The National Cancer Institute states that tobacco smoke contains at least 250 harmful chemicals, 50 of which are known carcinogens. Because cigarettes also contain nicotine, a highly addictive chemical, people can become addicted to smoking in a matter of weeks or even days after having their first cigarette. Smoking is one of the most dangerous yet voluntary things you can do to your body. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Health Issues
Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer and heart disease, as well as stroke, hip fractures and cataracts, according to the National Cancer Institute. You also increase your chances of developing health problems such as smoker's cough, high blood pressure, heartburn, diarrhea and ulcers. Smoking can lead to premature death; in fact, each year around 443,000 Americans die each year due to smoking-related diseases, according to the American Lung Association.
Financial Issues
Smoking costs a lot of money. Federal and state governments slap taxes on the cost of a package of cigarettes. You may be causing significant damage to your financial state of affairs by continuing to smoke. If you calculate the amount of money that you spend per week on a package of cigarettes and multiply that number by the number of weeks in a year, you may be shocked to realize exactly how much money is going towards your smoking habit.
Physical Appearance
Smoking causes damage to your skin, hair and overall appearance. Nicotine stains your nails and teeth. Smoking also can cause premature wrinkles on your skin, especially to the delicate skin around your eye area. If you smoke, you probably have bad breath and a perpetual cigarette stench on your clothing. You might find yourself popping breath mints or spraying perfume or cologne just to mask the scent of cigarettes on your body.
Secondhand Smoke
If you smoke, it affects everyone around you. Secondhand smoke kills nearly 3,000 non-smokers every year due to lung cancer, notes PBSKids. The American Cancer Society reports that 46,000 non-smokers who live with smokers die each year from heart disease caused by secondhand smoke. If you have children, you should be especially concerned, because children are at a higher risk of developing asthma, chronic lung infections and middle ear infections if exposed to secondhand smoke, according to the American Cancer Society.
