Dangers of Smoking

If you smoke, quit. Smoking is the main cause of many serious illnesses including lung cancer and diseases of the heart and circulation. If you smoke regularly, you are probably reducing your life expectancy by about 5 minutes with each cigarette you smoke.

THE DANGERS OF SMOKING
Tobacco smoke contains at least three dangerous substances: tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide.

TAR- in tobacco smoke collects as a sticky deposits that clogs and irritates the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract. This can lead to diseases such as Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema and, in some cases, can cause Lung Cancer, a life-threatening disease that is almost unknown in nonsmokers. The toxic chemicals in tar are also absorbed into the bloodstream and then excreted in the urine. The presence of such substances in the bladder is known to contribute to the development of Bladder Cancer.

NICOTINE- is highly addictive drug that acts on the nervous system, increasing the heart rate and the risk of developing abnormal heart rhythms.

CARBON MONOXIDE- absorbed into the bloodstream from tobacco smoke, reduces the ability of the red blood cells to carry oxygen to the body cells and therefore exaggerates the effects of any circulatory disorder. In addition, carbon monoxide may encourage the formation of substances that help block the arteries and cause Fatal Heart Attacks and disabling circulation problems in the legs.