Smoking can shorten your life by 10 years, according to Teen Health. This is just one of the reasons why it isn't a good idea to smoke. Not only can smoking harm your health, but also that of your spouse and children because they will be exposed to secondhand smoke from being around you.
Health
Compared with nonsmokers, smokers have higher levels of cancers, including lung, bladder, stomach and throat cancers, emphysema, heart disease, stroke, bronchitis, pneumonia, colds and flu, according to Teen Health. They also have bad breath, bad skin and a harder time recovering from any illnesses or infections. Girls who smoke also have higher risks for complications if they use hormonal forms of birth control.
Pregnancy
For those who want to get pregnant, smoking can cause problems both when it comes to conceiving and during the actual pregnancy itself. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smokers have a higher risk than nonsmokers for both adverse maternal conditions, such as placenta previa, premature rupture of the membranes, abruptio placentae, and poor pregnancy outcomes including preterm delivery, sudden infant death syndrome, and stillbirth and neonatal mortality. Smokers also have a harder time getting pregnant than nonsmokers and are more likely to give birth to low birthweight children.
Children
Smokers can pass on the poor health outcomes caused by smoking to their children and spouses through secondhand smoke, with exposure leading to a higher likelihood of heart and lung disease among nonsmokers. According to the Office of the Surgeon General, exposure to secondhand smoke affects almost 60 percent of children as of 2007. Children are also exposed to secondhand smoke more often than adults and have increased risks of asthma, respiratory infections and ear diseases.
Other Effects
Smokers also are not able to compete well with nonsmokers in athletic events, and often have trouble exercising to lose weight because smoking makes their heart beat faster, giving them shortness of breath and decreasing their circulation.
According to the Daily Free Press, some employers also discriminate against smokers. Several cases have surfaced in states where this is not illegal, such as Massachusetts, of employers who either will not hire smokers or who fire smokers who don't quit.
Expert Insight
Because smoking is so addictive, it is best not to start smoking in the first place, according to Teen Health. The CDC also says female smokers who quit either before they became pregnant or while they are pregnant can significantly lower the risks both to themselves and their unborn children. Doctors should also use every opportunity available to ask patients who smoke about their smoking and encourage them to quit, according to a Columbia University guide to smoking cessation.
