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More and more people are now aware of the detrimental effects that cigarette smoking has on their body, as well as the detrimental effects it has on others around them through second-hand smoke. What most cigarette smokers don’t know is the high probability of cigarette smoking leading to other drugs and other addictions.

The fact is, study after study show that people who are heavy cigarette smokers have the tendency to try other durgs and sooner or later get addicted to those other drugs as well.

There are still people who contend that there is no relationship between smoking cigarettes and loss of teeth or gum problems. They further insist that these kind of dental problems are purely genetic.

The truth is that their assumptions are totally wrong.

Studies already prove that smoking can cause dental problems. In fact, there was a certain study on some cigarette smokers who already have gum diseases. They were all advised to quit smoking and their activities were studied for a year. All of them were given treatment for their gum disease.

Only one-fifth of the respondents had decided to quit smoking cigarettes during the experimental period. This group, in turn, reaped positive results. Their gums (and their health) had improved significantly

On the other hand, those who continued smoking cigarettes had increased gum problems in spite of continuous gum treatment. Plus, their health showed a notable deterioration.

The reason…

Cigarette smoking had cause a considerable amountof dental problems, especially gum problems. This is because smoking cigarettes adds to the accumulation of bacteria in plaque.

In reality, plaque, that gluey white material that builds up on our teeth whenever we don’t brush, is already a major factor in dental problems. And, the fact that smoking helps in bacteria formation in plaque.

As they saying goes…smile and the whole world smiles with you.

Do you believe that the same old adage will hold for people who smoke cigarettes? Not a chance.

This is because people who are addicted to smoking cigarettes have higher chances to run into dental and gum troubles, or worse, loss of teeth. Research reveals that smoking cigarettes affects the body’s immune system, thereby deteriorating the body’s power to battle infection. Furthermore, smoking cigarettes initiates gum diseases. These gum diseases manifest inflammation on the gum regions and eventually lessen the formation of strong teeth. It’s in this stage that tooth loss occurs. Therefore, people who smoke cigarettes a lot will most certainly loose a lot of teeth.

For babies with mothers who smoke regularly, problems still lurk within their environment. This is especially true to mothers who smoke even when they are breastfeeding their babies.

Studies have revealed that nicotine can be passed on to the baby through breastfeeding. There have been experiments that prove the presence of nicotine in the babies system through urine testing. It later showed that there is a higher percentage of nicotine found on babies who breastfeed to cigarette smoking mothers.

Most experts contend that the problem lies within the mother’s urge to get back to smoking cigarettes right after she gives birth.

Unfortunately, when the mother continues to smoke during the formative years of her child’s life, chances are she is already shaping a child that will most likely be a cigarette smoker themselves.

So, what’s the point here? The fact that the mother does not care for her own health is one thing. But the fact that she puts greater risk on her baby because of her vice is another thing.

Babies should be given the right to live a decent, normal, and healthy life.  So, for the “moms-to-be” out there, please keep in mind that your babies should not be forced to suffer from the long range dangers associated with cigarette smoking.  Let’s take care of them by not smoking cigarettes.

Another problem with smoking cigarettes during pregnancy is the deterioration of fetal growth. The fact is cigarette smoking during pregnancy results in low infant birth weight. For many years now reports have shown that there have been significant differences between babies with mothers who smoked cigarettes during pregnancy and those who have non-cigarette smoking mothers.

Unfortunately, greater risks are imposed on babies who weigh less than the normal babies. They may acquire certain diseases like cerebral palsy, mental retardation, or worse – death.

There are also reports on how cigarette smoking during pregnancy increases the probabilities of birth defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate.

Moreover, babies born with mothers who are cigarette smokers have higher incidences of sudden infant death syndrome. If ever these infants survive, they may still incur diseases like asthma, behavioral problems, or learning disabilities.

Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy increases the probability that the mother will develop complications in the placenta. Reports show that placental problems are actually happening in about 1% of pregnancies. The most common problem is “placenta previa” where the placenta is connected very low in the uterus and is almost at the cervix. Studies show tha smoking cigarettes during pregnancy only increases the chance of placenta previa.

Mothers who smoke cigarettes while pregnant run a risk of ectopic pregnancy. This is especially viable when the mother is a heavy cigarette smoker during the first trimester of her pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancy refers to the state wherein the embryo is embedded outside the uterus, which is contrary to what normal pregnancy should be. Usually, it is embedded in the fallopian tube. In this manner, the fetus has to be removed because this kind of pregnancy will never survive.  This fetus will never survive outside of the uterus where a fetus gets all the nourishment and protection that it needs. Prolonging this condition will only risk the mother’s life.

The sad fact is cigarette smoking is part of many of our lives, regardless of whether we smoke or not. Unfortunately, this includes unborn babies as well.

Surveys show that many mothers still smoke cigarettes during their pregnancy. Most likely these women are unaware of how harmful cigarette smoking truly is on their unborn baby and are unaware that smoking cigarettes during pregnancy is one of the major causes of infant deaths in our society today.

Basically, cigarette smoke alone is full of chemicals, some studies even state it has more than 2,500 chemicals.  Some chemicals like tar, carbon monoxide, and nicotine are considered the most dangerous substance for the fetus. It has long been proven how these chemicals can greatly affect the development of the fetus inside the mother’s womb.

Nowadays, more and more people are becoming aware of the need to be healthy. They increase their intake of healthy foods, take vitamins to supplement their daily requirements, and go to the gym to exercise.

