Smoking and its effects

The Respiratory System and Health Why is a respiratory system that works properly essential for good health? The respiratory system provides the body with the oxygen it needs for respiration. The lungs are delicate, spongy organs that deal with 12,000 litres of air each day. Smoking is a very dangerous habit that has serious effects on the lungs and respiratory system. How does smoking damage health and fitness?

How does smoking affect the lungs? Which picture shows the healthy lungs of a non-smoker and which show the unhealthy lungs of a smoker? Photos courtesy of PresMark.com. healthy lungs smoker’s lungs Not a difficult question to answer but some people still think that smoking is cool!

Harmful chemicals in cigarettes

How does smoking affect health? How will these chemicals be harmful to the body’s systems? Carbon monoxide – A poisonous gas that reduces the around of oxygen that red blood cells carry around the body. Tar – A brown, sticky substance that consists of tiny particles and is formed when tobacco smoke condenses. It is deposited in the lungs and coats the surface of the alveoli. Nicotine – An addictive drug that affects the central nervous system. It increases the heart rate and narrows the blood vessels, causing high blood pressure. Carbon monoxide Tar Nicotine Smoking affects the respiratory and circulatory systems but has many other effects on the body. What other health problems and diseases are related to this habit?

Cigarette smoke experiment

How does smoking affect health? dental hygiene problems lung cancer asthma heart disease impaired immune system facial wrinkles cervical cancer emphysema kidney cancer Effects of smoking on health mouth, lip and throat cancer leukaemia Increased risk for smokers Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (gum disease); Muscle injuries; Angina (20 x risk); Neck pain; Back pain; Nystagmus (abnormal eye movements); Buerger’s Disease (severe circulatory disease); Ocular Histoplasmosis (fungal eye infection); Duodenal ulcer; Osteoporosis (in both sexes); Cataract (2 x risk); Osteoarthritis; Cataract, posterior subcapsular (3 x risk); Penis (inability to have an erection); Colon Polyps; Peripheral vascular disease; Crohn’s Disease (chronic inflamed bowel); Pneumonia; Depression; Psoriasis (2 x risk); Diabetes (Type 2, non-insulin dependent); Skin wrinkling (2 x risk); Hearing loss; Stomach ulcer; Influenza; Rheumatoid arthritis (for heavy smokers); Impotence (2 x risk); Tendon injuries; Optic Neuropathy (loss of vision, 16 x risk); Tobacco Amblyopia (loss of vision); Ligament injuries; Tooth loss; Macular degeneration (eyes, 2 x risk); Tuberculosis. Function impaired in smokers Ejaculation (volume reduced); Sperm count reduced; Fertility (30% lower in women); Sperm motility impaired; Immune System (impaired); Sperm less able to penetrate the ovum; Menopause (onset 1.74 years early on average); Sperm shape abnormalities increased. Symptoms worse in smokers Asthma; Graves’ disease (over-active thyroid gland); Chronic rhinitis (chronic inflammation of the nose); Multiple Sclerosis; Diabetic retinopathy (eyes); Optic Neuritis (eyes). Disease more severe or persistent in smokers Common cold; Pneumonia; Crohn’s Disease (chronic inflamed bowel); Tuberculosis; Influenza. pancreatic cancer sperm abnormalities and impotence bronchitis testicular cancer osteoporosis stomach cancer liver cancer menstrual problems bladder cancer

Exercise: Smoking Nicotine 1. Which substance in cigarettes makes them addictive? 2. Which substance in cigarettes can cause cancer? 3. If you smoked 40 cigarettes a day and it cost £3.50 for 20 cigarettes, how much would you spend in… a) 1 day? b) 1 week? c) 1 year? d) 20 years? Nicotine Tar £7 £49 £2,548 £50,960

Scary smoking statistics! Smoking doesn’t just make you unfit and unhealthy, it kills. In the UK, around 114,000 smokers die every year as a result of their habit – that’s the same as 13 people per hour! Smoking kills around five times more people in the UK than road traffic accidents, other accidents, poisoning and overdose, alcoholic liver disease, murder and manslaughter, suicide and HIV infection all put together! About half of all regular cigarette smokers will eventually be killed by their habit! With such scary statistics about smoking, what can be done to help people give up this harmful habit?

Smoking ban Passive smoking has health implications for people who do not smoke. People living with a smoker are 25% more likely to get lung cancer. Every year, 17,000 children are admitted to hospital due to inhaling smoke from those around them. Due to the serious effects of smoking on smokers and non-smokers, the government have proposed a ban in every cafe, restaurant and pub that sells food in England. Will everyone have the same response to this proposal to protect public health?

Smoking bans around the world Smoking is banned in many public places around the world… Ireland Italy Australia France Romania Greece Norway Boston New York Pakistan Tokyo Thailand Uganda South Korea Tanzania Iran Turkey California South Africa

Smoking – true or false?