‘Smoking kills’ is something we’ve all read on a packet of cigarettes. But in this article, we wanted to go a little further and give you a complete rundown of the health risks of cigarettes and tobacco. Whether you’re a smoker or not, get ready to find out all about tobacco and its risks.
Tobacco, a harmful cocktail
A cigarette contains 2,500 compounds that are transformed into more than 4,000 substances when you light it, many of them toxic! Some of these substances are particularly dangerous and well-known for their harmful effects on health.
These include, of course, nicotine, which is responsible for the addiction you feel as soon as you start smoking, but that’s not all. Tars and flavouring agents, toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, hydrocyanic acid and even ammonia invade your lungs with every puff. Added to this are heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, chromium and mercury.
Tobacco reduces life expectancy
Tobacco is one of the main causes of avoidable death in the world. In Switzerland, smoking causes around 9,500 deaths a year, or 26 people a day, accounting for 14% of all deaths in the country. On average, smokers lose ten years of life. But don’t panic, it’s never too late to stop smoking, and the benefits come very quickly!
Stop smoking to reduce your risks and enjoy a healthier life
Smoking not only reduces your life expectancy, it can also compromise your quality of life. Smokers are often faced with physical limitations due to heart attacks, strokes or chronic respiratory difficulties. These problems can lead to an inability to work and considerably limit your mobility. Smoking also increases the risk of developing diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. On a less serious level, smoking can have an impact on your physical condition, and contrary to popular belief about smoking, smoking a little already has an impact on your health!
Tobacco and your body: various risks
Smoking damages almost every organ in your body, particularly the respiratory tract and cardiovascular system. Here are just some of the consequences of smoking:
- Up to 90% of lung cancers are caused by smoking.
- Many other types of cancer (mouth, throat, pancreas, etc.)
- Damage to the eyes, dental apparatus, digestive system, skeleton and sexual organs
- Sterility
- Skin ageing
- Yellow teeth
In all, an estimated 21 chronic diseases are linked to smoking!
Passive smoking: protect those around you!
Smoking not only puts your health at risk, it also affects the health of those around you through passive smoke. Breathing in smoke exposes non-smokers to the same toxic and carcinogenic substances as smokers.
Children are particularly vulnerable to passive smoking. It increases their risk of respiratory problems, asthma attacks and infections. In addition, babies exposed to tobacco smoke have an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In adults, passive smoking can cause heart disease and aggravate existing conditions such as asthma.es et aggraver des conditions existantes comme l’asthme.
