Quit Smoking, and Enjoy Life
The consequences of
smoking on our society
are enormous. “Each
year, more than 400,000
Americans die from smoking,”
says John F. Hassell, MD, a
family physician with the
Laurel Family Clinic. “That
is more deaths from smoking
than car wrecks, AIDS, alcohol
and drug abuse, murder, and suicide
combined.”
How Smoking Hurts You
Why is smoking so deadly? Part of the reason is that it affects so many systems in the body. Nicotine forces the heart to work harder, in part by speeding heart rate and blood pressure. Being a smoker more than doubles the risk for heart disease and stroke.
Smoking also causes most lung cancers and raises the risk of many others, including cancers of the mouth, kidney, bladder, and uterus. And, because smoking damages lungs, it often leads to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the fourth leading killer in the United States. Smoking can even weaken bones, raising the risk of osteoporosis.
Are You Ready?
Within weeks of quitting, you’ll notice changes in how you feel. Your health risks also begin to fall. For example, your chance of developing heart disease drops by half within the first year that you quit. Your cancer risks also decrease. “Even if you’ve put off quitting for many years, you can expect to have a healthier, happier life if you quit,” Dr. Hassell says.
