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Smoking
Can Be Harmful
by Melissa
Payan
Smoking
can be very harmful to a person's health. The smell of smoke can also bother
a person who does not smoke. One of my friends has an annoying habit of
always smoking around me, knowing that I hate the smell of cigarettes.
Smoking not only causes cancer and other diseases to those who smoke, but
to others around them. Smoking has not only been a problem for older people,
but also for teenagers who smoke as well.
Many
of my friends smoke, which does not bother me, but it bothers me when they
smoke around me. I have a friend in particular that constantly smokes around
me, knowing that I'm pregnant and that I hate it. I have expressed my feelings
to her about smoking and what it can do to her health and others around
her. I have given her examples and statistics of teenagers that start smoking
at an early age and what can happen if they constantly smoke cigarettes.
There
are many reasons why smoking is bad for her and those around her. First
of all it causes deadly diseases and cancers not only to smokers, but to
second-hand smokers as well. Smoking also causes the smoker's clothes and
others around him/her to be penetrated by the smell of cigarette. It also
causes harm to children who live in a household with smokers and are candidates
to become smokers at a young age. It also causes a non-smokers dinner or
meal to be disturbed by another person smoking around them. One last reason
why smoking is bad is because smoking causes a second hand smoker to become
ill by having headaches, eye irritations, nausea and dizziness (ACSH).
Some
of the cancers that can be detected in a smoker is lung, mouth, throat,
esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas cancer. Some of the diseases are
emphysema, asthma, heart diseases, and respiratory diseases such as chronic
bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ALA). She is at a
higher risk of a heart attack and have two to four times the chance of
having a cardiac arrest (ACSH). These cancers and deadly diseases are not
only found in smokers, but in second hand smokers as well (ACSH). Smoking
is also a danger to a woman who is expecting a baby and breast feeding,
whether she smokes or not. The nicotine from the cigarettes is found in
breast milk, which affects the baby because that is where the baby gets
its nutrients. The nicotine freely crosses the placenta and is found in
the amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord of newborns, which causes the
baby to be underweight and have respiratory problems.
When
my friend and I go to a restaurant, we always argue whether to sit either
in the smoking section or in the non-smoking section. When we sit in a
smoking section our clothes get penetrated with the smell of smoke. I tell
my friend that the smell of smoke does not fade away with perfume or cologne.
The smell stays on the clothes until it has been washed. When she smokes
in front of me, I get headaches and feel nauseous because of the scent
on my clothes and her blowing smoke in my face.
Children
who have grown up around cigarettes and smoking of any kind are likely
to end up smoking at a young age. These children are likely to grow up
with ear infections, bronchitis and other respiratory diseases (ACSH).
More than 3,000 kids a year become addicted and become regular smokers
and more than one third of these kids will die of smoking (ACSH). I tell
my friend that many of the diseases and cancers can develop quicker in
a person who starts smoking at an early age. Cigarettes can be addictive
to teenagers because nicotine produces pleasurable feelings that make the
smoker want to smoke more and it also acts as a depressant (ACSH). This
is my friends excuse for smoking all the time, She says it relaxes her
and calms her down when she is worried or depressed. The reason she started
smoking was because her parents would always smoke in front of her. Parents
need to set a good example for their kids so they will not start to smoke
or try to smoke.
I
tell my friend to quit smoking so she can have a long and healthy life.
Quitting is not always an easy task. It takes a lot of dedication and effort.
There are many benefits to quit smoking. First of all the body begins a
series of change. A persons blood pressure decreases, pulse rates drops,
body temperature of hands and feet increases, chance of a heart attack
decreases, ability to smell and taste is enhanced, walking becomes easier,
lung function increases, risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to
half that of a smoker and the risk of any kind of cancer is decreased (ALA).
The first steps to stop smoking is kind of difficult, but can be accomplished
with help and support from people who have quit smoking and friends and
family. Throwing away all cigarettes and ashtrays is a good beginning.
The next steps come from an article on the web. By getting a hair cut,
getting your car cleaned, cleaning your house from top to bottom to get
the smell of cigarette out of the house, getting all clothes cleaned, getting
lots of exercise by drinking lots of fluids, cutting back on coffee servings
and by keeping a candy or any type of food in your mouth to stop the temptation
of grabbing a cigarette and smoking it is a good way to stop smoking (ALA).
Smoking
is an annoying habit by my friend that is less tolerated by society. Repeated
smoking can cause her to develop deadly cancers and diseases. This does
not only affect my friend, but her family and friends as well. As I have
told my friend smoking is a bad habit and can be dropped rather quickly.
Of course it is not easy, but having patience and encouragement from her
family and friends is the key to quitting. It will not only improve her
life, but others around her.
American
Council on Science and Health, The Dangers of Smoking, April
14, 2000
American
Lung Association, What are the Benefits of Quitting Smoking?,
April
16, 2000
www.lungusa.org/tobacco/quit_ben.html