World No Tobacco Day is a great reason to quit smoking! The consequences of smoking for the human body. Reference

Smoking is not a harmless activity that can be easily quitted. This is a real drug addiction, and it is especially dangerous because many do not take it seriously. Smoking is one of the most common habits that damage human health and the whole society. This is a social problem of society, both for its smoking and non-smoking parts. For the first part, the problem is to quit smoking, for the second - not to “get infected” with the smoking habit, to avoid the influence of a smoking society and to maintain your health.

Many smokers dream of quitting smoking, but lack of willpower and desire prevents us from quitting this bad habit. Are you tired of reading articles and books “how to quit smoking”, where they supposedly tell you to stop smoking? Also, all kinds of pills and hypnotists promise us unconditional results, but nothing helps. What to do?

To begin with, we will tell you about the dangers of smoking and what the consequences may be if you have been smoking for many years.

Tobacco is the second leading cause of death in the world. It is well known that half of today's smokers - approximately 650 million people - will eventually die from tobacco use. Equally alarming is the fact that hundreds of thousands of people who have never smoked die every year from diseases caused by second-hand smoke.

How smoking harms our health

How does smoking tobacco affect your health? Heavy and long-term smokers are 10 times more likely to develop stomach ulcers, 12 times more likely to have myocardial infarction, 13 times more likely to develop angina pectoris, and 30 times more likely to develop lung cancer. The number of discoveries made by scientists in this field is growing every day. Thus, American doctors have found that nicotine is dangerous not only for the lungs, but also for bones, joints and muscle tissue. This is due to the fact that it disrupts the healing process of wounds and fractures and blocks the properties of vitamins C and E. As a result, smokers are more likely to suffer from displaced intervertebral discs, their ligament elasticity is weakened, and the wound healing process slows down compared to non-smokers.
|nextpage| Smokers age faster

A study has shown that smokers and overweight people may have an accelerated development of a genetic disease associated with aging. It is believed that this is what leads to diseases of the cardiovascular system and cancer. The study found that women who smoke and are overweight have shorter telomeres. Thus, overweight women are biologically eight and a half years older than women of normal weight, and heavy smokers are seven years older than those who have never smoked.

Smoking accelerates the aging process of the skin - an important fact especially for women who always want to stay young.

Smoking- This is an unpleasant odor from the mouth.

Smoking- this is a nervousness of the body when there are no cigarettes, i.e. - shock / withdrawal for the body.

Smoking- This is a kind of test of willpower to determine the ability to tolerate the absence of nicotine in the body. Smoking in youth is not only a decrease in sexual development, but also a decrease in memory.

Smoking- reduces sexual activity in both men and women.

Smoking For those with weak kidneys, it is strictly contraindicated. Age-related consequences are unpredictable!

Smoking reduces our physical activity.

Smoking promotes yellowing of teeth.

Smoking reduces mental abilities, impairs memory and a person becomes absent-minded and unsure of himself.

And this list can go on endlessly...
|nextpage| What harm does smoking cause to pregnant mothers?

Smoking during pregnancy negatively affects the state of peripheral blood circulation in women, which in turn leads to fetal hypoxia. Nicotine not only negatively affects the overall development of the fetus, but also causes changes in the baby’s psyche.

Nicotine, carcinogenic and other toxic substances formed during smoking, in which the mother finds pleasure, are absorbed, enter the amniotic fluid, poison it, and with it the fetus. It does not fully mature and often becomes unviable. Smoking has a detrimental effect on a newborn's heart, forcing it to beat at a higher rate, leading to heart failure. The respiratory system also suffers from nicotine; the risk of sudden death during sleep is 4-5 times higher than in children of non-smoking mothers. Children of smoking mothers more often suffer from colds, various allergies, disorders of the nervous system and digestive organs; they may lag behind in mental development, not respond actively enough to sounds and touches, and have difficulty waking up. The so-called passive smoking, when the father smokes in the house and the non-smoking mother is often in the company of smokers, is also of concern to the child.

Stress when smoking

Stress is a phenomenon that often occurs in our lives. Both severe overload at work and idleness cause equal amounts of stress. Life tends to get more and more stressful. Role conflict or life inconveniences can trigger stress. Such situations are not rare and can occur in anyone, both smokers and non-smokers. In this regard, the stress that constantly arises in our lives is not only not relieved, but is aggravated by smoking.

The nervousness that arises from the desire to smoke a cigarette provokes even more stress. A smoker's life automatically becomes more stressful because tobacco does not allow relaxation and does not relieve stress. It's exactly the opposite: in fact, smoking makes you feel more and more nervous and tense. As is known, the level of stress in smokers is higher than in non-smokers who find themselves in a conflict situation. And, although many smokers believe that cigarettes help relieve stress, researchers have found that, in fact, cigarettes provoke nervousness. A smoker is addicted to a cigarette, and the more he smokes, the more stable and stronger this addiction becomes. Having become accustomed to a cigarette, a person can no longer relax without it.

