Advantages and Disadvantages of Smoking The great tobacco debate has been going on for years.

Ever since it was determined that smoking cigarettes causes lung cancer, along with a host of other diseases, non-smokers have been railing against the evils of cigarettes, while many smokers have clung to their tobacco like a miser with his last penny. But the question is, are the smokers right? Are there indeed advantages to tobacco use? Die-hard cigarette users claim many benefits to smoking, some are the following:

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Peer group acceptance if peers smoke Effective weight loss aid Performance enhancement in tasks requiring concentration Stress relief Some smokers truly enjoy the taste

There are issues with most of these perceived advantages. If a smoker attempts to change peer groups, they could find smoking to be a barrier to acceptance. The performance enhancement is minimal after the first few cigarettes a smoker has in their lifetime; from that point on, it is just a perception of enhancement based on the memory of those initial cigarettes. Weight loss and stress relief could be as effectively obtained by other, healthier means. Therefore the only valid advantage is if a smoker really enjoys the taste, but one has to wonder if they dont enjoy the taste of the cigarette merely because they cannot taste anything else. The disadvantages to smoking are far more numerous, and much harder to argue against, a sampling of them include:

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Death from disease caused by smoking Diseases (even if they dont cause death) Lung Cancer Throat Cancer Mouth Cancer Many other types of cancer have also been linked to tobacco use Emphysema COPD Asthma Decreased lung function Advanced signs of aging Cost of cigarettes, applicable taxes and paraphernalia such as lighters Decreased acceptance by non-smoking peers The lingering odor of smoke on body and clothing Lowered ability to exercise due to inability to breathe Cost of stop-smoking aids when the decision to quit is made

It is clear that the disadvantages of smoking far outweigh any perceived advantages. While there is a cost associated with quitting, over time the damage smoking had done to the body can reverse itself if a person ceases tobacco use. This puts that cost into perspective, especially when compared to the thousands of dollars spent every year on smoking. With all the disadvantages to continued smoking and no real advantages to it, isnt it time you saved your health and your money by putting in the effort to become tobacco-free? Dangers Of Smoking Almost everybody knows that smoking is bad for the health. Images of blackened lungs line school hallways and hospital waiting rooms, but despite this people continue to take up smoking. This may have to do with the pervasive romantic image of smoking -- an image that has nothing in common with reality. There are many ways to take tobacco. You can chew it, inhale it through the nose, and smoke it in the form of cigars or cigarettes. No matter how it's taken it is dangerous, but because smoking is the most popular way to consume tobacco it has also received the greatest attention from the medical field and the media. When a smoker inhales a puff of cigarette smoke the large surface area of the lungs allows nicotine to pass into the blood stream almost immediately. It is this nicotine "hit" that smokers crave, but there is a lot more to smoke

