About the Effects of Smoking

Overview

Cigarette smoking is linked to a myriad of illnesses. Smoking adversely affects almost every bodily organ. Thousands of deaths every year are caused by or linked to cigarette smoking. Despite these facts, which are now common knowledge, many individuals begin to or continue to smoke. Tobacco use is addictive. The effects of smoking are devastating to individuals and harmful to society in general.

Addiction

Cigarettes contain nicotine which is a highly addictive chemical. Over time, cigarette smokers develop a mind and body craving for cigarettes despite being poisoned by tobacco. Smoking becomes more than a habit or social enterprise as the person continues to smoke. It becomes a compulsion that is extremely difficult to stop. Smokers who want to quit have resources available to help them, including support groups and medical aids.

Statistics

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a number of alarming statistics regarding the harm cigarette smoking causes. Among these are that smoking is linked to approximately 438,000 deaths per year in the United States. It also reports smoking causes around 90 percent of deaths due to lung cancer among men and about 80 percent of these deaths in women. One of the most shocking statistics is that deaths linked to tobacco usage are greater in number than those caused by AIDS, alcohol and drug abuse, car crashes, suicides and homicides combined.

Cancers and Other Illnesses

Many cancers are caused by smoking. While lung cancer is the most well known as being linked to tobacco use, others occur as well. These include mouth, larynx, esophageal, bladder, cervical, kidney and pancreatic cancers. According to the CDC, obstructive lung disease is a serious illness linked in most cases to smoking. Emphysema is another well known condition caused by tobacco use. The cardiovascular system is also negatively impacted by smoking. The CDC reports smokers are two to four times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than those who do not smoke. Smokers also are at a greater risk than others for suffering a stroke, developing peripheral vascular disease and experiencing an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Women's Issues

Aside from the effects smoking has on both genders, women have additional issues caused by tobacco usage. Women smokers have an increased risk of being infertile, delivering premature children, having low birth weight infants and delivering stillborn babies. Smokers also have children more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than other women. Postmenopausal women who smoke often have lower bone density than non-smokers and, therefore, have more instances of hip fractures than women who do not use tobacco.

Appearance and Hygiene

Aside from the myriad of serious illnesses caused by cigarette smoking, there are other unpleasant effects as well. Smoking adversely affects the skin by making it pale due to blood vessel restriction. Tobacco use can also stain the teeth a yellow or brown color. Many people find the smells associated with smoking unpleasant. The "smoker smell" lingers on clothes, bodies and in hair. Smoking is also often responsible for persistent bad breath.