KNOW THE RISKS SMOKING?

It’s a known cause of cancer, one of the main substances linked to chronic lung disease and a very toxic ingredient in secondhand smoke.

Studies show that the risk of developing heart disease is about 25-30 percent higher among people exposed to environmental tobacco smoke at home or work.

Environmental tobacco smoke causes about 46,000 heart disease deaths and 3,400 lung cancer deaths.

Nonsmokers who have high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol have an even greater risk of developing heart diseases when they’re exposed to secondhand smoke.

Some studies show that people who smoke a pack-and-a-half of cigarettes a day are receiving the same radiation they’d get from 300-plus X-rays per year! Tar is solid, inhaled chemicals linked with an increased risk for cancer.

According to the CDC, “it may increase risk of cancer in the stomach, blood and lymphatic system.” Acrolein is a gas linked to lung cancer.

It can cause an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, flow of blood to the heart and a narrowing of the arteries (vessels that carry blood).

In humans, it can cause heart disease and cancer.

Secondhand smoke is a serious health hazard for nonsmokers, especially children.

Nonsmoking women exposed to tobacco smoke are also more likely to have low-birthweight babies.

Carbon monoxide & nicotine: A dangerous duo Carbon monoxide is a harmful gas you inhale when you smoke.

It inhibits DNA repair and can destroy the lining in the lungs that protects you from lung disease.

Second-Hand Smoke Smokers aren’t the only ones affected by tobacco smoke.

It also increases the amount of cholesterol that is deposited into the inner lining of the arteries which, over time, can cause the arteries to harden.

This chemical can stay in your body for six to eight hours depending on how often you smoke.