Unholy smoke
Wednesday 5 January 2005
There can't be many of us who can honestly say that we're not aware of the health problems that smoking causes.
That doesn't stop thousands of young people taking up the deadly habit each year, with Department of Health surveys reporting more new smokers starting at a younger age.
By exposing some of the common myths surrounding the dreaded weed, we look at the facts about smoking.
Myth 1: Smoking makes me look cool.
What's cool about having a burning piece of paper hanging out of your mouth? Smoking stains teeth and dries skin, leading to wrinkles earlier in life. Not a good look! Smoking's also quite a smelly habit; it clings to your clothes and hair and can make being around you a little unpleasant for non-smokers. It can also make your breath pong as well, and who wants to kiss an ashtray?
Myth 2: Smoking helps me to chill out.
Cigarettes contain nicotine, which is a stimulant. Far from chilling you out, it makes your heart beat faster. Using stimulants can not only affect your sleep patterns and make you tired when you get up in the morning, but they can also give you the shakes and make you feel more agitated.
Myth 3: Smoking keeps me thin
The only reason that some people who smoke are skinnier than others is because some people just have a cigarette when they're hungry instead of a meal. Cigarettes don't contain any of the nutrients that you'd get from eating something. While some people say that stopping smoking means that they gain weight, a non-smoking person is more likely to be able to cope with a couple of extra pounds than an unfit smoker.
Myth 4: I'm too young to worry about smoking-related illnesses
As soon as you light up that first cigarette, you're increasing your risk of lung cancer, heart disease and strokes. If you have asthma, you could be aggravating it, and some reports say that smoking cigarettes can lead to depression. Don't be fooled into thinking that diseases such as lung cancer are found only in older smokers. Smokers as young as 20 have been treated for smoking-related illnesses. You can't deny the facts: smoking kills.
Myth 5: I won't get addicted
Cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. It doesn't take long for the addiction to take hold, and although there are ways of quitting, surely the easiest way to beat the addiction is to not start smoking in the first place.
So those are the facts behind a few of the myths of smoking. So why, after knowing all of these facts, do people even bother start smoking? Nobody is sure, but one thing most older smokers have in common is that they wish they'd never started in the first place and would love to give up.
By not starting now, you're saving yourself a lot of time, trouble and health worries. There's also the cost to consider; smoking ten cigarettes a day could cost you ?1000 per year! Think what else you could buy with that money!
For more information on the effects of smoking, see our related links.
