Why Smoking is Bad for You

Smoking is bad for you. It will do all sorts of things to your body in old age. You will regret having taken that first puff.
These are all things smokers and non-smokers alike hear about cigarettes from time to time. They heard it from their teachers, parents, and pretty much everyone else in charge of them. But what exactly is it that makes cigarettes bad for you? Let’s take a look.

Short-Term Damage

You will start to notice some changes right away as soon as you use cigarettes. Your fingers will yellow, your breath and hair and clothes will smell like smoke, and your teeth will stain. You may also develop a hacking cough and suffer many of the symptoms of allergies, such as runny nose, fever, itchiness and mucous buildup.

Maybe none of those sound too bad to you, but the effects of smoking are just beginning at that point. Over time, you will start to notice a lack of athletic ability, as your lung capacity diminishes and you have a hardertime staying active. You will also see blood pressure increases and throat irritability.

Long-Term Damage

Over time, all the problems above become much worse. Let’s start with the least awful problems.

The staining on your hands and teeth will worsen. Your fingers will start to shake when you need a cigarette. The cravings will be much more intense the longer you go without a cigarette; getting near others who are smoking or smell like smoke can also trigger cravings easily. What was once an enjoyable habit has become a necessity.

You will also notice that your breathing may have become more ragged. That’s because scar tissue is building up in through throat and lungs. Your entire respiratory system is breaking down because of the smoking habit. That scar tissue means cancer is probably in your future. You can look forward to dealing with lung, throat and mouth cancer. You won’t have to deal with them for very long though, as they can lead to death.how-long

If they don’t cause you to die, then you will at least need to have sections of your throat, mouth and lungs removed. Mechanical replacements can be used instead, but they won’t be pleasant to deal with.

Societal Damage

Now those were just physical damages we considered, but there are others you need to be aware of as well. Smoking is basically prohibited in all public places in the United States. Practically all restaurants, stores, shopping centers, and even parks have outlawed its use. The only public places you can really use cigarettes are out on the street and in some bars and smoking lounges.

You may also find that once you start smoking, you are not treated the same way. People may not want to have their children around you or may not want to be around you themselves. They are likely worried about the effects of secondhand smoke and don’t want to endure any of the physical problems associated with smoking for themselves.