Physical Damage
Aside from nicotine, tar lines your lungs and makes it hard to breathe, while carcinogens cause all types of health problems, such as cancer, heart disease, high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Some health problems related to smoking:
- Lung cancer, emphysema
- Heart disease
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Cancer – Leukemia, throat, stomach, pancreatic, kidney, bladder,
cervical
- Respiratory disease – pneumonia, asthma
- Reproductive - reduced fertility, pregnancy complications, low birth
weight, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- Low bone density, hip fractures
- Peptic ulcer
- Cataract
- Damaged circulation, gangrene, amputation
- Damaged taste buds, stained teeth
- Dull skin, nicotine-stained fingers, premature wrinkles
- Lack of energy and concentration<
As smoking greatly reduces athletic performance, all pro athletes today are
non-smokers. Just one stick of cigarette contains over 4,000 chemicals
including 70 carcinogenic substances, some of which are highly toxic.
CHEMICAL |
USED IN |
Cadmium
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Batteries
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Acetone
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Paint remover
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Buthane
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Lighter fluid
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Ammonia
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Toilet cleaner
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Polonium210
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Radioactive substance
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Methane
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Sewer gas
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Methanol
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Rocket fuel
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Arsenic cyanide
|
Poison
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Nicotine DDT
|
Insecticide
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Hexamine
|
Barbecue Lighter
|
Stearic Acid
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Candle Wax
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Acetic Acid
|
Vinegar
|
Arsenic cyanide
|
Poison
|
| Carbon Monoxide |
Car exhaust fumes |
Social Hazard
Smoking harms others, such as family members, friends and colleagues, through secondhand smoke. Among infants up to 18 months of age, secondhand smoke is linked to as many as 300,000 cases of bronchitis and pneumonia each year. Pregnant smokers are at risk for miscarriages, premature labour and ectopic pregnancy. Their babies also have a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and behavioural problems later in life.
Financial Impact
How much money can you save if you quit? For a typical smoker who puffs
20 sticks (based on a RM10 pack) a day:
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| Quitting smoking cuts the risk of lung cancer, many other cancers, heart disease, stroke, other lung diseases, and other respiratory illnesses. |
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| Quitting smoking saves money. It appears that the price of cigarettes will continue to rise in coming years, as will the financial rewards of quitting. |
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| If both parents smoke, a teenager is more than twice as likely to smoke than a young person whose parents are both nonsmokers. In households where only one parent smokes, young people are also more likely to start smoking. |
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