Harmful Effects of Industrialization
SMOKING’S IMMEDIATE EFFECTS ON THE BODY
Many teenagers and adults think that there are no effects of smoking on their bodies until they reach 1 middle age. Smoking-caused lung cancer, other cancers, heart disease, and stroke typically do not occur until years after a person's first cigarette. However, there are many serious harms from smoking that occur much sooner. In fact, smoking has numerous immediate health effects on the brain and on the respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, immune and metabolic systems. While these immediate effects do not all produce noticeable symptoms, most begin to damage the body with the first cigarette – sometimes irreversibly – and rapidly produce serious medical conditions and health consequences. Rapid Addiction from Early Smoking Many teenagers and younger children inaccurately believe that experimenting with smoking or even casual use will not lead to any serious dependency. In fact, the latest research shows that serious symptoms of addiction – such as having strong urges to smoke, feeling anxious or irritable, or having unsuccessfully tried 2 to not smoke – can appear among youths within weeks or only days after occasional smoking first begins. 3 The average smoker tries their first cigarette at age 12 and may be a regular smoker by age 14. Every day, more 3,500 kids try their first cigarette and about 1,000 other kids under 18 years of age become new 4 regular, daily smokers. Almost 90 percent of youths that smoke regularly report seriously strong cravings, 5 and more than 70 percent of adolescent smokers have already tried and failed to quit smoking. Immediate and Rapid Effects on the Brain Part of the addictive power of nicotine comes from its direct effect on the brain. In addition to the wellunderstood chemical dependency, cigarette smokers also show evidence of a higher rate of behavioral problems and suffer the following immediate effects: • Increases Stress. Contrary to popular belief, smoking does not
Many teenagers and adults think that there are no effects of smoking on their bodies until they reach 1 middle age. Smoking-caused lung cancer, other cancers, heart disease, and stroke typically do not occur until years after a person's first cigarette. However, there are many serious harms from smoking that occur much sooner. In fact, smoking has numerous immediate health effects on the brain and on the respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, immune and metabolic systems. While these immediate effects do not all produce noticeable symptoms, most begin to damage the body with the first cigarette – sometimes irreversibly – and rapidly produce serious medical conditions and health consequences. Rapid Addiction from Early Smoking Many teenagers and younger children inaccurately believe that experimenting with smoking or even casual use will not lead to any serious dependency. In fact, the latest research shows that serious symptoms of addiction – such as having strong urges to smoke, feeling anxious or irritable, or having unsuccessfully tried 2 to not smoke – can appear among youths within weeks or only days after occasional smoking first begins. 3 The average smoker tries their first cigarette at age 12 and may be a regular smoker by age 14. Every day, more 3,500 kids try their first cigarette and about 1,000 other kids under 18 years of age become new 4 regular, daily smokers. Almost 90 percent of youths that smoke regularly report seriously strong cravings, 5 and more than 70 percent of adolescent smokers have already tried and failed to quit smoking. Immediate and Rapid Effects on the Brain Part of the addictive power of nicotine comes from its direct effect on the brain. In addition to the wellunderstood chemical dependency, cigarette smokers also show evidence of a higher rate of behavioral problems and suffer the following immediate effects: • Increases Stress. Contrary to popular belief, smoking does not