The World Health Organization marks the World No Tobacco Day every year on 31 May, to point to health and other risks associated with tobacco use.
More than 4,000 different chemicals are ingested with each smoke, 3,000 of which are respiratory irritants, and about fifty proven to be carcinogenic. The most famous is nicotine - a compound that causes addiction. Although respiratory system suffers the most, the negative impact of tobacco smoke is manifested throughout the body. Smoking causes lung and bronchial cancer, extremely increases the risk of the onset of pharynx and oral cancer, damages blood vessels and facilitates atherosclerosis (blood vessel stenosis due to the creation of atheroma, deposits on the inner side of the vascular wall), thus increasing the risk of most cardiovascular diseases (heart attack, stroke) and participating in the mechanism of development of such diseases. Cardiovascular diseases and carcinoma are the leading causes of mortality, disease and disability. Smoking causes chronic obstructive lung disease, is conducive to the occurrence of osteoporosis, impotence and infertility, the development of gum disease and tooth decay, increases the risk of kidney, bladder and uterine cancer, damages the digestive system, causes wrinkles, skin dryness, discolorations and premature aging. It reduces the sense of both taste and smell.
Passive smoking is also very dangerous and harmful to health, causing malignant diseases, as well as a variety of serious respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The use of nicotine and tobacco products increases the risk of cancer, cardiovascular and lung diseases.
This is especially important in the current situation as research has shown that smokers have a higher risk of developing severe forms of SARS-CoV-2 disease compared to non-smokers.
Cigarette compounds are also the leading factors of risk for the development of non-infectious diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and respiratory diseases, putting persons suffering from these conditions at a higher risk of developing severe diseases in case of infection with the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Studies have shown that 12 weeks after smoking cessation blood circulation, walking and breathing improve, and after three months coughing and difficult breathing calm down and lung function improves.
Prepared by: Astrid W.