Did you know cigarettes contain sugar?...and more facts about smoking!

I know there are a gazillion articles on the internet that scream the effects of smoking, and I know it seems rather unnecessary to add mine to the large pool. But that just shows how important it is to people who care that people who smoke know what they might be doing to themselves. I know that people smoke to relieve stress and feel good, but it really doesn’t help much. So, let me, Lucia (get it? Let Lucia...lol) tell you some facts about smoking I thought were interesting and hope that it changes someone’s mind.

1.       Nicotine is an insecticide!

Ahhhh! *screams in horror* Seriously, it is. I would have said to google it, but I will give you the information right here, cos I am nice *wink wink*. Nicotine actually is a natural insecticide found in the tobacco plant. The amount of nicotine in a cigarette has been increased to heighten pleasure. Even worse is the fact that half the ingredients in a cigarette are things you would find disgusting on a normal day, such as urea (yeah, I bet that sounded familiar…urine, anybody?), DDT, that insecticide for mosquitoes that even had to be banned?! Arsenic, that’s rat poison! Formaldehyde, might as well go to a morgue and bask in the ambiance!

                                             

2.       About 20% of a cigarette is sugar!

I didn’t even know that until now. I guess that’s a fun fact. The effect of burnt sugar isn’t known yet, but studies point out clearly that it is still a thing of concern for smokers especially diabetics as it is still considered a form of sugar intake.

3.       Marijuana, hookah (shisha), e-cigarettes, and ‘lite’ cigarettes aren’t exceptions.

The thing about e-cigarettes is that it contains nicotine as well. For lite cigarettes, studies have shown that smokers typically draw in more in order to feel the full effect of the nicotine. This is as good as smoking the usual cigarette. For marijuana, people argue that it is safer than tobacco, but studies show that whatever has the ability to change your mood or behavior, is having an effect on your brain, and it is only a matter of time before the brain gives in. As for hookah (Shisha), Carbon monoxide (CO) is still being generated as a result of incomplete combustion. So either way, smoking isn’t really good. 

                                             

4.       Smoking makes you look old…and this is a fact!

Or at least older than your age. The nicotine restricts blood flow to vessels on the outer layer of the skin which means reduced oxygen and nutrients, which means wrinkles! It also causes hair loss, sagging of the skin, lines around your face and mouth. If you like to look good, smoking is not good for you.

5.       And of course, there is the long list of cancers and sicknesses.

I think everyone knows by now that smoking causes lung cancer. In fact, more than half the deaths caused by cancers are due to smoking so much that in research, it is like the number one risk factor considered. In addition to that, it is also linked to heart disease, tuberculosis, early menopause, diabetes (Aha! 20% sugar, remember?), gum disease, and even tooth loss! (LOL! Thought that was funny).

6.       It kills really slowly.

By slowly, I mean that the effects do not manifest after just 2 cigarettes in your life, but after years of smoking! It has a cumulative effect. Manufacturers have finally admitted that smoking will kill you. I know we’ll all die one day but there’s no need to speed things up by yourself!

7.      It has an effect on fertility.

Studies have shown that women who smoke have difficulties getting pregnant. Also, women who smoke during pregnancy are prone to miscarriages, and the children they eventually give birth to are prone to having deformities.

8.   Your friends are just as likely to get cancer too!

The big problem about smoking is the secondhand smoke. Studies have shown that secondhand smoke is as bad as smoking itself, if not worse. This is the smoke breathed out from the smoker and smoke from the burning end of the cigarette. It can cause lung cancer as well as other health effects especially in children. So, if you know someone who smokes, you might want to convince them, and make it for selfish reasons this time…lol. Let’s hope they love you enough to stop *wink wink* 

9.     Smoking is expensive if you get around to thinking about it deeply.

Funny thing is that the rich aren’t smoking as much as the low-income or middleclass population. Smoking means, increased need for healthcare. The cost of a pack of cigarette is not really worth it. You could buy food with that, and on and on and on (you know?).

                                 

10.   So, please try to quit

Studies have shown that from just 24hours after smoking, the body starts to come back to the normal state and in no time, you are at risk of dying just like every other nonsmoking person (did that sound depressing? I’m sorry). But it’s the truth. The smell, the aging effect, the acne, all gone! (at least the ones caused from smoking).

Think about it