No Tobacco Area

As per the World Health Organization statistics, it has been established that 7 people die due to tobacco use. Tobacco consists more than 400 toxic substances and a further 4,000 chemical compounds.

The most hazardous substances are tar, a carcinogen substance and nicotine which is addictive and increases cholesterol and carbon monoxide levels in the body. Carbon monoxide decreases the amount of oxygen in the body and this gives rise to different health problems. Smoking decreases the levels of oxygen reaching tissues because it constricts and damages blood vessels, giving rise to different health problems.

Smokers are more likely to suffer from respiratory infections and other minor complaints such as colds and coughs. Smokers suffer from severe diseases such as heart diseases, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, lung disease, respiratory problems and other problems related to pancreas, kidneys, and liver. Hereunder is a breakdown of smoking related diseases:

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): This is a group of health conditions that blocks airflow and thus one will have difficulty in breathing. The COPD causes health dysfunctions like chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Emphysema is when one has breathlessness because alveoli or air sacs have been damaged. Chronic bronchitis leads to frequent coughing with a lot of mucus. Smoking is 80% responsible for about 80% of COPD cases. The lungs decline at a faster rate, 3 times in fact in smokers than normal rate. Breathlessness starts due to the lungs dysfunction.

Cancer: Smokers are more likely to get cancer; cancer of the lungs, throat, gullet and mouth is caused by Carcinogen that is present in tobacco smoke. It is approximated that 90% of lung cancer cases are associated with smoking.

Other cancer diseases associated with smoking is cancer of the bladder, pancreatic, kidneys and esophagus, cervical cancer is more prevalent in female smokers.

Cardiovascular Diseases: These are diseases of the heart, the blood vessels, including veins and arteries. Major causes of smoke related deaths fall in this category. As it had earlier been established that nicotine increases the cholesterol levels in the blood, these cholesterol and other fats are deposited in the arteries. The arteries therefore become rigid, narrow or blocked. Due to the narrowing of these arteries, there will be blood clots and thus the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Common cardiovascular diseases are peripheral vascular disease, coronary thrombosis, coronary heart diseases, cerebral thrombosis and cerebrovascular diseases like stroke.

The lining of blood vessels are damaged, this affects the level of fats in the bloodstreams, the risks of atheroma are increased; this is the major source of stroke, aneurysms and heart diseases. Additionally, smoking causes mouth ulcerations.

Smoking has been associated with sexual problems, from performance in sex to infertility. Further smoking increases the risk of high blood pressure. Pale skin and more wrinkles are caused due to decrease in vitamin A levels, smokers have a lower supply of blood to the skin.

During pregnancy, it is advisable not to smoke since it heightens the risk of miscarriage, complications such as bleeding, ectopic pregnancy, premature birth and detachment of placenta. Also still births, low birth weight or congenital defects such as cleft palate.

Basically the health of the smoker and those around them are affected; smokers don’t get old, they die young.