Info-Station
Smoking and health
It is well known that tobacco smoke contains harmful substances such as nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide. In fact, more than 7000 chemicals (e.g. cyanide, arsenic), of which at least 69 carcinogens (e.g. nitrosamine, aldehyde, chromium), were identified in the smoke. These substances will harm nearly every organ of the body and cause various diseases.
Nicotine | - Addictive, narrows blood vessels |
Tar | - Carcinogenic, irritates airways, causes yellowish nails and teeth |
Carbon monoxide | - Reduces oxygen carrying capacity of blood, depletes oxygen, accelerates ageing |
Evidence shows that smoking is a causative agent of many fatal diseases and cancers. It is confirmed that at least 10 types of cancer are caused by smoking. Besides, disorders and problems such as impotence, infertility, wrinkling, and halitosis can also be caused by smoking.
Diseases that are caused by smoking | |
---|---|
Cancers | Lung cancer, oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, oesophageal cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, bladder and kidney cancer, cervical cancer, leukemia and colorectal cancer |
Cardio-cerebral-vascular diseases | Heart diseases, stroke, atherosclerosis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral vascular disease |
Eye diseases | Blindness, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration |
Respiratory diseases | Pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, respiratory symptoms such as cough and phlegm, tuberculosis |
Pregnancy-related diseases | Ectopic pregnancy, fetal growth retardation, congenital defect – orofacial clefts, premature delivery, miscarriage and other complications during pregnancy |
Other diseases | Impotence, infertility, osteoporosis, peptic ulcer, ageing of the skin and periodontitis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis |
Smoking would also bring about socio-economical consequences. Secondhand smoke from smokers will harm their family members as well.
For further information on the health hazards of smoking to health, please visit the following websites:
-
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA
2014 Surgeon General's Report: The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress
The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General (2004)
How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease: A Report of the Surgeon General (2010)
-
World Health Organization
IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans Volume 83 Tobacco Smoke and Involuntary Smoking
If you need any assistance or information on smoking cessation, please contact us at 1833 183.