Do you know? Smoking not only harms your own health, but also the people and environment around you. Smoking causes a variety of chronic diseases and cancers, increases the risk of death, and reduces quality of life. Moreover, smoking can also cause social problems such as air pollution, fire hazards, and economic losses.
According to the China Smoking Health Hazards Report 2020 released by the National Health Commission, more than 1 million people on the mainland lose their lives to tobacco every year, and if no effective action is taken, it is expected to increase to 2 million per year by 2030 and 3 million per year by 2050. What an amazing number! These deaths could have been avoided if we had quit or reduced smoking.
However, quitting smoking is not easy, and many people have one reason or another to continue smoking. Some people think that the cigarettes they smoke are not so harmful, some think they are used to smoking, and some think they are young and don't have to worry about health problems. Actually, these are all wrong ideas. In fact, any kind of cigarette can cause harm to the body, any smoker is at risk of illness and death, and any moment is the best time to quit.
Smoking causes chest tightness and shortness of breath
Mr. Li is an old smoker who has smoked at least one pack of cigarettes a day since he was 18 years old. He feels that smoking relieves stress, refreshes the mind and increases fun. He never cared what others thought or advised him about smoking, nor did he care what effect smoking had on his health.
He thinks he's in good health, never gets sick, and doesn't feel bad about smoking. He even feels that he is a tasteful, personality, and emotional person, because he always selects some special cigarette varieties to smoke, such as soft cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, mint cigarettes, etc.
Until one day, he suddenly felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, coughing up phlegm, and even coughing up blood. He rushed to the hospital for examination, and was diagnosed with lung cancer. The doctor told him that this was caused by long-term smoking, and the special cigarettes he smoked were actually the most harmful cigarettes to the body, which contained a large number of carcinogens and harmful substances. The doctor said that if he had quit smoking earlier or cut it less, there might be hope of a cure, but it was too late.
Mr. Li listened to the doctor's words and felt great regret and self-blame. He thought of his family, friends, job and ideals, and he remembered all the information and advice about the dangers of smoking that he had ignored and rejected. He suddenly realized that he had been poisoning himself and the people around him with cigarettes, and that he had been wasting his life and wealth with cigarettes. He wanted to change, he wanted to quit, he wanted to save everything, but it was too late.
In fact, there are many people in life, may be an old smoker who does not know or care about the harm of smoking, and in habit, may also like to smoke some special cigarette varieties. But in doing so, it is easy to be like Mr. Li, waiting until there is a physical problem before regretting it.
7 varieties of cigarettes that may be blacklisted, either frequently smoked or inadvertently tried. But in any case, we should know what the health effects of these cigarettes are and why they may be "blacklisted". This may become an incentive to quit smoking or reduce smoking.
These seven cigarettes should be used sparingly
Soft smoke: The packaging of this cigarette is more exquisite and luxurious, but it contains a lot of tar content, which is 2.5 times that of ordinary cigarettes. In addition to increasing the risk of oral and esophageal cancer, long-term smoking of soft cigarettes increases the risk to the body.
Fake cigarettes: This cigarette is illegally manufactured by some unscrupulous businesses for profit, and the tobacco and tobacco it uses are of poor quality and contain a lot of nicotine and tar. Long-term smoking of fake cigarettes can impair the function of various organs of the body and lead to a variety of diseases.
Smoke without filters: This cigarette is mainly some homemade cigarettes, rolled with newspaper, and no filter can reduce the entry of harmful substances. This cigarette has a lot of stamina, smoking one is equivalent to five ordinary cigarettes. Long-term smoking of smoke without filters can increase the burden on the lungs and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
E-cigarettes: This cigarette simulates the process of smoking by using a battery to heat the liquid to create a mist, it comes in a variety of flavors and colors, and looks stylish. However, e-cigarettes do not have the function of quitting smoking, but will make people more addicted.
The structure of electronic cigarettes is usually equipped with a special lithium battery, which is convenient for commercial production to earn a lot of profits, but unfortunately it has side effects on the body. The mist produced by e-cigarettes is also a type of dust that can damage the health of the nasal and respiratory tracts. E-cigarettes are also added with a large number of sweeteners and pigment flavors, which can also cause harm to the body.
Dry tobacco: This cigarette is the oldest tobacco product in mainland China, and tobacco and tobacco shreds exposed to high temperatures are smoked in pipes. The cost of this cigarette is low, but it does not have a filter to reduce the ingress of harmful substances. Moreover, due to the long-term contact of the pipe with the mouth and other objects, it will be contaminated with a large number of bacteria and toxins. Long-term smoking of dry tobacco will increase the burden on the body, affect blood flow, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Peppermint smoke: This cigarette contains a lot of menthol, which will give a refreshing feeling when lit and will not be as spicy as regular cigarettes. But peppermint cigarettes also contain a substance called cotinine, which anesthetizes the nerves and promotes the brain to secrete dopamine, making people forget their troubles and always be in a state of excitement and tension. Long-term smoking of peppermint cigarettes can cause damage to the brain and accelerate the process of neurosenescence.
Expired cigarettes: This type of cigarette is some cigarettes that have been stored for too long, dampness and mold. The price of this cigarette is cheap, but it is very harmful to the body. Expired cigarettes produce a large amount of mycin, such as flavomycin, aspergillin, etc., which are all first-class carcinogens. Long-term smoking of expired cigarettes increases the burden on the body and increases the risk of cancer.
Prevention and control of smoking
The prevention and control of the dangers of smoking is a global public health challenge that requires the joint efforts of governments, international organizations, civil society, medical institutions and individuals. At present, there are some effective measures and methods to reduce the harm of smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, including the following aspects:
Legislation and regulation: Develop and enforce comprehensive smoke-free laws that prohibit smoking in public places and workplaces and protect people from secondhand smoke. Prohibit or restrict tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship to prevent the tobacco industry from using various channels to induce and mislead consumers. Combat illicit trade in tobacco products and prevent low-priced and counterfeit tobacco products from entering the market. Regulate the production, sale and use of new tobacco products to avoid potential or unknown harm to public health.
Taxes and prices: Increase tobacco taxes and prices to reduce demand for and accessibility to tobacco consumption, especially for adolescents and low-income groups. Use a portion of tobacco tax revenue to support tobacco control efforts and improve public health services.
Education and awareness: Carry out anti-tobacco education and publicity campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco, smoke in moderation, and pay special attention not to smoking in public places so as not to affect others.
epilogue
In most cases, smoking is a harmful behavior for oneself and others, it can lead to many serious diseases, such as lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, etc., and also affect people's quality of life and social relationships. Among them, some cigarette varieties that have been included in the "blacklist" seem to have their own characteristics and advantages, but they are actually tobacco products that are extremely harmful to the body.
In our experience, quitting smoking is not an easy task, it takes a lot of effort and patience. But we must still recognize the necessity of quitting smoking or smoking moderately in time, and not hurting the body because of temporary pleasure.