OK, It’s Time to Get Real About the Effects of Smoking Cigarettes

More than five trillion cigarettes are produced every single year. When you stop and think about that for a moment, it’s almost hard to grasp the full scale of the impact that smoking has on modern society. Throughout every nook and cranny of the globe, there are people lighting up on a daily basis. What that adds up to is more than a billion people who label themselves as smokers. Even though just about everyone on the planet has had some form of exposure to smoking, that doesn’t mean it’s doing anything positive for individuals who smoke. In fact, as the information we’re about to cover shows, this activity actually ruins the health and lives of far too many people.

The Effects That Make Cigarettes So Bad

One of the most commonly recited facts about cigarettes is that for each one someone smokes, it takes twelve minutes off their life. While the math behind that statement may work out, it doesn’t mean that approach to framing the effects of smoking is effective. For many people, hearing such a generalized statement simply doesn’t have any effect on them. To get beyond that issue, let’s actually dive into some concrete information about why cigarettes are so incredibly harmful:

Faster Mental Decline

A common misconception about smoking is if someone has been doing it for long enough, they’re basically past the point of needing to worry about quitting. However, plenty of research has shown that’s simply not the case. For example, one study found that the reason it is worth quitting is because active smoking leads to faster mental decline. Additionally, even if someone doesn’t think they’re at risk for dementia or Alzheimer’s because it doesn’t run in their family, smoking can actually raise the risk for anyone over 65.

A Smell That Won’t Go Away

While this isn’t necessarily a direct health effect, the reason it’s worth addressing is because it can have a negative impact on people’s quality of life. Even when someone smokes outside, chances are their clothes are going to smell like smoke. This smell can later cause irritation for a loved one they hug or sit by. And for people who smoke in their home, this activity can create a very unpleasant and potentially dangerous indoor space for anyone who visits or lives with them.

Difficulty Breathing

No one would stand near a fire and intentionally try to suck as much into their lungs as possible. And while the mental image of someone doing that may make you laugh, the reality is that’s exactly what smoking involves. Not surprisingly, even for smokers who don’t develop lung cancer, there are still a lot of breathing complications they may experience.

A Huge Cancer Risk

All of the research done by the American Cancer Society and other reputable organizations makes it clear that there’s a huge link between smoking and cancer. Most notably, smoking is considered the primary cause of 87% of the over 150,000 lung cancer deaths that occur every single year.

Since Quitting is So Hard, What Else Can You Do?

Many smokers feel trapped. Although they know that this activity is very bad for them, there’s a good chance that any attempts they’ve made at stopping haven’t worked out. The reason is just about all statistics show that only a tiny percentage of people who want to quit are successful at doing so. This combination means that most smokers just keep on doing what they’ve always done.

While being stuck in the cycle of smoking can be extremely frustrating, the good news is it doesn’t need to remain that way. The reason is there’s an option other than either continuing or stopping. That option is to switch to e-cigs. While electronic cigarettes like ZEMOcigs still provide nicotine, what they don’t come with is actual smoke or tons of harmful chemicals.

Because electronic cigs simply produce vapor, they don’t cause all the previously discussed unwanted effects that actual smoke causes. They also provide a lot of freedom in terms of being able to enjoy them just about anywhere. And what’s really great is they provide the same type of experience as smoking a standard cigarette. So if you haven’t had a chance to try one out as an alternative to standard cigarettes, you definitely should!

Katherine Gorman is a freelance writer and mom of four. After smoking on and off for more than two decades, she made the switch to e-cigs three years ago and hasn’t looked back since.