Sample Informative Essay (Smoking and its Health Hazards)
Most people are aware of the health hazards that occur with cigarette smoke. Yet, they
continue to carry out this disgusting habit. Smoking can decrease your life by hours or days.
Even if you exercise daily, eat plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables and avoid fatty foods, you
can still suffer from the various health hazards of smoking. Cigarettes contain more than 4000
chemical compounds. You will find at least 400 toxic chemicals in a cigarette. The heat from the
cigarette produces these toxic chemicals and they all enter your body with one inhalation.
Therefore, it is no wonder that cigarette smoke causes so many health hazards.
According to the American Lung Association, one cigarette contains 4000 chemicals and
out of this, at least, 50 are known to cause cancer. Cigarettes also contain acetone, which are also
found in nail polish removers, ammonia, a household cleaner, carbon monoxide, fumes from car
exhausts, nicotine, used in insecticides, toluene, used in the manufacturing of paint,
formaldehyde, used for embalming etc. Would you consider consuming any of these substances
orally or in any way into your body? If you say no, and you are a smoker, you already are
allowing these substances to enter your body. Furthermore, they would have caused significant
damage to your whole system.
Cancer is the main problem associated with cigarette smoking. However, there are other
harmful effects of cigarette smoking too. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of developing
several diseases. Cardiovascular diseases are common causes of death related to cigarette
smoking. Smokers may suffer from a condition known as atherosclerosis which is hardening of
the arteries. This is a slow process that occurs, over time, with plaque build-up. However,
smoking cigarettes significantly increases this risk and increases the process of atherosclerosis.
Furthermore, cigarette smoke can also increase the risk of a stroke. High blood pressure is a
common occurrence in smokers. Blood pressure is the force with which blood flows through the
arteries. Cigarette smoking can increase blood pressure by 5 to 10 mm Hg. Uncontrolled high
blood pressure increases a person’s risk of stroke. Therefore, if a person with high blood pressure
smokes continuously, his pressure may rise exponentially and cause a stroke.
Smoking cigarettes can also cause a condition known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease or COPD. This is a group of conditions that occur when the airflow to the lungs is
blocked resulting in breathing difficulties. Emphysema is one condition that occurs due to
damage to the alveoli. Bronchitis is another condition that results in excessive mucus production
accompanied with coughing. Bronchitis may last for three to four months. Almost 80% of COPD
cases are due to cigarette smoke. The symptoms of these illnesses range from breathlessness due
to decreased lung function and severe breathing difficulties can arise as the disease progresses.
Severe breathlessness due to decreased lung function can result in death.
Apart from cancer, cardiovascular diseases and COPD, cigarette smoking can also cause
infertility, worsening symptoms of asthma, macular degeneration, increased risk of cataracts and
ulcers. Cigarettes, although providing a temporary “high”, can have serious long-term
repercussions. Therefore, stopping smoking is the only option available to smokers. This will
increase their health and help them to live long, healthy lives.