Self Help

More than 700 chemical additives are found in cigarettes. Some of them are classified as toxic and are not allowed in food. Once lit, a cigarette reaches a temperature of nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This high heat helps release thousands of chemical compounds, including poisons like carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, at least 43 carcinogens (substances that cause or promote cancer), and numerous mutagens (agents that can cause mutations in cells). All of these are drawn into the body when a smoker inhales.

Nicotine is found naturally in tobacco. It has no odor and no color. It is, however, both physically and psychologically addictive, and it causes those who use it to want to smoke one cigarette after another. Nicotine enters the body as tiny droplets resting on particles of tar in cigarette smoke. Inhaled into the lungs, the drug passes quickly into the bloodstream, reaching the brain within about 10 seconds. In another 5 to 10 seconds the nicotine has spread to all parts of the body.

The nicotine raises both the heart rate and blood pressure. The smoker quickly feels more alert and relaxed. In less than 30 minutes, however, about half of the nicotine has left the bloodstream, and the smoker starts feeling less alert, more edgy. So he or she reaches for another cigarette to get a new “hit” of nicotine. Over time, the smoker starts needing more cigarettes throughout the day to satisfy the craving.

There are other results as well. The tar from tobacco smoke starts to accumulate on the bronchial tubes leading to the lungs. The hot smoke burns the tiny hairlike projections (called cilia) that trap harmful particles before they enter the lungs.

Smoking also increases the level of carbon monoxide in the lungs. This poisonous gas is quickly absorbed into the blood, reducing its capacity to carry oxygen. As a result, the smoker has to exert more physical effort to achieve a given task than does a nonsmoker. The heart in particular must work harder, especially during rigorous exercise. Increased levels of carbon monoxide in the blood can impair vision, perception of time, and coordination.

Over the years a smoker will be more likely to develop respiratory ailments, thickening of the arteries, blood clots (which can lead to heart attacks and strokes), cancer (of the lung, cervix, larynx, mouth, esophagus, bladder, pancreas, and kidney), and emphysema, as well as exhibit symptoms such as reduced stamina, poor athletic performance, wheezing, coughing, dizziness, and nausea. In time, a smoker suffers increased resistance to the flow of air into the lungs and reduced lung capacity. Besides these serious problems, prolonged tobacco use leads to stained teeth and fingers and bad breath. Even a smoker’s clothes and living quarters tend to smell of tobacco.