However, stress is aggravated not only by smoking, but also, as it may seem, by abruptly quitting it. But is this really so? The level of nervousness in smokers increases sharply just before they have to quit smoking, thereby arousing the desire to smoke. Because of this, a stressful situation arises. Feeling nervous, someone who wants to quit smoking decides that they have chosen the wrong time: they should wait until the moment when they are stress-free. As soon as this thought comes to his mind, the reason to quit smoking completely disappears. But scientists at the University of London have found that the level of nervousness in quitters declines steadily during the first four weeks after quitting. Moreover, a significant decrease in nervousness and nervous excitability was recorded, literally, in the first 24 hours after stopping smoking.

Now think about whether you should continue smoking?

The words “cigarette” and “health” are incompatible with each other, and the consequences can be very irreversible, and a person at any age should know about the dangers of smoking. Nicotine is a powerful toxin that gradually destroys the cells of the bronchopulmonary system, and then the entire body. Therefore, realizing the colossal harm of smoking, it is important to finally get rid of this destructive addiction and carry out a number of preventive measures to completely remove toxic substances.

What is smoking

This bad habit is a global problem of our time, since it is rapidly becoming “younger” every year. The number of men who smoke is constantly growing, and the female body is often characterized by such a deadly addiction. Tobacco smoking is equated to alcohol addiction, since in both cases a person can die from fatal diseases. In recent years, many people have become aware of this problem and are quitting smoking, but the younger generation still strives to “try everything.”

How many harmful substances are in a cigarette?

Useful information to note for heavy smokers: one cigarette contains about 4,000 chemical compounds, 40 of which are poisons hazardous to health. These are carbon dioxide, arsenic, nicotine, cyanide, benzopyrene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, hydrocyanic acid. After arbitrary inhalation of tobacco smoke (this concerns the health of passive smokers), pathological processes also predominate in the body, which are provoked by radioactive substances such as polonium, lead, and bismuth. This chemical composition is what makes tobacco harmful.

Why is smoking harmful?

The chemicals contained in cigarettes can be fatal to humans if they enter the body for a long time. Thousands of people die every year from destructive addiction at a relatively young age, and even more are susceptible to chronic cough, bronchitis, obstructive pulmonary disease and other diseases with unexpected clinical outcomes. Therefore, it is important to promptly treat tobacco addiction and the consequences of its prevalence in a person’s life.

The harm of smoking on the human body

During the period of prolonged exposure to nicotine, all internal organs and systems suffer, since smokers’ blood is enriched not with oxygen, but with toxic substances. This pathological condition favors atherosclerosis and becomes the main cause of most cardiovascular diseases. However, health problems do not end there; the presence of bad habits contributes to a decrease in intellectual abilities and more.

For men

The first thing to note is that nicotine can have a detrimental effect on the potency of the stronger sex. Men who smoke for a long time do everything to personally experience erectile dysfunction before the age of 40. For a vibrant and active representative of the stronger sex, this is a tragedy, so you should not bring your own body to the point of the appearance of these pathologies. In addition to heart disease, health problems may include:

chronic bronchitis;
pneumonia;
prostate adenoma;
oxygen starvation of tissues (hypoxia);
tuberculosis;
progressive retinal dystrophy;
decreased visual acuity and hearing;
deterioration in the appearance and structure of the skin;
exacerbation of nervous diseases;
chronic cough;
gradual yellowing, destruction of tooth enamel;
malignant tumors.

For women

These pathologies are partly characteristic of the female body if a representative of the fairer sex smokes. Nicotine in high concentrations causes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and does not exclude the presence of diagnosed infertility. Smoking kills gradually, but first it turns a woman into a disabled person. If we talk about diseases of the respiratory tract, nicotine is not limited to such a pathological process. Cigarettes cause harm to the body on a large scale, and here are the clinical pictures that occur:

nicotine contributes to miscarriage in early pregnancy;
the presence of a smoker’s lingering cough becomes the norm of everyday life;
smoking increases the risk of myocardial infarction and cerebral stroke;
negative consequences extend to the skin and contribute to its aging;
there is a change in voice timbre, a dry cough is constantly bothering you;
smoking can result in lung cancer;
nicotine can cause deep depression;
smoking causes mental disorders that are prone to relapse;
under the influence of nicotine, the vessels of the stomach become pathologically narrowed, peristalsis is disrupted;
Cigarettes cause serious damage to the structure of nails, hair, and teeth.

