Smoking in America

Throughout the years Smoking has been one of the major controversies about our health.
The fact is; “Tobacco use kills around 114,000 people in just the UK alone every year, more than 300 people every day, which is about 20% of all deaths”
At least 80% of deaths from lung cancer are caused by smoking, 80% of all deaths from bronchitis, emphysema and around 17% of all deaths from heart disease also are caused by smoking�
30% of ALL cancer deaths are attributed to Smoking.
Cancers other than lung cancer which are linked to smoking include: Cervical Cancer, Cancer of the Pancreas, Cancer of the
Kidney, Liver Cancer, Cancers of the Mouth, Lip and Throat, Bladder Cancer, Stomach Cancer, and Leukemia.
It’s no joke; Fewer than 10% of lung cancer patients survive five years after diagnosis.
People who smoke between 1 and 14 cigarettes a day have eight times the risk of dying from lung cancer compared to non-
Smokers, and people who smoke more than 25 cigarettes a day have 25 times this risk compared to non-smokers.

We all hear the facts. We notice the decreases in the health of smokers and people close to them. But still, people continue to smoke, knowing and weighing the risks every time they take a puff from their cigarette.
Take a look at these facts, it has been Proven and Determined that smoking can cause the following Health concerns:

stained teeth, fingers, and hair;
increased frequency of colds, particularly chest colds and bronchitis;
asthma;
neuralgia;
gastrointestinal difficulties, constipation, diarrhea, and colitis;
headaches;
nausea;
convulsions;
leukoflakia (smoker’s patch);
insomnia;
heart murmur;
Buerger’s disease (inflammation of blood vessel linings);
shortness of breath;
arthritis;
smoker’s hack;
nervousness;
wrinkles and premature aging;
tension;
gastric, duodenal, and peptic ulcers;
lung cancer;
cancer of the lip, tongue, pharynx, larynx, and bladder;
emphysema;
high blood pressure;
heart disease;
arthrosclerosis & arteriosclerosis (thickening and loss of
elasticity of the blood vessels with lessened blood flow);
inflammation of the sinus passages;
tobacco angina (nicotine angina pectoris);
pneumonia;
influenza;
pulmonary tuberculosis;
tobacco amblyopia;
impaired hearing;
decreased sexual activity;
and mental depression.
And it isn’t just you that you are hurting when you smoke, It is your brother, your sister, and your children.
Second hand smoke has also been linked with the following health problems:
“Increased sensitivity and reduced lung function in people with asthma;
Irritation of the eye, nose and throat:
Reduced lung function in people with no chronic chest problems.”
Second hand smoke also harms babies and children, with and increased risk of lower respiratory tract infection, increased severity of asthma symptoms, more frequent occurrence of chronic coughs, phlegm and wheezing, and increased risk of cot death and chronic middle ear effusion (glue ear).
More than 17,000 children under the age of five are admitted to the hospital every year from the effects of second hand smoke.
Parents that smoke aren’t just hurting their children by second hand smoke, they aren’t able to teach their children that it is
not ok to smoke. Because the parent can do it, the child may think it is ok for them to do it as well.
It’s a scientific fact that children are more likely to smoke cigarettes if their parents are smokers…

“Women who smoke and take a contraceptive piss have a 10 times greater risk of heart attack, stroke or other
cardiovascular disease compared to those who take the pill but are non-smokers.”
“Women who smoke have also been linked to having an increased likelihood of menstrual problems, such as an earlier
menopause; on average women smokers go through menopause up to 2 years earlier than non-smokers and are at a greater risk of developing osteoporosis.”

Women who smoke during pregnancy leads to an increased risk of:
Spontaneous abortion (miscarriage);
Bleeding during pregnancy;
Premature birth;
Low weight of babies at birth (which is associated with greater risks of ill-health and failure to thrive);
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (cot death).

So with all of these symptoms, diseases, and effects smoking has on everyone around us, Why can’t you quit?
Maybe it’s because you “can’t” or because you “don’t want to”.
What makes cigarettes so addictive?

“Tobacco companies put ammonia in cigarettes which makes your brain absorb more nicotine than it normally would.”
Additives are used to make cigarettes that provide high levels of ‘free’ nicotine which increases the addictive ‘kick’ of the nicotine.
Ammonium compounds can fulfill this role by raising the alkalinity of smoke
Additives are also used to enhance the taste of tobacco smoke, to make the cigarettes more desirable� Although seemingly
innocuous, the addition of flavorings making the cigarette ‘attractive’ is in itself a serious cause for concern.”

“In addition to tobacco, which contains nicotineâÂ?¦599 ingredients have been identified in tobacco industry documents as being added to tobacco in the manufacturing of cigarettes by the five major American cigarette manufacturing companies. While some of these chemicals, such as sugars, vanilla extract, prune juice, and vinegar, are generally recognized as safe when used in food products, all produce numerous additional chemical compounds when burned. None, probably, is more deadly than nicotine”

“Though 600 additives are authorized for use in tobacco products, only the tobacco manufacturers can say which additives are
used and in which brands. Not even the Government�responsible for the regulation of tobacco products Has this information or
the Power to demand it”

Now that has to make you wonder�
So now after reading this article, and understanding more about smoking and the risks you take every time you ‘Light Up’,
Ask yourself just one question, “Is your Life a fair trade for cigarettes?”
Here is just one more thing for you to think about�

“About half of all regular cigarette smokers will eventually be killed by their habit.”
Don’t let yourself, or your loved ones be part of that statistic, they need your help to get through the rough journey they will take
By quitting�

*My facts were gathered from several different web sites all of which relating to the risks and dangers of smoking*