Smoking

What are the health effects of smoking?

Smoking is bad for your health. It harms nearly every organ of the body — even some that you would not expect. Cigarette smoking causes many cancers and other health problems, and is one of the leading causes of preventable death worldwide. Tobacco use is especially common in India, where several smokeless forms (gutka, khaini, paan masala with tobacco) are also widely used and carry their own health risks.

Some of the many health problems smoking can cause:

• Cancers. Smoking is the most common cause of lung and oral cancers. It also causes cancer in the larynx (voice box), oesophagus, throat, bladder, kidney, liver, stomach, pancreas, colon and rectum, and cervix — and can cause acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
• Lung diseases. Smoking is the most common cause of COPD. It worsens asthma and raises the risk of pneumonia and tuberculosis.
• Cardiovascular diseases. Smoking damages blood vessels, making them thicken and narrow. This speeds up your heart rate and raises your blood pressure. Smoking also increases the risk of blood clots and stroke.
• Vision problems. Smoking raises the risk of cataracts and can cause age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Smoking during pregnancy causes problems for the baby — premature birth, low birth weight, and a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Smoking also causes nicotine addiction. Nicotine is a stimulant drug in tobacco; the addiction is what makes quitting so hard.

What are the health risks of secondhand smoke?

Your smoke also harms people around you. Breathing in someone else's smoke (secondhand smoke) can cause many of the same problems as smoking — heart disease, lung cancer, and more. Children exposed to secondhand smoke have a higher risk of ear infections, colds, pneumonia, bronchitis, and more severe asthma. If you breathe secondhand smoke while pregnant, you are more likely to have a preterm or low-birth-weight baby.

Are other forms of tobacco also dangerous?

Besides cigarettes, there are several other forms of tobacco:

• Cigars and hookahs (water pipes) — these also contain harmful chemicals and nicotine. Some cigars contain as much tobacco as a full pack of cigarettes.
• Bidis — thin, hand-rolled cigarettes common in India — deliver more tar and nicotine per puff than conventional cigarettes.
• E-cigarettes (vaping) — battery-operated devices that heat a liquid into an aerosol. They contain nicotine and expose the user and others to harmful chemicals. E-cigarettes are banned in India under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019.
• Smokeless tobacco — chewing tobacco, snuff, gutka, khaini, zarda, paan masala with tobacco. Although it is not smoked, smokeless tobacco is a leading cause of oral cancer and also raises the risk of heart disease, gum disease, and tooth loss.

Why should I quit?

There is no safe level of tobacco use. Even one cigarette a day over a lifetime can cause tobacco-related cancer and early death. Quitting can add years to your life — and the earlier you quit, the greater the benefit. Some immediate benefits include:

• Lower heart rate and blood pressure
• Less carbon monoxide in the blood (carbon monoxide reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen)
• Better circulation
• Less coughing and wheezing

Quitting can be challenging, but it is one of the best things you can do for your health. Talk to your doctor if you need help quitting.