“Government warning: Smoking kills.”
It is certain that, if you are a cigarette smoker, you have read this on a cigarette pack. Or if not, maybe its other variations like “Tobacco smoke can harm your children,” “Cigarettes are addictive,” or “Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health.”
And it is more certain that you chose to ignore the warnings and went on to light a stick of cigarette and smoke, contributing to the estimated 37.8 million adults in the United States who smoke cigarettes.
But your indifference to the risks of smoking does not minimize its adverse effects to your health and those around you. Based on a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16 million people in the US live with a smoking-related disease which cost the country more than 300 billion US dollars a year.
So, what does smoking do to your health — whether you smoke or not?
The thing about cigarette smoking is that it affects nearly all your body organs and reduces your body’s ability to fight disease. When you light that cigarette and smoke, you increase your risk of developing lung cancer by 25 times and 25.7 times for men and women, respectively, and coronary heart disease and stroke by two to four times.
Moreover, smoking can cause age-related macular degeneration, tuberculosis, pneumonia, ectopic pregnancy, erectile dysfunction in men, rheumatoid arthritis, aneurysm, cancers of the esophagus, larynx, bladder, liver, and more.
It also poses problems to your oral health like bad breath, chronic gum problems, and eventually, tooth loss. When you smoke or chew on that tobacco, the bone attachment and soft tissue of your teeth is affected which can interfere with the normal function of the gum tissue. It dulls your sense of smell and taste and discolors your teeth. It also impedes the healing process after tooth extraction and decreases the success rate of dental procedures as it impairs the blood circulation to the gums.
You can view the infographic and report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And what is more frustrating is that smoking affects non-smokers as it does those who smoke thanks to secondhand smoking. Secondhand smoke comes from tobacco smoke exhaled or breathed out by a smoker.
In a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2.5 million non-smokers have died due to secondhand smoking since 1964. With approximately 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke — hundreds of which are lethal and around 70 can cause cancer — a brief exposure to the smoke can prove harmful to health and lead to life-threatening conditions among all age groups.
Like direct smoking, secondhand smoking can lead to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cancers. Additionally, children who are exposed to secondhand smoking can have ear infections, respiratory infections, severe asthma, and sudden infant death syndrome. It also slows down the oral health development in children and increases the risk of developing tooth decay.
Bottomline, as the government warning reads, smoking kills. It really does because cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths annually in the United States alone — one in five deaths — and records more deaths than human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), motor vehicle injuries, firearm-related injuries, alcohol use, and illegal drugs.
So, what do you need to do?
Quit.
And no, substituting it with vaping and e-cigarettes will not help. Vaping, which pertains to the act of inhaling water vapor through a vaporizer or e-cigarette, can worsen heart disease as it can contain chemicals like acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, and carcinogenic chemicals that could trigger severe heart conditions, affect the blood vessels, and put the user at risk of cancers.
Hookah is also a no-better alternative. The water pipe, which consists of a base, bowl, pipe, and hose, is used for vaporizing and smoking flavored cannabis or tobacco. It is believed to have begun in ancient Persia and India and is a century-old practice.
Smoking hookah can increase the cancer-causing agents in the body, lead to heart disease, trigger lung, bladder, and oral cancer, irritate the mouth, result to lower birth weight and risk for respiratory disease in babies born to women who smoke hookah and reduce lung and fertility.
So, how do quit?
Quitting, especially for habitual users, can be a challenge and can never happen overnight. But for the American Dental Association, quitting is the only way to reduce the risks posed by smoking.
Here’s how:
- Make up your mind. Quitting a habit half-heartedly will make letting go more difficult.
- Better consult with your dentist or doctor to help you break the habit of smoking. They can prescribe medications or recommend over-the-counter medications to soothe your nicotine cravings.
- Attending smoking cessation classes and support groups can help in the withdrawal of the habit of smoking along with drug therapy. Other options include hypnosis, acupuncture, or other herbal remedies.
- Stay away from “smoking triggers” like alcohol, coffee, people who smoke, and stress.
- Throw out your cigarettes, vaporizers, e-cigarettes, and anything that could make you smoke. And no, finishing that last pack of cigarette because you think it’s a waste to throw is not an option. Dump it.
- Self-control and a proper mindset are essential to breaking the habit of smoking.
Additionally, keep yourself in the best health through exercise, proper diet, and consultation with your doctor and dentist are vital in ensuring that no further harm happens to your body and increase the risks that are already threatening your health.