Smoking is the number one cause of preventable deaths. The nicotine in the cigarettes is the biggest enemy to the heart, leading to all kinds of heart diseases. So you know smoking kills. You have seen the scary videos of the bad effects of smoking every time you go to see a movie. You have also seen the statutory warnings with the horrible oral cancer pictures on the cigarette packs. And still you cannot get yourself to quit. Here are some more convincing reasons that should make you kick the butt.
Smoking makes you look old
Nicotine speeds up the aging process. The wrinkles around your mouth start appearing making you look several years older than you really are.
Partner repellent
Would you kiss someone with yellow teeth, black lips and who smells of stale smoke? No, you wouldn’t. That is what your girlfriend probably thinks too. That is what your cigarette does to you, making your teeth yellow, lips black, giving you a stale smell and ultimately driving away your partner from you!
Bedroom act
Nicotine constricts all arteries, even the ones that need to relax while erection occurs. So you want things to look up for you in the bedroom? Then it’s the cigarette that needs to be put down.
Perk up the sperm
Smoking interferes with the process of sperm formation and results in a lot of under/mal-developed sperms.
No more hale and hearty
The respiratory tract is lined with fine hair called cilia that trap the germs that enter the body through the nose and mouth. Smoking paralyses the cilia. The germs now gain free unrestricted entry into your body and you fall ill frequently.
Catch your breath
Nicotine blocks the pores in the lung, reducing their capacity. You end up panting and gasping for breath at the slightest physical activity.
The pill
Oral contraceptives have high risk side-effects like blood clots, heart attacks, etc. Smoking aggravates them. So you can’t do both together. If you are on the Pill, the cigarette needs to be thrown out.
Strong bones
Research studies have found that smokers lose 2.3% to 3.3% of their bone density for every 10 pack years.
Stop being a bad influence on your kids
Research shows that kids of smokers tend to take up smoking pretty early in life. Kids of parents who smoke tend to have a slower cognitive development and also suffer from more behavioral problems.
Stop getting nagged
Are you not fed up of practically everyone you know harping on why you should quit smoking? If that isn’t reason enough, then what is?
