Smoking is one of the most common bad habits in the world. People have been smoking since time immemorial. Historians argue that smoking mixtures and accessories are found among things in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs who lived more than a thousand years BC. What makes this habit attractive, which has survived to the present and is still very popular among people of different ages, cultures and nationalities? What are the general habits of smoking, the pros and cons?
The benefits of smoking
So, smokers distinguish the following advantages of smoking:
- an occasion to have fun in the company of friends, to support those who also love to smoke;
- an opportunity to show your "coolness" and "solidity";
- a way to distract from tense thoughts, relieve stress, forget for a while.
Cons of smoking
The following cons of smoking are distinguished:
- Absolutely all types of smoking are addictive, and if it is not possible to smoke in a stressful situation, the person becomes even worse.
- Smoking greatly worsens health, leading to diseases such as cancer, bronchitis, osteoporosis, coronary heart disease, malignant tumors, asthma. As a result of smoking, all chronic diseases are exacerbated.
- Buying smoking accessories is not cheap.
- The smoker's appearance changes for the worse, teeth, skin, nails and eyes turn yellow, hair falls out, an unpleasant repulsive odor from the mouth and body appears, the skin peels and the mucous membranes dry out.
- Smoking, a person, besides himself, harms others, his family suffers first of all.
Nowadays, a large selection of smoking methods is provided. Let us consider in more detail what smoking can be, the pros and cons of each of its types.
Cigarettes
A cigarette is a cylindrical paper stick inside which is crushed tobacco. This shape and small size fits comfortably in your pocket or purse, making it possible to carry cigarettes with you and smoke at any time and anywhere.
Pros and cons of smoking cigarettes:
+ A smoker always has the opportunity to rest at work, having made a smoke break. This is normally perceived by employees and often by the authorities themselves.
+ Nicotine is able to destroy up to a dozen types of harmful microbes.
+ Cigarettes help relieve stress.
- Often, when people quit smoking cigarettes, people begin to experience a strong feeling of hunger, which leads to a rapid gain in excess weight.
- Smoking in general or cigarettes in particular leads to what was already mentioned above: health problems, appearance and people around.
Cigars
A cigar is the same tobacco, but the roll itself is not made of paper, but of whole tobacco leaves. Cigars are larger in size, are more expensive and look more solid.
Smoking cigars pros and cons has these:
+ in the manufacture of cigars, tobacco leaves go through a special long process called fermentation, which reduces the nicotine content in the product;
+ since there is no paper in the cigar, there are no products of its burning, which are very dangerous to inhale;
+ smoking a cigar, you do not need to drag on much, which is less detrimental to the condition of the lungs;
+ cigars do not smoke during the day, at work, on the street, etc. - this is a kind of ritual that is not performed as often as the habit of smoking cigarettes;
- when smoking a cigar a lot of smoke is generated, which is even more harmful for others who unwittingly become "passive smokers"; unfortunately, often it can be children;
- despite the lengthy fermentation process, a fairly large amount of nicotine is still stored in the cigar; its combustion products are also very toxic;
- A cigar smoker puts himself at risk of developing cancer of the respiratory system and the gastrointestinal tract.
E-smoking
An electronic cigarette is a device very similar to a regular cigarette, simulating the smoking process. It consists of a housing in which a battery and a small steam generator are installed. This device is positioned as an effective way to quit smoking or make smoking less harmful.
E-smoking pros and cons has the following:
+ E-smoking does not entail such changes in appearance as normal. Using an electronic cigarette, a person protects himself from unpleasant odors, yellowness of teeth, shortness of breath, dry skin.
+ Since there is no combustion, no tar and products of this process are released. Therefore, these substances do not enter the body.
+ E-smoking does not harm others;
- An electronic cigarette is a device that is not subject to certification and is not particularly thoroughly tested. The quality of filters and other components lies with the conscience of manufacturers and is not controlled by anyone.
- The transition from regular smoking to electronic does not kill the habit itself. A recognized fact is that, starting to smoke electronic cigarettes, many began to smoke no less (not to mention quitting altogether), and even more, because the alleged safety convinces people that now they do not risk their health.
- The vapor inhaled by the smoker from such a cigarette contains harmful substances, such as propylene glycol, which causes diseases of the respiratory system.
Grass
Smoking grass most often means smoking a plant like cannabis (hemp). Hashish, anasha, marijuana , etc. - these are different parts of the same plant, prepared in different ways. In the Middle Ages, the plant was used as a medicine. Now in several countries it continues to be used for medical purposes. Some use hemp as a smoking substance.
Pros and cons of smoking herbs:
+ natural product that does not contain chemicals;
+ helps to relax, feel relaxed;
- overshadows the mind and motor abilities of the body;
- distracts attention and impairs memory;
- with regular use causes mental disorders;
- It makes you want to try harder drugs to feel more euphoric.
To smoke or not to smoke
Of course, any reasonable person will see the enormous disadvantages of smoking and the insignificant advantages of this habit. Obviously, there are many more dangers in it than advantages. After exploring the topic: "Smoking: Pros and Cons", we can conclude that those items that are in favor do not compare with those that are against.
Yes, nicotine kills harmful microbes, but at the same time destroys those that are necessary for the body, settles on the lungs, clogging the alveoli and creating a film that interferes with the normal breathing process. You can deal with pathogens in other ways, not necessarily smoking.
Undoubtedly, smoking helps to relax, relieve stress. But there are tons of other ways to do this without harming your own health and the health of those around you. For example, take a bath, go for a run and breathe in fresh air, meet friends, have tea, read a book, sleep, etc. For each vacation, there may be something different, depending on the nature and preferences. But an alternative to rest with smoking can always be found.
It is a myth that with the help of smoking you can get away from problems. In fact, the problems remain unresolved. When difficulties arise, it is better in a sober mind to find ways to solve them.
The person in the picture, holding a cigarette in his hands, may look solid and respectable. But in real life, smokers have a far from representative appearance and are always surrounded by an unpleasant odor.
How many parents harm their babies by forcing them to inhale this caustic smoke! Is five-minute pleasure more expensive than crumbs?
To summarize what are the pros and cons of smoking, we can confidently say that there are a lot of disadvantages, but no advantages, because what seems to be pluses, in fact, is not such.