World No Tobacco Day is a great reason to quit smoking! Effects of smoking on the human body. Reference

Smoking is not a harmless activity that can be easily quit. This is a real addiction, and 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 part. For the first part, the problem is to quit smoking, for the second - not to "catch" the habit of smoking, avoid the influence of a smoking society and maintain one's health.

Many of the smokers dream of quitting, but the lack of willpower and desire prevents us from quitting this bad habit. You are tired of reading articles and books “how to quit smoking”, where you are supposedly brainwashed that you will quit 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 can 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. No less alarming is the fact that hundreds of thousands of people who have never smoked die every year from diseases caused by secondhand smoke.

How smoking harms our health

How does tobacco smoking affect health? People who smoke a lot and for a long time are 10 times more likely to develop a stomach ulcer, 12 times more likely to have a myocardial infarction, 13 times more likely to have angina pectoris, and 30 times more likely to get lung cancer. The number of discoveries made by scientists in this field is growing every day. So, American doctors found out 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, blocks the properties of vitamins C and E. As a result, smokers often suffer from displacement of the intervertebral discs, their elasticity of the ligaments weakens, and the process of wound healing 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 normal weight women, 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 It's bad breath.

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

Smoking- this is a kind of test of willpower on the ability to endure the absence of nicotine in the body. Smoking in adolescence is not only a decrease in sexual development, but also a decrease in memory.

Smoking- reduces sexual activity, both in men and women.

Smoking for those who have weak kidneys - it is strictly contraindicated. Age consequences are unpredictable!

Smoking reduces our physical activity.

Smoking promotes yellowing of the teeth.

Smoking lowers mental abilities, impairs memory and a person becomes distracted and not self-confident.

And this list could go on forever...
|nextpage| What harm does smoking do to pregnant mothers

Smoking during pregnancy adversely affects the state of peripheral 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, being absorbed, enter the amniotic fluid, poison it, and with it the fetus. It does not fully mature and often becomes unviable. Smoking adversely affects the newborn's heart, causing it to contract at a higher rate, leading to heart failure. The respiratory system also suffers from nicotine, the risk of sudden death in sleep is 4-5 times higher than in children of non-smoking mothers. Children of smoking mothers are more likely to suffer from colds, various allergies, disorders of the nervous system and digestive organs; they may lag behind in mental development, respond insufficiently to sounds and touches, and have difficulty waking up. The so-called passive smoking is also not indifferent for the child, when the father smokes in the house, and the non-smoking mother is often in the company of smokers.

Stress from smoking

Stress is a phenomenon that occurs frequently in our lives. Both severe overload at work and idleness cause the same amount of stress. Life tends to get more and more stressful. Role conflicts or life inconveniences can trigger stress. Such situations are not rare and can occur in everyone, both smokers and non-smokers. In this regard, the stresses that now and then arise in our lives are not only not removed, but are exacerbated by smoking.

The nervousness that arises from the desire to smoke a cigarette provokes even more stress. The life of a smoker automatically becomes more stressful, because tobacco does not allow you to relax and relieve stress. Quite the contrary: in fact, smoking makes you feel more and more nervous and tense. As you know, the level of stress among smokers is higher than that of 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 cigarettes, and the more he smokes, the more stable and stronger this addiction becomes. Having got used to a cigarette, a person can no longer relax without it.

However, stress is exacerbated not only by smoking, but also, as it may seem, by a sharp rejection of it. But is it really so? The level of nervousness among smokers rises sharply, just before they have to quit smoking, thereby arousing the desire to smoke. This creates a stressful situation. Feeling nervous, the person who wants to stop smoking comes to the decision that he has chosen the wrong time: he should wait until the moment when he will not have stress. As soon as this thought enters 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 steadily decreases 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 smoking cessation.

Now think about it, is it worth smoking more?

The words "cigarette" and "health" are incompatible with each other, and the consequences can be the most 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 whole body. Therefore, realizing the colossal harm of smoking, it is important to finally get rid of this destructive addiction, to take a number of preventive measures for the final removal of toxic substances.

What is smoking

This bad habit is a global problem of our time, because every year it is rapidly “getting younger”. The number of smoking men is constantly growing, and the female body is often characterized by such a deadly addiction. Tobacco smoking is equated with alcohol addiction, since in both cases a person can die from deadly diseases. In recent years, many people have realized this problem and quit smoking, but the younger generation is still eager 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 that are hazardous to health. These are carbon dioxide, arsenic, nicotine, cyanide, benzapyrene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, hydrocyanic acid. After arbitrary inhalation of tobacco smoke (this applies to the health of passive smokers), pathological processes also predominate in the body, which provoke such radioactive substances as polonium, lead, bismuth. This chemical composition just provides the harm of tobacco.

