Smoking: Cause and Effect Smoking Has Always

Smoking: Cause and Effect Smoking has always been a serious and controversial issue since it is on the one hand projected as a health hazard while on the other, we see all the glamorous, so-called health conscious people with cigarettes in their hands all around us. Therefore most people find themselves faced with a dilemma when it comes to the issue of quitting smoking.

They cannot be convinced that it is a health hazard that could not only reduce number of years in one's life but can also affect one's quality of life. It is therefore extremely important to focus on the effects of smoking in the light of research and explain that smoking is actually the cause of several health problems. Let us first focus on the effects of Smoking on Life expectancy.

As mentioned earlier, smoking is a serious health hazard that can reduce the number of years in an otherwise healthy person's life. Recent research proves that smoking kills 120,000 people every year. These are not numbers but actual human beings who could have lived longer had they quit smoking. We already know that in these modern times, the life expectancy for men is 75 and almost 80 for women, yet quarter of the smoking population dies before they reach their 69th birthday. (Peto et al.

1994) The same research shows that those who continue smoking for a large part of their lives die 16 years earlier compared to non-smokers. It has also been found that smoking is the biggest killer for younger people. According to an estimate, of every 1000 smokers aged 20 years, 250 are likely to die from smoking as they reach middle age. It is even more surprisingly to know that out of the same number, only one person is likely to get murdered and six are estimated to die in road accidents. (Peto et al.

1994) Apart from reducing life expectancy, smoking is now an established cause of major heart and lung diseases. It has been found that at least 80% of lung and heart disease cases are directly connected to smoking. These figures are supported by Chaloupka et al.

(1999) research that throws light on the health hazards of smoking: Today, cigarette smoking is established as the leading cause of lung cancer (responsible for approximately 90% of lung cancer deaths in the U.S.), the leading cause of chronic bronchitis and emphysema (responsible for over 80% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease deaths), and a major cause of heart disease and stroke. Smoking also causes aneurysms, atherosclerotic peripheral vascular disease, oral cavity and laryngeal cancer, intrauterine growth retardation and neonatal death, including SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

It is associated with additional cancers (bladder, pancreatic, renal, gastric, and cervical)...as well as a host of other conditions affecting a wide variety of organ systems and disease processes, including, for example, vision and hearing problems, slowed healing from injuries, and increased susceptibility to certain infections..." Smoking is clearly one of the leading causes of death around the world. The cigarette that looks so harmless is actually filled with a substance called nicotine that has seriously harmful effects.

It has been found that out of the total number of people who smoke in America, more than 40% are addicted to nicotine. This substance slowly goes into the blood stream and pollutes and clots the respiratory system. Nicotine may also limit coronary blood flow by constricting coronary arteries, an effect more prominent in individuals with underlying coronary atherosclerosis.80 Nicotine has also been associated with coronary spasm..

Other important cardiovascular toxins in cigarette smoke include CO, which reduces oxygen delivery to the heart, and oxidant gases, which may be responsible for endothelial dysfunction and platelet activation. Effects on endothelial function and platelets, mediated by oxidant gases, may be responsible for the thrombosis and/or coronary vasoconstriction that further restricts blood flow to the heart...".