For the child's body

Teenagers also “dabble in cigarettes,” not understanding how they may suffer from the negative effects of nicotine in the future. Smoking increases the risk of developing chronic diseases, and the health consequences can be the most irreparable - death from lung cancer at a relatively young age. Drinking alcohol and smoking causes the following pathologies in adolescents:

a cigarette reduces intellectual abilities and significantly inhibits psychomotor functions;
the consequences of smoking cigarettes for schoolchildren are accompanied by the risk of diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems;
the harm of cigarettes becomes the main cause of cancer, the formation of tumors not only in the bronchopulmonary system;
if a teenager becomes addicted to such a drug, the consequences affect the physical and mental state;
bad habits disrupt metabolism, increase body weight, and contribute to the development of obesity.

Diseases from smoking

Understanding how smoking affects the human body, it is important to know all the existing diagnoses that a smoker may personally encounter at a young age. Less, but also noticeable, harm from hookah smoking. If a person constantly smokes, he must understand that he can be overtaken by the following chronic diseases with the most unexpected clinical outcome:

chronic bronchitis;
emphysema;
malignant lung tumor;
vascular atherosclerosis;
myocardial infarction;
obliterating endarteritis;
impotence and frigidity;
pulmonary embolism;
congenital deformities of the child;
extensive pathologists of the gastrointestinal tract;
diagnosed infertility;
pneumonia.

Cancer

Smoking is harmful to health, and colossal. Nicotine, with prolonged exposure, provokes cell mutation and promotes the formation of malignant tumors. The problem is aggravated by a genetic predisposition to this kind of pathology. Oncology is fatal, and a person can die at a young age. The disease brings physical torment and mental suffering, and the pathological process cannot always be stopped. Therefore, it is important to explain to your child in early childhood why smoking is harmful.

The harm of smoking to others

Giving up bad habits is not only beneficial for your health, but also a benefit for others. The harm from smoking cigarettes is felt by passers-by and close relatives who have to regularly come into contact with a heavy smoker. Nicotine in tobacco smoke causes increased heart rate, heart rhythm disturbances, coughing and even severe asthma attacks. When faced with secondhand smoke, here's what you should be particularly wary of:

risk of arbitrary miscarriage (for pregnant women who smoke);
reduced fertility;
depression;
redness, irritation of the eyes;
dry throat, sore throat;
attacks of coughing, choking;
decline in performance.

Consequences

The harm of smoking is obvious after the first cigarette, as a sore throat, unpleasant odor, and dry mucous membranes appear in the throat. This is just the beginning; in the future, changes in the body may become irreversible. Here's what heavy smokers should be especially wary of:

increased concentrations of fatty acids and cholesterol in the blood;
increased risk of sudden death;
development of cardiac ischemia in women;
increased risk of developing atherosclerosis.

Death

Statistics for Russia report that up to 3,000 people of different ages die annually from passive smoking. If a child has smoking parents, then about 2,700 newborns and children in the first year of life die from sudden death syndrome. Up to 62,000 people die annually from extensive pathologies of the myocardium and cardiovascular system. The collected facts are not consoling, so before you light another cigarette, it is important to always remember such shocking statistics.

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The ranks of smokers are constantly growing, there are already more than one and a half billion people. And even the terrible consequences of smoking do not stop those who want to join the addiction. Every year, smoking provokes a terrible figure - the death rate is almost 7 million people. Realizing the harm humanity causes to itself from smoking, it is ready to spend incredible amounts of money on it.

Smoking does not bring pleasure after the first puff; unpleasant sensations appear, for example, nausea, dizziness. But if these factors do not stop a person, then addiction begins to develop. In the first month, a person feels a surge of previously unknown euphoria, the body calms down, and harmony sets in. After a while, nothing remains of the former “pleasant” feelings. A disease called tobacco addiction begins to develop. A cigarette becomes completely addictive after just 6 months of constant smoking, and in some people even earlier. The harm from smoking cigarettes is obvious.

Cigarette composition

Dried tobacco leaves are used to produce cigarettes. In the process of smoking, nicotine is produced, causing irreparable harm to the body.

The following substances are included in the composition of cigarettes:

Resin. Particles of the component settle in the smoker’s lungs, difficulty breathing begins, this habit leads to a change in the color of the lungs, they become many times darker.
Nickel and lead. These metals poison the body from the inside, being toxic components, and cause respiratory problems.
Benzene. The component is produced from cigarette smoke, which in turn produces a hydrocarbon, which is actively used in the chemical industry.
Formaldehyde. A harmful component that is used in medicine for storing corpses.
Arsenic. Added as a constituent element for mouse poison.
Ammonia. Toxic component, used to remove stains from surfaces.
Carbon monoxide. Blocks the normal flow of oxygen into the body.
Acetone. Used in cosmetology to remove nail polish.
Polonium-210. It is a radioactive element that has a terrible effect on health.
Carbon monoxide. When smoking, tobacco releases this element through smoke, which, in turn, penetrates the hemoglobin of the blood and reduces the amount of oxygen in the tissues.

