Cigarettes are a weapon, they kill and destroy lives. Cigarettes consume the smoker's lungs and make them non-functional.
Cigarettes:
1. Make the teeth and nails yellow,
2. Wrinkle the skin faster, so smokers give the appearance of being 10-20 years older than they really are
3. Make your cloth, body, hair and breath smell pretty bad.
4. Cigarettes decrease the oxygen flow to the brain causing brain embolism.
5. Cause you to walk with difficulty, because it's harder to breath,
6. Impossible to become well fit athlete because it's difficult to run, bicycle, swim or to do any kind of sport or physical activity because it feels like the lungs just can't expand anymore and the gasping for air starts.
7. Cause a decrease of taste
8. Reduce the sense of smell.
9. Cause lung emphysema or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: chronic bronchitis or emphysema)
10. Could develop cancer of the lips. mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, lungs, stomach, kidney, bladder, and more.
11. Cigarettes could cause premature osteoporosis.
12. Smoking could be an important risk factor to develop Macular Degeneration (of the eyes)
Male smokers could notice an important decrease in sexual potency.
13. Increases the risk of infertility or delay in conception
14. The risk for a heart attack increases immensely.
15. Morbidity and mortality rates are severe.
It is hard to quit smoking, no doubt about it, but it's not impossible. If I quit, believe me, anyone can do it. I've been cigarette free for 9 1/2 years, and the improvement I've noticed in my health is remarkably positive.
I am now an avid fanatic cyclist. I bike around 14-16 hrs. a week (not counting my commuting time -only training). I'm in my power zone about 9 to 12 hrs a week. And I feel fantastic.
There are approximately 5 million deaths a year due to cigarette smoking. That means that someone dies to smoking addiction every seconds somewhere in the world. If you are smoking right now, I strongly advice you to put the cigarette away and make a decision to quit. Look for help and support.
NOTE: If you feel like adding more reasons to the list, please, feel free to do so.
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Congrats for being smoke-free for 9 1/2 years! Wonderful post and I hope more people will give up smoking. I once cycled with a group and one of the cyclists was smoking while riding. I tried to stay upwind because the last thing I needed was a cyclist blowing smoke in my face! I know this sounds unreal but I swear it is a true story!
ReplyDeleteProbably the best blog-post I've come across to in long time.
ReplyDeleteWell done!
Great article. Congratulations on your cigarette quitting!
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteAnlother reason to quit:
#16. Second-hand smoking kills too
9 1/2 years smoke free! Hurray!
ReplyDeleteThere are numerous studies on smoking both substantially increasing the likelihood of getting such eye diseases as macular degeneration and well as contributing to ongoing vision loss for those with eye disease.
ReplyDeleteSmokers have 2.5-3.5 times the risk of losing vision from age-related macular degeneration according to one study published in British Journal of Ophthalmology.
One study from Cambridge University showed that exposure to second-hand smoke doubled the risk of macular degeneration.
It is believed that the visual system requires up to 25% of the nutrients we take into our bodies in order to stay healthy. Impaired circulation and/or poor absorption of nutrients can significantly contribute to eye disease. Smoking degrades both health circulation and nutrient absorption, as well as dampens appetite.
Smokers with early macular degeneration who consumed the lowest amounts of carotenoids were nearly 6X as likely to develop advanced macular degeneration than those consuming the highest amounts. Seddon, et al. J. Amer Med Assoc; 1994
Though the most important thing is to not smoke, a diet high in antioxidants can go a long way in helping preserve vision for those who still smoke, smoked in the past or who never smoked.
For more information and specific research studies by eye condition on nutrition and vision, go to Natural Eye Care for Macular Degeneration
I'm 36 years old and smoked about 1 pack a day (20 cigs) for 20 years. I just recently quit, 2 weeks ago. Feel crabby kind of crazy sometimes. It's hard, very hard. But articles like this one help a lot.
ReplyDelete9 1/2 years was a good thing for quiiter. and I love your line "It's hard to quit smoking, no doubt but it's not impossible". Human found solutions for those who can't really resist such thing.
ReplyDeleteelectronic smokin
I'm 36 years old and smoked about 1 pack a day (20 cigs) for 20 years. I just recently quit, 2 weeks ago. Feel crabby kind of crazy sometimes. It's hard, very hard. But articles like this one help a lot.
ReplyDeleteProbably the best blog-post I've come across to in long time.
ReplyDeleteWell done!
Great article. Congratulations on your cigarette quitting!
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