If you're addicted to smoking, you would know just how difficult it is to kick out the habit. While you might believe you know just how harmful smoking is, you might just be mistaken.
Here’s something that you didn’t know about smoking-while there is a consensus that smoking is harmful nobody knows exactly how much it is. This is because the effects of carcinogens or the chemistry of the substances we inhale through smoking hasn’t been studied in detail yet.
Tobacco leaves contain hundreds and thousands of possible carcinogens, and it’s not known how much harmful they really are. These carcinogens present in the traditional cigarettes cause lung cancer. According to research, amongst the multiple components of tobacco smoke, 20 carcinogens are sufficient to cause lung cancer in laboratory animals and humans. Of these, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and tobacco - specific nitrosamine 4 - (METHYLNITROSAMINO)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone is the main component. This is chemical stuff and a person with some chemistry background will understand but what is clear from it is that it is dangerous and be fatal.
Homegrown tobacco doesn't help too. While they can be all natural, they are as dangerous as the cigarettes you buy otherwise. In fact, with home grown tobacco, you might be exposing yourself to higher amounts of carcinogens since they have no filter.
What do the stats tell you?
Now let's consider some stats that are important for you to know. You will be surprised to know that every year in US, about 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and 75-80% in women is caused by smoking. This is a huge number and very clearly points out the fact how dangerous cigarette smoking can be for both active and passive smokers. Another alarming fact is that in spite of a growing awareness about the hazards of smoking, as many as 47 million people (approximately 25% of the US population) continue to smoke cigarettes. This is an alarming number and can be extremely perilous.
There are more than one billion cigarette smokers worldwide, and one-third of it lives in China. According to experts, "The carcinogenic mechanisms of tobacco smoking are not well understood", which itself is self-explanatory.
It’s time to kick out that old habit!
Carcinogens form the link between nicotine addiction and lung cancer. Nicotine in high amounts is the reason why people get addicted to smoking. While Nicotine is not carcinogenic, cigarettes contain a mixture of carcinogens-the main reason behind many respiratory, lung and cardiovascular infections and diseases. A fatal lung tumour can turn into lung cancer which is the main cause behind the death of cigarette smokers.
There are many detoxification pathways and rehabilitation centres that understand the risk of carcinogens and are working towards a smoke-free society. Though it is a distant utopian dream, it is still achievable. Alternatively, you can look at other options like switching to a vaporizer pen, if you want the effects to be minimized to a large extent. If you're looking to quite smoking cigarettes, a vaporizer pen can come in handy.
