Smoking affects nearly every organ of the body and is the cause of many deadly diseases. Some of the diseases are oral cancers, (laryngeal, lung and throat) leukaemia, cataract, kidney, pancreatic and cervical cancer, and pneumonia. The other common problems are cardiovascular diseases, and chronic lung diseases.

Cigarette smoke includes nicotine, carbon monoxide, 43 carcinogenic substances and more than 400 other toxins that can be found in wood varnish, nail polish remover, and rat poison.

The smoke that is inhaled even by passive smokers robs the body tissues, muscles and the brain, of oxygen. The heart and body need to work harder. As time goes by less and less air will pass into your lungs. Even beginner smokers, especially young teenagers are more likely to suffer from coughs, increased phlegm, wheezing, and shortness of breath than non–smokers. Pregnant women and their babies are at high risk as chronic respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia, are more common in infants and children who have smoking parents.

On average, smoking takes 15 years off in a life span. The skin takes on a dull appearance while nails and lips become darker. Fingers get a yellowish tint due to the nicotine. Cells age faster leading to faster natural aging. A smoker always carries around him/her a stale smell of cigarettes smoke. His/her clothes, hair, personal belongings and the home is always reeking of this smell. Non smokers usually find this quite repulsive.


The Effects of Smoking on the Body
The tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide in tobacco products affect different parts of the body in different ways:
Facial Skin
Carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen in the blood which it carries to tissues all over our body, including the skin. This causes graying and wrinkling of the facial skin. Incase of surgery, the skin does not heal as quickly or as well. People who go in for cosmetic surgery are asked to stop smoking, before and after the procedure to ensure proper healing process.

Mouth and Throat
Smokers are at risk for oral cancer. The tar in cigarette smoke can cause cancer in the tissues of the mouth and throat. Tobacco can cause gum disease, tooth decay and stale and bad breath. Teeth turn unsightly and become black or yellow. Lack of oxygen in the blood and narrow veins to the brain can lead to strokes.

Lungs and Bronchi
The complete digestive system is at risk for cancer. This is due to the smoke and the juices from tobacco products which at times escape into the throat, leading in to the digestive system. Moving down to the chest, smoke passes through the bronchi, or breathing tubes. Hydrogen cyanide and additional chemicals in the smoke line the bronchi, inflaming them and causing that chronic smoker’s cough. A smoker is 15 times more likely to develop lung cancer than a non–smoker. Besides, a smoker’s lungs become constantly inflamed and more liable to develop infections such as bronchitis.

Heart and Arteries
The effects of smoking on your heart are devastating Heavy smokers are more likely to die from a heart attack than others. Nicotine increases blood pressure, causes hardening of the arteries, as well as making the blood clot more easily. All these add up and increase risk of heart attacks. Poor circulation due to cholesterol deposits can also result in strokes, loss of circulation and numbness in limbs and impotence.

On the whole
The health effects of smoking can be seen in the following observation:

• Forty percent of men who are heavy smokers will die by 65 yrs as compared to nonsmokers.
• Women who smoke are faced with a higher risk of cervical cancer, and the health of their unborn babies is at stake.
• Fortunately, the body begins to repair itself once you quit smoking It takes ten to twelve years after you quit, for the body to repair most of the damage caused by smoking. So don’t wait for cancer or emphysema to set in these conditions are more often than not, fatal. This is your reason to take the big step and quit now smoking.

How smoking kills: Saif Ali Khan

Excerpts from Men’s Health Magazine, July 07 issue.

When you are young, you tend to feel it’s cool to smoke. Peer pressure and the desire to live a wild life gets one started and then you are hooked to nicotine. But the only things you can look forward to be are lung cancer or as in my case a heart attack.

I started smoking in school when I was 16, only to be cool, to add some excitement to my life. I lied to my mom that I smoked only once every two days, thought it was much more than that. I would hide in the bathroom and smoke. Frankly speaking, smoking does not really give any great kick. It’s just a smelly and dangerous distraction, more like all smoke and no fire. In my opinion, nobody should smoke.

Kicking the addiction
It’s difficult but not impossible. The golden rule is: Don’t say you are giving up anything. You have to believe that you are doing something that is best for you, that you are choosing a better option. Mental determination and self – realization are the key factors. You should treat craving like a scab over a healing wound. Don’t feel miserable and never give in to the desire, just focus on the healing. The first three weeks are supposed to be the toughest – I was in hospital under medication so it became easier for me. I had tried to quit earlier but had failed. This time the fear of death did the trick.

Not everyone is lucky enough to be let off with a warning like me. So control the source of the craving: spend time with people who don’t smoke or drink. I would smoke when I had a drink but now I’ve quit drinks, too. I am absolutely fine now – haven’t smoked for quite some time now and don’t miss it either. Today, when I see people smoking, I feel sorry for them. They don’t know what poison they are inhaling.

