Here are some other examples of the many more chemical in cigarettes: Acacia gum, Acetal, Acetanisole, Acetic acid and/or its potassium and sodium salts, Acetoin, Acetone, Acetophenone, 6 Acetoxydihydrotheaspirane, Acetyl methyl cellulose.
From the above it can be seen that smoking is harmful and can cause damage to the body. Each of the chemical help in cause smoking related diseases.
Smoking causes 85 percent of all lung cancers and deaths and also about 80 percent of all obstructive pulmonary disease.
This includes diseases like emphysema, which is when the alveoli in the lungs become damaged. The lungs are composed of many sacs called alveoli. In a healthy lung, the alveoli receive oxygen from the bronchial airways and the alveoli expand and contracts. On the inner surface of the alveoli, oxygen is absorbed and enters the bloodstream and carbon dioxide is released. Chronic bronchitis is also resulted from smoking and that is when the bronchial airways are damaged. A person with chronic bronchitis is more likely to get a bacterial infection if he or she is a smoker. Chronic mucus secretion and chronic air flow blocks are also resulted from smoking. A smoker gets more nose and throat inflammations, respiratory infections, and chronic bronchitis than a non-smoker.
Cigarette smoking accounts for 30 percent of all heart disease deaths. The carbon monoxide in the burning smoke causes more cholesterol clogging in the arteries. Smoking causes a stiffness in the walls of the arteries which is harmful to the artery and increases the risk for an artery to rupture. The nicotine in the cigarettes can raise your blood pressure, heart rate, and the oxygen demand for your muscles, especially the muscles found in your heart. A coronary spasm may occur during smoking, which may lead to chest pain, and a heart attack. Also, blood clots more often in smokers than non-smokers.
Smoking is the major cause of cancer in the lips, tongue, salivary glands, mouth, larynx, oesophagus, and lower middle pharynx. Smoking can be directly associated with the development of stomach cancer. Smoking is known to cause bladder cancer. Unfortunately, quitting smoking will not significantly reduce the risk of bladder cancer. Smoking has been linked to cancers of the renal pelvis, which is part of the kidney. It is also associated with the uterine cervix, and the pancreas. There is also a strong association with smoking and leukaemia.
Women smokers enter menopause an average of five years earlier than non-smokers. Smoking and nicotine can alter a number of hormones involved in the reproductive system. Women who smoke are at an increased risk of osteoporosis. In male smokers, the mobility of the sperm is reduced. So smoking significantly affects the reproductive system.
The effects of smoking cigarettes on the major body organs are: On the lungs: lung cancer, reduced rate of lung growth, shortness of breath, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma. On the heart smoking causes heart disease, faster resting heart rate and heart attacks. On the eyes smoking causes macular degeneration and cataracts. On the kidneys people can get kidney damage or cancer of the kidneys. On the brain cigarettes have an effect of addiction to nicotine and the brain can suffer from a stroke. The Circulation can be damaged by impotence, vessel damage or gangrene which could lead to amputation
These are a few of the more serious and well known damaging effects of cigarette smoking there are many others. The NHS provides a wide range of treatments for smoking related diseases. The most common treatment that they use is for cancers. These include – Radiation, Chemotherapy, and Immunotherapy. There are then the complementary and alternative treatments offered by some NHS trusts these include Reflexology, Nutrition and Acupuncture. When all treatment has failed it is then left to the NHS to give the last help which is usually – Pain Management.
Smokers costs the NHS about 1.5 billion pounds a year for all the treatment that they need. If smokers paid for their own treatment this would save the NHS money to spend on other treatments for some would say more deserving causes, but if people had to pay for their own treatment this might put them off from ever starting to smoke. If this is the case then there would be less needed treatment and less death related to smoking. But if everyone who has a perceived self-inflicted disease e.g. Eating disorders, alcohol related injuries and alcoholism or drug abuse had to pay for treatment where would the line be drawn - could we also take in to account people who choose to take part in extreme sports or who have a dangerous job like – Fire-fighters, Police Officers, Military personnel – who would decide these things and how would we charge them.
So should smokers pay for treatment? Obviously the are two side to any argument. Some people would say yes and others no. here are some opinions of some people:
‘The primary objective of the NHS is to provide medical treatment for the entire population free at point of use. Everyone who pays tax in this country contributes to the cost of this unique benefit. How can the Government possibly justify withholding treatment from many of those who have already paid for and are still paying for it?’ Andy Smith, Leek
My opinion is that people who smoke should not be forced to pay for their treatment. Yes, it is self inflicted but then the NHS has to treat other self inflicted injuries and diseases. Also taxes that smokers pay for cigarettes go toward the NHS. It would be setting a perhaps unpopular precedent were smokers to be especially penalised and such a development would inevitably lead to other categories of illness being deemed chargeable because of the sufferers’ lifestyle choices.
