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Industry : Pharmaceuticals Functional Area : Innovation
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10 reasons to quit smoking beyond the big health threats.

 

You probably know that smoking makes heart disease, stroke, cancer, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and other killers more likely. You might even know that smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the U.S. and worldwide.

But knowing about long-term risks may not be enough to nudge you to quit, especially if you're young. It can be hard to feel truly frightened by illnesses that may strike decades later. And quitting smoking is hard. As many as 75%-80% of smokers say they'd like to quit.  But it takes the average smoker five to 10 attempts before successfully quitting.

Here are 10 common daily side effects of smoking that often create the incentive to quit.

1. Smelling like smoke

There's no mistaking the smell of cigarette smoke, and it's not one many people describe favorably. And the smell of their breath is one of particular sensitivity to most smokers. Some of the media campaigns have compared kissing a smoker to licking an ashtray.

2. Sense of smell and taste

Smelling like an ashtray isn't the only impact smoking has on the nose. Smokers also experience a dulling of their senses; smell and taste in particular take a hit when you smoke.

Smokers can't appreciate the taste of many foods as intensely as they did before smoking, but it's really the loss of the sense of smell that diminishes the ability to taste. Breathing in the hot fumes of cigarette smoke is toxic to the senses.

Some smokers realize that foods don't taste the way they used to, but the process can be quite gradual, making it difficult to detect. Quitting brings a swift return of the senses.

The pleasure of eating is dramatically enhanced when smokers quit. And it happens within a few days but can continue for up to three to six months.

3. Premature aging

One of the chief and significant causes of premature aging of the face is smoking. Skin changes, like leathery skin and deep wrinkling, are more likely in people who are regular smokers.  According to the American Academy of Dermatology, smoking leads to biochemical changes in the body that speed the aging process. For example, smoking deprives the living skin tissue of oxygen by causing constriction of the blood vessels. As a result, blood doesn't get to your organs as easily, and that includes the skin.

Another classic smoker giveaway is tar staining of the hands and skin from holding cigarettes. Burning cigarette smoke is most apparent around the face and I think that what we sometimes see is staining of the skin from the tars and other deadly toxins in tobacco smoke.

The muscle actions required to inhalethe smoke  lead to the classic smoker's wrinkles around the mouth.

4. Social pressures

Smokers lives have become marginalized in the society.

Smoking have  really messed up lives of the people, not only of smokers but of entire family.

The reasons for the increasing unpopularity of smoking and diminished social standing of those who continue to light up likely has roots in our increased understanding of the health implications of smoking, not just for the smoker, but for those breathing in secondhand smoke as well.

5. Finding a mate

Anyone who has perused the marriage or dating advertisements in papers, magazines or online, has seen more than his or her fair share of the phrase, "No smokers, please."

Finding a mate have become very very difficult for smokers.

6. Impotence

If smoking generally adds a hurdle to finding a new partner, impotence sure doesn't help. Yet smoking increases the chances of impotence dramatically for men by affecting blood vessels, including those that must dilate in order for an erection to occur.

It's been said in the scientific literature that one of the most powerful messages to teenage boys is that not only does it make you smell like an ashtray and no one wants to kiss a smoker, but it can cause impotence or impact your erections. It's a message that is frequently used to motivate adolescent boys to step away from cigarettes.

7. Increased infections

You may know about the long-term health risks associated with smoking, but did you realize that smoking also makes you more susceptible to seasonal flus and colds? People don't realize how much more frequently smokers get viral, bacterial and other infections.

Tiny hairs called cilia that line the respiratory tract, including the trachea and bronchial tubes, are designed to protect us from infection. Cilia are constantly waving in a way that grabs bacteria and viruses that get into the trachea and pushes them up and out so we cough them out and swallow them and destroy them with our stomach acids.

One of the toxic effects of cigarette smoke is that it paralyzes the cilia, thereby destroying this core protective mechanism. That's why smokers have so many more infections. Within a month of quitting, however, your cilia start performing their protective role once again.

8. You're a danger to others

Secondhand or passive smoke  is estimated to cause 50,000 deaths every year. It's no wonder: More than 4,500 separate chemicals are found in a puff of tobacco smoke, and more than 40 of those are known carcinogens. The ingredients in smoke cause platelets, the material in our blood that helps it clot, become sticky. This increases the risk of heart attacks.

"There have been a number of studies to show that when a community goes smoke-free the proportion of heart attacks seen at the hospitals goes down by 20% or 30%.

 

9. Impact on physical activity

Many smokers report a diminished ability over time to comfortably do things as simple as climbing a set of stairs or enjoying sports activities they once easily took part in such as volleyball or jogging.

Even young athletes in otherwise top physical condition don't perform as well if they smoke because over time, smoking causes the lungs and heart to work harder.

10. Cost

If you're a smoker, it's no surprise that smoking is downright expensive. The price of a pack of cigarettes varies greatly by location.

Looking after all the above points, one should immediately stop smoking or at least start the process of quitting smoking.

 

 
5 comments on "10 reasons to quit smoking beyond the big health threats."
Very informative and thought provoking. Many people need to know and understand that smoking just isn't good. It's a terrible habit to have. If a person can't quit on their own then they should seek help. IT IS possible to quit smoking forever. 
  Commented by  rakeshbhatnagar, GM Projects., wig brothers india pvt.ltd.    | 12 27 2010 17:14:27 +0000
THANKS FOR THE ARTICLE USEFULL TO MANY PEOPLE.
  Commented by  nagesh rao, Freelancer, Freelancer    | 12 25 2010 03:47:41 +0000
Yes Suresh not only for health for your wealth also.  Off-late.  Insurance cos. are planning to deduct substantial claim and/or increase premium on Health Insurance for
the habitual Smokers & Alcohol abusers.  As they are prone to serious Diseases like Cancer, Heart related problems. 

It is a concern in India, recent studies has proved that the smoking habit in young women is increasing causing a health problem for future generation,right from womb stage itself. Recently, former health minister has taken a good decision to ban smoking scenes in films & put photographs on Cigarette packets to remind people 
about the consequences. Now slowly the Govt. is diluted this decision in favor 
of Tobacco  Manufacturers' Lobby.  Society must fight for this thro' civil movement.
  Commented by  Suresh Prasad Gupta, Freelancer, Pharmaceuticals    | 12 24 2010 13:57:37 +0000
Smoking is injurious to health, quit smoking.
  Commented by  Ram Swaroop Sharma, Ex.Head Brewer, Spencer Distilleries & Breweries    | 12 24 2010 13:57:27 +0000
Thanks for the article.
Regards
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