This is not the entire list that is contained in cigarettes. Smoking also causes harm from hydrogen cyanide, ammonium, isoprene, acetaldehyde and a host of other elements and components.

Teen smoking

According to experts who have conducted a lot of research, one of the main disorders associated with smoking in adolescence is deterioration of memory and attention. The teenager becomes more distracted, unfocused, and his performance at school worsens. Consequently, a normal future is greatly questioned.

Among the equally significant reasons that should stop a teenager from smoking a cigarette are the following problems:

With vision. The nicotine contained in a cigarette increases intraocular pressure, glaucoma can develop, and visual acuity can only be restored through surgery.
With hearing. Smoke penetrating into the body is capable of destroying the cells of the auditory cortex with its negative force. This leads to poor auditory perception, complete or partial lack of response to external stimuli, and suppression of hearing function.
With stomach. The digestive tract senses the influx of tobacco smoke with its harmful elements almost more strongly than all other organs. This leads to stomach diseases, which are very difficult to cure.
With the nervous system. Tobacco smoke has different effects on a young body. It can make a teenager overly emotional and can lead to depression. Neither one nor the other has a beneficial effect on the child.
With skin. Seborrhea, acne, acne - this is the smallest list of the diseases that await a young smoker. In addition, pigmentation and dryness appear, the functioning of the sebaceous glands is disrupted, and the skin ages quickly.
With the endocrine system. First of all, the functioning of the thyroid gland is disrupted. And these include hormonal disruptions and disruption not only of the endocrine system, but also of the entire body.
With the cardiovascular system. The tar that is part of cigarettes makes young smokers potential hypertensive patients and heart patients. The explanation is simple: even a passive smoker will notice rapid wear and tear of the myocardium, the vessels will become less elastic, their spasms will begin, and the fibers of the heart will increase in volume.
With breathing system. The lungs are the organ that will suffer first. Manifestations of the negative impact will be difficulty breathing at the smallest loads, coughing, shortness of breath, and after a while - cancer.

All this can be avoided if you understand that the harm from tobacco smoking can be irreparable.

Male smoking

The body of a smoking man is very weakened in every sense, potency is no exception. Heavy smokers themselves, even without doctors, are wonderfully aware of the negative effects of cigarettes. Nicotine leads to sexual dysfunction and sexual impotence. Impotence occurs in 85% of men who start smoking before the age of 18.

The harm from smoking cigarettes is based on vascular pathology, which develops along with impotence. Those substances that are formed during the combustion of cigarettes, when combined with nicotine, narrow the blood vessels, forming deposits on their walls. Metabolism in the blood vessels deteriorates, which leads to abnormal production of hormones. Only quitting smoking can restore sexual functionality.

Men believe that smoking hookah does not threaten their health. This opinion is erroneous, since inhaled smoke still contains combustion elements, tar, carbon monoxide, and those components that settle on the hookah when the filter is clogged go directly into the lungs. The same can be said when a smoker prefers an electronic cigarette.

Harm from smoking cigarettes for women and especially for expectant mothers

A sad statistic is the huge number of women who smoke. Despite the serious illnesses that are associated with cigarettes, girls start smoking from a young age, thereby reducing the opportunity to experience the joy of motherhood. Smoking shortens life span, leads to infertility, causes cancer, heart disease and other unpleasant consequences.

Women's smoking

We can safely say that the harm from smoking cigarettes for women is even more significant than for men. The fact is that the rate of poisoning of the female body is many times higher.

Smoking during pregnancy

The substance contained in a cigarette has a terrible effect on the fetus if a woman smokes during pregnancy. Each pack smoked makes a terrible contribution to the formation of the child’s organs. Even if the pregnancy ended in a successful birth, it is not a fact that the child will not have problems subsequently. His nervous intrauterine world can lead to delayed speech development, mental state, and a lag behind peers. Is the harm caused by smoking cigarettes worth losing a happy motherhood?

Expectant mothers often think that light levels of nicotine in cigarettes do not have consequences, as does infrequent smoking. Whatever the cigarette, the harm from smoking tobacco and cigarettes is the same. To give birth to a healthy baby, it is not enough to give up a bad habit when pregnancy occurs; you need to do this at least a year before the woman decides to become a mother.

