Effects of Cigarette Smoking
The effects of cigarette smoking can be horrifying. Smoking is dangerous not only to those who smoke, but to nonsmokers and unborn children as well. Cigarette smoking is also physically and socially harmful. The lungs are directly affected as a result of cigarette smoke. The large particles in cigarette smoke, commonly known as “tar”, collect in the branching points of the lungs. ... The small particles in cigarette smoke, including carcinogens, irritants, and corrosive chemicals, collect in the small air sacs in the lungs and damage them. ... When the small particles from the cigarette smoke are absorbed into the blood stream and transported to other parts of the body, they include a variety of diseases. The smoke from a burning cigarette is a mixture of hot gasses and different sized particles that fills the air with over 4000 chemicals, including 43 carcinogens and over 400 other toxins (Glantz & Daynard, 1991). One of the gasses emitted by cigarette smoke is carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless poison. ... Some of the effects include lung cancer and other cancers, cardiovascular malfunctions, strokes, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. Cigarette smoking may even lead to changes in the smoker’s appearance such as early wrinkling and yellowing of Effects 3 their teeth. Heart disease and cardiovascular malfunctions are also major effects of cigarette smoking. A chemical in cigarette smoke called glycoprotein attaches to smooth muscle cells inside arteries, causing the interior of these cells to grow. ... Most carcinogens are the actual particles in cigarette smoke that may cause lung cancer. ... The lung airwaves are covered by a thin cell layer of epithelium, which absorbs cigarette smoke into the lungs. Once the cigarette smoke has been absorbed into the lungs, the components in the cigarette smoke reaches the sputum, a type of saliva. ... Many other cancers besides lung cancer may develop as a result of cigarette smoking. ... Because the larynx is Effects 4 located near the voice box, the voice box will often get destroyed from the tumor on the larynx, forcing the smoker to use an artificial voice box in order to speak. ... Another cardiovascular malfunction that cigarette smoking may cause is strokes. ... Nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke affect the adhesives of blood platelets, the main clotting factor in blood.