DANGERS OF SMOKING (LOOKING AT THE EFFECTS OF SMOKING).

Cigarette smoking is and has been a major health issue for a long time. Despite concerted efforts by various organizations, pressure groups and individuals to the stem the increase in the number of smokers through different means, smoking is still on the rise worldwide particularly in the developed world. This could be linked to the fact that though cigarette contains over 4000 chemicals most of which are poisonous, the poison in the chemicals kill slowly so smokers are oblivious to how deadly the poisons are.

The dangers of smoking cannot be overemphasized. The effects could be grouped into: IMMEDIATE AND LONG TERM EFFECTS. But before that is discussed, it is pertinent to state that effects of smoking vary from person to person depending on factors such as
• The number of cigarettes a person smokes a day
• The smokers susceptibility to chemicals in tobacco smoke
• The number of years the person has been smoking.
• The age the person began smoking.
Notwithstanding the above mentioned factors, cigarette smoking has the following general effects on all smokers.

IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF SMOKING

- A smoker may experience dizziness, nausea, watery eyes and acid stomach.
- A smoker’s appetite and sensitivity to stimuli like taste and smell are weakened
- The brain and the nervous system activity is stimulated for a short period and then reduced
- A smoker may experience a higher bowel movement

LONG TERM EFFECTS OF SMOKING.

- Nicotine and carbon monoxide present in cigarette temporarily increases heart rate and blood pressure, straining the heart and blood vessels which can cause heart attacks and stroke. It slows blood flow, cutting off oxygen to feet and hands.
- Tar in cigarette coats lungs and causes cancer. Smoking also causes cancers of the throat, mouth, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, and stomach. Smokers are ten times more likely to die of lung cancer because of tar.
- Smoking can cause impotence in men, women who smoke are less fertile than non- smoker.
- Carbon monoxide robs the muscles, brain and body tissues of oxygen, which makes the whole body and the heart work harder
- Smoking causes emphysema which slowly rots lungs people with emphysema often gets bronchitis.
- Heart diseases are more common in smokers. Smoking causes fat deposits to narrow and block blood vessels which lead to heart attacks.
- People who smoke tend to develop respiratory infections such as pneumonia and chronic bronchitis
- People who smoke tend to have facial wrinkles and look older than non- smokers of the same age.
- Smokers experience shortness of breath, persistent coughs, reduced fitness, yellow stains on fingers and teeth.
- In pregnant women smoking can affect the unborn child and the babies are more likely to be born under weight, premature or stillborn.

CONCLUSION

It is estimated that there are about 1.3 billion smokers worldwide. According to a World Health Organization studies tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. Deaths from diseases that are caused by tobacco smoking have been estimated at 10 million worldwide by 2010.