CIGARETTES

Tobacco is best known for three major dangers - carbon monoxide, nicotine; and tar. Nicotine is the addictive chemical in cigarettes but it is the tar that is responsible for the biggest health risks, including many types of cancer. Nevertheles, nicotine causes your blood vessels to constrict or narrow, which limits the amount of blood that flows to your organs. Over time, the constant constriction results in blood vessels that are stiff and less elastic. Constricted blood vessels decrease the amount of oxygen and nutrients your cells receive.

Tar in cigarette smoke paralyzes the cilia in the lungs and contributes to lung diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and lung cancer. However, it does not just affect your lungs, though. From there, the toxins can be carried into the bloodstream and begin moving to other parts of your body. Because smoke is drawn directly through the mouth, the tar can contribute to oral cancer as well. Toxins from tar can affect every organ in your body, for example:

• Smoking cigarettes may increase the risk of bladder cancer by causing harmful chemicals to accumulate in the urine. When you smoke, your body processes the chemicals in the smoke and excretes some of them in your urine. These harmful chemicals may damage the lining of your bladder, which can increase your risk of cancer. People who smoke are at least 3 times as likely to get bladder cancer as non-smokers.

• Smokers are four times more likely to develop renal failure compared to non-smokers. Smoking increases heart rate, blood pressure, blood clot formation and promotes fatty deposits in the arteries. These are some of the most likely smoking related processes which can lead to renal function being affected.