Smoking Damages Organs, Affects Overall Health

APP

Hyderabad:  Smoking inflicts harm on nearly every organ in the body and adversely impacts overall health, said cardiologist Dr Kashif on Thursday.

However, individuals can markedly decrease their risk of smoking-related diseases by choosing to quit, the cardiologist added.

Speaking to a state-run news agency, Dr Kashif said that tobacco smoke contains more than 50 chemicals that cause cancer.

He said that tobacco also contains nicotine, which is a highly addictive psychoactive drug. When tobacco is smoked, nicotine causes physical and psychological dependency, he added.

He said that every third Pakistani after the age of 40 was suffering from high blood pressure, whereas only 3 percent of them get regular medical checkups.

He said that smoking is not only injurious for the users, but passive smoking is also a great threat to those who associate with the smokers, as inhaling cigarette smoke could cause more complications.

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Dr Kashif said that smoking is the biggest avoidable cause of death and disability known to mankind, and any support for the growth, distribution, or sale of tobacco is indefensible on public health grounds.

Smoking can also cause a threat of 10 percent more oral cancer, such as tongue, mouth, and buckle cavities, and 15 percent more other diseases, including cardiac, tuberculosis, asthma, and shrinking of mouth tissues and respiratory systems, a cardiac specialist said.

He further said that alternate uses of smoking, like anti-smoking chewing, gutka, leaf chewing tobacco, and betel nuts, are more dangerous for those who quit smoking.

He said the family and friends of the person quitting should encourage him. Help could always be sought from a psychiatrist.

Dr Kashif emphasised the need for community-based efforts with a massive awareness campaign about the hazards of the use of smoking so that people could stop such addictions for the health of themselves and their relatives and friends.