Smoking Kills

Aside from the forwarded message in my previous post, I also saw a speech in my email that I made for my Business Communication class back in my sophomore year. I believe that it would be nice to share this information to all of you.

Speech: SMOKING KILLS
Do you know a smoker or are you one? I am making this speech not because I am mad at smokers but because of my concern for everyone.

Smoking has become a common habit among Filipinos. Everywhere you go, you see people smoke. Even students as young as 12 years old. Some smoke because of curiosity while others smoke to look cool. However, a lot of people smoke because they see it as a way to release stress.

But the benefit of smoking stops there. For scientific evidence has shown that smoking is related to at least 40 diseases and 20 types of cancers. It is also a common trigger for asthma exacerbations and can influence asthma development.

So, how does smoking cause harm? Well, cigarette smoke contains compounds that separate into gas and particulate. Three of these compounds are known to be harmful to health: tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide. Tar is a particulate matter that when deposited in lung passages, paralyzes the cleaning mechanisms and damages the air sacs. It is responsible for many of the cancers and lung diseases. Meanwhile Nicotine causes release of epinephrine & norepinephrine, resulting in arrhythmia, increased heart rate and blood pressure. It is also an addicting substance. Lastly is carbon monoxide which causes reduction of oxygen.
 

Now let us take a look at a smokers body. As you can see, it is not a pretty sight. No matter how goodlooking one is, it’s scary how it is not the same on the inside! Smoking’s less publicized effects include: Psoriasis, Cataract, Wrinkling, Hearing loss, Tooth Decay, Emphysema, Osteoporosis, Heart Disease, Stomach Ulcers, Discoloured Fingers, Cervical cancer and Miscarriage, Deformed Sperm and Buerger’s Disease. You will notice that one leg is amputated on the illustration because it is an effect of Buerger’s Disease. It is affecting arteries and veins. If not treated, gangrene may form and the leg will have to be amputated!

If that doesn’t stop one from smoking, maybe this fact will. Smoking not only affects smokers but also non-smokers as well. How? Simply by inhaling smoke from one person's burning tobacco product. So you are not only harming yourself but others as well! Do you know Dana Reeves? Well, she was the wife of the late Christopher Reeves known for playing Superman. She died of lung cancer and the fact is, she had not smoked a single cigarette in her life! Doctors said that her years singing in smoky bars may have been one of the triggers of her contracting lung cancer.

So if you love your family, friends and mostly yourself, stop smoking. If you quit smoking today, within 1-9 months, oxygen level in your body normalizes. By 5 years risk of heart disease is significantly reduced and by 10 years, pre-cancerous cells are replaced. Remember that besides avoiding bad breath, dark lips and a big hole in your wallet, a cigarette free life provides you a new lease in life.