Consequences of smoking

Women are more susceptible to the manifestation of diseases such as:

myocardial infarction;
osteoporosis;
early menopause;
breast cancer (in case of metastasis, the doctor may prescribe the medicine Kisqali);
cervical cancer;
lung cancer;
changes in the skin (wrinkles, gray tint);
yellowness of teeth;
weakening of hair and nails.

In addition to these diseases, a woman can experience harm from smoking any cigarettes after a month of regular smoking, because addiction occurs much faster in the fairer sex.

The dangers of smoking and the diseases that the addiction leads to

Most smokers are fully aware of what they are doing. Most often, avid cigarette lovers understand that it was smoking that provoked the disease, but they try to come up with a lot of excuses, complaining about other reasons. The harmfulness of smoking has been proven, and the facts of the consequences that the addiction has provoked are simply frightening.

Diseases caused by smoking

There are 3 main diseases that indicate the undeniable dangers of smoking, which in 90% of cases are fatal.

Lung cancer.
Protracted bronchitis, turning into chronic, subsequently tuberculosis.
Emphysema, in which the tissues that make up the lungs are destroyed.

In the case of a malignant tumor in the lungs, it is necessary to start therapy as early as possible. In the early stages, it may be possible to limit yourself to the use of drugs, for example, Vepezid, Vinorelbine or other drugs based on Bendamustine or Blinatumomab, and you will not have to undergo surgery. Don't put off visiting the hospital!

The influence of cigarettes on people is frightening: smokers die 15 years earlier, every 10 seconds one person dies in the world, and the cause of death again becomes a cigarette. It is also worth highlighting such ailments as wheezing in the lungs, pneumonia, constant acute respiratory infections, hemoptysis, cough, chest pain, blood clots, increased cholesterol and fatty acids, and atherosclerosis.

Smoking mortality statistics

Statistics show that more than 1,300,000,000 people smoke on the planet, and the average age of smokers is 15 years. 7 million people die every year. 98% of smokers die from lung cancer. Nicotine-dependent people suffer from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system 12 times more often than non-smokers.

Benefits of smoking, is there any?

The dangers of smoking cigarettes leave no chance for a person to live a healthy life. Not a single organ can work in the proper rhythm.

But still, according to scientists, the benefits of smoking may depend on the specific situation for diseases such as:

prevention of Alzheimer's disease;
prevention of Parkinson's disease;
relief of symptoms of schizophrenia;
decreased intestinal motility.

But this does not mean that every person needs to use cigarettes to treat diseases; do not forget that the harmfulness of smoking exceeds its benefits hundreds of times.

Good afternoon, my friends.

Today I tackled a very serious and global topic. The reason was that my close friend is currently in the process of quitting smoking. This is not her first attempt, but I believe that this time she will definitely succeed. She has already been without cigarettes for two weeks and is undergoing a powerful psychological and physical withdrawal, but despite this she endures all the trials.

This article was my friend's idea and I really liked it. Tell the whole truth about smoking to more people, and even if not convince them to quit right away, then at least give them the idea of it. Provide as complete information as possible about the tobacco business, the dangers of cigarettes, possible consequences and effective ways to quit smoking.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TOBACCO BUSINESS

In order for you to understand the global nature of the problem of tobacco smoking, I suggest you watch several documentaries that tell in detail about the global business of tobacco, the peculiarities of cigarette production, the policies of tobacco companies in Russia and the impact of smoking on human health.

ADVANTAGES OF QUITTING SMOKING

I understand perfectly well that warnings and intimidations about serious illnesses, health hazards, and the serious consequences of smoking do not work for everyone. Therefore, I propose to consider what you will gain by giving up this bad habit.

You will save a round amount in your budget, which you can spend on relaxation, a long-awaited purchase or a gym membership. On average, 3,000 rubles per month, 36,000 rubles per year. If two people smoke in a family, 6,000 rubles per month, 72,000 rubles per year, respectively. Not a bad saving? Cigarette prices are rising all the time, and so are your savings.
You will stop worrying about whether your breath, hands or hair smell before a meeting or work. You will get rid of unpleasant odors in your apartment, car and clothes.
Your chances of meeting your soulmate will increase, because it’s no secret that non-smokers (especially men) find it unpleasant when their partner smokes.
You will not need to go outside from a restaurant or cafe to smoke, look for a place to smoke on the street, suffer from the thought of a cigarette on public transport or when there is no opportunity to take a smoke break.
I'm not even talking about yellow teeth, dull skin, shortness of breath and cough.
You will become free from this obsessive habit, which does absolutely nothing good for your health, social life, or state of mind.
And the most important thing, which I write about last, because this effect manifests itself slowly and is not obvious: you will reduce the risk of developing lung cancer, heart disease and blood vessels. You will extend your life by improving its quality!

