People from all walks of life and of all ages smoke cigarettes. Many reports have been issued regarding the dangers of smoking cigarettes. According to the American Cancer Society, almost one in five deaths in the United States is caused by tobacco use. Because this is a chosen behavior, smoking is considered the most preventable cause of death and disease in our society.
Addiction
One of the most dangerous things about smoking tobacco is the addiction that makes quitting smoking difficult. The American Heart Association explains that nicotine is the addictive component in cigarettes and creates a pleasurable change in the brain that makes users want more. Addictions are hard to break because absence of the substance can create unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, anxiety, weight gain and difficulty concentrating. The Department of Medicine at University of California, San Francisco, advises nicotine replacement, Wellbutrin and Chantix as smoking addiction treatments.
Heart Disease
Smoking increases the risk of heart disease and affects various cardiac mechanisms. In October 2009, the Department of Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Ministry of Health, Ankara, Turkey, reported that smoking increases the sympathetic nervous system, thus increasing heart rate, constricting blood vessels and raising blood pressure. Smoking also increases cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL while decreasing HDL levels even in light smokers. According to the American Heart Association, while smoking increases cardiac risk factors, the risks are greatly increased when combined with other risk factors, such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes
The onset of type 2 diabetes is often due to lifestyle factors. According to the Department of Ambulatory Care and Community Medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland, smoking increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. It also found that risk increases as smoking increases. A study published in "Clinical Endocrinology" in November 2009 advises smoking cessation for diabetes prevention and treatment.
Stroke
Strokes can cause death or permanent brain damage and occur when blood vessels to the brain are obstructed. In 1996, the Life Insurance Companies Institute of Medical Statistics, Oslo, Norway, concluded that daily smoking increases the risk of stroke by three and a half times. Additionally, stroke risk increases the more you smoke.
Lung Damage
Lungs can be seriously damaged by cigarette smoking. In February 2010, the Department of Primary Care in the Netherlands examined the interaction between smoking and lung disease and reported that smoking causes bronchodilation, which increases levels of carbon monoxide, tar and nicotine in the lungs, thereby contributing to various lung diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control, smoking causes emphysema, bronchitis and chronic airway obstruction.
Cancer
Smoking has been implicated in many cancer forms. The CDC states that smoking cigarettes causes acute myeloid leukemia, kidney cancer, cancer of the pancreas, bladder cancer, cancer of the voice box, cancer of the throat, cancer of the cervix, lung cancer, stomach cancer, cancer of the esophagus, cancer of the mouth and cancer of the uterus.
References
- American Cancer Society: Learn About Cancer: Cigarette Smoking
- American Heart Association: Nicotine Addition
- Pubmed: Pharmacology of Nicotine: Addiction, Smoking-induced Disease, and Therapeutics
- Pubmed: Influence of Heavy Cigarette Smoking on Heart Rate Variability and Heart Rate Turbulence Parameters
- Pubmed: Smoking Intensity and Lipoprotein Abnormalities in Active Smokers
