Smoking not only kills, but also makes you blind

Posted : Feb, 2007

Smoking not only kills through cancers and heart diseases, but also makes you blind

Smoking will damage the blood vessels of the retina, leading to loss of vision and even complete blindness.

Tar in tobacco smoke blackens the lung, and turn normal cells into cancerous ones. Source of photo: National Cancer Institute, USA.

Almost everybody knows that smoking has killed a lot of people through lung cancer, heart diseases and stroke. But many smokers quit the habit only after they were told smoking would turn people blind.

In a European Eye Study on 5,000 eye patients across the EU, 27% of them had eye disease directly attributed to smoking. Smokers have 2 to 3 times the risks of developing age-related blindness called macular degeneration. Passive smoking can also result in eye diseases. (Related News: May 21, 2006)

Why smoking causes blindness:

Smoking increases the risks of developing age-related blindness called macular degeneration by 2 to 3 times. Macular degeneration is a chronic, progressive disorder of the central portion of the retina, which is known as the macular. The harmful chemicals in tobacco affect the blood vessels in the whole body, including those in the retina of the eye. The blood vessels on the retina play an important role of supplying oxygen and nutrients to the eye.

With damaged blood vessels, the metabolism of the retina is adversely affected. This results in pre-mature aging of the eye. The patients would gradually lose their central vision, and may become completely blind. In addition, clouding of the eye lens occurs in smokers 10 to 15 years earlier than non-smokers.

As there is strong evidence that smoking harms the vision and causes blindness, many doctors suggest that cigarette packets should carry related warnings. Australia is the first country to have the warning of "Smoking Causes Blindness" on cigarette packages and TV campaigns. It has been highly effective in persuading smokers to quit the habit. (Related News: Feb 5, 2007)

Why smoking causes lung cancer and other cancers:

Tobacco smoke contains tar, which is a black and sticky residue used to cover road surfaces. The tar clogs ups the lungs and causes breathing difficulty. The normal growth and metabolism of lung tissue is affected, resulting in lung cancer.

Besides tar, tobacco smoke contains more than 40 cancer-causing substances, such as benzopyrene, formaldehyde, benzene, cadmium, mercury, lead and nitrogen oxides etc. These substances can permanently damage and distort the DNA of cells. The injured cells may develop abnormally into cancer cells.

Other cancers due to smoking include those in the mouth, larynx (voice box), pharynx (throat), oesophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, stomach and some leukaemia.

Why smoking causes heart diseases and stroke:

Tobacco contains nicotine, which is a highly addictive drug. Nicotine is also a powerful stimulant that increases the heart rate and blood pressure. It causes the blood vessels to constrict and makes the blood more concentrated. Therefore nicotine increases the risks of heart attacks and strokes. (Stroke occurs when the tiny blood vessels in the brain rupture, resulting in bleeding.)

In addition, tobacco smoke contains carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide would make the muscles, brain and body tissue deprived of oxygen. Therefore the heart has to work harder, increasing the chance of a heart attack. Prolonged smoking causes swelling of the airways, which allows less air into the lung. Hence the smokers will suffer from shortness of breath and lack of stamina.

Smoking causes gum diseases and stained teeth

Tobacco smoke damages the mucous lining of gum, causing red swollen gum and other gum diseases. The teeth are often stained yellow.

The smoke from 1.2 billions of smokers worldwide is creating a toxic gas chamber

Tobacco smoke contains around 400 poisonous substances. The burning of billions of cigarettes daily is turning the atmosphere into a toxic gas chamber.

Get professional help and advice to quit smoking successfully

Overcome the addiction of tobacco with will power and seek professional help.

A summary of bad effects of tobacco

1. Bad effects on health:

	Lung cancer and other cancers
	Respiratory diseases (e.g. asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia etc.)
	Heart diseases and stroke
	Damage vision and blindness
	Smoking severely impairs blood circulation in penis, resulting in erectile dysfunction (i.e. the penis fails to erect). Smokers have 50% higher risk of having erectile dysfunction.
	Shortness of breath and lack of stamina

2. Bad effects on appearance and senses:

	Bad breath, stained teeth, gum diseases (such as periodontitis)
	Premature wrinkling of the skin
	Yellow finger nails
	Bad smell on clothes and hair
	Weakened sense of taste and smell

3. Other bad effects of tobacco

	With more than 400 poisonous substances, tobacco smoke pollutes the environment and turns the atmosphere into a toxic gas chamber gradually.
	Harm the health of other people through passive smoking.
	Smoking during pregnancy results in lower birth weight and higher infant mortality rate.
	Incur huge costs on health care and insurance. It is expensive to buy cigarettes.
	Reduce social acceptance by employers, landlords, family and friends.
	Set a bad example to children at home.