Saif Ali Khan's 10 tips on how to kick the butt

• Have a cigarette while plugged into an ECG machine and see the effect of smoking on your heart. Remember that and you will definitely quit smoking.
• Don’t feel you are giving up. Think you are improving your life. Nobody likes to give up anything.
• Having friends who do not smoke really helps.
• This one’s a cool psychological trick: Every time you crave a smoke, it means the body is healing from the nicotine. The longing is because it is leaving the system it is like a scab forming over a wound. Instead of giving in, focus and enjoy the agony of quitting as a healing process.
• Lung cancer and impotence are some of the things you can look forward to lf you don’t stop smoking.
• If you smoke, bad breath is one reason women would not enjoy kissing you.Focus on the positive things of not smoking which are countless – looking better, living better, and being fitter.
• It is an expensive habit. Why waste the money?
• Smokers add to the pollution around.
• Heart disease certainly shakes hands with smoking.

Smoking: Facts and Tips for Quitting
A pamphlet provided by the national institutes of health national cancer institute
Facts about smoking hurting yourself

• Smoking is an addiction. Tobacco smoke contains nicotine, a drug that is addictive and can make it very hard, but not impossible to quit.
• More than 400,000 deaths in the U.S. each year are from smoking–related illnesses. Smoking greatly increases your risks for lung cancer and many other cancers.

Hurting others

• Smoking harms not just the smoker, but also family members, coworkers and others who breathe the smoker’s cigarette smoke, called secondhand smoke.
• Among infants to 18 months of age, secondhand smoke is associated with as many as 300,000 cases of bronchitis and pneumonia each year.
• Secondhand smoke from a parent’s cigarette increases a child’s chances for middle ear problems, causes coughing and wheezing, and worsens asthma conditions.
• If both parents smoke, a teenager is more than twice as likely to smoke than a young person whose parents are both nonsmokers. In households where only one parent smokes, young people are also more likely to start smoking.
• Pregnant women who smoke are more likely to deliver babies whose weights are too low for the babies’ good health. If all women quit smoking during pregnancy, about 4,000 new babies would not die each year.

Why quit?

• Quitting smoking makes a difference right away you can taste and smell food better. Your breath smells better. Your cough goes away. This happens for men and women of all ages, even those who are older. It happens for healthy people as well as those who already have a disease or condition caused by smoking.
• Quitting smoking cuts the risk of lung cancer, many other cancers, heart disease, stroke other lung diseases, and other respiratory illnesses.
• Ex–smokers have better health than current smokers. Ex–smokers have fewer days of illness, fewer health complaints, and less bronchitis and pneumonia than current smokers.
• Quitting smoking saves money. A pack a day smoker, who pays $2 per pack can save more than $700 per year. It appears that the price of cigarettes will continue to rise in coming years, as will the financial rewards of quitting.

Quitting tips
Getting ready to quit

• Set a date for quitting. If possible, have a friend quit smoking with you.
• Notice when and why you smoke. Try to find the things in your daily life that you often do while smoking (such as drinking your morning cup of coffee or driving a car).
• Change your smoking routines: Keep your cigarettes in a different place. Smoke with your other hand. Don’t do anything else when smoking. Think about how you feel when you smoke.
• Smoke only in certain places, such as outdoors.
• When you want a cigarette, wait a few minutes. Try to think of something to do instead of smoking, you might chew gum or drink a glass of water.
• Buy one cigaret at a time. Switch to a brand of cigarettes you don’t like.

On the day you quit

• Get rid of all your cigarettes. Put away your ashtrays.
• Change your morning routine. When you eat breakfast, don’t sit in the same place at the kitchen table. Stay busy.
• When you get the urge to smoke, do something else instead.
• Carry other things to put in your mouth, such as gum, hard candy, or a toothpick.
• Reward yourself at the end of the day for not smoking. See a movie or go out and enjoy your favorite meal.

Staying quit

• Don’t worry if you are sleepier or more short–tempered than usual, these feelings will pass.
• Try to exercise–take walks or ride a bike.
• Consider the positive things about quitting, such as how much you like yourself as a non–smoker, health benefits for you and your family,a nd the example you set for others around you. A positive attitude will help you through the tough times.
• When you feel tense, try to keep busy, think about ways to solve the problem, tell yourself that smoking won’t make it any better, and go do something else.
• Eat regular meals. Feeling hungry is sometimes mistaken for desire to smoke.
• Start a money jar with the money you save by not buying cigarettes.
• Let others know that you have quit smoking–most people will support you. Many of your smoking friends may want to know how you quit. It’s good to talk to others about your quitting.
• If you slip and smoke, don’t be discouraged. Many former smokers tried to stop several times before they finally succeeded. Quit again.