The disadvantages of smoking

Smoking is a form of addiction depending on the sedative effect of nicotine on the brain and nervous system. There are lots of reasons why people start smoking. The main reasons are peer group pressure, feeling left out while friends’ smoke and trying to fit in with the crowd, stress at home, work, school, trying to attract attention, act cool or become popular, and calm down their nerves.

Firstly, smoking impacts almost all aspects of a person’s health. Smoking causes diseases like asthma, and lung cancer, nearly 85 percent of all cases of lung cancer in the United States are caused by smoking. The lungs become coated with tar causing shortness of breath. It also damages the heart, arteries, eyes and digestive system. Not only that, smoking also has negative impacts on bones and joints since it damages the construction of new bones. Smoking during pregnancy damages the unborn child, and also increases the chances of sudden infant death syndrome. Smoking causes the premature deaths of 417, 000 Americans each year. As said by Dr. Timothy McAfee, “If you bathe a fetus’ brain in nicotine for nine months, it’s clear there are profound effects.”

Secondly, smoking is not only bad for health; it is also a waste of money. An individual spends a large sum of money on cigarettes. In United States government for the tremendous health care costs to care for those badly affected with diseases caused by smoking. Smokers often spend thousands of dollars a year that literally just go up in smoke. Instead of wasting it on smoking they could use it on good use that will benefit them or even give out some money to charity since they have money to waste.

Lastly, second-hand smoking is more harmful to the environment and community than first-hand. Combination of exhaled smoke and smoke from burning end of a cigarette about two-thirds of the smoke enters into the environment. Cigarette smoke contains approximately 4000 harmful chemicals. The amount of second hand smoke employees are exposed to in different occupations was studied by the U.S. Environment Protection Agency. It was found that restaurant workers are exposed to 3 to 5 times more second-hand smoke than a typical workplace employee and 8 to 20 times more than someone who lives with a smoker.