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Cigarette smoking is a major cause of heart
diseases, such as heart attack, stroke,
and peripheral vascular disease.
Some Heart Disease Facts Due to Smoking:
- Tobacco contains more then 4,000 chemicals,
many are known to be poisonous.
- Nicotine increases blood pressure, because
the carbon monoxide makes the heart beat faster
and takes the place of oxygen in the blood.
- Tar in tobacco causes cancer, which can
be a fatal disease.
- Smoking for long periods of time will cause
artery clogging, which in turn leads to heart
attacks from overworking the heart by reducing
its oxygen supply. It also makes clots more
likely to form in the blood vessels increasing
the risk of potentially fatal changes in the
heart beat.
- Those who are regular, long-time smokers
have a 70% greater risk of death from coronary
heart disease than non-smokers.
- 80% of new smokers are children and adolescents
who are trying to copy a parent or other hero
figure.
Passive smoking can cause heart diseases,
and those who do not smoke directly but inhale
smoke from others are at direct risk, as well.
- Living with an active smoker increases
one’s risk of heart disease by 30%.
- Inhaling smoke is especially dangerous
for children and unborn babies (pregnant women)
and can lead to low birth weight babies, sudden
infant death syndrome (SIDS), bronchitis,
pneumonia, asthma, and middle ear infection.
Stop Smoking to Improve Your Health and
Increase Your Life Span
Many choose smoking to cope with stress, loose
weight, because of poor self-esteem, or simply
to fit in the friend’s circle by looking ‘cool.’
Most of the first time smokers get their first
cigarette from someone else or find it readily
available in the house from a smoking parent.
Here are some great reasons to stop smoking
now:
- Smoking causes heart diseases, which
can lead to a heart attack.
- Your smoking can cause the same bad effects
on your family and friends around you who
don’t smoke.
- Save money from not buying cigarettes –
if you do the math, depending on how much
you smoke, you are looking at couple of thousand
dollars a year.
Getting Help
If you think you cannot do it with just plain
will power and/or if you are a heavy smoker,
get help before you start so you can successfully
quit the habit.
- Check with your doctor first and see what
course of action he/she recommends.
- Nicotine patch/pills/chewing gums are a
great substitute.
- Try to quit along with a friend or a group.
Cigarette smoking can cause you to die early
and those who live close to you to inhale the
smoke – that in itself should be reason enough
to quit. Enjoy a healthy life and offer clean
air to your family and friends – quit smoking
today.
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