Cigarettes… Yep, they have that uplifting addictive nicotine rush. Feels good. They curb your appetite so some people use them as a body weight control tool. Gotta keep those extra pounds off. But, what does cigarette smoking really do? They yellow stain your teeth. Ahhhhhh. Make your breath, clothing, hair, car, and house smell like an ash tray. Not so good. Blacken your gums with tar. Ewwwww. Let’s not forget the leathery and wrinkled facial skin. That’s not so attractive. Here are some additional “smoking gun” realities of cigarette smoking that you need to think about.
· Cigarette smoke contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer.
· Smoking related diseases cause an estimated 440,000 American deaths each year.
· Smoking while pregnant increases the chances of spontaneous abortions (miscarriages) stillbirths and premature labor.
· Adolescents who have two parents who smoke are more than twice as likely to start smoking as a youth.
· Smoking causes or predisposes you to, lung cancer, cardiovascular disorders, emphysema, fertility, and strokes
· Smoking related deaths kills more than motor vehicle accidents, including drunk driving, homicides, AIDS, illegal drugs and fires not caused by cigarettes.
· Cigarette manufacturers add chemicals like ammonia, tar, lead, and cyanide and other ingredients, like cocoa, coffee, and menthol, to change the flavor of the tobacco.
· On average, smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than nonsmokers.
· Second hand smoke kills tens of thousands of people who never took a single puff in their lives each year.
