Smoking

Smoking: Is it worth the risks

Smoking usually begins at an early age. Smoking among teenagers has increased by nearly a third or more since 1992. Today teens believe that after a few years of smoking they could easily stop with no long term effects. They believe the health problems from smoking will go away once they stop.

There was a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the findings were that less than 16% of 633 teens that smoked were able to stop. The study

reviewed illnesses treated in active smokers such as the following cancers of various organs, heart attacks, strokes, ulcers, and infertility. These are just some of the major health issues that give good reasons not to smoke. These issues are not included in the "irreversible effects" category.

Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of death in the United States, approximately 50,000 or one in every five deaths per year. There are about 46 million smokers in the United States, 34% try to stop each year but less than 10% succeed.

Approximately 80% of current smokers begin smoking before the age of 18. Over 3,000 teenagers start smoking each day. Most teen smokers are aware of the hazards but are unable to stop because teen smokers quickly become addicted to nicotine.

There are also reversible side effects of smoking such as damage to respiratory tract, causes of bad breath, cough, sputum production, wheezing, respiratory infection, influenza, bronchitis and pneumonia.

Smoking at an early age increases the number and the severity of respiratory illnesses. Pulmonary function increased by about 5% after stopping.

Physicians have found that NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) is not appealing to smokers because some smokers believe that nicotine is harmful. Those who thought nicotine was harmful were less likely to stop in 30 days.

NRT roughly doubles smoker's chances of quitting. NRT is less addictive than cigarettes, so the smoker is not replacing a habit with another. The nicotine in the cigarettes is not the problem, but the carbon monoxide, tar, and other toxins are very harmful to the body

Secondhand smoke on the other hand, also causes illnesses to those who do not smoke. Secondhand smoke causes respiratory illnesses, emphysema, vision problems, hearing problems and asthma.

There are so many illnesses that a person can get from smoking, starting with mild illnesses such as respiratory problems, pneumonia, influenza and bronchitis. These are all curable illnesses. But if one keeps smoking these curable illnesses will eventually change into diseases. There are cancers of all types which can affect many organs of the body.

Smoking also participates in many other health problems such as impotence, infertility, vision and hearing loss. There is also rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson's disease.

Quitting smoking does not end the dangers of serious illnesses. The dangers of combination of nicotine and noxious chemicals, people who smoke approximately 10 years plus, have a higher death rate, disease and disability. The few people who are able to stop smoking should not believe that once they stop they will be as healthy as if they have never smoked. The risks of illness to the respiratory system and cancer can still plague the ex-smoker. Only 20% of smokers who try to stop long term are successful.

The amount of nicotine inhaled increased 11% between 1998 and 2005. The increase is due to higher concentrations of nicotine and a reduced burn rate of the cigarette.