Smoking is shown to have harmful effects on most if not all areas of the body. The circulatory system can suffer from raised blood pressure, thrombosis, atherosclerosis and increased risk of stroke and heart attack due to blockages of the blood supply caused by the build up of fatty deposits on tightening artery walls and blood vessels. Smoking can also prevent blood flow to extremities, result in the tightening of muscles and reduced bone density damaging the musculoskeletal system (www.betterhealthchannel.com.au). Not only does it harm many of the body’s organ systems but it also can reduce fertility in both male and females and from long term smoking can cause all types of cancer, lung diseases, coronary artery disease, osteoporosis and ulcers of the digestive system.
However, the most easily affected area of the body damaged by smoking is the respiratory system. It can cause irritation of the trachea (windpipe) and larynx (voice box) as well as reduced lung function and breathlessness due to swelling and narrowing of the lung airways and excess mucus in the lung passages (Letts Revise Biology The Ultimate Study Guide). These can be caused by many cigarette contents. Tar is the collective term for various particles suspended in tobacco smoke. It contains the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene that is known to trigger tumour development (cancer). Not only does tar trigger tumour development but it also coats the alveoli with its sticky substance, which slows down the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen. Animal experiments have shown that nitrogen oxides damage the lungs in such a way that they cause the lung disease emphysema. Hydrogen cyanide destroys the cilia lining the bronchial tubes, which reduces the efficiency in getting rid of foreign substances that enter the respiratory system, resulting in the poisonous ingredients of tobacco smoke remaining in the lungs. Ammonia also damages the lungs affecting the ability of the body to breathe, it is a strong chemical found in household cleaners and formaldehyde (used for preserving dead bodies in morgues) (www.betterhealthchannel.com.au). Bronchitis is a disease which can be a result of the bronchi and bronchioles becoming inflamed causing irritating fluid in the lungs, coughing and increased risk of heart disease.
Lung cancer is the biggest killer in the UK, with 90% of primary lung cancers caused by smoking (NHS stop smoking leaflet). Nearly one in four smokers who die prematurely will die of lung cancer. Lung cancer occurs when cells in the lung begin to grow very rapidly and can then ‘invade’ nearby tissues or spread throughout the body. Large collections of the tissue growth are known as tumours. Any of the tissues in the lung can become cancerous, however, most commonly, lung cancer originates from the lining of the bronchi. Lung cancer is divided into two main categories:
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Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) – the rarer of the two types (about 20% of all lung cancers), small cell lung cancer is more aggressive than non small cell lung cancer because it grows faster and is more likely to spread to other organs. It can be divided into two sections, the limited stage and the extended stage. The limited stage means the cancer is on only one side of the chest, whereas extended means the cancer has spread to both sides of the chest. ()
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Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) – the more common of the two types (80% of lung cancers), non-small cell lung cancer generally, grows more slowly than SCLC. It is divided into three different types, adenocarcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. NSCLC involves vital organs and organ systems within the respiratory system and throughout the body to be engulfed by the tumour. ()
Although few people argue that smoking can be beneficial for stress, I strongly disagree that smoking can in any way be beneficial enough to be worth the risk of any effects discussed above. I agree that cigarettes can be addictive due to the effects of nicotine present in them, but would never consider risking lung cancer over a little stress relief from smoking, as there is very clearly a strong link between the two. This link can also be shown by an estimated 430,000 deaths each year being directly caused by cigarette smoking (www.mamashealth.com), which I consider a far too bigger risk for any amount of stress relief.