Tell me, why does your body need all this poison that you see in the picture?

Tobacco and tobacco smoke contain more than 3,000 chemical compounds, some of which are carcinogenic, that is, they can damage the genetic material of cells and cause the growth of cancerous tumors.

I am also a former smoker. I tried many times to quit smoking, many times I failed, but one fine day I realized that I no longer wanted this acrid smoke, nasty smell and obsessive thoughts about a cigarette in my life. Yoga classes helped me in many ways; I quit smoking easily, without physical or psychological discomfort. But this happens differently for everyone, so let's look at what effective ways to quit smoking are.

EFFECTIVE WAYS TO QUIT SMOKING

Based on my experience and the experience of my friends, I can recommend the following ways to quit smoking.

1. Allen Carr's book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking."

This method has really helped some of my friends get rid of their nicotine addiction. To be fair, it is worth noting that some people started smoking again after a couple of months, but some still don’t smoke.

2. Sports activities.

In my opinion, this is the easiest way to quit smoking, because addiction to cigarettes is replaced by addiction to sports easily, gradually, without stress on the body. There comes a time when you realize that smoking simply does not fit into the realities of your life, and training relieves stress and fatigue many times more effectively.

You inhale acrid smoke into your clean lungs after exercise, you feel how it fills them with stinking and harmful chemicals and you feel disgust, a desire to throw away the cigarette and never pick it up again. That's how it was with me.

My friend is very helped by the smoking cessation calendar, which describes in detail the possible symptoms, sensations, and complaints that accompany the process of quitting smoking. Having this information, she is already mentally prepared for possible changes in her body, armed with ways to avoid a breakdown and mitigate these symptoms. The calendar is designed for 1 year. After this time, it is assumed that you will not return to the old way.

4. Resources for quitting smoking.

There are a huge number of proprietary methods, medicines and folk advice on how to quit smoking. There are special sites where they are all listed, there are reviews, personal stories of readers, discussions that can help you in this difficult task. I really liked the following resources:

In conclusion, I invite you to watch the feature film “One of Our Own,” based on real events. The film clearly shows what the tobacco business is, its principles and methods.

If you or your loved ones managed to quit smoking, please share your stories in the comments. Perhaps this will be useful to other people who are now trying to get rid of this addiction.

From my experience, I would like to note that by quitting smoking, I lost absolutely nothing. Despite the fact that I used to enjoy smoking with friends, enjoyed the first puff after a hard day at work or a stressful situation, and whiled away the waiting time with a cigarette.

I just replaced it all with other habits. Yoga carefully protects me from stress, with friends I drink tea or coffee, occasionally even something stronger, and an e-book or magazine brightens up the waiting time. I no longer think about cigarettes, I choose a healthy lifestyle.

I hope this information is helpful to you. Be healthy!

With sincere sympathy, Olesya.

Smoking tobacco- This is one of the most destructive habits of humanity. It affects a huge number of people all over the world.

Having “accidentally” arrived in America instead of the desired India in 1492, Christopher Columbus and his companions became the first European smokers. Tobacco was brought to Europe as a miracle drug that calms, relieves headaches and fatigue. In specialized literature, pipe smoking is described as a real art and even as a sacred ritual, delivering primarily aesthetic pleasure.
Many scientists recognize that drinking alcohol and smoking are slow suicide, but when a person combines these two bad habits, it inevitably leads to illness and death. You can hear a variety of opinions about the dangers of smoking and drinking alcohol, you can agree with them or not pay attention to them, but the facts remain facts.
The damage to health seems to be delayed in time and does not appear immediately, but gradually, as a rule, 10-20 years after the start of smoking.

The most harmful is nicotine, the vapors of which penetrate into the upper respiratory tract and lungs, and are also ingested with saliva into the stomach.
The dose of nicotine obtained from smoking is too low to cause acute poisoning, although there is a serious risk of acute poisoning in children.
If a child lives in an apartment where one of the family members smokes 1-2 packs of cigarettes, then the child has an amount of nicotine in his urine corresponding to 2-3 cigarettes.
New smokers may experience the unpleasant toxic effects of nicotine, but tolerance soon develops as a result of chronic tobacco use. It is generally accepted that a lethal dose of nicotine for a person is contained in 20-25 cigarettes! Smokers do not die from this or more cigarettes only because strong poison in small doses has a stimulating effect on nervous system, in large cases, it causes paralysis (cessation of breathing, cessation of cardiac activity).

Some addiction experts consider tobacco the most powerful addictive drug, worse than heroin or cocaine.