What is harmful smoking

The chemicals contained in cigarettes can be lethal 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 prone to chronic cough, bronchitis, obstructive pulmonary disease and other diseases with unforeseen clinical outcomes. Therefore, it is important to treat tobacco dependence and the consequences of its prevalence in a person's life in a timely manner.

The harm of smoking on the human body

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

For men

The first step is to note that nicotine can adversely affect the potency of the stronger sex. Men who smoke for a long time do everything to face erectile dysfunction before the age of 40. For a full life and an active representative of the stronger sex, this is a tragedy, so you should not bring your own body to the appearance of these pathologies. In addition to heart disease, health problems can include:

Chronical bronchitis;
pneumonia;
BPH;
oxygen starvation of tissues (hypoxia);
tuberculosis;
progressive retinal dystrophy;
decreased visual acuity, 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 partially characteristic of the female body, if the fairer sex smokes. Nicotine in high concentration causes a chronic form of bronchitis, emphysema, does not exclude the presence of diagnosed infertility. Smoking kills gradually, but at first it turns a woman into an invalid. If we talk about diseases of the respiratory tract, nicotine is not limited to such a pathological process. Cigarettes harm the body on a large scale, and here are the clinical pictures that take place:

nicotine contributes to miscarriage in early pregnancy;
the presence of a lingering cough of a smoker becomes the norm of everyday life;
smoking increases the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke of cerebral vessels;
negative effects extend to the skin, contribute to its aging;
there is a change in the timbre of the voice, constantly worried about dry cough;
smoking can result in lung cancer;
nicotine can cause deep depression;
smoking causes mental disorders prone to relapse;
the vessels of the stomach under the influence of nicotine pathologically narrow, peristalsis is disturbed;
Cigarettes cause serious damage to the structure of nails, hair, 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 consequences for health 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, significantly inhibits psychomotor functions;
the consequences of cigarette smoking for a student are accompanied by a 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 gets addicted to such a drug, the consequences affect the physical and mental state;
bad habits disrupt metabolism, increase body weight, contribute to the development of obesity.

Diseases from smoking

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

Chronical bronchitis;
emphysema of the lung;
malignant tumor of the lung;
vascular atherosclerosis;
myocardial infarction;
obliterating endarteritis;
impotence and frigidity;
pulmonary thromboembolism;
congenital deformities of the child;
extensive pathologies of the digestive tract;
diagnosed infertility;
pneumonia.

Crayfish

Smoking is harmful to health, and colossal. Nicotine with prolonged exposure provokes cell mutation, promotes the formation of malignant neoplasms. The problem is exacerbated by the genetic predisposition to such pathologies. Oncology ends in death, 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 the child at an early age why smoking is harmful.

The harm of smoking to others

Giving up bad habits is not only good for your health, but also good for others. The harm from smoking cigarettes is felt by bystanders and close relatives who have to regularly contact with a heavy smoker. Nicotine in tobacco smoke causes an increase in heart rate, heart rhythm disturbances, coughing, and even severe asthma attacks. When faced with passive smoking, here are some things to be especially wary of:

risk of spontaneous miscarriage (for smoking pregnant women);
reduced fertility;
depressive state;
redness, eye irritation;
dry throat, perspiration;
bouts of coughing, suffocation;
decline in performance.

Effects

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

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

Death

Statistics for Russia reports that up to 3,000 people of all ages die from passive smoking every year. If a child has smoking parents, then about 2,700 newborns and children of the first year of life die from sudden death syndrome. From extensive pathologies of the myocardium and the cardiovascular system, up to 62,000 people die every year. The collected facts are not comforting, therefore, before lighting another cigarette, it is important to always remember such shocking statistics.

Video

The ranks of smokers are constantly replenished, 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. Understanding the harm that humanity does to itself from smoking, it is ready to spend incredible money on this.

Tobacco 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, harmony sets in. After a while, nothing remains of the former “pleasant” feelings. A disease begins to develop, which is called tobacco dependence. A cigarette causes complete dependence after 6 months of constant smoking, in some people even earlier. The harm from smoking cigarettes is obvious.

Composition of a cigarette

Dried tobacco leaves are used to make cigarettes. Smoking produces nicotine, which causes irreparable harm to the body.

The composition of cigarettes includes the following substances:

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 that is actively used in the chemical industry.
Formaldehyde. A harmful component that is used in medicine to store corpses.
Arsenic. Added as a constituent element for mouse poison.
Ammonia. A toxic component used to remove stains from surfaces.
Carbon monoxide. Blocks the normal supply of oxygen to the body.
Acetone. It is used in cosmetology for removing varnish.
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 into the hemoglobin of the blood and reduces the amount of oxygen in the tissues.

