| Almost everybody knows that smoking is bad | | | | esophagus, and larynx. |
| for the health. Images of blackened lungs | | | | |
| line school hallways and hospital waiting | | | | Besides cancer, smoking is also related to |
| rooms, but despite this people continue to | | | | several other diseases of the lungs. |
| take up smoking. This may have to do with the | | | | Emphysema and bronchitis can be fatal and 75% |
| pervasive romantic image of smoking -- an | | | | of all deaths from these diseases are linked |
| image that has nothing in common with | | | | to smoking. |
| reality. | | | | |
| | | | Smokers have shorter lives than non-smokers. |
| There are many ways to take tobacco. You can | | | | On average, smoking takes 15 years off your |
| chew it, inhale it through the nose, and | | | | life span. This can be explained by the high |
| smoke it in the form of cigars or cigarettes. | | | | rate of exposure to toxic substances which |
| No matter how it's taken it is dangerous, but | | | | are found in cigarette smoke. |
| because smoking is the most popular way to | | | | |
| consume tobacco it has also received the | | | | Smokers also put others at risk. The dangers |
| greatest attention from the medical field and | | | | of breathing in second-hand smoke are well |
| the media. | | | | known. Smokers harm their loved ones by |
| | | | exposing them to the smoke they exhale. All |
| When a smoker inhales a puff of cigarette | | | | sorts of health problems are related to |
| smoke the large surface area of the lungs | | | | breathing in second-hand smoke. Children are |
| allows nicotine to pass into the blood stream | | | | especially susceptible to the dangers of |
| almost immediately. It is this nicotine "hit" | | | | second-hand smoke because their internal |
| that smokers crave, but there is a lot more | | | | organs are still developing. Children exposed |
| to smoke than just nicotine. In fact, there | | | | to second-hand smoke are more vulnerable to |
| are more than 4000 chemical substances that | | | | asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, |
| make up cigarette smoke and many of them are | | | | bronchitis, pneumonia, and ear infections. |
| toxic. | | | | |
| | | | Smoking can also be dangerous for unborn |
| Cigarette smoke is composed of 43 | | | | children. Mothers who smoke are more likely |
| carcinogenic substances and more than 400 | | | | to suffer from miscarriages, bleeding and |
| other toxins that can also be found in wood | | | | nausea, and babies of smoking mothers have |
| varnish, nail polish remover, and rat poison. | | | | reduced birth weights or may be premature. |
| All of these substances accumulate in the | | | | These babies are more susceptible to sudden |
| body and can cause serious problems to the | | | | infant death syndrome and may also have |
| heart and lungs. | | | | lifelong health complications due to chest |
| | | | infections and asthma. |
| Cancer is the most common disease associated | | | | |
| with smoking. Smoking is the cause of 90% of | | | | It is never too late to give up smoking, even |
| lung cancer cases and is related to 30% of | | | | those who have smoked for 20 years or more |
| all cancer fatalities. Other smoking-related | | | | can realize tremendous health benefits from |
| cancers include cancers of the mouth, | | | | giving up the habit. |
| pancreas, urinary bladder, kidney, stomach, | | | | |