smoke clings to hair and clothing and gives smokers an unpleasant odor. The smell also clings to furniture and other items in houses when people smoke indoors.
Periodontal Disease
The American Academy of Periodontology warns that cigarette smoking boosts the risk of developing gum disease. Smokers are more likely to develop plaque on their teeth and deep pockets between their teeth and gums, and lose supporting tissue and bone around their teeth.
Secondhand Smoke
A 2007 report by the surgeon general warns that secondhand smoke affects the health of nonsmoking adults and children who are around cigarette smokers in indoor spaces. It raises their risk of lung cancer and heart disease.