This is not the whole list, which is contained in cigarettes. Harm from smoking is also brought by 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 the deterioration of memory and attention. The teenager becomes more distracted, uncollected, his performance at school worsens. Consequently, a normal future is put in great doubt.

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

With vision. The nicotine contained in the cigarette increases intraocular pressure, glaucoma may develop, visual acuity can only be restored through surgery.
Hearing. The 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 hearing loss.
with stomach. The digestive tract feels the intake of tobacco smoke with its harmful elements almost more strongly than all other organs. This leads to diseases of the stomach, which are very difficult to cure.
with the nervous system. Tobacco smoke has a different effect on a young organism. It can make a teenager overly emotional, or it can lead to a depressive state. Neither one nor the other favorably affects the child.
With skin. Seborrhea, acne, acne - this is the smallest enumeration of those diseases that await a young smoker. In addition, pigmentation, dryness appear, the functioning of the sebaceous glands is disturbed, the skin quickly ages.
with the endocrine system. First of all, the work of the thyroid gland is disrupted. And these are hormonal disruptions, and a violation not only of the organs of the endocrine system, but of the whole organism.
With cardiovascular system. The resin, which is part of cigarettes, makes potential hypertensive patients and cores out of young smokers. The explanation is simple: even a passive smoker will find a rapid deterioration of the myocardium, the vessels will become less elastic, their spasms will begin, the heart fibers will increase in volume.
with respiratory system. The lungs are the first organ to suffer. The manifestations of the negative impact will be shortness of breath at the slightest exertion, 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 and without doctors are wonderfully aware of the negative effects of cigarettes. Nicotine causes sexual dysfunction and sexual impotence. Impotence occurs in 85% of men who started smoking before the age of 18.

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

Men believe that by smoking a hookah, nothing threatens their health. This opinion is erroneous, because all the same, combustion elements, tar, carbon monoxide are present in the inhaled smoke, and those components that settle on the hookah when the filter is clogged enter directly into the lungs. The same can be said when the smoker prefers the electronic version of the cigarette.

Harm from smoking cigarettes for women and especially for expectant mothers

Sad statistics can be called a huge number of smoking women. Despite the severe ailments that are associated with cigarettes, girls begin to smoke at a young age, thereby reducing the opportunity to experience the joy of motherhood. Smoking shortens life, leads to infertility, causes cancer, heart disease and other unpleasant consequences.

female smoking

We can safely say that the harm from smoking cigarettes for women is much 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 delivery, it is not a fact that the child will not have problems later. His nervous intrauterine world can lead to a delay in speech development, mental state, lagging behind peers. Is the harm caused by smoking cigarettes worth losing a happy motherhood?

Expectant mothers often think that light nicotine content in cigarettes does not entail consequences, as well as rare 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 addiction with the onset of pregnancy, you need to do this at least a year before a 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 Kiskali medicine);
cervical cancer;
lungs' cancer;
changes in the skin (wrinkles, gray tint);
yellowness of teeth;
weakening of hair and nails.

In addition to these diseases, a woman can feel the harm from smoking any cigarette after a month of regular smoking, because addiction in the weaker sex is much faster.

The harmfulness of smoking and the diseases that 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 provoked are simply frightening.

Diseases caused by smoking

There are 3 main diseases that indicate the undeniable harmfulness of smoking, which in 90% of cases end in death.

Lungs' 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 the use of drugs, for example, Vepezid, Vinorelbine or other drugs based on Bendamustine or Blinatumomab, and you will not have to do the operation. Don't delay visiting the hospital!

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

smoking death statistics

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

Benefits of smoking, is there any

The harmfulness of smoking cigarettes does not leave a person a chance for a healthy life. No organ can work in the proper rhythm.

But still, according to researchers, the benefits of smoking may be depending on the specific situation with diseases such as:

prevention of Alzheimer's disease;
prevention of Parkinson's disease;
relief of symptoms of schizophrenia;
decrease in intestinal peristalsis.

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 swung at a very serious and global topic. The reason was that my close friend is currently in the process of quitting smoking. This is far from her first attempt, but I believe that this time she will definitely succeed. Behind her for two weeks without cigarettes, there is a powerful psychological and physical withdrawal, but despite this, she endures all the trials.

