If you're a fan of old films, you may get the impression that smoking was an acceptable and even glamorous practice--certainly not unhealthy. Silver screen classics such as the 1950 Academy Award Winner "All About Eve" showed Bette Davis and fellow actors cast against a sultry fallout of smoke and ash while exchanging wry, witty banter. It wasn't until January 11, 1964, that U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Luther Terry briefed reporters on the truth about nicotine and cigarettes' overall effect on the body, according to Tobacco.org, a clearinghouse for smoking-related issues. The bottom line: Smoking is bad for your health.
Social Acceptance
Imagine, if you can, an America where people smoked in public places such as business offices, airplanes, restaurants and movie theaters. According to Tobacco.org, in 1964, more than half of all adult men smoked. Roughly 46 percent of all Americans smoked cigarettes. Cigarette companies sponsored TV shows, and ads featured doctors recommending their favorite cigarette brand. Once Terry released his findings in a Surgeon General's Report, smoking dropped precipitously within three months by 20 percent. Dr. Terry's most ominous revelation? Smoking causes cancer. However, smoking has been shown to negatively affect almost every organ of your body, accounting for 1 in 5 deaths in the U.S. each year, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC.
Cancer
According to the CDC, smoking causes a litany of cancers, not just lung cancer. It also causes cancer of the pharynx, pancreas, larynx, stomach, esophagus, mouth, uterus, kidneys and bladder, in addition to acute myeloid leukemia. Compared with people who don't smoke, men who smoke are 23 times more likely to get lung cancer; women increase their risk for cancer 13-fold, says the CDC.
Respiratory Disease
Lung cancer is only one possible illness you risk when you smoke. The CDC mentions other lung diseases caused by the damaging effects of smoke on your airways and lungs, including emphysema, bronchitis and chronic airway obstruction. You're 12 to 13 times more likely to die of chronic obstructive lung diseases, such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, if you smoke.
Cardiovascular Disease
Smoking is unhealthy also because it puts you at risk for developing a chronic disorder called atherosclerosis, which occurs when fat builds up in your arteries, says the American Heart Association. This leads to heart disease, heart attack and stroke. According to the CDC, if you smoke, your odds of getting heart disease increase 2 to 4 times; you're equally as likely to suffer a stroke.
Other Complications
Cigarette smoking is unhealthy for women of child-bearing age, putting them more at risk for infertility, premature delivery and stillbirth. Babies of smoking mothers are more susceptible to sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, and are at risk for low birth weight. Although a mere cosmetic concern, smoking also causes premature wrinkles, says Dr. Richard Hurt of the Mayo Clinic. The chemicals in cigarette smoke damage the proteins that make up your skin, collagen and elastin, reducing its resilience and elasticity.
Quit Smoking
Although the popularity of tobacco products has waxed and waned over the decades, Terry's warning is no less potent today than it was back in 1964. If you smoke and are concerned about the effects your habit has on your health, now's the time to think about kicking your habit to the curb. According to the Mayo Clinic, combining an anti-smoking aid, such as nicotine replacement therapy or oral prescription smoking cessation medications, with counseling to change your behaviors and attitude toward smoking is the most effective way to break the nicotine habit.
