Reasons to
Quit Smoking
If you’re a smoker and you’re thinking of quitting or have
tried to quit before, chances are you already know all the reasons you should.
There are the external factors like bad breath, yellow teeth, stained fingers
and lips, age spots, and wrinkles. Then there are the things you can’t see,
like an increased risk for lung cancer, emphysema, fertility problems, heart
disease, and stroke.
Who Smokes?
Smoking crosses all racial, gender,
and socioeconomic lines. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), more than 45 million American adults smoke—that’s almost 20
percent of the adult population (CDC, 2012).
More men light up than women—21
percent versus 17 percent of women. And it isn’t just adults. CDC studies show
that 20 percent of U.S. high school students smoke cigarettes too (CDC, 2012).
What's in a
Cigarette?
Cigarettes are made with dried tobacco leaves that
naturally contain the drug nicotine. Cigarette manufacturers add chemicals like
ammonia, tar, lead, cyanide and other ingredients, like cocoa, coffee, and
menthol, to change the flavor of the tobacco in an attempt to make smoking more
enjoyable.
According to the American Cancer
Society (ACS), more than 7,000 different chemicals have been identified in
cigarettes and cigarette smoke. Of those 7,000 chemicals, 60 are carcinogens,
meaning they’re known to cause cancer (American Cancer Society,
2013).
Recently, federal legislation required cigarette
manufacturers to provide the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with a list of
harmful or dangerous chemicals in their cigarettes. However, unlike
medications, spirits, and most foods tobacco products are unregulated for the
most part. This means that some potential health risks—beyond what we already
know from years of consumer use—are still being discovered.
Smoking,
Pregnancy, and Fertility
Smoking and tobacco use affect reproduction and fertility.
Research shows that men who smoke have lower sperm counts, and the sperm they
do have is often misshapen and has a harder time moving, making conceiving more
difficult. Experts also believe smoking affects sperm DNA, which may lead to
developmental and physical health problems in a child.
Women who are pregnant and still
smoking are damaging the current and future health of their unborn child.
Babies born to mothers who smoke are about 22 percent more likely to be born
prematurely, according to the March of Dimes, and those who do make it full
term are more likely to have a low birth weight (March of Dimes, 2012). Babies born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy are
also at a greater risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Smoking and
Disease Risk
The leading cause of death in American men and women is
heart disease. Smoking increases your risk for heart disease two to four times
compared to a nonsmoker. The same thing goes for your risk of stroke. Smoking
narrows your blood vessels and arteries, which may lead to peripheral artery
disease (PAD), the obstruction of the large arteries in your arms and legs. If
you continue to smoke, PAD can cause a range of complications including pain,
muscle deterioration, and eventually muscle death.
Smoke damages your lungs and your
airways, putting you at greater risk for respiratory disease. In men, the risk
of developing lung cancer increases 23 times if you are a smoker. Lung cancer
is the leading cause of cancer death in women, and smoking increases a woman's
chance of the disease by 13 times that of nonsmokers (American Lung Association,
2013). Many smokers will also develop a
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) , which is one of a few diseases,
like bronchitis or emphysema, that restrict airflow into and out of your lungs,
making breathing increasingly difficult.Smoking and DeathSmoking remains the number one cause of preventable disease and death in American adults, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). In addition, each year secondhand smoke kills tens of thousands of people who never took a single puff in their lives. The AHA explains that on average, smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than nonsmokers (AHA, 2011). If you don't quit, you could be one of the estimated 443,000 adults who die each year from a disease or complication attributable to smoking (CDC, 2012).
Here's some good news, though: The moment you are no
longer a smoker, your risks for many diseases and health complications begin to
decrease. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, one year after you
smoke your last cigarette, your risk for heart disease is reduced by half.
Fifteen years later, the risk for
heart disease is similar to that of someone who has never lit up. The same is
true for the risk of stroke (American Cancer Society,
2013). Your health and the fate of your
health are not set in stone. You can change your future by making the decision
to quit today.