WHAT ARE THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF CIGARETTE SMOKING
Smoking cigarettes is one of the health issues that many governments are trying to contain within their boundaries. Among the many drugs that people consume, cigarette smoking is one of the drugs that are highly addictive and is consumed by many people. According to the Centre for Drugs and prevention Centre, about 15.1% of American adults are cigarette smokers. Within that proportion, 9.2% are men who smoke cigarettes. Although the government does not penalize the smoking of cigarettes, it has adverse effects on the people who consume tobacco through smoking. Many people have continued to smoke cigarettes despite the warning from government and health care providers. Such warnings are issued due to the proven effects of cigarettes.
One of the significant effects of cigarette smoking is the diseases caused by the nicotine chemical in cigarette smoke (Pergadia, 2017). According to various studies conducted on lung cancer, smoking is the leading cause of cancer. The smoke inhaled mainly affects the lungs of the smoker than the satisfaction it offers on the other end. Other diseases caused by cigarette smoking are coronary diseases. The coronary diseases are majorly caused by lifestyles that individuals adopt, and cigarette smoking is a dangerous lifestyle. The nicotine chemical also strains the blood vessels slowing the rate in which the blood flows in the body. Once the blood vessels are constrained, some of the body organs lack sufficient supply of blood hence may lead to failure of some body organs (Pergadia, 2017).
Another effect of cigarette smoking is making the natural body immune system to be weak. When the smokers inhale the smoke containing nicotine, it forms the tar in the body. The tar formed in the body kills the antibodies, which are the primary agents of the immune system. Continuous formation of the resin inside the body destroys the antibodies and even deters the body from forming new antibodies hence weakening the immune system further. Additionally, the nicotine chemical contained in the cigarettes compromises the equilibrium or balance of the immune system, which subjects the body to disorders called autoimmune. The disorder causes the body’s immune system to attack the healthy tissues and cells of the body hence making the immune system weaker. Also, cigarette smoking makes the skin dry, and individuals appear old. The cigarette contains carbon monoxide, which displaces the oxygen in the skin, which makes the skin to be discolored and dry (Pergadia, 2017).
Another effect of smoking cigarettes is the loss of appetite. The nicotine chemical contained in the smoke is known to produce the neurochemicals in the brain that include dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. The neurochemicals are known to lead to loss of appetite and also body weight loss. The chemicals suppress the appetite in individuals — the lack of eating leads to weight loss among smokers.
In conclusion, smoking has very many adverse effects on the body of individuals who smoke. It causes diseases such as lung cancer, asthma, emphysema, and pneumonia, which causes deaths among the people affected. Individuals who smoke cigarettes have weak immunity to diseases. The nicotine chemicals make the immunity system vulnerable through producing chemicals that kill the antibodies. The nicotine chemicals cause an imbalance in the body of individuals, which makes the antibodies to attack the body’s healthy tissues and cells. Also, the nicotine chemical that is contained in cigarettes causes smokers to have dry skin and appear to be aging. The carbon monoxide displaces the oxygen in the skill, which makes it look dry and discolored. Cigarette smoking has also been found to cause loss of appetite in individuals.