When you smoke cigarettes or cigars, you aren't only smoking the tobacco. According to Cleveland Clinic in the article "Types of Tobacco," that cigarette may also include over 4,000 chemicals, including ammonia, arsenic, hydrogen cyanide and DDT. The nicotine in cigarettes is addictive, which is why you may have trouble quitting smoking even if you want to. Educate yourself about smoking tobacco so you're more likely to quit.
Side Effects
Short term side effects of smoking may occur almost as soon as you start smoking and last until you quit. These side effects may include bad skin and psoriasis, according to KidsHealth.org in the article "Smoking." You may also have bad breath, your clothing and hair may smell bad, your eyes and teeth may become yellow, and bodily injuries may take longer to heal. Additionally, smokers may have more frequent instances of colds, the flu, bronchitis and pneumonia than non-smokers, notes KidsHealth.org.
Long-Term Effects
If you continue smoking cigarettes or cigars over time, serious long-term effects will occur. Smoking tobacco may cause coronary heart disease, stroke, emphysema, chronic lung disease, mouth cancer, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, bladder cancer and cancer of the larynx, according to The Partnership at DrugFree.org. Smoking tobacco while pregnant may cause birth defects. Don't wait until these long-term effects surface -- quit smoking now to ensure that you do not develop any deadly long-term effects.
Teen Smoking Prevention
Teenagers may become pressured to smoke cigarettes at school, not knowing that cigarettes may cause a lifetime of addiction and health effects. Educate your teen about the dangers of smoking cigarettes before her friends get to her first. Understand why your teen my be attracted to the idea of smoking cigarettes, but in addition to explaining the long-term effects, address your teen's vanity by explaining that smoking will affect your teen's appearance, suggests MayoClinic.com in the article "Teen Smoking: 10 Ways to Help Teens Stay Smoke-Free."
How to Quit
Quitting smoking isn't always as simple as flushing your cigarettes down the toilet. Although nicotine products, like nicotine gum or nicotine patches may help, you must also be mentally prepared to quit. Make a list of all the reasons why you want to quit smoking and your goal date for quitting, recommends MayoClinic.org in the article "Preparing to Quit Smoking." Whenever you think about picking up a cigarette, make a list of family members who can support you. Reach out to one of these family members before you pick up a cigarette. She may remind you about why you decided to stop smoking in the first place.