Unfortunately, many people still tend to neglect the adverse effect of cigarette smoking on their health. Despite knowing the harmful effects of cigarette smoking, people, for some reason, still smoke.

So, the question is, “Why?”

Maybe it is because while people know that cigarette smoking is “bad” they do not know exactly how “bad” cigarette smoking really is.

Well here’s the full story on why people should quit smoking cigarettes now:

1. Cigarette smoking kills 114,000 people each year in the United Kingdom alone.

This means that if you do not quit smoking cigarettes now, you could be the 115,000th. Smoking cigarettes really does kill and people should be aware of that.

2. Cigarette smoking is the number one factor of lung cancer.

There’s no greater factor that can trigger lung cancer in a person than what cigarette smoking can do. Smoking cigarettes is a detrimental element that instigates the formation of cancer cells in the body. This is because cigarette smoking primarily destroys the immune system of the body resulting in the body’s inability to fight back infection and to ward off harmful bacteria that enters the system.

3. Cigarette smoking really does cause cancer.

Aside from the fact that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, it can also initiate the formation of other cancer cells in the body. This is because cigarette smoke contains so many chemicals that are carcinogens. Carcinogens are the elements that cause cancer cells in the body. Once developed it could lead to acute condition of cancer which eventually leads to death.

4. Cigarette smoking is addictive and can cause hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.

The primary component of a cigarette is nicotine. Studies have proven that nicotine is addictive, which means to say that when you start smoking cigarettes it will be really difficult to stop.

Not only that, nicotine also increases your cholesterol levels. This would eventually lead to hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases that lead to heart attacks.

5. Cigarette smoking has adverse effects on your entire body.

The fact is, cigarette smoking is detrimental to your whole body, from the tip of your hair down to the tip of your toenails.

First, cigarette smoking makes your hair smelling terrible. Also, the elements found in smoking can curb the growth of your hair and it can even dry it out, losing its shine and luster.

Not only that, cigarette smoking also affects the teeth, lungs, heart, bones, and even your skin. That’s right. Cigarette smoking reduces the elasticity of your skin, thus, it will be more vulnerable to skin diseases and allergies.

The bottom line is that people should really stop cigarette smoking now because it will not only affect their lives but others as well. This is because the primary concluding effect of cigarette smoking is always death and nothing else.

It’s not a matter of choice. It’s a matter of how you value your life and your family.  Is it really worth it to smoke cigarettes?

Evidence of the health risks of cigarette smoking go back to the 1950s.  However, the percentage of cigarette smokers was at its peak in 1964, when the US surgeon general first issued an official warning that smoking cigarettes was hazardous to one’s health.

Following the surgeon general’s formal warning about cigarette smoking, many reports were released on the link between cigarette smoking and heart disease, lung disease, and cancer of the mouth. However, the cigarette smoking habit continued, particularly with young smokers who were most likely smoking as a sign of rebellion and/or independence.

For adults, though, smoking cigarettes marked an addiction to nicotine - the key ingredient that makes cigarette smoking both pleasurable and addictive. This addiction to nicotine led to another warning from the surgeon general in 1988, which put nicotine addiction on the same level as addictions to cocaine and heroin.

The danger in cigarette smoking comes from the chemical substances released either as a gas or as a particulate. Nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanide and most especially carbon monoxide are gaseous emissions from cigarette smoke that threaten to poison the body.

Nicotine is one of several hazardous particulates emitted from smoking cigarettes. These particulates damage the cilia - the little hairs lining the lungs that help transport mucus out of the lungs. When the cilia malfunction, pollutants remain in the lungs and the likelihood of influenza and bronchitis, emphysema and other diseases increases.

Unfortunately, cigarette smoking has been cited as the cause of over 400,000 deaths in the US every year.

However, government agencies, scientists and health officials have also established that passive smoking, or second-hand smoke, also has negative effects on the human body. The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has reported that over 4,000 chemicals are generated by second-hand smoke, with more than 50 of those believed to be cancer-causing agents.

In fact, in 1975, the Centers for Disease Control released a report noting that toxic chemicals released from cigarettes stay in the air and are inhaled by unsuspecting victims. Thus, the concern over cigarette smoking shifted from a private-health issue to a public-health issue.

For pregnant women, the negative effects of cigarette smoking and second hand smoke raises even more issues.  Cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke increases the chances of low birth-weight and even miscarriage. And, children less than a year old are twice as likely to have lung infections if their mothers smoke cigarettes compared to counterparts whose mothers do not smoke cigarettes. Likewise, children who already have asthma, allergies or other respiratory ailments can worsen their conditions if their parents smoke cigarettes.

Over the years some cigarette smokers have gradually quit smoking cigarettes, while non-smokers have become the focus of more protection as the government has worked on policies and legislation to curb cigarette smoking.

In the 1990s, class action suits started to bombard state and federal courts, claiming that cigarette manufacturers employed deceptive marketing tactics to keep consumers from knowing that nicotine was addictive and worked on ways keep cigarette smokers hooked on their product.

More recent suits against the cigarette and tobacco industry charge manufacturers of also misleading consumers into thinking that “lights” and similar cigarette products were healthier alternatives to regular cigarettes. These more recent cases later led to the multi-billion dollar settlement between the US government and the cigarette and tobacco industry in the late 1990s.

These lawsuits and the consistency of health lobbyists and persuasive government programs have helped pull down US cigarette smoking rates on a consistent basis over the last four decades.  With the health risks of cigarette smoking so abundantly clear, it is likely that these cigarette smoking rates in the US will continue to decrease.