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Smoking is an extremely addictive habit that usually forms in the early teen years. We should be targeting our children from the time they enter elementary school to prepare them for this temptation and encourage them to steer clear of this problem (Schoebel 287). There is no sure cure for smoking, and every method requires willingness, dedication, and will power. Smokers should recognize the serious health risks they are facing every time they light a cigarette and accept that quitting such an addictive habit would only come with some amount of discomfort. Is there anyone who does not know someone who smoke's? Everyone has a family member, friend, or coworker who smokes.
They have chosen to smoke, but by just being around them you are also smoking, only you have not made that choice. Before you choose to take this risk you should think about what may happen to your body. There are many factors that you should take very seriously; smoking is a hazardous habit because it leads to addiction, disease, and high-risk pregnancy. As advertisements have shown on commercial on television that smoking is a way to relax and to be cool by smoking cigarettes, they never show you the negative side of it. For example, addiction is one of the bad side effects and it is caused by nicotine. Once you inhale the cigarette you will then feel or want the need for another one, and you may have different personalities and change because of the addiction.
You may get more grouchy and violent behavior and need a cigarette to relax, but instead it is doing more damage. Researchers have found ways to control addictions and some have succeeded. People at a younger age start to get addicted by the nicotine in the cigarette and this is where the problem starts (Schoebel 125). The hazards of smoking lead to many fatal diseases and should persuade people to quit their habit. First, a major reason why people should quit smoking is that many people are dying of cancer. For instance, the statistics say that in the United States six out of ten people are dying daily due to lung cancer (Weitzman 214).
This disease is killing people if it is not detected promptly. Another reason for quitting smoking is heart disease and its consequences. For example, many people suffer from heart failure, but even though they know about smoking and its dangers, they do not stop their habit until they become ill. Unfortunately, in many cases, people are at risk to live with heart complications for the rest of their lives. Lastly, another important reason for people to stop smoking is the risk of getting emphysema. This is also a deadly disease that affects their lungs and their whole respiratory system.
These several reasons should prove to the smokers that this habit puts their health in danger, and causes many diseases that lead to death (Dhillion 198). Cigarettes also tend to be an appetite suppressant specifically decreasing the appetite for simple carbohydrates and disturbs the efficiency with which food is metabolized. People who use tobacco products frequently depend upon it to provide these side effects to help them accomplish certain tasks at specific levels. The reason cigarette smokers do not give up this harmful habit easily is simple; Nicotine is a highly addictive substance like many other drugs. Smokers are hooked as surely as is any heroin or cocaine addict; giving up cigarettes creates painful withdrawal symptoms and a craving that many people cannot overcome (Dhillion 212).
Nicotine is carried to the brain via the bloodstream within a minute or two of smoking; it's then eliminated about a half-hour later and then the craving returns. Scientists and farmers have long known that nicotine is a deadly poison. They use a concentrated spray of the chemical, extracted from tobacco leaves as a potent insecticide. In humans, nicotine constricts the blood vessels, decreasing blood circulation to the skin and vital organs. Long term smokers tend to look much older than nonsmokers- a result of the contraction of the capillaries on the skins surface, which prevents absorption of tissue building nutrients (Dhillion 112). So, smokers afflicted with arterial hardening and cholesterol deposits suffer a significantly higher number of heart attacks than nonsmokers.
The damaged blood vessels give way sooner, when shriveled by nicotine. In other words, nicotine was being absorbed into the bloodstream through the membranes of the mouth, nose, and bronchial passages, not through the lungs. The most lethal byproduct inhaled from burning tobacco is benzo pyrene; a carcinogenic chemical also emitted by automobile exhaust pipes and factory smokestacks. In numerous tests, benzo pyrene has been applied to the respiratory tracts of laboratory animals, and has usually resulted in malignant tumors. The leading killer among all forms of cancers, lung cancer currently claims about 140, 000 victims annually.
The chemical irritants absorbed into the blood are excreted almost unchanged in the urine, and they can lead to the development of cancer of the kidneys, prostrate glands, and bladder. But what is truly alarming is that secondhand smoke contains greater concentrations of certain carcinogens than primary smoke. It also contains greater amounts of nicotine and tar, both strong and addictive toxins. There are positive and negative effects to smoking, but mostly negative. Personally, I don't have an opinion about this topic. I really think that a person, no matter what they are told, are going to smoke.
Nothing can change their minds, if they don't want to change it. It's a difficult topic, and in my opinion, it's bad for you, but in some people's minds, they just don't care about what will harm their bodies. Smoking for people is a stress reliever and I think that it's better than hurting yourself in a different way to relieve stress. Works Cited Dhillion, Sulchraj S. (1993). Cigarette Smoking: What its Doing to Smokers And Nonsmokers. PPI Publishing.
Fred, Peter A. and Oo, Harry. (1980) Smoking for Two: Cigarettes and Pregnancy. The Free Press. Schoebel, Robert. (2001). Keep your Kids Tobacco-Free: Smart Strategies for Parents of Children Ages 3 through 19. New Market Press.
Weitzman, Elizabeth. (1998). Let's Talk About Smoking. Hazelden Information and Educational Services.
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