Definition

.Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco encased  in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Casual smoking is the act o  smoking onlyoccasionally, usually in a social situation or to relieve stress. A smoking habit is a physical addiction to tobacco products.Many health experts nowregard habitual smoking as  psychological  addiction, too, and one with serious health consequences.

Smoking is an incredibly strong addiction

. Millions of people struggle to quit 

each year, and the majority fail. 

The gum, patches and books 

all provide help.

 But they fail

 to provide the real internal 

support needed to follow

 the process through.

Health risks

Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancers. It also causes cancer in many other parts of the body, including the:

-mouth, lips, throat, voice box (larynx) , oesophagus (the tube between your mouth and stomach), bladder, kidney, liver, stomach, pancreas

 Smoking damages your heart and your blood circulation, increasing your risk of developing conditions such as:

coronary heart disease

heart attack

stroke

peripheral vascular disease (damaged blood vessels)

cerebrovascular disease (damaged arteries that supply blood to your brain)

Smoking also damages your lungs, leading to conditions such as:

chronic bronchitis (infection of the main airways in the lungs)

emphysema (damage to the small airways in the lungs)

pneumonia (inflammation in the lungs)

Smoking can also worsen or prolong the symptoms of respiratory conditions such asasthma, or respiratory tract infections such as the common cold.

In men, smoking can cause impotence because it limits the blood supply to the penis. It can also affect the fertility of both men and women, making it difficult for you to have children.

Diseases caused by long-term smoking

A lifetime smoker is at high risk of developing a range of potentially lethal diseases, including:

·         cancer of the lung, mouth, nose, larynx, tongue, nasal sinus, oesophagus, throat, pancreas, bone marrow (myeloid leukaemia), kidney, cervix, ovary, ureter, liver, bladder, bowel and stomach

·         lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which includes obstructive bronchiolitis and emphysema

·         coronary artery disease, heart disease, heart attack and stroke

·         ulcers of the digestive system

·         osteoporosis and hip fracture

·         poor blood circulation in feet and hands, which can lead to pain and, in severe cases, gangrene and amputation.