Smoking and its Health Issues to You and Those Around You - Health

Addiction to smoking tobacco products is considered an epidemic. It kills in excess of 5 million people each year worldwide. Of this 5 million people, 70 % percent are considered low or middle income countries and the gap is between the high income countries is expected to become greater in the next decade with the death toll rising to an estimated 8 million people by 2030. It is still considered a preventable death, and is the leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide.

The health issues around smoking come from the inhalation of smoke generated by burning tobacco, which in turn release multiple chemicals into the body and the air around the smoker. The smoker is not the only person affected by smoking a tobacco product but the people around them are exposed to the "second hand" smoke as well. Second hand smoke is responsible for the premature deaths of 600 000 people yearly.

It is been to cause sudden death in infants whilst pregnant mothers who smoke generally give birth to low weight babies. Of the 600 000 deaths caused by second hand smoke, 31% of them are children who have been exposed. Studies have also shown that children exposed to second hand smoke are also more likely to become smokers.

Of course, the smoker carries a higher risk with much greater exposure to the chemicals produced by burning tobacco. Only after 15 to 20 years of quitting smoking does a smoker's risk of heart and lung disease become closer to that of a non-smoker. Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, all of which can lead to death. The heart and blood system of the body is affected by decreased blood vessel size and the ability to carry oxygen in the red blood cells is reduced. This means that the heart has to work harder to get the necessary oxygen levels to the rest of the body, but takes more strain as it doesn't have enough oxygen itself.

Cancer that affects smokers generally affects the lungs, throat, mouth, nasal and sinus passages, as well other forms such as pancreatic and bladder. It is estimated that a third of the cancer deaths each year is caused by smoking. The carcinogens absorbed by the body through smoking inhibit the body's ability to control the growth of cells which in turn cause the cancerous cells to grow out of control.

Outside of these life threatening issues associated with smoking, a smoker is more susceptible to colds, flu and pneumonia. They also often use cigarettes as a meal replacement as it suppresses the appetite, resulting in further risks to illnesses as the body doesn't absorb enough of its required nutrients. The activity level of smokers is much less than those of non smokers and they cannot keep up in the same sporting environment due to things such as lack of breath.

Overall, there are no benefits to smoking, but plenty of downsides, even if it's just as a casual smoker. The reason is that tobacco smoke is a harmful poison and the body is not equipped to handle it.

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