The harms of smoking have become more popular around the world. Global health organizations have discussed many topics about the effects of smoking on people and the environment. CDC reports about 42 million US adults were cigarette smokers in 2012. This is eighteen percent of all adults. This is about one in every five people. Nationwide, fourteen percent of high school students were smoking cigarettes in 2012. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Each year about 480,000 people will die due to tobacco related illnesses. Smoking cigarettes kills more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined. Smokers not only risk their lives, but the lives of others who inhale
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The chemicals in tobacco harm your blood cells. They can also damage the function of your heart and the structure and function of your blood vessels. The damage done by these chemicals make a smoker susceptible for atherosclerosis. This is a condition in which a plaque like material builds up in the arteries. This build up makes it difficult for blood to flow smoothly throughout the body. Coronary heart disease occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries of the heart. CHD can lead to heart failure, heart attack, or even death. A smoker is four times as likely to experience heart disease as someone who does not smoke. Smoking increases adrenaline levels, which raises blood pressure and cardiac stress. This causes a constriction of blood vessels and increases the risk of blood clots. A smoker is six times more likely to experience a heart attack than someone who has never …show more content…
Cigarette smoke interferes with the natural cleaning and repair system. Smoking destroys tiny hairs known as cilia that line the upper airways and protect against infection. Normally, airways have a thin layer of mucus and thousands of cilia. The mucus traps the tiny particles of dirt and pollution that enter the body, while the cilia move like a wave to push the dirty mucus out of the lungs. When you cough, swallow, or spit up, the dirty mucus leaves your lungs. Because smoking destroys cilia, the dirt and pollution stays in your lungs, along with chemicals from the cigarette smoke. The pollution and dirt in the lungs can increase the risk of lung cancer, chest infections, and chronic cough. Smoking also damages the alveoli, or air sacs, in the lungs. Alveoli help absorb oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. Damaged alveoli can make it difficult to breath and may cause the smoker to feel short of breath. Lung cancer is also a serious risk of smoking. Cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. In the United States, cigarettes smoking is linked to about ninety percent of lung cancers. People who smoke cigarettes are fifteen to thirty times more likely to die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke. Even smoking a few cigarettes or smoking occasionally greatly increases the risk of lung
The chemicals in tobacco harm your blood cells. They can also damage the function of your heart and the structure and function of your blood vessels. The damage done by these chemicals make a smoker susceptible for atherosclerosis. This is a condition in which a plaque like material builds up in the arteries. This build up makes it difficult for blood to flow smoothly throughout the body. Coronary heart disease occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries of the heart. CHD can lead to heart failure, heart attack, or even death. A smoker is four times as likely to experience heart disease as someone who does not smoke. Smoking increases adrenaline levels, which raises blood pressure and cardiac stress. This causes a constriction of blood vessels and increases the risk of blood clots. A smoker is six times more likely to experience a heart attack than someone who has never …show more content…
Cigarette smoke interferes with the natural cleaning and repair system. Smoking destroys tiny hairs known as cilia that line the upper airways and protect against infection. Normally, airways have a thin layer of mucus and thousands of cilia. The mucus traps the tiny particles of dirt and pollution that enter the body, while the cilia move like a wave to push the dirty mucus out of the lungs. When you cough, swallow, or spit up, the dirty mucus leaves your lungs. Because smoking destroys cilia, the dirt and pollution stays in your lungs, along with chemicals from the cigarette smoke. The pollution and dirt in the lungs can increase the risk of lung cancer, chest infections, and chronic cough. Smoking also damages the alveoli, or air sacs, in the lungs. Alveoli help absorb oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. Damaged alveoli can make it difficult to breath and may cause the smoker to feel short of breath. Lung cancer is also a serious risk of smoking. Cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. In the United States, cigarettes smoking is linked to about ninety percent of lung cancers. People who smoke cigarettes are fifteen to thirty times more likely to die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke. Even smoking a few cigarettes or smoking occasionally greatly increases the risk of lung