6 dangers of smoking tobacco

To some people, smoking tobacco is a pointer that you belong to a class of people with a high lifestyle, a sort of youthful exuberance that makes you feel you’re in the league of “big boys” in town. Other people basically smoke to calm their nerves, numb stress, and depression. 

However, it’s a known fact that smoking doesn’t lessen depression but rather is dangerous to one’s health. The body becomes susceptible to all sorts of diseases. The dangers of smoking tobacco are deadly and far-reaching.

Tobacco is scientifically established as a product deleterious to human health, containing more than 7,000 chemicals, of which at least 250 are proven to be harmful and more than 69 are known as causative cancer agents.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), every year, about 8 million people die from smoking-related diseases, and more than 7 million of those deaths are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.

In this article, Tribune Online highlights six different reasons why smoking tobacco is dangerous to health : 

1. Increased risk of cancer

Smoking exposes you to highly toxic chemicals known as carcinogens that trigger lung, mouth, and bladder cancer, etc. Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of death among smokers. 

Studies indicate that smoking may also increase the risk for fatal prostate cancer and a rare type of ovarian cancer. Cigarettes, cigars, and pipes can all cause cancer. There is no safe form of tobacco smoke.

2. Respiratory And Lung Diseases

Smoking damages the lungs and airways. Chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common outcomes. Shisha smokers may inhale multiple times more toxins than cigarette smokers, worsening lung damage.

3.  Weakened Immunity 

Smoking weakens the immune system by depressing antibodies and immune cells. The body’s defense mechanisms become weak, making infections harder to fight and slowing wound healing.

4. Increased Risk of Stroke and Brain Damage 

Smokers are far more likely to suffer strokes due to reduced oxygen in the blood and narrowed arteries. These strokes can lead to paralysis, memory loss, or sudden death.

5. Harm To Reproductive Health And Pregnancy

Smoking causes fertility problems and pregnancy complications. In men, it reduces sperm quality. In women, it increases miscarriage, premature birth, and low-birth-weight babies. Children of smoking parents risk growth retardation and cancer.

6. Financial Burden And Economic Loss

One often forgotten danger of smoking tobacco is the financial aspect of it. Smoking drains money daily and creates huge medical bills for cancer, heart disease, and lung illnesses. In Nigeria alone, about 29,472 deaths annually are linked to smoking-related sickness, adding pressure on families and the healthcare system.