By Farayola Rachael Oluwatoyosi & Babatunde Abdulhammed Opeyemi
November 18, 2019
Smoking is an act of combusting and inhaling substances commonly attributed to tobacco smoking in the form of cigarette, cigar, etc. It poses a great threat to mankind’s existence. This act has sent several people to the ‘underworld’ than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Figures explaining the magnitude of the harm caused by cigarette smoking make it seem like the ‘lion king’ in the jungle of killer which needs to be hunt down. According to WHO, 80% of the world’s 1.1 billion smokers live in developing countries and about 8 million people that die yearly from tobacco-related diseases are from Africa.
In Nigeria, tobacco use accounts for an estimated 16,100 deaths every year with more than 3.5 million Nigerians (15 years and older) and more than 25,000 children (10-14 years) using tobacco daily. A developed country like the United States has lost more than 10 times her citizens to tobacco smoking than all the wars fought by the nation. This is the extent of the damaged that smoking has caused.
Smoking will not just cause death abruptly but increase the risk of developing chronic diseases in any part of the body. Harmful health impact of smoking affects not only the smoker but also the second-hand smokers (passive smokers). Most of the harmful effect of tobacco smoking has been eliminated in snus and e-cigarettes. In fact, the Public Health England still insisted that vaping (use of e-cigarette) is 95% safer than conventional tobacco smoking.
The following are some of the effects of smoking on health.
- Cancer
There are more than 7000 chemicals in a single stick of cigarette of which about 70 have been confirmed to be carcinogens (cancer-causing substances). Some of the common carcinogens presents include tar, lead, nickel & cobalt. This explains why tobacco smoking is the leading cause of cancer in the world. The most common type of cancer suffered by smokers is lung cancer and contributes to 84% of deaths from lung cancer. Other parts of the body that can develop cancer include mouth, oesophagus, stomach, pancreatic and organs of reproduction.
- Respiratory diseases
Development of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is very common with smokers. This is a collection of diseases which include chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma and other diseases that obstruct the airway. Smoking is the major cause of deaths (80%) from COPD. Deposition of tar and other chemicals present in tobacco smoke along the airways results in increased production of mucus. Mucus produced are moved slowly towards the oral cavity due to destruction of the airway lining. This trigger coughing, wheezing and sneezing in order to expel the stagnant mucus blocking the airway. Smoking also narrows the airway and cause destruction of respiratory alveoli. The sufferer may suffocate to death despite adequate oxygen in the atmosphere.
- Cardiovascular diseases
Smoking thickens the blood as carbon monoxide and tar from the smoke dissolves in it. This increases the chance of blood forming clots within the vessel or eroding the wall of blood vessels. Besides, it overworks the heart because more force of contraction is required to pump thicker blood around the body. All these exposes the smoker to a higher risk of developing heart attack, stroke, thrombosis, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases than a non-smoker.
- Reproductive diseases
Incidence of infertility is very common among smokers than non-smokers. There are also common cases of erectile dysfunction that occur proportionally with smoking. This occurs because smoking causes constriction of blood vessels which prevent adequate blood flow needed for an erection. It causes deformed sperm and low sperm count. In women, smoking may affect menstrual period and it hastens menopause by 1 or 2 years. It also increases the risk of developing cervical cancer. Besides, smoking is detrimental to the health of pregnant woman and baby. It increases the risk of miscarriage. It can also cause asthma and death in new-borns. The baby is out at risk of oxygen deprivation. Tobacco smoke is teratogenic and can lead to physical deformities in the infant. It may also cause stillbirth, preterm birth and low birth weight.
- Neurological Diseases
Smoking affects the CNS by causing mood stimulation. It temporarily caused good mood which often leads to dependence. Nicotine present in cigarette affects the centre for pleasure and excitement in the brain resulting in addiction. When smoking is abruptly stopped it could lead to withdrawal side effect (nicotine withdrawal) like irritability, depression, anxiety, mood swing, insomnia, vomiting, muscle pain etc.
- Other diseases
Tobacco smoking does not spare any organ or system of the body from increased risk to diseases. It reduces the body’s immunity and increases susceptibility to infections. Besides, sense of smell and taste are dulled by smoking which usually decrease appetite. Also, tobacco cause dry skin and premature aging, reduces blood flow to the skin causing wrinkly skin. Moreover, there are usually yellowish or brownish stains on teeth of smokers which is a sign of long-term smoking.
NOTE: Quitting tobacco smoking reduces the risk of developing all the aforementioned diseases to as low as that of non-smokers with time.
Quitting tobacco smoking is difficult. Endeavour to quit or switch to safer alternatives. See this article to learn more about how to quit smoking: https://www.thrnigeria.org/9-tips-to-help-you-quit-smoking/?fbclid=IwAR01NZRVGaHeoER-o8lP7FjQxl_dGLHTp59-L0MSnEQwOpVwfjTW5Hjinec
Article was written by our Volunteer Ambassadors and edited by Adebisi Yusuff Adebayo, THR Nigeria.
An educative piece on dangers of smoking cigarettes. May the Almighty God minister to the people involved in the act of smoking cigarettes to have a change of heart so as to have a society free of all these cigarette related health challenges. Nice write up. More powers to your elbows.