Everyone knows that smoking is bad for you but few smokers actually realise the extent of the damage they may be causing their bodies. The negative effects of smoking are plentiful and wide ranging; some of the most common effects are listed below:
Health concens and illness
Serious illnesses:
- Increased chances of suffering from many different types of cancer (especially lung and oral cancer)
- Increased chances of respiratory illnesses such as emphysema and bronchitis
- Increased chances of suffering from heart disease
- Decreased fertility (for both women and men)
- Increased chances of having a stroke
- Poor circulation
- Compromised immune system
- Increased chance of miscarriage and premature birth
Less serious illnesses:
- Increased chances of having poor oral health
- Stained teeth and nails
- Bad breath
- Unpleasant smelling clothes and hair
- Ageing effects: smoking often contributes to the skin ageing quicker, making people appear older than they really are.
Effects on others
Smoking is an individual choice but it may also be a very selfish choice as passive smoking can potentially be very harmful for others. Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of passive smoking. Babies who sleep close to people that smoke are twice as likely to die as a result of cot death and children that live in households where people smoke are much more likely to develop respiratory illnesses, such as asthma and bronchitis and suffer from colds, coughs and ear infections.
Cost
The cost of smoking even a small number of cigarettes each day contributes to a considerable annual expenditure. With taxes on cigarettes rising year on year, smoking is becoming an increasingly expensive activity; on average, a person that smokes 10 cigarettes each day will spend a shocking one thousand pounds on smoking each year; this money could be put to much better use; it could be used to go on a luxury holiday or be put towards a deposit on a house, for example.
Feeling better about yourself
In just a short time, many of the negative effects of smoking can start to be reversed; you will start to feel and look healthier after just a few weeks and your bank account will benefit from giving up immediately. Giving up smoking has given thousands of people a new lease of life and a huge sense of achievement.
Smoking
What help is available to stop smoking?
Is it too late to give up smoking?