It is widely known that smoking is a dangerous habit. Around a 100 million people passed away during the last decade and around 6 million pass away every year because of the various health hazards associated with smoking. Though smokers are aware of these hazards and how dangerous they are not only on their health but also on the health of all the non-smokers exposed to their smoke, they are sometimes unable to quit; but why is that?

Actually, smoking is primarily dangerous because it is addictive. Once you start smoking or chewing tobacco, it becomes difficult to stop mainly because of nicotine. Cigarettes and other tobacco products contain thousands of poisonous chemicals (around 4000 chemical), the most poisonous and chiefly addictive ingredient of which is nicotine. Nicotine (C₁₀H₁₄N) is the principal ALKALOID of tobacco, essentially present in the leaves of the tobacco plant. This HETEROCYCLIC compound has a unique biphasic effect: it is a stimulant when inhaled in short puffs and a tranquilizer when inhaled slowly and deeply. When taken in larger doses, it becomes a highly toxic poison (used as an insecticide, fumigant, and vermifuge).

In addition to being addictive, nicotine and the other poisonous chemicals found in tobacco affect how long you live thus leading to premature death and are the main cause of several fatal health risks that encompass cancers to several other deadly diseases including:

1. 1. A long list of cancers, on the top of which are Lung cancer, throat cancer and oral cavity cancer which rarely affect nonsmokers; these are followed by larynx cancer, cervical cancer, laryngeal (voice box) cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, pancreas cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer as well as cirrhosis, pulmonary emphysema and several other tumors.

1. 2. Atherosclerosis (also known as arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries) which results in the hardening and/or narrowing of the arteries thus leading to a reduction in blood flow through the vessels. Blood clots become two to four times more likely to form in the arteries (coronary thrombosis) thus reducing heart function and leading to a heart attack. Blood clots (cerebral thrombosis) might also block the vessels to the brain thus leading to brain damage, collapse, stroke or even paralysis. Moreover, the blockage of the vascular supply (=insufficient blood supply) to the legs might lead to gangrene and amputation of the leg.

1. 3. Weakening of the immune system which causes anxiety and stress and leads to the loss of body muscle and fats and results in viral diseases and cancers.

4. Arterial foot and leg ulcers, breaks in the layers of the skin that may cause inflammation and fail sometimes to heal and become chronic.

1. 5. An increase by about 50% in the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) for men aged 30 and more mainly because nicotine narrows blood vessels (arteries leading to the penis) which reduces the flow and pressure of blood in the penis and causes erection problems; and a lowering in the level of estrogen in women which leads to reaching menopause at an early age.  It is even considered as a major cause of impotence especially for smoking couples.

1. 6. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which starts between the ages 35 and 45. COPD is the term used to describe the breathlessness caused by the alveoli (air sacs) damage and the coughing that contains a lot of mucus.

1. 7. Smokers’ rhinitis which is translated in increasing nasal secretions and swelling caused by goblet cell hyperplasia.

1. 8. Bad personal hygiene: smokers usually smell like an ash tray. They have bad breath, bad clothes and hair smell, discolored dentition and fingers, darkening of lips, gum problems such as swollen gums, acid taste in the mouth, a paler skin and more wrinkles. Smokers with poor mouth hygiene end up sometimes with a hairy tongue.

The list above conveys most of the effects that tobacco smoking causes to smokers.

But does it affect you only, dear smoker?! Doesn’t it negatively affect the health of your family members, your coworkers, people who serve you at a restaurant, strange non-smokers you meet in a bus, or even your children?! What about your fetus dear mothers?!!

Dear smokers STOP SMOKING, SAVE YOUR LIVES and ENJOY LONGER, HEALTHIER and HAPPIER LIVES!