In my point of view, people should stop or at least reduce smoking. Smoking is the action of inhaling and exhaling the smoke of tobacco; a single cigarette, contains over 4,800 chemicals. Therefore, based on Center for Disease Control (CDC) data, these 4,800 chemicals are responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United, including more than 41,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke exposure. People should stop smoking as it damages the respiratory system, cardiovascular diseases, and exposure of secondhand smoke.

A long term effect of tobacco smoke is devastating damage in the respiratory system. The lungs are made up of large tubes called bronchi and smaller tubes called bronchioles. The tubes deliver oxygen to alveoli, tiny air sacs in the lungs. Air passes from the alveoli into the bloodstream and contain a thin layer of mucus to trap harmful particles which they inhale. Mucus is removed from lungs by cilia, tiny hairs that line up surface of cells.

Therefore, cigarette smoke paralyzes and kills the cilia (Illegal). As a result, the mucus and inhaled particles build up deep within the lungs and give the human body a chronic cough. In addition, constant irritation of the bronchi causes them to swell leading to chronic bronchitis, infection, difficulty of breathing, and lung cancer development (Smokefree).

Moreover, people should reduce the amount of tobacco use as it increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, angina, heart attacks, and strokes. Coronary heart disease is the condition that affects the arteries that supply the heart with blood, usually caused by atherosclerosis (Coronary Heart Disease). Atherosclerosis occurs when smoking damages and narrows arteries and builds a fatty material, known as atheroma, which oxygenated blood cannot be delivered to heart. Angina, heart attack, and stroke are results of the coronary heart disease. For example, angina is a discomfort, severe tightness felt in different parts of body. Therefore, if the atheroma breaks it can block your coronary artery and cuts off the supply of oxygenated blood to heart muscle, leading to the experience of a heart attack (Angina).

Moreover, when a smoker lights a cigarette, he or she creates two sources of secondhand smoke. Breathing secondhand smoke brings more risk than inhaling smoke from a cigarette, as the toxins aren’t filtered (Bushak). Toxin, is a poison produced by a microorganism acting as a antigen in the body, induing the immune response of the body (Definition of TOXIN). The first source is called sidestream smoke which is smoke that escapes from the tip of a cigar, cigarette, or pipe. The second source of smoke is mainstream smoke which is smoke inhaled through a tobacco product and exhaled by a tobacco smoker. Environmental tobacco smoke is a combination of exhaled mainstream smoke and sidestream smoke near the smoker; therefore, people should avoid being near them (Bushak).

Eventually, the action of inhaling and exhaling smoke from a tobacco can lead to consequential damage in the respiratory system, cardiovascular diseases, and harm to our environment. Nevertheless, even if you don’t smoke, staying near a smoker can also affect you in several aspects as the toxins coming from the cigarette are unfiltered. Therefore, people should stop the use of tobacco, considering all the drawbacks.