Cigarette Smoking Facts

“Smoking is the art of dying” is one of the most diplomatic statements put forth in defense of a vice. Smoking cigarettes or cigars and pipes is one detrimental habit that never seems to fizzle out. The estimated number of smokers present throughout the world has easily exceeded the one billion mark. Various medical studies have been conducted to determine the ill effects of this hazardous inclination. Despite this, as the years go by, more and more individuals are taking to smoking regularly. The growing awareness of the nasty side-effects also seem to be of no gain, as smokers fail to give up on their addiction. Combating nicotine addiction requires tremendous will power and a strong desire to live a healthy life. Many smokers attempt quitting the vice, but rarely adhere to the plan. Agreed, the smoking trend has withered away in certain places, but if we intend to convert the entire nation, we do have a long way to go! Bid adieu to your backstabbing friend as you confront yourself to a few eye-opening cigarette smoking facts.

Facts About Smoking

• Among the innumerable and horrendous side effects of this sordid vice are severe asthma, gastrointestinal difficulties, chronic chest colds, nausea, heart murmurs, inflammation of blood vessel linings, arthritis, wrinkles and several more

• Cigarettes contain 4000 different hazardous chemicals including carbon monoxide and coal tar.

• Smoking ranks ninth as the cause for frequent deaths. Chances of developing lung cancer by regular smoking quadruples. In fact, estimates reveal that one out every five deaths is due to smoking.

• While industry wastes and auto exhausts are often rebuked for causing lung cancer among many, the larger culprit is the little stick stuffed with tobacco. A non-smoker is much les prone to lung cancer and respiratory diseases even when subject to extreme air pollution. This is because the lung-cleaning cilia are in excellent shape for the non-smoker.

• Smoking reduces the blood flow to one’s extremities. This, thus, explains why men grow impotent from excessive smoking.

• Nicotine directly targets the nerve-muscle junctions, thus resulting in tremors. It also constricts our arteries and increases chances of heart disease. The oxygen content within our blood stream plummets due to the effect of nicotine. As lesser blood is transmitted to the nerve centers of the brain, breathing and heart functions of our autonomic nervous system are at stake.

• Smokers are usually more prone to illnesses. Statistics reveal that smokers miss an average of 7.5 work days per year, while with non-smokers it is less than 5 days.

• The redundantly high cost of smoking coupled with the extra medical expenses borne by a chimney smoker can eat up his/her hard earned savings completely!

• Vitamins, especially the C’s and the B’s, are usually destroyed by this vice.

• A woman who smokes during pregnancy is risking a lot! Her baby is likely to weigh approximately six ounces less and possess a pulse rate that is 30% higher than a non-smoker’s offspring. Apart from this, respiratory disease is highly probable for the unborn.

• Smoking can even induce cancer among innocent dogs!

• For the non-smoker, food is a whole lot yummier! Since their nasal and oral senses aren’t obstructed by the harsh chemicals and fumes inhaled from the cigarette, food aromas and subtle flavors can be easily savored! This, however, does not hold true for the smokers. Don’t deprive yourself of the fantastic flavors of delectable food items!

• About 120 people lost their lives owing to two different airline crashes both elicited by ashtray and lighter fluid fires!

• Cancer of the lip, tongue, pharynx, larynx, and bladder, pulmonary tuberculosis, high blood pressure and inflammation of the sinus passages are all tragic instances that can be aggravated due to smoking.

• Interestingly, in the olden days, people believed that cigarettes were smoked to clean out the lungs and hence christened tobacco ‘herba panacea’ which means ‘cure-all herb’.