Smoking

What is smoking?

Smoking involves the inhalation and exhalation of fumes produced by burning various plant materials. While substances like marijuana and hashish are commonly smoked, tobacco remains the most widely recognised material used in cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. Cigarettes, for instance, contain approximately 600 ingredients, most of which are also found in cigars and hookahs. When these products burn, they release over 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic. It’s known that at least 69 of these chemicals have been linked to causing cancer.

Is there a safe way to smoke or use the products?

Tobacco poses significant health risks, whether smoked or chewed. Tobacco products contain hazardous substances such as acetone, tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide. When inhaled, these substances can adversely affect the lungs and other organs in the body. Smoking any form of tobacco is extremely detrimental to health, and there is no safe method of smoking. Switching from cigarettes to cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes, or hookahs does not mitigate the health risks associated with tobacco use. Additionally, exposure to secondhand smoke presents comparable health risks to nonsmokers as it does to active smokers.

What are the effects of smoking on the body?

Smoking can have enduring consequences and long-term impacts on various bodily systems. While smoking increases the risk of developing serious health conditions such as glaucoma, cancer, and blood clotting issues over time, some effects manifest immediately. Although not all smoking-related effects are immediate, the complications and damage can persist for years. The encouraging news is that quitting smoking can significantly reduce the risk factors associated with these conditions and diseases. Smoking can profoundly harm your body’s organs and overall health in several ways:

Overall health and cancer risk

Smoking increases inflammation throughout the body and compromises the immune system, making individuals more susceptible to infections. It also reduces insulin sensitivity, raising the lifetime risk of diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, smoking is strongly linked to various types of cancer, including:

• Bladder cancer
• Acute myeloid leukemia
• Cervical cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Kidney and uterine cancer
• Laryngeal cancer
• Liver cancer
• Oropharyngeal cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Stomach (gastric) cancer
• Tracheal, bronchial, and lung cancer

Respiratory system: Smoking damages airways, lung air sacs (alveoli), and cilia, essential for preventing dirt and mucus from entering the lungs. This damage increases susceptibility to infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis and exacerbates conditions like asthma, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Smoking escalates the risk of lung cancer twentyfold.

Children’s Health: Children exposed to cigarette smoke from their parents or caregivers are more likely to experience health issues such as coughing, wheezing, asthma attacks, pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchitis, reduced lung function, impaired lung growth, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Central Nervous System: Nicotine, a mood-altering substance in tobacco, is highly addictive and contributes to the difficulty of quitting smoking. It rapidly affects the brain, providing temporary energy boosts followed by fatigue and cravings. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, irritability, and depression, significantly impacting quality of life.

Vision: Long-term smoking can impair vision and damage optic nerves, leading to conditions such as glaucoma (increased eye pressure damaging the optic nerve), cataracts (cloudy vision), and age-related macular degeneration.

Sexuality and Reproductive System: Nicotine reduces blood flow to genital areas in both men and women, contributing to fertility issues and lower sex hormone levels. During pregnancy, smoking increases the risk of early delivery, low birth weight, stillbirth, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), ectopic pregnancy, and cleft palate/lip in infants.

Cardiovascular System: Nicotine causes blood vessels to constrict, elevates blood pressure, weakens vessel walls, and increases clotting risks, all of which heighten the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease (including heart attack and sudden cardiac death), stroke, and peripheral artery disease.

Integumentary System (Skin, Hair, and Nails): Smoking alters skin structure, accelerating premature ageing signs like wrinkles and impairing wound healing. It increases the risk of skin conditions such as hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis, and certain types of skin cancer. Smoking also affects hair health, potentially leading to balding, and raises the likelihood of fungal nail infections.

Skeletal System: Smoking negatively impacts bone health by reducing bone density and increasing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Additionally, tobacco use contributes to dental issues like tooth decay, tooth loss, and gum disease.

Can these effects be prevented?

Stopping smoking reduces many of these risks. It also has both short and long-term benefits. Since smoking affects every body system, finding a way to quit can help you live a longer and healthier life. Smoking cessation programs may help. Doctors may also recommend prescription and nonprescription medications to help you quit.