2008 Woodie Awards
'Health': More smokers need to heed serious risks
By BJ Nelson
in FeaturesIssue date: 4/3/08 Section: Features
Four thousand chemicals, 60 of which cause cancer; as addictive as cocaine or heroin, according to St. Barnabas Behavioral Health Network; containing arsenic, according to Mardi Richmond at Journeyworks Publishing-all are ingredients in cigarettes.
Most people do not think about the side effects, risks, complications, longterm effects or down sides when they give in and take their first drags. So often, there is an emotional component involved, perhaps a teenager is giving in to peer pressure; perhaps a young wife has been going through separation from a newlywed husband recently shipped over to Iraq; perhaps a family man's doctor has just delivered a tragic diagnosis he does not know how he can share with his wife, son and twin daughters.
Whatever the circumstances, no one sits down and says, "Now let me see; I know I shouldn't smoke because tobacco contains 4,000 chemicals and 60 of them are known to cause cancer, but I smoked for two minutes back when I was a teenager, and I know smoking will help me feel calm right now, so here I go," as they light up. They think later.
What exactly do those 4,000 chemicals do to the human body? A non-comprehensive list would include cancer of the mouth, gums, throat, larynx and lungs; bronchitis and emphysema and cancer of the bladder, kidneys, pancreas, stomach and reproductive organs.
Nicotine, an addictive drug, goes to the brain, making one feel good while smoking; however, afterward it can leave one anxious, nervous, moody and depressed.
Smoking can cause eye problems, even blindness. Studies show smoking is related to hearing loss, wrinkling of the skin and hair loss.
According to Journeyworks Publishing, "Smoking keeps oxygen from getting into muscles, making one feel weak. It can also increase the risk of a serious and painful disease called rheumatoid arthritis. The nicotine in cigarettes, cigars and smokeless tobacco narrows blood vessels. This forces one's heart to work harder and raises blood pressure. Smoking can block arteries, causing heart attacks and strokes."
Most people do not think about the side effects, risks, complications, longterm effects or down sides when they give in and take their first drags. So often, there is an emotional component involved, perhaps a teenager is giving in to peer pressure; perhaps a young wife has been going through separation from a newlywed husband recently shipped over to Iraq; perhaps a family man's doctor has just delivered a tragic diagnosis he does not know how he can share with his wife, son and twin daughters.
Whatever the circumstances, no one sits down and says, "Now let me see; I know I shouldn't smoke because tobacco contains 4,000 chemicals and 60 of them are known to cause cancer, but I smoked for two minutes back when I was a teenager, and I know smoking will help me feel calm right now, so here I go," as they light up. They think later.
What exactly do those 4,000 chemicals do to the human body? A non-comprehensive list would include cancer of the mouth, gums, throat, larynx and lungs; bronchitis and emphysema and cancer of the bladder, kidneys, pancreas, stomach and reproductive organs.
Nicotine, an addictive drug, goes to the brain, making one feel good while smoking; however, afterward it can leave one anxious, nervous, moody and depressed.
Smoking can cause eye problems, even blindness. Studies show smoking is related to hearing loss, wrinkling of the skin and hair loss.
According to Journeyworks Publishing, "Smoking keeps oxygen from getting into muscles, making one feel weak. It can also increase the risk of a serious and painful disease called rheumatoid arthritis. The nicotine in cigarettes, cigars and smokeless tobacco narrows blood vessels. This forces one's heart to work harder and raises blood pressure. Smoking can block arteries, causing heart attacks and strokes."
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