Smoking Danger
By Kirsten Evans
The Facts
Smoking is very common around the world. Some people smoke for relaxation and some do it to fit in with the crowd. Little do smokers know, Over 440,000 people in the US die due to smoking each year. It is actually the cause of 1 death in every 5 Americans. There are 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, and 250 are harmful to your health. Of these 250 substances, 69 can cause cancer. Smoking causes 87% of lung cancer deaths and several other cancers and health problems such as long-term respiratory diseases, heart disease, and premature death.
Cancers that smoking causes:
Bladder cancer, kidney cancer, throat cancer, mouth cancer, pancreas cancer, esophagus cancer, stomach cancer, cancer in the nose and sinuses, cervical cancer, bowel cancer, ovarian cancer, and sometimes breast cancer.
What long-term smoking can do to your body:
Lungs
It's harmful substances with destroy your lungs completely.
Age
Smoking will make you age prematurely.
Mouth
It can destroy your mouth and other airway paths.
Terrie's Story
Growing up, Terrie had a father that smoked regularly. When she reached high school, other people started smoking. She decided to join in and was eventually smoking two packs a day. At the age of 40, she was diagnosed with Oral and Throat cancer. She had to have her larynx removed which would stop her from smoking permanently. She died a premature death September 16, 2013 at the age of 53 from smoking-related cancer.
Is smoking addicting?
Yes. Nicotine is a drug that is naturally found in tobacco plants and is the primary reason why smokers are addicted to smoking. During smoking, Nicotine enters the lungs and is quickly is absorbed into the bloodstream and travels into the brain in seconds where it then floods the brain’s reward circuits with dopamine. Eventually, smoking will completely destroy the smoker’s brain. When taken in small amounts, Nicotine creates a pleasant feeling for the smoker and causes the smoker to have the urge to smoke on a consistent schedule.