STAY AWAY FROM BAD HABITS RISKS AND EFFECTS OF SMOKING -Did you know that every cigarette

you consume is equals to six minutes of your life? Cigarette smoking is really dangerous to a persons body. The smoke of the cigarette contains almost 4,000 chemicals, and the majority of these chemicals are toxic to the body. -When you smoke you inhale more than 4000 chemicals including acetone (paint stripper), ammonia (toilet cleaner), cyanide (rat killer), and DDT (insecticide) Nicotine -The primary chemical in cigarettes, gives a relaxing effect to the person inhaling it. This chemical causes the addictive effect in smoking cigarettes. But did you know that it can travel so fast (10 seconds) to the brain and be deposited on the tissues and cells as well as to other parts of the body. Carbon monoxide (car exhaust fumes) -A toxic gas, attaches to hemoglobin, preventing the cell to carry large amount of oxygen. This may cause decreased perfusion to the tissues and organs of the body, thus, bringing fatigue to the smokers body. Carcinogen (benzo- a pyrene) -Damages the genes of the body that is responsible for cell growth, causing them to proliferate abnormally (tumors). Statistics -Half of the people who smoke today and continue smoking will eventually be killed by tobacco. Half of them will die in middle age. -Globally, 1.3 billion people smoke. Each year tobacco causes five million premature deaths. Tobacco use is currently responsible for the death of one in ten adults worldwide. If current smoking patterns continue, it will cause some 10 million deaths each year by 2020. -Smoking also affects the function of the immune system, and thats why smokers are prone to infections. Smoking also creates plaque deposits in the lining of the blood vessels, causing atherosclerosis. This may lead to cardiovascular diseases like myocardial infarction or heart failure.

Smoking increases the risk of developing diseases of the respiratory and circulatory systems. These include cancers of the lung, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus and pancreas. Smoking also increases the risk of developing diseases of the urinary tract, pelvis, bladder and digestive tract. Second-hand smoke has been shown to cause: -coronary heart-disease , lung cancer , acute stroke , eye and nasal irritation , nasal sinus cancer. -Twenty-five percent of the population suffers from asthma, heart disease, emphysema, cystic fibrosis and other medical conditions that are exacerbated by second-hand smoke. The effects on children of exposure to second-hand smoke include: -greater chances of hospital care in their first year , more susceptibility to coughs, cold and wheezes , increased chances of becoming smokers themselves , greater risks of glue ear, chest infections, meningococcal disease. Adults who have smoked and who live with smokers have a 15 percent higher risk of death than those living in a smokefree household.

ALCOHOLISM A growing problem in the United States and is even a problem in teenagers, too. Unfortunately, there are a variety of negative effects that are associated with the consumption of alcohol. While the negative effects can either be long term or short term, all of them start with the first drink of alcohol. Negative effects may not become apparent immediately, but as time goes on, the adverse effects of alcohol will become more and more noticeable and, in some cases, they can even lead to death. Diseases One of the negative effects that alcohol tends to have is the increased risk for multiple serious diseases. Increased consumption of alcohol can lead to serious medical problems such as cirrhosis of the liver, which often results in death. Infections, sleeping disorders and sexual dysfunctions can also be caused by consumption of alcohol. Recent studies have also shown that consumption of alcohol can actually raise the risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer, throat cancer and intestinal cancer.

Pregnancy Problems Not only can alcohol have negative effects on the person using it, but it can also damage the innocent, such as unborn children. If a women is pregnant and continues to consume alcohol, it can cause serious damage to the unborn baby. Both physical and mental birth defects can be a result of a mother drinking while pregnant. Many babies that are born to mothers who drank alcohol during pregnancy end up with either Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or with Fetal Alcohol Effects. Legal Problems Legal problems can be other negative effects that are caused by consuming alcohol. Many times, alcohol will increase the amount of aggression in consumers and they end up committing crimes, ending up in jail. Many crimes, including domestic violence, have been linked to the consumption of alcohol and being in jail or going to court for charges such as these can be quite expensive. There are also many traffic incidents that occur when people have been drinking that lead to legal problems as well. Work Problems Many people that consume alcohol on a regular basis find the negative effects of alcohol coming to play in their professional lives as well. Often, alcohol consumption leads to missed days of work because of hangovers and to shoddy work. As a result of these negative effects, some people may even find themselves losing their jobs as a result of their alcoholism. Consuming alcohol can be very serious and there are many grave negative effects that are caused by alcohol. Avoiding alcohol can help you avoid these adverse effects and perhaps even save your life.