than just nicotine. In fact, there are more than 4000 chemical substances that make up cigarette smoke and many of them are toxic. Cigarette smoke is composed of 43 carcinogenic substances and more than 400 other toxins that can also be found in wood varnish, nail polish remover, and rat poison. All of these substances accumulate in the body and can cause serious problems to the heart and lungs. Cancer is the most common disease associated with smoking. Smoking is the cause of 90% of lung cancer cases and is related to 30% of all cancer fatalities. Other smoking-related cancers include cancers of the mouth, pancreas, urinary bladder, kidney, stomach, esophagus, and larynx. Besides cancer, smoking is also related to several other diseases of the lungs. Emphysema and bronchitis can be fatal and 75% of all deaths from these diseases are linked to smoking. Smokers have shorter lives than non-smokers. On average, smoking takes 15 years off your life span. This can be explained by the high rate of exposure to toxic substances which are found in cigarette smoke. Smokers also put others at risk. The dangers of breathing in second-hand smoke are well known. Smokers harm their loved ones by exposing them to the smoke they exhale. All sorts of health problems are related to breathing in second-hand smoke. Children are especially susceptible to the dangers of second-hand smoke because their internal organs are still developing. Children exposed to second-hand smoke are more vulnerable to asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, bronchitis, pneumonia, and ear infections. Smoking can also be dangerous for unborn children. Mothers who smoke are more likely to suffer from miscarriages, bleeding and nausea, and babies of smoking mothers have reduced birth weights or may be premature. These babies are more susceptible to sudden infant death syndrome and may also have lifelong health complications due to chest infections and asthma. It is never too late to give up smoking, even those who have smoked for 20 years or more can realize tremendous health benefits from giving up the habit. 1. Smoking lowers risk of knee-replacement surgery While smokers might go broke buying a pack of cigarettes, they can at least save money by avoiding kneereplacement surgery. Surprising results from a new study have revealed that men who smoke had less risk of undergoing total joint replacement surgery than those who never smoked. The study, from the University of Adelaide in Australia, appears in the July issue of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. What could be the connection? Knee-replacement surgery was more common among joggers and the obese; smokers rarely jog, and they are less likely to be morbidly obese. After controlling for age, weight and exercise, the researchers were at a loss to explain the apparent, albeit slight protective effects of smoking for osteoporosis. It could be that the nicotine in tobacco helps prevent cartilage and joint deterioration. 2. Smoking lowers risk of Parkinson's disease Numerous studies have identified the uncanny inverse relationship between smoking and Parkinson's disease. Long-term smokers are somehow protected against Parkinson's, and it's not because smokers die of other things earlier. [10 Easy Paths to Self-Destruction] The most recent, well-conducted study was published in a March 2010 issue of the journal Neurology. Far from determining a cause for the protective effect, these researchers found that the number of years spent smoking, more so than the number of cigarettes smoked daily, mattered more for a stronger protective effect. Harvard researchers were among the first to provide convincing evidence that smokers were less likely to develop Parkinson's. In a study published in Neurology in March 2007, these researchers found the protective effect wanes after smokers quit. And they concluded, in their special scientific way, that they didn't have a clue as to why. 3. Smoking lowers risk of obesity Smoking and, in particular, the nicotine in tobacco smoke is an appetite suppressant. This has been known for centuries, dating back to indigenous cultures in America in the pre-Columbus era. Tobacco companies caught on by the 1920s and began targeting women with the lure that smoking would make them thinner. A study published in the July 2011 issue of the journal Physiology & Behavior, in fact, is one of many stating that the inevitable weight gain upon quitting smoking is a major barrier in getting people to stop, second only to addiction. The relationship between smoking and weight control is complex: Nicotine itself acts as both a stimulant and appetite suppressant; and the act of smoking triggers behavior modification that prompts smokers to snack less. Smoking also might make food less tasty for some smokers, further curbing appetite. As an appetite suppressant, nicotine appears to act on a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, at least in mice, as revealed in a study by Yale researchers published in the June 10, 2011, issue of the journal Science.

