Cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer morality in the United States. This statement is true because cigarette smoking and tobacco use are more acquired behaviors, ones that the individual chooses to do, and smoking is the most preventable cause of premature death in our society. Each year a staggering 435,000 people die in the US from tobacco use. About half of all Americans who continue to smoke will die because of the habit. Nearly 1 of every 5 deaths is related to smoking. Cigarettes kill more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, aids, homicide, and illegal drugs combined. Cigarette smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths.
It is a major cause of cancers of the lung, larynx (voice box), oral cavity, pharynx (throat), and esophagus, and is a contributing cause in the development of cancers of the bladder, pancreas, liver, uterine cervix, kidney, stomach, colon and rectum, and some leukemia. About 87% of lung smoking causes cancer deaths. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women, and is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. It is very hard to detect when it is in the earliest, most treatable stage. Smoking is also the most universal bad dental health habit! Tobacco increases the risks of oral cancer and periodontal disease. Symptoms of oral cancer are sore lip or in the mouth that does not heal, lump in the mouth or throat, white or red patches on the gums, tongue, lips, or lining of the mouth, unusual bleeding from the
mouth or throat, difficulty swallowing, and persistent hoarseness. Someone dies of oral cancer every hour in the U.S. Periodontal disease occurs when a bacterial infection destroys the soft tissue and bone that anchors your jawbones. In the early stages of the disease you may notice that your gums bleed when you brush or floss. As the infection worsens your teeth will begin to break down and pull away from your teeth, forming pockets. Later the pockets between the teeth and gums deepen as more of the supporting structures are destroyed. Ultimately your teeth may become loose, painful and may even fall out. These two diseases related to dental problems are extreme cases of smoking. But there are more factors such as bad breath, stained teeth, decreased senses of taste and smell, mouth sores, poor healing, implant failure, yellow nails. Another gross illness caused by chewing tobacco is called the hairy tongue. It happens when a buildup of keratin is produced on the tongue.
All these diseases and consequences seem dangerous and make a person unattractive yet tobacco companies keep spending billions of dollars each year to attract new smokers and more than 30% of our population smokes or chews tobacco. We need to educate ourselves on something we use before we use it especially when we know it could be harmful. Our health should be a priority. We even harm others when we smoke even though we don't mean to through second hand smoke. Secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or passive smoking, is a mixture of 2 forms of smoke from burning tobacco products. Side stream smoke; smoke that comes
from a lighted cigarette, pipe, or cigar. Mainstream smoke; smoke that is exhaled by a smoker. When nonsmokers are exposed to secondhand smoke it is called involuntary or passive smoking. Why is it a problem? The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified secondhand smoke as a Group A carcinogen, which means that there is sufficient evidence that it causes cancer in humans. The US National Toxicology Program has also classified environmental tobacco smoke as a “known human carcinogen”. Secondhand tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds. More than 60 of these are known or suspected to cause cancer. In the United States alone, each year it is responsible for; An estimated 35,000 to 40,000 deaths from heart disease in people who are not current smokers, and about 3,000 lung cancer deaths in nonsmoking adults. The 1986 US Surgeon General's report on the health consequences of involuntary smoking reached 3 important conclusions about second hand smoke; Involuntary smoking causes disease, including lung cancer, in healthy nonsmokers. When compared with the children of nonsmoking parents, children of parents who smoke have more frequent respiratory infections, more respiratory symptoms, and slower development of lung function as the lung matures. It is hard for nonsmokers to control the exposure of secondhand smoke because it is almost everywhere. What can be done about it? Local, state, and federal authorities can enact public policies to protect the people from tobacco caused diseases and addiction. What makes tobacco so addictive? Tobacco contains many
substances known to be cytotoxic (destructive to your body's cells and tissues). One of these substances that make smoking addictive is nicotine. Nicotine is a drug found naturally in tobacco. It is highly addictive as heroin and cocaine. The nicotine in tobacco causes something called vasoconstriction (narrowing the blood vessels). Blood circulation is certainly is a important thing! It has been shown to decrease by as much as 70% in your mouth during the smoking of a cigarette. Why is it important not to smoke or quit smoking? Health concerns usually tops the list. But another factor is because no matter what your age or how long you smoked, quitting or not smoking will help you live longer and look better. It affects your aging also because smokers usually get premature wrinkling of the skin. Some people are able to quit on their own, without the help of others or the use of medicines. But for many smokers, it can be hard to break the social and emotional ties while getting over nicotine withdrawal symptoms at the same time. Fortunately, there are many sources of support out there both formal and informal. We need to be informed of how serious the health risks are for smoking. I hope these facts and consequences will give enough information to increase awareness of how dangerous smoking can be. It is a expensive habit. A lot of friends may try to convince you that smoking makes you look cool but your just ruining your health to be accepted by people who do not know better. We need to develop a strong sense of who we are and what we want regardless of what everyone else is doing. I think that is the single most important thing to stay out of trouble in any aspect of life.
