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Cigarettes contain over 4,000 chemical compounds, including tar, carbon monoxide, DDT, arsenic, and formaldehyde, as well as 400 toxic chemicals.
Cigarettes, in particular, are highly addictive due to their nicotine content. There are so many diseases caused by smoking that it's difficult to know where to start.
Smoking in any amount or form is harmful to your health. Aside from being a known risk factor for lung cancer, heart attack, artery disease, and stroke, smoking can harm almost any organ in our bodies, causing leukemia and cancers of the kidney, bladder, throat, mouth, uterus, e.t.c.
It can harm our lungs' airways and air sacs, resulting in chronic bronchitis and breathing difficulties. It can also raise our blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as lower them.
Most people enjoy a drink or two, whether it's beer, wine, or spirits. Light alcohol consumption is acceptable and may even be beneficial to the heart. Heavy and binge drinking on the other hand can result in serious medical complications.
Women are considered to be excessive drinkers if they consume 7 or more drinks per week, while men are considered excessive if they consume 15 or more drinks per week.
A healthy drinking limit for men is usually no more than two drinks (3 units of alcohol) per day and one drink (2 units) per day for women.
Binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women.
Drinking excessively can result in a variety of serious health issues. Binge drinking can cause acute intoxication, nausea and vomiting, impaired vision, impaired judgment, and alcohol poisoning.
Tobacco and alcohol both have the potential to harm the heart. While the detrimental effect of smoking on the risk of cardiovascular disease is well-known and straightforward (the risk of heart disease increases with the amount of smoking), the impact of alcohol is more complicated.
Moderate drinking (3–14 drinks per week) may be associated with a lower risk of heart attack, whereas heavy drinking may increase the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and high blood pressure.
Because smoking is common among alcohol drinkers, and smokers and drinkers frequently share similar behavioral and lifestyle patterns, it is unclear whether the combined or independent effects of smoking and alcohol are responsible.
Because people who drink excessively do not feel drunk, alcohol tolerance can provide false reassurance that they are drinking within limits. Weight loss, a lower risk of many types of cancer, less anxiety, no hangovers, and improved self-esteem are all health benefits of reducing alcohol consumption.
You will experience withdrawal symptoms while attempting to quit smoking. These symptoms are usually the worst during the first week and gradually improve after that.
Some of the physical symptoms to look out for include;
- Appetite grows stronger:
Because the effects of cigarette chemicals are no longer present, you will feel hungry more frequently.
Caffeine cravings Each craving will last about 15 – 20 minutes, but it will occur frequently and throughout the day.
- Cough:
This could last for a few weeks as your respiratory system cleans itself.
- Mild headaches and dizziness:
These are frequently the first withdrawal symptoms to appear, but they also resolve quickly.
- Tiredness:
In the absence of nicotine, a stimulant, you will likely feel tired, restless, and possibly sleepless.
- Constipation:
This is possible in the first month of quitting.
- Symptoms of the mind and emotions:
Anxiety, depression, irritability, and mental fog are among them.
Smoking cessation entails abstaining from cigarettes and/or other tobacco products for at least six months, preferably a year.
This can be a difficult attempt because the nicotine in tobacco is addictive and causes dependence. You will experience a number of unpleasant short-term side effects and withdrawal symptoms.
Smokers who quit with the help of others are more likely to succeed than those who quit on their own. As a result, those attempting to quit should seek the advice of a health professional before embarking on a smoking cessation program.
Stopping alcohol consumption abruptly can be dangerous for regular, heavy drinkers. As a result, they should consult with their doctors to manage the withdrawal symptoms.
Smoke and alcohol addiction has been on the increasing rise among Nigerian youths especially students of various higher institutions and even those at primary and secondary levels.
These increases are due to peer pressure and a lot of false information as regards smoking/drinking (getting high) which lures youths into trying it out and in the process gets hooked up due to its addictive nature caused by the high nicotine content.
Therefore it is best to always warn and not hide the negative effects of smoking cigarettes and high consumption of alcohol and always remember that our health is important to us and our families, and we must take precautions to protect it.
Thanks for reading.
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