¡@¡@Smoking
cigarette can cause numerous diseases. The most common are:
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Cancer
Estimate
shows us that the tobacco product contains more than 200
harmful substances. Prolong use of cigarette will cause
pathologies of cardiovascular, pulmonary, endocrine, and
reproductive organs, drastically increasing the chance of
having cancer. In addition, the World Health Organization
(WHO) confirms that 30% of all cancers are attributed to
cigarette smoking. The Taipei Veterans General Hospital
ENT Department attending doctor Dong-Long Tsai pointed out
that there are about 4600 patients who have lost their throats
due to oropharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, and thyroid
cancer. Older male makes up the majority. 90% of the oropharyngeal
cancer patients are either smokers or second-hand smoke
victims. It has become the number four killer among male
cancer mortalities in 2004.
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The
patients who lost their throats acted as an example
of suffering from tobacco to the public. (Pictures
from Liberty Times) |
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Pulmonary Disease
Smoking
and second-hand smoking are not only the most dangerous
risk factors for lung cancer, they are also the risk
factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD) and other cancers. According to statistics,
90% of all COPD and chronic bronchitis cases are caused
by cigarette smoking.
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Cardiovascular
Disease
Smoking
will cause blockage of arteries, increasing the chance of
myocardial infarction and stroke.
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Diabetes
According
to a research report presented by Norwegian University of
Science and Technology professor Valdemar Grill, MD at the
American Diabetes Association, because nicotine can suppress
the secretion of insulin in the body, a smoker who smokes
a pack of cigarettes a day has a 64% better chance of having
Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the result of the body
not being able to secrete enough insulin, or the body has
built up a resistance to the action of insulin.
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Depression
The
assistant professor Fumio Moriya of Japans Kochi University
Medical School found through his research that, when
the serum nicotine level is too high, a person could
become depressed, and even develop suicidal tendency.
Therefore, for the smokers who smoke to fight depression,
they should re-consider why they smoke.
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Mental
Deterioration
Based
on a research report in the U.S. Drug and Alcohol Dependence
magazine, many smokers who are also alcoholic have developed
deterioration of mental and thought-processing abilities.
It is partly attributed to the long-term effects of nicotine
on the human brain, and partly because the brain suffers
from apoxia due to the reduced oxygen content in the blood.
Research does show that nicotine has the effect of stimulating
the cardiac and mental function for the short term, but
long term exposure will result in the opposite effect.
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Impotence
Smoking
is the biggest killer for the young people's sex potency.
According to an Italian study presented at the Seventh Annual
Sex Conference in London, among the young male patients
who suffer from erectile dysfunction, about 40% of them
smoke at least 20 cigarettes a day, which is about 10 times
as much as non-smokers.
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Infant
Abnormalities
A pregnant
woman is not supposed to smoke at all. Smoking can cause
miscarriage, reduced birth weight, abnormal chromosome,
and congenital defects.
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Infant
ADHD
According
to an article in a pediatrics magazine dated August, 2005,
a smoking woman has a higher risk of giving birth to a baby
with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The
reason is that the fetus is constantly exposed to a high level
of nicotine, which hinder the proper functioning of neurotransmitters
such as dopamine. This chemical is vital to the normal development
of a child's brain. Once it is damaged, symptoms of ADHD may
very easily develop. |
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