What are the effects of smoking?

EffectsThe effects of smoking will vary from person to person and depend on such things as:

• a person’s susceptibility to chemicals in tobacco smoke;
• the number of cigarettes smoked per day;
• the age when the person began smoking; and
• the number of years of smoking.

Immediate effects

• Smoking one cigarette immediately raises a person’s blood pressure and heart rate and decreases the blood flow to body extremities such as the fingers and toes.
• Brain and the nervous system activity is stimulated for a short time and then reduced.
• A smoker may also experience dizziness, nausea, watery eyes and acid in the stomach.
• Appetite, taste and smell are weakened.

Other effects of cigarette smoking

• Smokers typically experience shortness of breath, persistent coughs, reduced fitness, yellow stains on fingers and teeth and decreased sense of taste and smell.
• Smokers have more colds and flu than non-smokers and find it harder to recover from minor illnesses.
• Smoking can cause impotence in men, while women who smoke are less fertile than non-smokers.
• People who smoke tend to have facial wrinkles appearing much earlier and, in general, look older than non-smokers of the same age.

Smokers have an increased risk of developing:

• respiratory infections such as pneumonia and chronic bronchitis;
• emphysema (a progressive and potentially fatal lung disease);
• heart attack and coronary disease;
• cancer of the lung, throat, mouth, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, stomach;
• stomach ulcers; and
• peripheral vascular disease due to decreased blood flow to the legs.

A person who is dependent on cigarettes may find that they experience withdrawal symptoms when they cut down or stop smoking cigarettes. These can include:

• increased nervousness and tension;
• agitation;
• loss of concentration;
• changes to sleep patterns;
• headaches;
• coughs; and
• cravings.

Other dangers and important facts

• Smoking during pregnancy can affect the unborn child, and babies are more likely to be born underweight, premature or stillborn.
• Passive smoking, where a person is subject to breathing in the cigarette smoke of others, can cause lung damage, including cancer and heart disease.
• Fifty Australians die every day from smoking compared with 10 who die from alcohol-related conditions or 4 who die from road accidents.

  Source: Australian Drug Foundation

~ by Ahmed on June 24, 2007.