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There are several different slang terms people use when they are talking about cigarettes. You might hear them being called smokes, cigs, or butts. No matter what they are called, cigarettes are still really bad for you. Not only that, they stink! Tobacco also includes chew, dip, spit tobacco, and snuff. All of these are forms of smokeless tobacco, which is also bad for you. But, since my teacher was mainly talking about cigarettes, so will I. Cigarettes contain nicotine (pronounced "nick-o-teen"), which is very addictive. When something is addictive, it means that it is hard to stop doing, no matter how hard you try to stop. That's why most health experts say it is best not to start smoking in the first place. Cigarettes are bad for you. In fact, they are believed to be what causes so many of the diseases we here about in the news. My teacher told me that cigarettes are one of the biggest reasons people have lung, mouth, throat, bladder, kidney, or pancreatic cancer, and also heart disease, emphysema (pronounced "em-fa-SEE-ma"), or chronic bronchitis. Most of these diseases are more likely to happen when we are older. But, any of them could happen to us as early as age 20, and that isn't that far away for most of us. I guess my teacher is right; the most important way to think about this is to imagine ourselves when we are our parent's age. We have to ask ourselves if we want to be as healthy as possible when we are in our 20's and 30's (and older) so that we can have families, too? I know I want to have a family one day… so it is important for me to start taking care of myself now. Here is how tobacco affects your body: |
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Heart and Arteries |
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Nicotine use narrows your blood vessels and puts added strain on your heart. If your arteries and other blood vessels get narrower, your heart has to work extra hard to pump blood through them. To help understand this, think of how hard it is to drink through a really skinny straw and or a regular size straw that has something clogged in it. It's hard work trying to get the drink up through, huh? Well, that is how it is for your heart when it tries to pump blood through narrow arteries. Smoking cigarettes also makes your heart beat faster. So, on top of having to work extra hard to pump your blood through vessels that are too narrow, it has to work extra fast, too. Most things that have to work too hard like that will wear out much faster. Do your heart a favor-keep it healthy and don't start smoking. |
Lungs |
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Smoking cigarettes really hurts your lungs. Smoking makes your lungs weaker and not able to fight off infections as well. This will increase the chances of getting sick with a lung infection. People who have smoked for a long time are at risk for lung cancer, chronic bronchitis (pronounced "KRON-ick bron-KI-tis"), or emphysema (pronounced "em-fa-SEE-ma").
Lung cancer happens when cells in your lungs grow and grow and grow. The cells that continue to grow don't do the work that healthy cells do. They are abnormal cells. As more abnormal cells grow, they crowd out and destroy healthy cells. Chronic bronchitis is an inflammation of the lining of the lungs. When parts of our body are inflamed, they usually get red and swollen and they hurt. When we have a sore throat, it is usually inflamed—I am sure you know what I am talking about here! Ouch! Also, when lungs are inflamed and swollen, it is much harder for air to travel around in our lungs. We need air to travel around in our blood and deliver oxygen to the rest of our body in order to live. When someone has emphysema, it means the air sacs (also called alveoli, pronounced "al-VEE-oh-lie") in their lungs have grown too large or become over inflated. The walls of the alveoli are damaged and become weak. It is important for our alveoli to remain healthy and strong because it is in them that the oxygen we breathe in from the air is exchanged for carbon dioxide in our blood. A person who has emphysema can't get oxygen to her cells very easily (and every cell in our body needs oxygen). And, she can't remove the carbon dioxide from her body as easily. In fact, a person who has emphysema might have tiny holes in the lower part of her lung and might also feel unable to get all of the air out of her lungs. When people get emphysema, their lung systems become weaker and they might be more likely to get other lung diseases. |
Mouth and Throat |
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Smoking cigarettes and chewing smokeless tobacco could cause a person to develop mouth cancer. When the tissue inside of your mouth is filled with smoke or dip, it is exposed to all of the poisons that are in tobacco. Mouth cancer can affect your lips, gums, tongue, or the inside of your cheeks. People who smoke have more of a chance of getting throat cancer. And, did you know that throat cancer can damage your voice box, which will affect your ability to speak, drink, eat, and even breathe?
Tobacco is a no-win situation. Smoking doesn't look cool, it doesn't smell cool, and coughing doesn't sound cool. Also, remember, smoking causes your hair, breath, and clothes to stink. It makes your fingernails and teeth turn yellow and your skin to get wrinkly. None of those things say "Girl Power!" to me. |
