The Effects of Smoking

(Music playing) Female: Up to 25% of Americans smoke and 400,000 of them die from the consequences of lighting up every year. Dr. Joshua Fink: Smoking is a major health hazard and has been dubbed the chief preventable cause of death in our society by the surgeon general. In fact, smoking currently causes 1 out of 5 deaths in America. Not convinced yet? What do an actress, a late night talk show host, a baseball player, a singer, and the founder of a multibillion dollar corporation have in common? Each of these public figures was a heavy smoker, and each ended up dying because of there tobacco habit. If you are a smoker, the effects of tobacco spread to literally every part of your body. Let us take a closer look. A mere 3 seconds after the first puff of a cigarette, the 4000 chemicals in the smoke make your eyes water, and nose run. They also irritate the throat causing the infamous smoker’ cough, and continued exposure to smoking thickens the throats membranes resulting in cellular changes that can lead to throat cancer. Smoking’s biggest impact though, can be seen and felt in the lungs. In fact, 90% of lung cancer deaths are due to smoking. Why? Smoking one pack of cigarettes a day for a year has a similar impact to pouring a full cup of tar down your lungs, tar that is rich in cancer causing chemicals. Smoking also increases the amount of mucous the body produces, and mucous serves as the breading ground for bacteria, and viruses. So a smoker is more likely to come down with the cold, the flu, and bronchitis. Worst still, smokers have a harder time fighting these infections because their white blood cells are too impaired to resist invading organisms. Smoking is hard on the heart too. Smoker’s heart beats an extra 10 to 25 times per minute, increase in the risk of heart attacks. Smoking can also cause up to a 15% increase in the risk of having a potentially deadly heart attach and stroke. Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas present in car exhaust. It is also present in cigarette smoke. This chemical leads decreased oxygen in the brain, the skin, and other organs. The results can be slowed comprehension, wrinkled grayish skin, and significantly reduced energy. Cigarettes even affect bedroom activity. Men and women are considerably less likely to be fertile if they smoke, and a great number of tobacco using men experience erectile dysfunction. And let us not forget the financial cause of smoking. Let us say you started a half pack a day habit in high school, paying a low $4.50 a pack. By the time you are in mid 30’s, you would have spent at least $16,420.00 and that is not even counting the extra cost of healthcare. Smoking is bad for your, but it also hurts your family. Spouses of smokers are 20%f more likely to contract lung disease, and second hand smoke contributes to illnesses, and even deaths in children. Taking the plunge to quit smoking can be scary, but it can also save your life. Talk to your doctor today about options for quitting. Female: Want to learn more? Check out other videos and sources on this site for more information. (Music playing)