No respectable doctor would recommend smoking for weight control, given the toxic baggage accompanying cigarettes. This recent Yale study, however, does offer an inkling of hope for a safe diet drug to help obese people control their appetites. 4. Smoking lowers risk of death after some heart attacks Compared with non-smokers, smokers who have had heart attacks seem to have lower mortality rates and more favorable responses to two kinds of therapy to remove plaque from their arteries: fibrinolytic therapy, which is basically medication; and angioplasty, which removes the plaque by inserting balloons or stents into the arteries. There's a catch, though. The reason why smokers have heart attacks is that smoke scars the arteries, allowing fat and plaque to build up in the first place. So, one theory as to why smokers do better than non-smokers after such therapies is that they are younger, experiencing their first heart attack approximately 10 years before the nonsmoker. A study published in an August 2005 issue of the American Heart Journal, however, states that age alone is not enough to fully explain the survival differences and that "the smoker's paradox is alive and well." No alternative theories have been put forth since. 5. Smoking helps the heart drug clopidogrel work better Clopidogrel is a drug used to inhibit blood clots for those patients suffering from coronary artery disease and other circulatory diseases leading to strokes and heart attacks. Smoking seems to help clopidogrel do its job better. A study by Korean researchers in the October 2010 issue of the journal Thrombosis Research builds upon work by Harvard researchers published in 2009 that demonstrates the benefit of smoking at least 10 cigarettes a day. It seems that something in cigarette smoke activates certain proteins called cytochromes, which convert clopidogrel into a more active state. Again, no respectable doctor is encouraging patients to start smoking to get the most out of clopidogrel. But this and the other four "benefits" of smoking reveal how tobacco perhaps not unlike other potentially toxic plants might contain certain chemicals of real therapeutic value. New research reveals breathing pattern of smokers deepens the addiction 95% of smokers need help quitting One ex-smoker teaches a program called 14AndOut that brings to light this simple but critical breathing ritual. At the same time, this program points out how other stop smoking aids, like the nicotine patch, prescription medications, and nicotine gum fail to address the behavior modification necessary for up to 95% of smokers to be able to quit and not go back within 6 months. The organic 14AndOut program weans the smoker off cigarettes in 14 days or less without the use of chemicals, by combining knowledge and behavior modification with nutrition (http://premium.naturalnews.tv/14AndOut__TV.htm). Yoga instructors are the first to tell you that breathing is core to a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Nutrition and breathing work hand in hand. Therefore, despite the fact that cigarettes are loaded with chemicals and nicotine that's all juiced up (that dates back further than just 10 years ago), the breathing pattern is part of the "escape" for smokers. If a smoker just practices breathing every time they would have had a smoke, then the cessation (quitting) process becomes much more practical, realistic, and usually works out for the long term . After all, who wants to quit smoking, only to go back the first time a friend lights up your brand, or a bill shows up you can't quite pay, or you almost get in a wreck and just need to relax! (http://archive.tobacco.org/News/98minnesota.html) Some people smoke for the pep of it, getting a little rush from the nicotine. That is why the 14AndOut stop smoking program also comes equipped with a nutritional guide. The breathing patterns combined with nutrients replace cravings and provide energy bursts, which is key to quitting smoking without fear of stress and anxiety. The power of the breathing ritual Most people are familiar with "hyperventilation," which is breathing in excess of what the body needs to eliminate carbon dioxide, but for some smokers, when they do not have one "lit up," their breathing pattern is "hypoventilation," which is the opposite of "hyperventilation," and occurs when breathing does not meet the body's needs, sometimes less than 10 breaths per minute. This allows a build up of carbon dioxide in the blood and decreases gas exchanges inside the lungs, which is compounding problems. Plus, most tobacco is now genetically modified (GMO) by Monsanto, laden with pesticides inside and out, so the toxic volcano just builds up. (http://gmo-awareness.com/all-about-gmos/gmo-defined/) Most people are seeking natural ways to quit, knowing that they've already bombarded their system with chemicals. Hypnotherapy and acupuncture are natural alternatives which show better statistics for cessation than any pill (Chantix and Zyban). These methods help with certain mental, physical and emotional aspects of

quitting cigarettes, but when an ex-smoker actually practices the breathing ritual on a regular basis, research shows their chances of staying smoke-free for good are increased greatly. NaturalNews) A massive research project conducted by Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital reveals that parents who seek help with the right cessation program are much more likely to stop smoking than those attempting to quit on their own. Over 7,000 parents were studied in 18 different studies, and the parents were offered self help materials, counseling, and/or medications by their pediatricians. Many of the interventions included a visit to a well-baby or "well-child" clinic. The research tracked parental activity and success rates for over a year. The conclusion: Pediatricians who recommend the right cessation programs to the parents were more likely to see them stop smoking, especially because of the "teachable moment" during the visit, regarding their children's vulnerability to the devastating effects of the tobacco smoke (http://www.reuters.com). Though they are considered short term studies, Dr. Winickoff at Harvard Medical School says they are "worth pursuing," and that the best programs will enable nearly every parent to quit smoking. Sue Curry, the Dean of University of Iowa's College of Public Health, says that one of her studies, included in the analysis, found that mothers who were given a quitting guide along with counseling advice were twice as likely to quit as mothers who didn't receive this kind of help. Research shows that the children of parents who smoked during pregnancy have inflamed arterial walls, which is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and a long list of other critical illnesses.