Smoking is one of the causes of preventable deaths and diseases in the country. Smoking cigarettes affects the respiratory system, the circulatory system, the reproductive system, the skin and the eyes, and it also increases the risk of many different cancers. According to the Department of Health, there is an estimated 713,000 deaths in the Philippines due to smoking. Pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 183, series of 1993, yearly, the month of June is celebrated as the National No Smoking Month to intensify the campaign against smoking by raising public awareness of its harmful effects.
Cigarette smoking damages nearly every organ of the body which causes many diseases and reduces the health of smokers. As stated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking-related diseases include cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), tuberculosis, certain eyes diseases and problems of the immune system. Quite many right? But not only these diseases are the risks of smoking. If you are a smoker, you also bring risks to the people around you making them a secondhand smoker since they can involuntarily inhale the smoke from your cigarette or tobacco, and secondhand smoke causes stroke, lung cancer and coronary heart diseases for adults, while children are also at risk for sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory diseases, middle ear disease and slowed lung growth.
It is not an easy task to quit smoking but the result is rewarding because it will improve your health within hours and days of stopping and can add years to your life and your loved ones. Once a person stops smoking, the benefits start accumulating. This include clearer skin, improved oral health, more stable hormones, a stronger immune system and reduces the risk of acquiring all smoking-related diseases mentioned. The Nicotine in the cigarette is an addictive drug and might cause withdrawal symptoms such as cravings, increased appetite and irritability once a person stops using it but seeking for a healthcare professional can help you take positive steps toward quitting smoking.
By quitting smoking, you don’t only save your life but also the lives of the people that surrounds you. Many fear to quit as it may take a long time and challenging once started but the result will be worthwhile especially that it involves the health and well-being of you and your family.
NO I Angelica O. Pajulas
