What effects does smoking have on the body?

The most significant effect smoking has is on your heart and blood vessels. Smoking speeds up the hardening and narrowing of your arteries. You are also more likely to get blood clots. Blood clots in the heart and brain are the most common causes of sudden death! The effect of smoking extends beyond your heart and blood vessels and includes the following.

• Wheezing and shortness of breath.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• Cancer – smokers are more likely to get cancer than non-smokers. This is particularly relevant for lung, throat and mouth cancer which hardly ever affects non-smokers.
• Damaged taste buds and stained teeth.
• Reduced fertility.
• For men in their 30s and 40s, smoking increases the risk of erectile dysfunction (not being able to get or keep an erection) by about 50%.
• Lack of energy.
• Dull skin, premature aging and stained fingers.
• Poor circulation, ultimately resulting in gangrene and amputation.

There are also significant financial implications of smoking. Smoking 20 cigarettes a day currently costs in the region of £1800 to £2000 a year.

The health risk is not limited to you. Smokers are polluting the air with harmful pollution, putting others around them at risk.