Everyone has heard of it. Everyone has seen it, either in actuality or in pictures. It is everywhere - magazines, commercials, posters. It is what millions consider as "the magic stick" that gives them instant relief and relaxation from a stressful day at work. Either than being called "the magic stick," it has been identified with a more colloquial and common name - the cigarette.

Of course, together with this vice's popularity comes the clashing of the smokers with the health junkies. In this battle, which side are you on? In order to know why many have opposed to the selling of cigarettes in the market, you must be made aware of what "stop smoking" campaigns are all about, and why this cause still continues to ring in our ears every now and then.

For the anti-smoking side of the ring, the vice has been proven to be extremely harmful not only to the smoker himself, but also to the people around him. Here are the health risks and problems that smoking has been known for causing:

Cancer, several types of it

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Worsening of asthmatic conditions and the counteraction of anti-asthmatic medications and drugs

Gradual loss of eyesight

Staining of teeth and gums (also resulting to diseases of the mouth that lead to having bad breath and teeth falling out)

Ulcers (due to the acids from cigarette chemicals formed in the mouth that accumulate and reach the digestive system)

Physical appearance abnormalities (paler skin color and increase of noticeable wrinkles)

Impotence due to erectile dysfunction in men

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD - This is the term pertaining to diseases that involve breathing difficulties (besides lung cancer). Examples of these are chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Cardiovascular disease (diseases of the heart) due to the narrowing of the arteries caused by cigarette toxins

Kidney failure

These are just some of the wide range of reasons why a person should consider heeding to the call of "stop smoking" campaigns. Of course, listed above are the personal reasons. There are also interpersonal effects that harm even non-smokers when exposed to the four-thousand deadly intoxicating compounds found in a single stick of a cigarette. This effect is called "passive smoking" or "second-hand smoking." The inhalation of the toxic fumes from lit cigarette sticks also brings about the same results to second-hand receptors as to the effects of the vice on the smokers themselves. This is the unfair and ugly truth; sometimes, with our own negative actions, we harm not only ourselves but also others as well - even those who want to stay healthy.

There are many ways and steps you can take in order to stop smoking cigarettes. All you have to do is research and find out more about the cause and goal of anti-smoking campaigns. With this first step, you might be taking a huge leap into achieving the will to flick that stick away.
Tags: stop smoking, cancer, cigarette, healthy