This article is an idea of my friend, which I really liked. Tell the whole truth about smoking to more people, and if not convince them to quit immediately, then at least give birth to the thought of it. Provide as complete information as possible about the tobacco business, the dangers of cigarettes, the possible consequences and effective ways to quit smoking.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TOBACCO BUSINESS

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

BENEFITS OF CUTTING SMOKING

I understand perfectly well that warnings and intimidation about serious illnesses, about harm to health, about 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 lot of money in your budget, which you can spend on vacation, a long-awaited purchase or a gym membership. On average 3,000 rubles a month, 36,000 rubles a year. If there are two smokers in the family, 6,000 rubles a month, 72,000 rubles a year, respectively. Good savings? Prices for cigarettes are rising all the time, and with them your savings.
You will stop worrying if your breath, hands or hair smell before a meeting or work. You will get rid of the unpleasant smell in the apartment, car and clothes.
You will increase the chances of meeting your soul mate, because it's no secret that non-smokers (especially men) are unpleasant when their partner smokes.
You won't need to go out of a restaurant or cafe to smoke, look for a place to smoke outside, suffer from the thought of a cigarette on public transport or when there is no way to smoke.
I'm not 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 most importantly, what I write about last, because this effect is slow and not obvious: you will reduce the risk of developing lung cancer, heart disease and blood vessels. You will prolong 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, capable of damaging the genetic material of the cell and causing the growth of a cancerous tumor.

I am also a former smoker. Many times I tried to quit smoking, many times I failed, but one day I realized that I no longer want this acrid smoke, bad 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 are effective ways to quit smoking.

EFFECTIVE WAYS TO QUIT SMOKING

Based on my experience and the experience of my friends, I can recommend the following ways for you 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 nicotine addiction. In fairness, it should be noted that some smoked again after a couple of months, but some still do not smoke.

2. Sports.

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

You inhale caustic smoke into clean lungs after class, you feel how it fills them with smelly and harmful chemistry and disgust appears, a desire to throw away a cigarette and never pick it up again. So it was with me.

My friend is very helped by the quitting calendar, which describes in detail the possible symptoms, sensations, complaints that accompany the process of quitting smoking. With 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 for 1 year. After this time, it is assumed that you will not return to the old one.

4. Resources for quitters.

There are a huge number of author's methods, medicines and folk tips 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 suggest you watch the feature film "The Own Man", based on real events. The film vividly shows what the tobacco business is like, its principles and methods.

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

From my experience, I want 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, whiled away the waiting time for a cigarette.

I just replaced it all with other habits. Yoga carefully protects me from stress, I drink tea or coffee with friends, 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 useful to you. Be healthy!

With sincere sympathy, Olesya.

Tobacco smoking- this is one of the most pernicious habits of mankind. It affects a huge number of people all over the world.

Having "accidentally" instead of the desired India in America in 1492, Christopher Columbus and his companions became the first Europeans to smoke. Tobacco was brought to Europe as a miraculous drug that calms, relieves headaches and fatigue. In the specialized literature, pipe smoking is described as a true art and even as a secret ritual that primarily delivers aesthetic pleasure.
Many scientists recognize that drinking 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 judgments about the dangers of smoking and drinking alcohol, you can agree with them or ignore them, but the facts remain facts.
The damage caused to health is, as it were, 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 swallowed with saliva into the stomach.
The dose of nicotine obtained by smoking is too low to cause acute poisoning, although there is a serious risk of acute poisoning for children.
If a child lives in an apartment where one of the family members smokes 1-2 packs of cigarettes, then the amount of nicotine corresponding to 2-3 cigarettes is found in the child's urine.
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 just because a strong poison in small doses acts excitingly on nervous system, in large ones - causes its paralysis (stopping breathing, cessation of cardiac activity).

Tobacco is considered by some addiction experts to be the most powerful addictive drug, worse than heroin or cocaine.

The absorption of nicotine from the acidic smoke of cigarettes occurs in the lungs. Alkaline tobacco smoke from pipes and cigars allows nicotine to be absorbed through the mucous membranes in the mouth. Absorption through the lungs is faster. From the lungs, nicotine quickly enters the bloodstream and the brain. Nicotine acts through special cell 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 work of the synapse changes, that is, the transmission of a nerve impulse is distorted, which controls the state of blood vessels, muscle tissue, glands of external or internal secretion. When the receptors signal the presence of nicotine, blood pressure rises and peripheral circulation slows down. 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 takes place, can affect how a particular cigarette will affect the psychological perception and physiological response, for example, it can cause feelings of both relaxation and alertness.

Tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 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 mainly due to the effects of nicotine on the brain, they die mainly due to the effects of tar. When smoke enters the mouth as a concentrated aerosol, it brings 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 cleansing process in the lungs and damages the alveolar sacs. It also reduces the effectiveness of the immune system.

