Quit Smoking 101: Lesson 4 - The Health Risks of Smoking Cigarettes

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Quit Smoking 101 Lesson 4 - The Health Risks of Smoking Cigarettes From Terry Martin, your Guide to Smoking Cessation Yesterday we looked at the benefits we can expect to see once we quit smoking. Today we'll take a no-nonsense look at the deadly effects of tobacco use. As hard as it can be to do, confronting the destruction and death that follows tobacco use will help us remove the rose tinted glasses we are prone to viewing our smoking habit through. Tobacco is not our friend; it's not a companion that sees us through thick and thin. Tobacco is a killer, plain and simple, and it will kill you, given the chance. Before it does though, tobacco will likely cause you and your family pain and suffering that is horrific, because more times than not, tobacco is a slow killer. With upwards of 5 million tobacco-related deaths on the planet each and every year, most of us have lost at least one close friend or beloved family member to smoking. Think about that -- 5 millions lives snuffed out annually. Put another way, that number means that someone loses their life to tobacco every 8 seconds on this planet. Don't fool yourself into thinking you can keep smoking and dodge the bullet that tobacco is. The odds are never in the smoker's favor. Take your time in going through the links in today's lesson. It is divided into two parts: The chemicals in cigarettes and cigarette smoke, and information about the diseases associated with tobacco use. Some of the content is graphic and may be disturbing. Don't skip over it though, because by looking head on at the hazardous effects of tobacco use, we are able to begin to shift our relationship with smoking -- a necessary step we must all take if we are to shed nicotine addiction permanently. The Chemicals in Cigarettes and Cigarette Smoke Harmful Chemicals in Cigarettes When the chemicals in cigarettes are inhaled, they put our bodies into a state of physical stress by sending literally thousands of poisons, toxic metals and carcinogens coursing through our bloodstream with every puff we take. Let's take a closer look at some of the harmful chemicals in cigarettes and how they affect our health. Cigarette Litter Facts Everything -- absolutely everything -- about cigarettes can threaten life on our beloved planet. They pollute the ground we walk on and the air we breathe. And if we smoke, cigarettes poison us slowly, stealing our quality of life long before they kill us. Radioactive Cigarette Smoke Inhaling lead-210 and polonium-210 increases the risk for lung cancer. In fact, because the build up of radiation a person receives over many years of smoking can be huge, researchers feel that lead-210 and polonium-210 in cigarette smoke are significant factors for lung cancer in smokers. Secondhand Smoke Facts Secondhand smoke is a toxic cocktail consisting of poisons and carcinogens. There are over 4000 chemical compounds in secondhand smoke; 200 of which are known to be poisonous, and upwards of 60 have been identified as carcinogens. Tobacco-Related Diseases How Cigarettes Harm Us from Head to Toe Do you have any idea which smoking-related disease is the number one cause of death among smokers? If you're thinking it's lung cancer or COPD/emphysema, you're wrong. While both of these smoking-related diseases do claim a lot of lives, it is heart disease that that holds the top slot in the list of diseases that kill smokers. Shocking Tobacco Facts A crucial step in the recovery process from nicotine addiction involves breaking through that wall of denial to put smoking in the proper light. We need to learn to see our cigarettes not as the friend or buddy we can't live without, but as the horrific killers they truly are. Health Effects of Tobacco Use -- Photo Gallery This gallery contains photographs and illustrations of tobacco-related lung cancers, including x-rays and drawings of various forms of lung cancers. Cigarette smoking is responsible for most cases of lung cancer. Personal Stories Diagnosed with Oral Cancer -- Marlene's Story Throat cancer is a horrible disease, and one that most smokers fear. I cannot imagine losing my voice, let alone going on to "speak" before groups of children, using my disease as a powerful example to help them avoid smoking. This is just what Marlene does today though, every chance she gets. She is a remarkable woman, and is nothing short of inspirational. I hope that her story touches you as it has me. This email is written by: Terry Martin Smoking Cessation Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum   Missing a lesson? Click here. About U. is our collection of free online courses designed to help you learn a new skill, solve a problem, get something done, or just learn more about your world. Sign up now, and we will email you lessons on a daily or weekly basis. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the About.com 'Quit Smoking 101' email. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2013 About.com   Advertisement