Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Australia. There are many harmful health effects of cigarette smoking. 

What is nicotine addiction?

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. It makes the brain release a chemical called dopamine, which is a chemical that makes one feel happy. It also helps individuals concentrate and helps them feel more energetic. This effect is very short-lived lived and as the body feels the level fade, it craves more dopamine. This results in having to smoke more as your body gets more dependent on it. 

The addiction is concerning as once you are dependent on it, without the high, you will feel withdrawal symptoms like lack of concentration, restlessness, irritability, and anxiety.

Harmful effects of smoking tobacco

Smoking is harmful to almost every part of your body and increases the risk of many diseases. Within 10 seconds of your first puff, the chemicals in tobacco smoke reach the brain, heart, and other organs. These toxins go where the blood flows, causing damage on their way.  

There are many smoke-related concerns for individuals. Tobacco smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, with at least 250 of those being harmful, including carcinogens. These are toxic and create havoc on the body, leading to various diseases and conditions. 

Harmful effects of smoking on Lungs

Smoking causes lung damage. The tissue loss that occurs is never retrieved. The damage makes you more susceptible to certain infections and lung disease. 

Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, accounting for nearly 85% of cases. This is due to the presence of tobacco smoke in the cells lining the lungs, damaging them and allowing for abnormal cell growth, resulting in cancerous tumors. 

Harmful effects of smoking on cardiovascular health

Smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart disease, stroke, and heart attack. The chemical in tobacco smoke damages the blood vessels, leading to buildup of plaque and narrowing of arteries, constricting the blood flow to organs. 

Harmful effects of smoking on respiratory health

Another consequence of smoking is damaged airways, causing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis. Inhaling the smoke irritates and inflames the airways, causing long-term damage to lung tissue. This impairs the respiratory function.

Harmful effects of smoking on vision

The long-term effects of smoking can also affect the vision. It can affect the optic nerve and lead to the development of certain conditions. These can include glaucoma, in which the pressure in the eye increases, putting pressure on the optic nerve, causing loss of sight. Furthermore, cloudy vision and age-related macular degeneration are other risks in people who smoke.

Other harmful effects of smoking

There are health issues linked to smoking, such as some types of cancer, like throat cancer, mouth cancer, bladder cancer, and cervical cancer. Other effects are infertility, erectile dysfunction, and a compromised immune system.

Females who are pregnant and continue to smoke are at an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and low birth weight babies at birth. There is also an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). 

Financial harm

The packs of smokes are quite costly, and individuals who may smoke a high amount can look at $100 or more. The cost of the smoke cartons apart, the healthcare costs associated with treating smoking-related illness are significant and strain the healthcare system by diverting resources away from other critical areas. There is also the loss of productivity or work due to a related illness of smoking. 

Environmental harm

The damage smoking does to the environment is also important to consider. Cigarette butts, which have plastic filters and harmful chemicals, are thrown as litter everywhere. They don’t break down naturally and can harm animals, dirty water, and make the environment worse

What is second hand smoke?

The harmful effects of smoking create consequences for not only the smoker but also those exposed to secondhand smoke. Many of the toxins found in the smoke taken by the smoker are still present and inhaled by those around you who do not smoke but are still affected health-wise. The serious health problems caused in non-smokers are lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illness, especially in children and non-smoking adults exposed to tobacco smoke.

Vape/pipe better than cigarette?

Tobacco smoking is harmful to health, there is no safe way to inhale it. Pipes contain tobacco and the various chemicals present in cigarettes. Therefore, by replacing the cigarette with a pipe, the health risks will not be avoided. A vape has no tobacco; however, it has nicotine and other harmful substances, which do not make it a better alternative.

Quit now

The damage of smoking can last for many years however, many health risks can be reduced or reversed by quitting smoking. There are many health benefits to quitting smoking. Individuals can begin their smoking cessation through the many ways to successfully quit smoking.

There are tobacco control measures, including cessation programs, advertising restrictions, public education, and a tobacco tax, in hopes of curbing smoking in most. Individuals wanting to embark on this journey should consult a health professional about the best way to begin smoking cessation.