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Even children know that “smoking is harmful to health.” We've all heard that smoking is harmful. But how harmful is it? The clear answer is that it is very harmful, smoking changes your entire life and exposes you to numerous health risks.

Whereas tobacco use was once a male-dominated phenomenon, today there is very little difference in the prevalence of tobacco use among adult men and women in countries such as Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom (<5%). WHO projects that in 2025, the prevalence of tobacco use will be 31% among men and 16% among women.

Smoking is an established type of behavior among young people. According to estimates, every year in the Republic of Belarus 15,500 people lose their lives as a result of this habit, including 15,000 men and 500 women. By comparison, about 2,000 people die each year in road traffic accidents. The average loss in life expectancy of Belarusian smokers for all ages is 18 years, and for the age group 35-69 - 21 years.

Long-term smoking not only leads to the fact that a person often gets sick, but his performance, attention and physical endurance decrease, memory, attention, hearing deteriorate, fatigue increases, and the number of mistakes made increases. This is why people who smoke are often unable to achieve high results in life. They often have conflicts with those who do not smoke; Moreover, they often also become unattractive: the color of their teeth changes, their skin becomes gray and yellow, and their eyes become dull. People who smoke increase their risk of cancer, which leads to premature death or disability. Therefore, there is only one piece of advice for those who don’t smoke: “Better not start,” but those who have already started smoking should also know: “It’s never too late to quit.”

Interesting Facts:

According to WHO, 20 minutes after the last cigarette smoked, the pulse will return to normal.

Already on the first day after quitting cigarettes, the content of nicotine and carbon monoxide decreases, the concentration of oxygen increases, and the supply of oxygen to tissues and organs improves.

After 2 days, the body odor will become more natural, and taste sensitivity and smell will become more acute.

After 3 days, a person notices that it is easier for him to breathe.

After a week, the activity of the stomach and pancreas returns to normal.

After a month, immunity increases, nutrition of all body tissues improves, complexion becomes fresher, and the yellow color of the skin on the fingers disappears.

After 3 months or more, the smoker’s cough disappears, performance increases, and teeth are cleared of yellow plaque.

After a year, the risk of a heart attack or stroke is halved, and the likelihood of developing cancer is reduced.

By the way, according to the UN, every tenth person in the world dies from the consequences of passive smoking .

So, you need to remember firmly:

Mortality among smokers is 30-80% higher than among non-smokers, the risk of death increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the duration of smoking, mortality is higher among people who started smoking at a young age; among patients with malignant neoplasms, 95% are smokers.

Every smoker is able to stop smoking if they truly understand the dangers of this habit and show sufficient willpower. The fight against smoking is a fight for the health of not only smokers, but also the people around them, that is, a fight for the health of the entire society.

REMEMBER! Your health is in your hands! Take care of him!