Absorption of nicotine from acidic cigarette smoke occurs in the lungs. Alkaline smoke from pipe tobacco and cigars allows nicotine to be absorbed through the mucous membrane in the mouth. Absorption through the lungs is faster. From the lungs, nicotine quickly enters the blood and brain. Nicotine acts through special cellular formations, or receptors, located at the junctions of nerve cells, or synapses, in the brain and muscle tissue. These receptors have the ability to recognize and respond to nicotine. As a result, the functioning of the synapse changes, that is, the transmission of the nerve impulse, which controls the state of blood vessels, muscle tissue, and exocrine or internal secretion glands, is distorted. When receptors signal the presence of nicotine, blood pressure rises and peripheral circulation slows. Brain waves are altered and a range of endocrine and metabolic effects are triggered

The mental and physical state of the smoker, as well as the situation in which smoking occurs, can influence the way in which a particular cigarette will affect psychological perception and physiological response, for example, it can cause feelings of both relaxation and alertness.

Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 components, many of which are pharmacologically active, toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic: tar, carbon monoxide, ammonium, dimethylnitrosamine, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, acrolein, etc.

Resin is the most dangerous of the chemicals in cigarettes. While people smoke primarily because of the effects of nicotine on the brain, they die primarily because of the effects of tar. When smoke enters the mouth as a concentrated aerosol, it carries with it millions of particles per cubic centimeter. As it cools, it condenses and forms a resin that settles in the airways of the lungs. Resin is a substance that causes cancer and lung disease. The resin causes paralysis of the purification process in the lungs and damages the alveolar sacs. It also reduces the effectiveness of the immune system.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless gas present in high concentrations in cigarette smoke. Its ability to combine with hemoglobin is 200 times higher than that of oxygen, and therefore it replaces oxygen. In this regard, the increased level of carbon monoxide in a smoker reduces the ability of the blood to carry oxygen, which affects the functioning of all tissues of the body. The brain and muscles (including the heart) cannot function at their full potential without sufficient oxygen supply, and in order to compensate for the decreased oxygen supply to the body, the heart and lungs are forced to work harder, causing circulatory problems. Carbon monoxide also damages artery walls and increases the risk of narrowing of coronary vessels, which leads to heart attacks.
Changes occur in the alveolar spaces, the composition of the structure of the alveolar septa or interstitium. Changes in alveolar cell types, mucosal gland hyperplasia, mucus hypersecretion, inflammation, damage to mucociliary function, immunological disorders, hyperactivity and hypertrophy of smooth muscles, internal narrowing - fibrosis or destruction of the airways may be observed.

Depending on the duration and intensity of smoking, metaplasia of the bronchial epithelium from columnar to flat is observed. In this case, as already mentioned, the mucociliary mechanism that cleanses the respiratory tract is damaged, and both an absolute decrease in the number of cilia and a decrease are observed.
Nicotine aggravates the course of a number of diseases, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, gastritis and many others. For diseases such as peptic ulcer, thrombophlebitis, myocardial infarction, recovery without quitting smoking is impossible.

Smoking is known to cause serious harm to human health. It is believed that the cardiovascular and respiratory systems suffer from it first, then all other tissues and organs. But it turns out that nicotine causes no less harm... to the reproductive system, even leading to infertility - carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) disrupts normal blood circulation in the genitals and gonads. Therefore, the health of unborn children suffers, many of whom are never born due to smoking.
. Moreover, what is interesting is that smoking and alcoholism potentiate each other’s effects, that is, in men who both smoke and abuse alcohol, fertility rates decrease compared to “clean” smokers or alcoholics not by 2, but by 3-4 times.

Women smoke on an equal basis with men and receive a bouquet of sores as a gift from their tobacco fans and nicotine addicts

inhalers-admirers. Girls and women who smoke are more at risk than men. Smoking is the cause of premature aging: deterioration of blood supply and oxygen saturation contributes to early aging of the skin, tobacco smoke settles on the skin, leaving an unpleasant odor and clogs the pores, hair becomes brittle due to the accumulation of smoke in it and dehydration of the scalp, conjunctivitis often develops due to constant irritation of the eyeball by smoke, Nicotine and tar deposits lead to tooth discoloration, increased likelihood of gum disease, bad breath, voice changes, and women who smoke have more wrinkles and gray hair. It turns out that women who smoke take longer to get pregnant and have more miscarriages.
Unfortunately, the number of smokers is increasing more and more, mainly due to young people. According to experts, there are several reasons for this phenomenon. The main thing lies in the family itself. It is where at least one of the parents smokes that every fourth child becomes a smoker, and in non-smoking families - only every twentieth. What are the health consequences of smoking from childhood?

