Effects of Cigarette Smoking Essay

1.0 Introduction

Cigarette smoking is a treacherous act that often leads to death. The data to support the overwhelming cardiovascular hazards alongside other destructive health effects is massive. Though health intervention often yield high results, current trends demonstrate that a big number of people ignore health warnings from physicians, community resources and smoking cessation specialist. In developed countries such as the United States, constant provision of healthcare together with linkages to programs that offer multi-component intervention are playing a big role in reducing smoking and other CHD consequences in the countries. However, in other developing countries, there are few intervention programs at present being offered to cigarette smokers (Hans 34).Effects of Cigarette Smoking Essay

2.0 Effects of cigarette smoking

The effect that smoked cigarette has on an individual is influenced by a number of factors. First, the effect varies greatly according to the number of smoked cigarettes per day. Some people end up smoking a dozen cigarettes a day while others smoke one to two cigarettes a day. The higher the number of cigarettes smoked, the greater the consequences. Secondly, the presence or absence of filters in the cigarette varies the impact of the cigarette. Cigarettes with filters have few effects as compared to cigarettes without filters. Thirdly, the effects will vary greatly according to the means used to prepare the tobacco. Cigarettes which constitute of merely crashed tobacco are likely to cause more damage to the individual than the cigarettes that have been highly refined and processed (Ashton 68).Effects of Cigarette Smoking Essay

In the UK, more than 100,000 deaths are directly caused by smoking each year. While a majority of these deaths (about 42,800) are through smoking- connected cancer, the rest of the deaths are caused by lung diseases, emphysema and cardiovascular diseases (John 45).  Smoking has had a direct impact in reducing the life expectancy by almost 8 years. The majority of the 300 daily deaths connected to cigarette smoking in the United Kingdom are comprised of the young mainly those under the age of 70 . An average cigarette is composed of thousands of chemical compounds. Many of these compounds are highly destructive and hundreds of the compounds such as tar are toxic. On the other hand, cigarette smoking in the United States is very prevalent and result to an estimated 443, 999 deaths annually (Hans 106). Many of the smokers in the United States start smoking before the age of 21 years. The demographic ratio of smokers stands at 27.6% men and 22.4% women from the whole population.

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Cardiovascular disease results to the majority of deaths that are caused by cigarette. This is a disease that affects the heart and the circulation of blood to the various parts of the body. The disease as been often associated with the western lifestyle but recently, it has been associated with many deaths in the developing countries linked to smoking cigarette. The disease that slowly develops with time, and leads to hard blood vessels, takes many forms depending on the blood vessel that is affected. Of the total cardiovascular diseases resulting to clotting on the vessel that supply blood to the heart, 30% are caused by smoking (John 56). The disease can also block the vessels that supply blood to the brain leading to complications such as stroke, paralysis or sudden collapse. Smoking also exposes people to Carbon monoxide gas, a gas that deprives individual oxygen. With poor oxygen circulation in the body, individuals are likely to experience health and breathing problems. When the vessels that supply blood to the legs get affected, a person is likely to be amputated. Amputation is a common scenario among smokers.

Another disease that is common in cigarette smokers is cancer. Though many people only associate smoking with lung cancer since the majority of lung cancers are prevalent among smokers, other forms of cancer such as throat cancer and mouth cancer especially on the lips and under the tongue, are more prevalent in smokers. Most of the smoke- related cancers affect the respiratory system. In addition to heart disease and cancer, smoking has a big impact in unborn babies, when a mother who is expectant smokes; they expose the unborn child to the probability of being born weak and underweight. The unborn mother to a pregnant mother is at a higher risk of being born prematurely. Also, individuals who smoke have a higher chances of being impotent than individuals who do not smoke (Ashton123).Effects of Cigarette Smoking Essay

Productivity among smokers is likely to be low. Work turnover reduces and the smokers often experience problems that make them take sick leaves. The poor blood circulation causes problems such as tiredness and headaches that result to reduced productivity. poorly in school.

3.0 Why people still smoke

From the discussion above, it is clear that cigarette smoking has devastating consequences on the health, social life and even the economic life of an individual. Despite the consequences, the figures demonstrate that many people in the world continue to die and ail of smoke related diseases. While people have their varied reasons for smoking, many of them smoke mainly because of the following reasons. First, many people start smoking at their teen years. At this tender age, people start smoking because they want to act and feel more mature. The teens are pressured into smoking because they view the smoking individuals as older and more independent. Consequently, the rest of the individuals emulate the smoking ones to get the feeling of maturity.

On the ironic side, some individuals smoke because they want to loose weight. Generally, smokers are seven pounds smaller in weight than non-smokers. Therefore, People battling with weight gain start smoking because they want to loose weight. They find a consolation from smoking. In addition, some of the effects of smoking are lose of appetite and drastic reduction in one’s sense of taste and smell. Consequently, less appetite lead to reduced food intake and reduction in body weight. On observation, many people who quit smoking drastically gain weight.

Social and economic problems push people into smoking. A person may be experiencing marital problems, others may be experiencing problems at the work place while others are driven by the feelings of inadequacies in their life. Also, people who are facing other addictions such as alcoholic or narcotic addiction may result to cigarette smoking to feel a gap in their addiction problems. Sudden looses such as the death of close friends and relatives may push an individual to cigarette smoking. Other times physical or verbal abuses may push an individual into cigarette smoking.

Cigarettes contain a highly addictive substance, nicotine.  This addictive substance often works to lessen muscle tension in the smokers and often give a satisfactory feeling that becomes irresistible with time. Once a person starts smoking, they urge to smoke more arises and the individual gradually becomes an addict. Reversing the addiction becomes difficult. To other people, smoking is a source of pleasure. They smoke because of the fun feeling associated with smoking. A few individuals smoke because of ignorance i.e. they are not fully aware of the devastating effects of cigarette smoking. Having mentors and parents who are smokers can gradually lead an individual into smoking.Effects of Cigarette Smoking Essay

Clearly, the adverse effects of smoking cigarette often lead to questioned motives and research onto why individuals result to smoking. While many smokers start smoking at an early age, the factors that trigger an individual to start smoking vary. Peer pressure influence stands out as a trigger for individuals to smoke. Other trigger factors that push individuals into smoking include low self esteem, behavioral factors like aggression and the presence of a smoking family member. Smoking seems to be more prevalent in individuals from poor financial backgrounds, people with low education especially those with only primary education and those individuals who perform

4.0 Conclusion

Since smoking involves addictive substances such as nicotine, the process of quitting is often complicated and accompanied by great dedication. The person quitting smoking must be surrounded by close support and assistance. Individuals willing to quit should seek help from trained specialist who can use various means such as nicotine replacement to gradually help them out of the dangerous act. The benefits of living a smoke free life are clearly worthwhile and far reaching.Effects of Cigarette Smoking Essay