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Smoking
Nicotine
Benefits of Quitting Smoking
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
Zyban
Smoking Facts
Smoking-related diseases account for approximately 440,000
American deaths every year. This number includes both the
direct effects of smoking on the smoker, but also indirect
effects of smoking, such as premature births and the effects
of secondhand smoke. The costs are enormous. Estimates of the
costs of smoking, both in terms of health care costs and costs
related to lost productivity, are between 100-150 billion
dollars each year. Smoking is the cause of the majority of
cases of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and accounts for
almost 90% of all cases of lung cancer.
Cigarette Smoking
Cigarette smoke is composed of many substances that negatively
affect many parts of the body. The tar in cigarettes refers to
the condensed solid particles in smoke. It contains over 4,000
known chemicals. These include poisons and over 50 cancer
causing substances, many of which have been strongly connected
to a variety of diseases. Smoking cigarettes introduces many chemicals and poisons into
the body, including:
These compounds have been
directly linked to the development of many smoking related
diseases including heart and circulatory
disease, lung and other cancers, emphysema and chronic
bronchitis.
The instant that cigarette smoke reaches the lips, it begins
to attack the living cells of the body. The attack doesn't
stop there, but does damage everywhere it reaches. Smoking
cigarettes damages the:
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mouth
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tongue
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throat
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lungs
-
stomach
-
esophagus
-
air passages
The poisons in cigarette smoke
don't stop there. They go on to damage the:
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breast
-
colon
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cervix
-
bladder
-
pancreas
-
kidneys
Pipe Smoking
Smoking pipes introduces many chemicals and poisons into
the body. Pipe smoking greatly increases the risks of
developing oral cancer, and if the pipe smoke is inhaled,
increases the risks of the same diseases caused or influenced
by cigarette smoking. Mortality rates for pipe smokers is less
than those of cigarette or cigar smokers.
Cigar Smoking
Smoking cigars leads to an increased risk of cancers, however,
the increased risks are not as great as those related to
cigarette smoking. As with pipe smokers, smoking cigars
without inhaling lessens the health risks related to cigar
smoking.
The effects of smoking related diseases can be physically and psychologically
challenging for those afflicted. Today, there is a vast range
of products and strategies designed to help those interested
in quitting smoking.
Smoking facts demonstrate that younger people are among the
fastest growing cohort to take up the habit.
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention offer excellent information about
smoking, tobacco
use and smoking cessation resources. Quitnet is an
excellent online aid for all aspects of
quitting
smoking. |
