“Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health.” This tagline has been in use since God-knows-when. But even with all the warning signs displayed on cigarette packs and advertisements, millions of people are still users. For some, it is a way to calm the nerves and release stress. For others, it’s a craving that they have to constantly satisfy in order to feel satisfied.

According to the World Health Organization, tobacco smoking kills 8 million people a year all around the globe. Around 7 million of those deaths are attributed to the effects of direct smoking while the rest are a result of second-hand smoking.

The Effects of Smoking on the Body

There is no safe way to smoke. Exchanging your cigarette with a cigar, pipe, or chewing tobacco won’t help you avoid the health risks. Cigarettes contain about 600 ingredients, many of which can also be found in cigars and hookahs. When these ingredients burn, they generate more than 7,000 chemicals, according to the American Lung Association. Many of those chemicals are poisonous and at least 69 of them are linked to cancer.

No matter how you smoke, tobacco is dangerous to your health. There are no safe substances in any tobacco products, from acetone and tar to nicotine and carbon monoxide. The substances you inhale don’t just affect your lungs but can affect your entire body.  Read more…