During the holiday season, it's not uncommon for people to indulge in activities they wouldn't normally partake in. This may include smoking the occasional cigarette. However, many people wonder if smoking once in a while is really that bad for their health. According to experts, even occasional smoking can have detrimental effects on the body.
The Danger of Low-Level Smoking
Professor David Currow of the Cancer Institute NSW warns against the dangerous myth that low-level smoking is harmless. Social smokers often believe that health warnings about smoking don't apply to them because they don't consider themselves regular smokers. However, every cigarette exposes the body to harmful chemicals, and there is no safe level of smoking. Furthermore, the negative health effects of smoking add up over time.
There are different types of low-level smokers, including social smokers who only smoke in social settings, binge smokers who smoke more at certain times than others, and low-level smokers who only smoke a few cigarettes a day or occasionally. Regardless of the frequency, smoking still poses risks to the body.
The Immediate Effects of Smoking
As soon as you take a drag from a cigarette, changes occur in your body. Your blood pressure and heart rate start to rise, and the blood flow to the capillaries decreases. Levels of carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas, increase in your bloodstream, which reduces the amount of oxygen reaching your brain, muscles, and organs. Additionally, the chemicals in smoke stun the cilia in your airways, impairing their ability to clear phlegm and debris.
The Long-Term Risks of Occasional Smoking
Even if you only smoke occasionally, you are still exposed to long-term risks. Smoking damages DNA in cells, including key genes that protect against cancer. The more you smoke, the more DNA damage you create, but it only takes the right combination of mutations to increase the risk of developing lung cancer or other types of cancer.
Just one to four cigarettes a day can almost triple your risk of dying from lung cancer. Social smoking is particularly detrimental to the heart, with studies showing that light and intermittent smokers have nearly the same risk of heart disease as daily smokers. Smoking damages the fine blood vessels that are vital for a healthy heart and can also contribute to erectile dysfunction in males.
In addition to lung cancer, smoking occasionally is connected to other illnesses such as cataracts, reduced fertility, increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, and weak bones.
One of the problems with social smoking is that it can easily lead to more frequent smoking. Smoking is highly addictive, and even social smokers can become addicted without realizing it. Many social smokers tend to binge smoke, which means they smoke more than just one or two cigarettes. Nicotine, one of the most addictive substances, makes it difficult to predict how readily a person will become addicted.
According to Professor Currow, the only safe strategy is to not smoke at all. Ninety percent of smokers regret ever starting, and the number of smokers who genuinely enjoy smoking and are aware of the risks is low. It is essential to seek help if you have trouble quitting smoking.
Recovering from Smoking
The good news is that as soon as you quit smoking, your body starts to recover. Within 12 hours of your last cigarette, blood carbon monoxide levels decrease significantly. After a year of quitting, the risk of coronary heart disease is reduced by half. Quitting smoking before the age of 35 can restore life expectancy to that of a non-smoker.
If you're a social smoker looking to quit, asking friends to discourage you from smoking in social situations can help. Cutting down on alcohol consumption can also reduce the urge to smoke. Additionally, considering the impact of secondhand smoke on others can be a strong motivator to quit.
Remember, it's never too late to quit smoking and improve your health. There are resources available to help you quit, such as the Australian Government's Quitnow website.
Smoking once in a while is not safe for your health. Even low-level or occasional smoking can have significant consequences on your body. Every cigarette exposes you to harmful chemicals and increases your risk of developing various types of cancer and other illnesses. Quitting smoking is the best way to protect your health and reduce your risk of associated diseases.
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