Effects of Smoking Cigarettes

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Effects of Smoking Cigarettes
Smoking cigarettes is undeniably one of the problematic world health problems causing illnesses, disability, and harm to all body organs. WHO approximates that 1.1 billion people in the world smoke, with 80% of them living in developing nations. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention documents that about 16 million citizens in the U.S. live with cigarette smoking-related illnesses. Yearly about 480,000 people succumb to smoking-related ailments, which mean that once one person dies, 30 people are left struggling with diseases caused by smoking (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention.) In addition, exposure to second-hand smoke results in 41,000 deaths of grown-ups and 400 demises of infants yearly. Despite cigarette smoking being legal in almost all countries worldwide, it is extremely harmful as it brings about adverse effects such as preventable deaths, poisoning, addiction, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases.
One of the primary effects of smoking is death. Cigarette smoking is estimated to cause the deaths of half of its users. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services outlines that it is the foremost cause of avoidable deaths in the U.S. The possibility of death from smoking has amplified in the last fifty years in America, whereby more than 480, 000 deaths, which is one in every five people, die from smoking cigarettes yearly and 41,000 deaths from passive smoking (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 1-2). Smoking is estimated to result in more deaths yearly than HIV, illicit drug use, road accidents, gun-related incidents, and alcohol use deaths combined. Also, more American citizens have died as a result of smoking in comparison to those who have been killed during the war. Additionally, smoking contributes to ninety percent of all lung cancer and pulmonary disease deaths, and an increased number of women deaths due to lung cancer (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 1-2). Consequently, smoking tobacco has become among the most significant public health epidemics.
Cigarette smoking poisons the body. Research investigations that date back to the 1950s ascertain that tobacco is a toxic compound made up of over 7000 chemicals, many of which are poisonous (Balatif 45). The chemical substances, including nicotine, toluene, ammonia, butane methanol, acetic acid, carbon monoxide, paint, arsenic, stearic acid, methane, and cadium, among others, cause massive damage to the body. Once an individual inhales tobacco smoke, the poisonous compounds enter the body straight to the lungs. From there, they enter the bloodstream, which transports them through the arteries to the rest of the body. As a result, compounds such as carbon dioxide saturate the body, inflaming body tissues, preventing them from getting oxygen, and damaging them. Continued smoking increases cell damage making it difficult for them to heal while overworking the immune system (Balatif 45-47). Hence, the body's normal functioning is disrupted and becomes weakened, thus making it vulnerable to various diseases.
Cigarette smoking results in addiction. People who smoke cigarettes have a hi...