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

Depending on the duration and intensity of smoking, metaplasia of the bronchial epithelium from cylindrical to flat is observed. In this case, as already mentioned, the mucociliary mechanism that clears the respiratory tract is damaged, 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. With diseases such as peptic ulcer, thrombophlebitis, myocardial infarction, recovery without smoking cessation is impossible.

As you know, smoking causes serious harm to human health. It is believed that, first of all, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems suffer from it, 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 sex glands. Therefore, the health of unborn children suffers, many of which are never born because of smoking.
. Moreover, interestingly, smoking and alcoholism potentiate each other's action, that is, in men who both smoke and abuse alcohol, fertility rates decrease compared to "pure" smokers or alcoholics not by 2, but by 3-4 times.

Women smoke on a par with men and receive as a gift a bouquet of sores from their tobacco fans and nicotine

inhalers-respirators. 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 withering of the skin, tobacco smoke settles on the skin, leaving an unpleasant odor and clogs pores, hair becomes brittle due to the accumulation of smoke in them and dehydration of the scalp, conjunctivitis often develops due to constant irritation of the eyeball with smoke, nicotine and tar deposits lead to tooth discoloration, gum disease is more likely, bad breath, voice changes, 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 at the expense of young people. According to experts, there are several reasons for this phenomenon. The main thing lies in the family itself. Exactly where at least one of the parents smokes, every fourth child becomes a smoker, and in non-smoking families - only every twentieth. What are the health risks of smoking in 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 the state of metabolism in the body. Therefore, a child, a teenager is much more sensitive, more vulnerable to the action of any harmful substances, including tobacco poisons, than an adult. Smoking children primarily change the functions of the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. Such children, first of all, become easily excitable, quick-tempered, irritable, inattentive. Dependence on tobacco gradually develops, and if there is no cigarette, a state of discomfort appears in well-being, which is expressed in the form of anxiety. All thoughts are occupied with smoking as soon as possible. American scientists have found that young men who smoke have a worsening memory, and it is difficult to memorize texts. It has been established that 50% of schoolchildren who smoke study poorly. In smoking teenagers, metabolic processes in the body are disturbed, especially the absorption of vitamins A, B1, B6, B12, and vitamin C is destroyed. This is the reason that the overall development is inhibited, growth slows down. As a result of smoking, anemia often develops, as well as myopia. There are inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx. Smoking at an early age impairs hearing, so children who smoke tend to be less able to hear low sounds.
It is established that children smoke the most advertised cigarette brands.

Second hand smoke

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

In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that so-called second-hand or forced smoking contributes to the development of non-smokers of diseases characteristic of smokers. The risk associated with forced smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke containing thousands of chemicals is undoubtedly high. A lit cigarette during its "short life" is a source of sidestream smoke (besides the mainstream that smokers enjoy) that affects others who are forced to secondhand smoke and inhale harmful substances. Evidence suggests that a passive smoker, being in a room with active smokers for one hour, inhales a dose of some of the gaseous constituents of tobacco smoke that is equivalent to smoking half a cigarette.
Staying for 8 hours in a closed smoking area results in exposure to tobacco smoke corresponding to smoking more than 5 cigarettes.
For example, the sidestream smoke contains 3.4 times more benzo(a)pyrene than the main stream. Especially great harm is caused by 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 the resulting carboxyhemoglobin in human blood ranges from 0.4 to 1%. According to WHO, the limit of its content is 4%. An increase in the concentration of carboxyhemoglobin up 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 particulate matter, including tar, is somewhat less and corresponds to smoking 0.1 part of a cigarette.

Passive smoking has now been proven to be an important risk factor for 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 journal articles have been written about it. However, practice shows that even whole mountains of such waste paper cannot convince smokers to give up their habit. Many do not see anything wrong with smoking, someone even considers it useful. Oddly enough, some scientists tend to agree with this.

An American researcher recently found that even in small amounts, not more than is usually found in a smoker's saliva, nicotine can kill the tubercle 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 for fighting other bacteria.

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

A similar situation develops with another severe brain disease - Parkinson's disease. It was found that nicotine has 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 the treatment was discontinued.

Other sources claim that nicotine is beneficial for diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, and in many other cases. 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 remains only 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 as-yet-controversial treatments find their way into medicine, they will either involve pure nicotine or, more likely, nicotine-based drugs.

Smoking is a disease of the century, like alcoholism, injuries, tuberculosis. One in a million people die 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 inhabitants of the planet die every year from the consequences of smoking and drinking alcohol. Do you want to be among them?