The health risks of tobacco smoking are truly astounding, and everyone, both smokers and non-smokers should be aware of all these risks. Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health but not many people are aware of exactly why it is so bad for you. Nicotine, arsenic, methane, ammonia, cadmium, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and butane are all dangerous chemicals found in tobacco smoke.

Not only do these chemicals pose serious hazards to your health but smoking also makes you smell bad, gives you yellow stains on your fingers and teeth, lowers your hormone levels, and gives you wrinkles, among other things.

The Danger to Your Lungs

Almost your entire body is affected by smoking but your lungs more than anything are going to be affected. Smoking actually paralyzes the cilia that line your lungs, cilia being the little hair like structures that move back and forth to sweep the particles out of your lungs. As a result smokers are far more prone to respiratory and other infections.

How to Quit

Everyone knows how bad smoking is for them but most people start when they are young either to fit in to a certain crowd or because they like the feeling that it gives them. This good feeling is caused by the nicotine in the cigarettes but there are far more negative effects that you will experience when you smoke.

A lot of teenagers begin smoking, many of them because they think that smoking will help them to lose weight and stay thin. Although smoking is often successful in helping one to lose weight it is a very unhealthy way to do so and then whenever you do finally quit you are going to have even more trouble dealing with your weight than you did before.

If you are interested in quitting, then know that you do not have to go it alone. There are many different resources and stop smoking aids available that you can use to help you through this difficult process. Also remember that you do not have to quit overnight. Quitting this habit can take time, and so you are going to need to have patience and a lot of determination and willpower.

You can do it however, and make sure that you have a good support group around you standing by you and offering you help when you need it. Just remember to stay positive and keep in mind how much you and your family and friends are going to benefit by you quitting.