The Effects of Smoking on the Human Body

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James Banham                23/01/09


Issue Report
The effects of smoking on the Human Body

In this issue report I will be going into detail about the subject of smoking and its effects on the body. The main two aspects I will be covering and answering questions to are whether there is a correlation between smoking and damage to the lungs and heart, for example, respiratory problems and cardiovascular disease. The other aspect is whether there is a link between smoking and lung cancer.  These aspects relate to biology as they are both linked with the human body and ways it can be affected by smoking. The purpose of this investigation is to give people who smoke a clear understanding of the affects, dangers and damage smoking causes. Many companies against smoking use facts and smoking related diseases to scare people into quitting, such as, ‘The strain put on your body by smoking often causes years of suffering. Emphysema is an illness that slowly rots your lungs. People with emphysema often get bronchitis again and again, and suffer lung and heart failure’. As well as facts, some companies will use images to alert people to the dangers and damage smoking causes on the body.

It has always been said that smoking causes damage to the lungs and the heart, however certain campaigners believe it isn’t as bad as everyone thinks; some even claim that it helps fight disease, such as, ‘Smoking isn't bad for your health or at least not as bad as everyone says, according to pro-smoking campaigners who even claim it can fight disease’. Statements such as this will cause uproar to people who are totally against smoking and therefore must be backed with strong proof as follows, ‘In 1999; research carried out by the Parkinson's Institute in California showed that smoking may lessen the risk of Parkinson's disease. The study of 161 pairs of twins suggested that smokers were apparently protected from Parkinson's and was seized upon by pro-smoking campaigners’. Also quotes by pro-smoking campaigners indicate that smoking can reduce high blood pressure and even prevent the risk of certain types of cancer, they have even referred that smokers’ children may be less affected by eczema and asthma. This may be acceptable proof but the number of diseases smoking can cause is surely higher than the ones it can help prevent? A lot of people who don’t really understand the effects of smoking will be quick to assume that they are ‘Cancer Sticks’ or ‘Death Sticks’, but unless they comprehend what cigarettes actually do to your body then how can their accusations be plausible.

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Ethics behind smoking

When selling an addictive product like cigarettes and tobacco, most people will assume that this is unethical as they can cause numerous illnesses, nevertheless there are still those that think differently.  Pro-smokers argue that smoking will help them to relax and add to their pleasure, people who have to work long hours will tend to have cigarettes, as they will take pressure and stress off them. Although  the anti-smokers disagree, as they believe selling products that cause damage to your health is wrong,  they also argue that smoking is bad for others around you because of ...

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