One would say.,
What is smoking, What are the reasons people smoke.
What are the health benefits and also what are the side effects effect of smoking.?
Image gotten from pexel.
These plethora of questions runs through the minds of millions of people worldwide everyday. sometimes answers are given but most times one's goes to bed without an answer to these never ending questions.
What is Smoking if I should ask you?
Is it just the act of puffing cigarettes or there something more.?
Image not mine but gotten from pexel.
In my own understanding.
Smoking in a lay Man term is the art of inhaling and exhaling fumes from tobacco, cigarette or plants substances.
This art though practiced for centuries is becoming something that has lead to debates whether the health benefits outweighs the risk or vice versa.
Before we continue to delve further into this discussion.
I would want us to know the different types of smoking I can remember.
Which includes
Cigar/Cigarette smoking: here, a substance called nicotine and tobacco is inhaled after lighting it up to make one feel good.
Marijuana smoking: here a plant based compound containing cannbis is inhaled through the nostrils after being lighted up. It can help to relieve pain and anxiety.
Image from Wikipedia.
Herbal smoking: substances like lavender or chamomile are rolled up and smoked. It's worthy to note that these substances don't contain tobacco nor cannabis.
Cigarette alternative: like vaping or shisha.
Merits of smoking.
There are many benefits of smoking.
They include
Stress relief: smokers claim that smoking helps them to relief stress therefore not making them to breakdown and also make them to be anxiety free.
Appetite suppression: smoking is a way of controlling weight loss because nicotine components of cigarettes have been found to be effective in treating overweight.
Increased concentration and focus: smokers claim that smoking helps them to concentrate more on their academics or their works more effectively.
Perceived enjoyment: some individual who smoke just enjoy the smell, taste and the ritual of smoking
While smoking is generally harmful to health and widely known for its negative effects, there are some arguments made by those who try to present a different perspective. However, it's important to note that these supposed "benefits" do not outweigh the risks. Above are some of the arguments people sometimes use to justify their claims.
Despite all these perceived advantages. Smoking have been found to have a significant long term effect on the Human body which I am going to explain more further in the next paragraph.
Health hazards.
Image gotten from daily express
Smoking is the major cause of disease like CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE of the lungs, inflammation of the lungs etc .
These diseases occurrence would reduce if people reduce they way the smoke.Heart and blood vessels disease : it have been found according to studies by medical scientist that smoking is a major cause of heart/blood disease like atherosclerosis, stroke and high blood pressure
Reproductive health: smoking reduces the ability of someone to reproduce in both sexes and also increase the risk of a pregnancy being complicated.
Premature aging: I know that most of us would be conversant with the phrase "smokers are liable to die young" these phrases over the years have proven to be true as smoking accelerate the aging process
Weakened immunity: smokers are at risk of getting infections like pneumonia and influenza.
Psychological effects: stigma associated with smokers is high especially in Africa as people tend not to like associating with them
Harm to others: smokers tend to produce harm to others through second hand smoking and environmental pollution.
Medical/economic consequences: smokers tend to visit the hospital more often than their non smoking counterpart thereby using economic Hours on non productivity and also incurring huge medical debts