The Health Risks Associated With Tobacco Use
By Terry Martin, About.com Guide to Smoking Cessation
Statistics tell us that tobacco steals approximately seven precious lives every minute of every day of the year, world-wide. From heart disease and many forms of cancer to lung diseases that steal our ability to breathe, tobacco is a vicious killer in sheep's clothing. An important step in the recovery process from nicotine addiction is to look closely at the damage smoking causes. As hard as that can be, it will help fuel your resolve to quit smoking, once and for all.
Cigarette Ingredients
The ingredients and additives in cigarettes when burned, create toxic, harmful chemical compounds. Those chemicals, which number 4000 or more, contain poisons and carcinogens that damage our bodies when inhaled directly or indirectly through secondhand smoke. Scientists have yet to identify all of the chemicals present in cigarette smoke, but the body of knowledge on the deadly effects of smoking continues to expand.
- The List of Additives in Cigarettes
- Pesticides in Cigarette Smoke
- Secondhand Smoke Facts
- Third-Hand Smoke
- Secondhand Smoke and Our Kids
- Cigarette Litter - A Plague on Our Planet
- Harmful Chemicals in Cigarettes
Smoking-Related Disease
Cigarette smoking is a loaded gun that can go off without warning. It is most often a slow killer, wearing us down over many years of habit, but not always. It has been known to steal the young and novice smoker as well. Inhaled cigarette smoke leaves toxic deposits in our lungs and other organs, impairing function and poisoning our health. And smokeless tobacco products have been linked to many forms of cancer. Learn about how smoking negatively affects your body and use that information to bolster your resolve to quit.
Teen Smoking
Worldwide, most people start smoking before the age of 18, with nearly one quarter of them trying tobacco for the first time before the age of 10. And, the younger a child is when he or she starts smoking, the stronger the odds are for long-term addiction. Educating our kids about the dangers of tobacco use needs to start at home. Talk to your kids early and often about smoking, and help them develop a healthy hatred for the habit.
- Smoking Facts for Parents and Kids
- Tips on How to Help Your Child Avoid Tobacco Use
- A Talk With Your Kids About Smoking - DVD Review
- Clove Cigarettes - A Safe Smoking Alternative?
- Conquering Nicotine Addiction - A Teen Smoker's Story
Our Stories
Smoking-related disease is snatching our beloved family members and friends away from us at an alarming rate. According to the World Health Organization, smoking related-diseases kill one in 10 adults globally, causing four million deaths a year. While some of the accounts in this section are heartbreaking and difficult to read, they are stark reminders of what may well lie ahead of us if we don't stop smoking. My heartfelt thanks go out to all who have shared their very personal and often painful stories here with us in the effort to help save lives...your life, dear reader.
