Dangers of Smoking

There are many dangers of smoking to the body, to the immediate family, to the society, to the environment and to the economy. More than 700 chemical additives are found in cigarettes. Some of them are classified as toxic and are not allowed in food.

One of the main dangers of smoking is due to Nicotine. Nicotine is found naturally in tobacco. It has no odor and no color. It is, however, both physically and psychologically addictive, and it causes those who use it to want to smoke one cigarette after another.

Once lit, a cigarette reaches a temperature of nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This high heat helps release thousands of chemical compounds, including poisons like carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, at least 43 carcinogens, and numerous mutagens. All of these are drawn into the body when a smoker inhales.

If you smoke, quit. And if you don't smoke, don't start. And remember, avoid long-term exposure to smoke and protect children from it.

A never smoker is a person who has never smoked a cigarette or has never smoked 100 cigarettes in a lifetime. Light smoker is one who smokes 5 or fewer cigarettes per day and occasional smokers. Moderate smoker is one who smokes 6 to 21 cigarettes a day. Heavy smoker is one who smokes more than 21 cigarettes a day.

It's tough being a smoker these days. You can't smoke in most airports, you can't smoke in libraries and in some cases, you can't even smoke in bars. It's enough to make you need to light up. But while cigarette smoking is on the decline, other types of smoking seem to be on an upswing in the Triangle. Two new hookah bars have recently opened in Raleigh and cigar sellers report that business is puffing along.