Child- this is not quite a copy of an adult in all respects. All systems and organs are still in the development stage; it has its own characteristics and metabolic state in the body. Therefore, a child or teenager is much more sensitive and vulnerable to the effects of any harmful substances, including tobacco poisons, than an adult. In children who smoke, the functions of the central nervous and cardiovascular systems first of all change. Such children, first of all, become easily excitable, hot-tempered, irritable, and inattentive. Dependence on tobacco gradually develops, and if there is no cigarette, a state of discomfort in well-being appears, which is expressed in the form of anxiety. All thoughts are occupied with smoking as quickly as possible. American scientists have found that young men who smoke have poor memory and difficulty memorizing texts. It has been established that 50% of schoolchildren who smoke do not study well. In adolescents who smoke, metabolic processes in the body are disrupted, especially the absorption of vitamins A, B1, B6, B12, and vitamin C is destroyed. This is the reason why overall development is inhibited and growth slows down. As a result of smoking, anemia and myopia often develop. Inflammatory processes appear in the nasopharynx. Smoking at an early age impairs hearing, so children who smoke tend to hear low sounds less well.
Children have been found to smoke the most advertised cigarette brands.

Passive smoking

Nowadays, when the problem of environmental protection has become one of the most pressing, it is often forgotten that smoking is a concentrated form of air pollution.

In recent years, more and more information has emerged that so-called passive or forced smoking contributes to the development of diseases characteristic of smokers in non-smokers. The risks associated with forced smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke containing thousands of chemicals are undoubtedly high. A lit cigarette, during its “short life,” produces a side stream of smoke (in addition to the main stream that smokers enjoy), which affects others who are forced to passively smoke and inhale harmful substances. Evidence suggests that a passive smoker, when in a room with active smokers for one hour, inhales a dose of some gaseous components of tobacco smoke that is equivalent to smoking half a cigarette.
Staying for 8 hours in an enclosed area where people smoke leads to exposure to tobacco smoke equivalent to smoking more than 5 cigarettes.
For example, the side stream of smoke contains 3.4 times more benzo(a)pyrene than the main stream. Particularly harmful is carbon monoxide, which, as previously noted, penetrating through the lungs into the blood, firmly combines with hemoglobin, preventing the delivery of oxygen to tissues. Typically, the content of carboxyhemoglobin formed in human blood ranges from 0.4 to 1%. According to WHO, the limit of its content is 4%. An increase in carboxyhemoglobin concentration to 16-20% can cause death in patients with cardiovascular diseases, and up to 67-70% in practically healthy individuals.
However, the dose of inhaled solid particles, including tar, is somewhat less and corresponds to smoking 0.1 part of a cigarette.

It has now been proven that passive smoking is an important risk factor for developing lung cancer. At the same time, a statistically significant dependence on the time spent in smoky rooms was established, since the side stream of smoke contains a higher concentration of the carcinogen dimethylnitrosamine than the main stream inhaled by an active smoker.
A lot of words have been said about the dangers of smoking. Many books and magazine articles have been written about this. However, practice shows that even whole mountains of such waste paper cannot convince smokers to give up their habit. Many people do not see anything bad in smoking, some even consider it beneficial. Oddly enough, some scientists tend to agree with this.

One American researcher recently found that even in small quantities, no more than what is usually found in a smoker's saliva, nicotine can kill the tuberculosis bacillus. According to him, in order to cure a person of tuberculosis, the nicotine contained in one cigarette is enough. Apparently, nicotine will be no less effective in combating other bacteria.

Recently, articles have begun to appear in the scientific press, the authors of which claim that nicotine can be used to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease, a form of senile dementia that affects tens of millions of older people. Some believe that not only the introduction of pure nicotine, but also regular cigarettes protects against this disease.

A similar situation arises with another serious brain disease - Parkinson's disease. Nicotine has been found to have a beneficial effect on patients. Even after one injection, doctors noted their increased attention. After two weeks of using the nicotine patch, the volunteers showed a significant improvement in their condition, which gradually disappeared after discontinuation of treatment.

Other sources claim that nicotine has beneficial effects on conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and many more. You can also remember how tobacco helped medicine. After all, the first virus discovered back in 1892 was the tobacco mosaic virus. And there is no need to talk about the significance of the discovery of viruses for modern medical science.

It only remains to add that the stated facts do not mean that it is necessary to start smoking for health purposes. In addition to nicotine, tobacco contains a lot of harmful substances that can outweigh any positive effects. If any of these still controversial treatments find application in medicine, they will be associated either with pure nicotine, or, more likely, with drugs based on it.

Smoking is a disease of the century, like alcoholism, injuries, tuberculosis. One person in a million dies from drinking alcohol every 4-5 days, from car accidents every 2-3 days, and from smoking every 2-3 hours. More than 3 million people on the planet die every year from the consequences of smoking and drinking alcohol. Do you want to be one of them?