|  | Public Health Safety | Smoking

Ten Benefits of Not Smoking

Smoking cigarettes contributes to over five million deaths each year worldwide. Even with this staggering statistic, approximately 1.3 billion people continue to smoke. There are many benefits of not smoking, including greater odds at a long and healthy life.

  1. Cancer

    • According to the World Health Organization (WHO) cancer is the number-one cause of death worldwide. By not smoking cigarettes, you lower your risk for certain types of cancers, such as lung, head, neck, urinary, breast, pancreas and colon cancer. Though the statistics vary by type of cancer, as many as 90 percent of those diagnosed with lung cancer are current or former smokers.

    Gastrointestinal Tract

    • Smoking cigarettes greatly increases the amount of acid produced by the stomach, and has been linked to cases of peptic ulcers. Another side effect of acid overproduction, gastrointestinal reflux causes stomach acid to come back up through the esophagus, creating a painful burning sensation.

    Stroke

    • According to the American Heart Association (AHA), smoking nearly doubles a person's risk of stroke.

    Heart and Arteries

    • According to The AHA, smoking can cause a hardening and narrowing of the arteries, making you much more susceptible to life-threatening blood clots. In addition, smoking has been linked to high blood pressure and nearly 30 percent of all coronary heart disease deaths in America.

    Infertility

    • Men who smoke heavily are at a much greater risk for impotence, because it can cause a decrease in the flow of blood to the penis. Smoking can also cause sperm to be less lively and to die quicker. Women who smoke a pack a day or more have a much greater chance of infertility. By not smoking, a woman can expect longer child-bearing years, as heavy smoking can also cause earlier menopause.

    Behavior

    • Since most smokers are highly addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes, when a person doesn't get the nicotine they crave they may become irritable and have severe mood swings. Those mood swings aren't an issue for people who don't smoke.

    Senses

    • Cigarettes affect the sense of smell taste and even sight. A nonsmoker's vision is 15 to 20 percent greater than if they were a smoker. Many smokers do not notice the smell of smoke on them, while someone who doesn't smoke will notice the smell the moment they are in close proximity to the smoker.

    Skin, Teeth and Nails

    • A person who smokes for years may appear to be older than her true age. This is because smoking cigarettes causes noticeable wrinkles and discoloration of the skin. Cigarettes also cause a yellowing of the nails and teeth, creating an older appearance.

    Finances

    • Even a "light smoker" can notice a difference in the amount of money spent each month on their habit. In many states across America, the cost of a pack of cigarettes is $5. Smoking half a pack per day, on average, costs $75 per month and $900 per year. Smoking a whole pack every day costs $1800 over the course of a year. Nonsmokers can use that money for other things.

    Sociability

    • Many establishments across the world have banned indoor smoking. Smokers, therefore, must venture outdoors (sometimes far away from the establishment) to smoke, often alone.

Smoking - Related Articles