Smoking cigarettes is deadly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Smoking cigarettes is deadly - Essay Example Over half of all long-term smokers eventually die of a smoking-related disease. Smoking affects many parts of the body; both internally, e.g. increased risk of infertility, impotence and reduced sperm count, and externally, e.g. dry skin, smelly breath and stained teeth. In the short-term, smokers are prone to suffer from a shortness of breath as less oxygen gets transported to the lungs. Long-term, there is increased risk of respiratory problems, e.g. chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic asthma. Smokers also have lower level of antioxidants in the blood to repair damaged cells than non-smokers. This makes them less immune to viruses, which weaken their natural defences. The Surgeon General Report (2010) also highlights that thousands of non-smokers die each year from heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory infections due to breathing in second hand smoke. The scientific link between health risks and second hand smoke is now so strong that a number of countries including the UK have banned all forms of smoking in public places such as restaurants and cinemas. I now wish to turn my attention to 2 of the most well known harmful effects of smoking. Firstly, 85% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking and Martin (2005) states that it’s the leading cause of cancer death amongst smokers.