10 Little Known Tobacco Truths

1. 10 Little Known Tobacco Truths HS 460

2. 1. Vitamin drain: smoking depletes vitamin C from the body. That’s why nonsmokers only need 60 mg./day and smokers need 100 mg. • 2. Painful backs: by cutting the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the disks that cushion the spine, cigarette smoking can quadruple the risk of developing a bad back.

3. 3. Cloudy vision: smoking doubles the risk of developing cataracts, which cloud the lens of the eye and are the number one cause of blindness. • 4. Longer recoveries: because smoking slows healing, smokers take longer to rebound after injury or surgery. They also have greater risk of complications from surgery, including pneumonia.

4. 5. Poisons: you’ve heard of tar and nicotine, but tobacco smoke actually contains thousands of chemicals. ie. Ammonia (found in floor cleaners), arsenic (rat poison), methane (rocket fuel), carbon monoxide (car exhaust), and butane (lighter fluid). • 6. Pregnancy problems: pregnant smokers have higher rates of miscarriage, stillbirths and premature births. Babies born to smoking mothers tend to be sick more often, cry more and sleep less.

5. 7. Urinary problems: smoking tobacco has been shown to raise the risk of a particularly troubling medical problem: difficulty with holding in one’s urine, also known as urinary incontinence. • 8. Bland taste: smoking dulls not only the taste buds but also the ability to smell. The good news: both senses sharpen within days after quitting.

6. 9. Smokeless dangers: chewing tobacco and snuff aren’t “safe”- they can lead to mouth or throat cancer, heart disease, stroke, gum disease and tooth loss. • 10. Automobile accidents: smokers have 50 percent more car accidents and traffic tickets- partly because fumbling with cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays while driving is distracting. • (Top Health)