Do you know more than one thousand Americans stop smoking every day? You know how-by dying. Shocked? But it's a fact. Cigarettes are killers that travel in packs. The smoking hazards are real they are not just the statements to scare the smokers. The smoking not just affects the smokers but also the people present around them.

Smoking is the major cause of preventable deaths all around the world. On average, non smokers live five to eight years more than smokers. Smoking means to inhale the smoke produced by lighting tobacco in the form of cigarette. Presence of nicotine in the body makes this practice a habit.

Despite of so many advertising campaigns against smoking, smoking is still practiced by many adults and even under-aged teens. Schools need to educate the students about the smoking hazards. Let us know what does smoking do to you?

When you light a cigarette, the smoke from your mouth passes to your lungs. The main area affected by smoking is the circulatory system and the respiratory system. However, it affects many other parts of your body also.

You inhale nicotine and oxygen into your lungs, when you smoke. Nicotine and oxygen are then transported to your blood stream by the lungs. Nicotine constricts the veins and the blood vessels decreasing their efficiency to carry blood with oxygen and nourishment to the whole body.

The hazards of smoking are multiplied for people who suffer from the following diseases or for people who have family history of these diseases:

• Diabetes
• Blood vessel disease
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease

As we all know, smoking kills. Now let us know exactly what diseases we can get from smoking?

• Lung cancer: Lung cancer is the disease which people mostly associate with the regular use of tobacco. Treatments for cancers are improving with the time but lung cancer is the most difficult cancer to treat. Partial or total removal of the lung can be the result of the treatment.
• Emphysema: This disease is almost certain to occur as the smoker ages. The lung's function is reduced, and it becomes difficult to maintain the oxygen levels. People suffering from this disease could drown without any treatment. Supplemental oxygen is the only medical option which is quite effective.
• Oral cancer: Oral cancer is another disease that commonly occurs. People suffering from this disease have to use certain speech devices because of the cancers that have robbed their speaking ability.
• Infection: The infection can vary from person to person but they are all caused due to reduced immune system. Treatments also vary but few infections can be fatal.
• Heart disease: Smokers below 40 are more likely to have a heart problem than non-smokers. This is due to the effect that smoking has on the blood vessels.
• Bladder cancer: This is a very common disease; the risk for this disease is greatly increased due to smoking. The rates of survival are however good, but the methods of treatments are poor. Who will want a bag filled with urine strapped to the leg?