Points to note in quitting smoking

Tobacco contains the highly addictive drug of nicotine. The body becomes both physically and psychologically dependent on nicotine. When smokers try to reduce or quit smoking, the absence of nicotine may lead to withdrawal symptoms. These include:

	Dizziness (usually only lasts for 1 to 2 days at the beginning)
	Irritability, frustration and anger. Some people may feel depressed.
	Sleep disturbances. These include having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and having bad dreams or nightmares
	Restlessness, headache, tiredness, with trouble in concentrating and increased appetite

The withdrawal symptoms may last for several days to a few weeks. It is advisable to seek professional help and advice on how to overcome the withdrawal symptoms during the transition period. The government bodies or voluntary organizations in many countries offer help to smokers to quit the habit.

In Hong Kong, help on quitting smoking is available from:

	Hotline for youths from 12 - 25 years old: 2855 9557 (offered by the Faculty of Medicine of HKU)
	Hotline for women smokers: 2819 2692 (offered by the Faculty of Medicine of HKU)
	Hotline of the Hospital Authority: 2300 7272
	Hotline of the Department of Health: 1833 183
	A full list of hotlines and clinics

Smoking may turn China into a nation of the blinds in a few decades

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of cigarettes. Nearly 2 trillion sticks of cigarettes are consumed per year, equivalent to 42% of the global consumption. (Source) The tobacco industry generated 80 billion yuan (US$10.33 billion) per day in tax to the Chinese government in 2006. (Source)

There are around 350 million regular smokers in China in 2006. The remaining non-smokers are also exposed to high levels of passive smoking at home, in the work place or in public areas such as restaurants. It is shocking to have 50% of Chinese doctors being smokers themselves, as revealed by a study conducted by the China Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in 2004.

It is imperative to run campaigns in China to quit smoking, increase public awareness of the serious harm of tobacco, and to prevent the young people from picking up the habit. Otherwise, 30 years down the road, China may become a nation of the blinds, and millions of lives will be lost to smoking-related diseases annually.

Although the tobacco industry generates handsome profits and tax revenue, for what is a man advantaged, if he gains the whole world at the expense of many people's lives.

What chemicals are present in tobacco

Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals. At least 400 of them are poisonous, and more than 40 of them are carcinogenic (cancer-causing). The three major components of tobacco smoke are tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide.

1. Tar

Tar is a black and sticky residue used to cover road surfaces. The tar clogs ups the lungs and causes breathing difficulty, respiratory diseases and lung cancer.
Tar contains many carcinogenic substances, including:

	Benzopyrene - a chemical found in emissions from combustion of petroleum products and plants
	β-napthylamine - a chemical used in manufacturing dyes, condensation colours and rubber etc.
	Cadmium - a poisonous chemical that causes damages to the liver, kidney and brain. It is commonly found in car batteries
	Nitrosamine - a chemical found in harsh detergents and engine degreaser

2. Nicotine

Nicotine is a highly addictive drug and a powerful stimulant that increases the heart rate and blood pressure. Nicotine affects many other parts of the body, including the brain, the hormonal system and the metabolism of the body as a whole.

3. Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is a very poisonous gas that is also found in car exhaust and cooking gas stove. It is highly unstable in the atmosphere and will combine with oxygen to become a more stable form of carbon dioxide. When inhaled, carbon monoxide would make the muscles, brain and body tissue deprived of oxygen. Prolonged smoking causes swelling of the airways, shortness of breath and lack of stamina.

Other harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke include:

1. Acetone: used in nail polish remover and paint stripper

2. Ammonia: used in the dry cleaning industry

3. Arsenic: a deadly poison used in pesticides and insecticides

4. Benzene: a cancer-causing agent used in the production of fuel and chemicals

5. DDT: a pesticide commonly used in the 70s, but is now banned due to its high toxicity to the environment

6. Formaldehyde: a cancer-causing substance used to preserve wood and dead bodies

7. Hydrogen Cyanide: a chemical used in the production of synthetic fibre, plastic, and agricultural fumigant

8. Napthalene: a chemical that attacks the nervous system, and is used in mothballs

9. Polonium-210: a radioactive substance

10. Vinyl Chloride: a chemical used to make plastic

More cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco:

3-Butadiene	Acrolein	Cadmium	Mercury
3-Cyanopyridine	Benzene	Hydrazine	Nitric acid
3-hydroxypyridine	Benzopyrene	Indole	Nitrous acid
3-vinylpyridine	Dibenzacridine	Isoamylamine	Nitrogen oxides
4-Aminobiphenyl	Dimethylnitrosamine	Isoquioline	Phenol
Acetadehyde	Ethylmethylnitrosamine	Lead	Toluene
Acetonitrile	Nitrosopyrrolidine	Mathylamine	Urethane