Smoking is one of the most common and unhealthy habits of the 20th and early 21st centuries. According to the World Health Organization, more than half of the male and a quarter of the female population of the planet are infected with it. Over the previous century, about 100 million people died from smoking-related diseases. Today, over 4 million people die every year for the same reason, and more than 15,5 thousand people in Belarus.
But the statistics do not take into account the number of "passive smokers." At least 90% of non–smoking citizens — children, adolescents and adults - unwillingly find themselves trapped in stoned air contaminated with unburned tobacco waste every day. And they suffer from this no less, and maybe even more than the smoker himself.
What is the danger of smoking for others
Many non-smokers are exposed to tobacco smoke because they inhale it at home, at work, and in public places where there are smokers.
At first, it was believed that tobacco smoke had only an irritating effect on non-smokers, in the sense that their nasal and eye mucosa became inflamed, and dry mouth was noted. As information accumulated, it became clear that non-smokers living or working with smokers were really putting their health at risk, and they were developing diseases peculiar to smokers.
A passive smoker, staying in a room with active smokers for one hour, inhales such a dose of some gaseous components of tobacco smoke, which is equivalent to smoking half a cigarette.
If a child lives in an apartment where one of the family members smokes 1-2 packs of cigarettes a day, then the child's urine contains the amount of nicotine that corresponds to 2-3 cigarettes. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to suffer from infectious respiratory diseases, including pneumonia and bronchitis, than children who do not smoke in their home.
Secondhand smoke affects pregnancy: women who were exposed to tobacco smoke in childhood face an increased risk of miscarriages.
The risk of developing lung cancer from "secondhand smoke" in a non-smoking family member is 3.5 times higher than in non-smoking families, and lung diseases in infants and early childhood in children in families of smokers are almost twice as high.
Secondhand smoke and tobacco smoke in the workplace or in a residential area are considered conditional "occupational hazards" to health. After 1.5 hours of staying at the workplace in a smoky room, the concentration of nicotine in the body increases 8 times in non-smokers, and the content of other toxic components increases many times.
Staying for 8 hours in an enclosed smoking area leads to exposure to tobacco smoke, corresponding to smoking more than 5 cigarettes.
How to protect non-smokers from tobacco smoke
There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke. Neither ventilation nor filters can reduce indoor smoke exposure to levels that are considered acceptable. But it is necessary and necessary to protect non-smokers from the effects of tobacco smoke and the diseases it causes.
The World Health Organization has put forward several proposals to protect the rights of non-smokers:
First of all, it is necessary to make our own apartments, entrances, and houses smoke-free.;
turn workplaces, industrial and agricultural enterprises, educational institutions, restaurants, bars, hotels, discos, theaters and cinemas, recreation areas and gatherings of people into smoke-free workplaces.;
create public organizations and associations to protect the rights of citizens to breathe clean air, and to protect the health of children and adolescents.
In the Republic of Belarus, citizens can be protected from tobacco smoke by:
changes in the general mentality of the population regarding their own health and smoking;
fostering a smoking culture among smokers: smoke only in designated and permitted places, do not throw cigarette butts or cigarette packs;
unconditional and full implementation of regulatory legal acts and other regulatory documents on tobacco smoking prevention and prohibition of smoking in crowded places;
proclaiming smoke-free territories.
Smoking is not a natural need of the body, like eating, drinking, or sleeping. And although a person chooses whether to smoke or not to smoke, freedom of choice does not give a smoker the right to poison others.
What attracts tobacco to itself?
The main attractive component of tobacco is nicotine. It has peculiar properties. According to smokers, nicotine calms, tones and helps to concentrate, but this is a misleading idea. The main danger that awaits any novice smoker is first addiction, and then painful physical and mental dependence, just like from narcotic substances.
The effects of smoking on the body
Nicotine has a quick effect — seven seconds after the first puff, a chemical process begins in the body that affects the activity of the heart, blood circulation, the functions of almost all organs, as well as mood.
When smoking, nicotine is rapidly absorbed into the oral mucosa and enters the lungs. Within a few seconds, it reaches the corresponding receptors in the brain (the so-called "nicotine" receptors), the stimulating substance norepinephrine is released, and the person begins to feel more alert. But this "cheerfulness" does not last long.
Nicotine also affects the nerve cells of the heart, respiratory tract, and musculature. Blood vessels constrict, which leads to an increase in heart rate and blood pressure.
Nicotine breaks down in the body in just two hours, so most smokers lose control of themselves if its constant supply to the body stops. The craving for smoking soon becomes a natural state, a kind of infatuation, against which reason and will are powerless. Many people, once they start smoking, become addicted and continue to smoke in order to avoid unpleasant sensations when quitting smoking.
Severe consequences of smoking
To date, there are more than 60,000 scientific studies confirming the severe effects of the harmful effects of tobacco on human health.:
A lit cigarette is a kind of chemical factory. Scientists have found that tobacco smoke contains more than 4,700 substances, 43 of them carcinogenic.;
Smoking is the most common cause of morbidity and premature mortality. At least 24 life-threatening diseases caused by smoking have been registered.;
the aging of the body is accelerating — the life of a smoker is on average 7.5 years shorter.;
The vast majority of cancers of the oral cavity, lips, pharynx, larynx, pancreas and urinary tract are associated with tobacco smoking;
The most well-known disease that is directly related to smoking is lung cancer. The earlier a person starts smoking, the more serious the consequences.;
Smoking is one of the main causes of cardiovascular diseases;
There is also a high risk of vascular spasms, thrombosis and circulatory disorders.;
chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract, infections, asthma, allergies, atherosclerosis, sciatica, stomach ulcers, impotence and infertility are just some examples from a long list of negative effects of smoking.;
Smokers are more susceptible to negative environmental factors, such as radon and asbestos dust.;
Diabetics who smoke are particularly susceptible to vascular sclerosis. In addition, new Swedish research shows that smoking leads to metabolic disorders, resulting in the development of insulin resistance and an increased risk of diabetes.;
Smoking or health — choose for yourself
The question of smoking or not smoking, it would seem, is a personal matter. But the consequences of smoking affect not only the smoker himself, but also his relatives, friends, and the whole society: medical expenses, sick leave payments, disability, and patient care.
There is an alternative to this — do not start smoking at all, lead a healthy lifestyle and exercise. But if a person could not resist and lit a cigarette, and then acquired a steady addiction, then it is necessary to get rid of this harmful and dangerous habit as soon as possible.
There are many recommendations on how to quit smoking and ways to treat this disease, but all of them are ineffective if there is no firm desire to cleanse your body of nicotine. Many people successfully cope with the craving for smoking by being distracted by other activities: when they are tempted to smoke, they eat an apple, brush their teeth, do the cleaning, go for an evening jog. Others feel better when they think about the harm to their own health they are avoiding, or calculate the benefits of quitting smoking.
Make your choice in favor of quitting smoking! This will keep you healthy for many years to come!
