Smoking’s Effects On Health: Is Taking A Drag Dragging You Down?

If seeing Jacob Elordi lighting a cigarette in Saltburn made you swoon, you wouldn't be the first person in the world to fall for smoking glamourised onscreen. But smoking’s effects in real life are far, far away from its ‘cool’ or 'hot' image in pop culture. 

An estimated 253 million adults smoke tobacco, while 31 million adults in the nation smoke cannabis. Among young smokers, 23% use e-cigarettes and 33% vape. These figures paint a grim picture for governments and healthcare providers aiming to lessen smoking’s effect on society. The physical and mental effects of smoking on the body have been a topic of concern for a long time now. Let’s find out why people smoke, what it does to their bodies, and ways to quit.

If you ask a smoker, they’d tell you that lighting up brings them instant calm in a stressful situation; some even claim that it helps them brainstorm better.

Others love to smoke as it offers them an instant buzz and energy. The feeling is similar to the one you get after sipping your morning coffee or evening tea. Then there are those people who smoke socially, or in other words, only when folks around them are doing the same and when they’re offered a light. And lastly, there are those for whom smoking is a full-blown addiction. Be it light or heavy smoking, the negative effects of smoking hold good even after decades of research.

One of the reasons why smoking turns out so addictive is due to the hormonal side effects of smoking cigarettes. Smoking tobacco, drugs, or vaping releases the ‘feel-good’ hormone — dopamine — in the body.

The immediate effects of dopamine include pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. Smoking tobacco delivers nicotine to the brain every 20 seconds (faster than alcohol or even cocaine!), pumping dopamine. The nicotine influx stops the moment you finish the smoke. Alas! The dopamine levels drop and trigger the next cycle of cravings and urges. Before you fully realise it, what started out as a fun experiment escalates to a full-blown addiction—the inevitable risk of smoking.

The effects of smoking on the body are slow, debilitating, and then finally fatal. Many people don’t know that smoking-related diseases affect every organ system.

With every puff of tobacco smoke, you inhale tar, nicotine, and chemical gases like carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. These coat your throat and vocal cords and travel into the lungs and airways. Eventually, the coating thickens, heavily laden with deposits damaging the lungs. Chronic smokers eventually develop bronchitis and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), typically presented as a persistent cough, wheezing, and excessive phlegm. 

Among the many negative effects of smoking is its impact on the heart. Chemicals like nicotine and carbon monoxide shrink arteries, limit blood flow, and make the possibility of clotting more likely, leading to heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure (hypertension) — all of which can be fatal.

Smoking worsens insulin resistance, messing up blood sugar control and increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Smokers with diabetes are prone to complications like heart disease, nerve damage, and kidney disease.

Tar and poisonous gases stain smokers' fingers and nails, drying up and wrinkling their skin. Smoking slowly damages fine nerves in the skin, messing up one’s ability to smell. It increases the risk of premature facial ageing, wrinkles, and loss of skin tone.

One of the side effects of smoking cigarettes is the impact on dental health. The tar covers the gums and tongue, stains teeth, destroys enamel, and raises the risk of cavities and gum disease. The heat from smoking reduces blood and saliva flow to the mouth, worsening taste perception, gum problems, and dry mouth.

Among the many health consequences of smoking is harm to mental health. The urges and cravings for a smoke make you impatient, restless, and addicted. The dependency boosts anxiety and depression, exacerbating emotional distress.

Smoking increases the risk of various cancers, like lung cancer, oral cancer, skin cancer, etc., and even worsens outcomes during cancer treatment.

Modern medicine has a bounty of solutions to help you quit smoking. There are many treatments that can make it easier for you to take care of your physical and mental health during smoking cessation.

It all begins with a ‘calling’ — your motivation to quit the habit. Family, friends, and support groups can help you realise that motivation. However, the biggest challenge is withdrawal management (addressing cravings and dependency) during treatment.

Dr Vijay Kumar Goyal, MBBS, MD (psychiatry), says, “Quitting smoking is a combined effort. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) replaces cigarettes with nicotine patches, gums, or inhalers, which relieves withdrawal symptoms. Behavioural therapy teaches you coping skills while addressing the psychological aspects of smoking. Support groups and counselling offer solidarity and guidance to ensure the 'the quit' is sustainable.”

Smoking is a thief in disguise; it robs you of your health, money, and life. If you have been procrastinating to cease the habit, consider this blog a nudge towards making that decision. If you’ve already started the quitting process, pat yourself on the back (you deserve it!) and be patient; you are on your way to making the effects of smoking on the body a thing of the past. 

Yes, smoking is addictive as the nicotine in the tobacco gives an instant dopamine boost in 20 seconds that falls soon after — boosting the urge to smoke again.

Smoking in pregnancy reduces the blood supply to the foetus, exposing it to poisons such as carbon monoxide and nicotine. This causes low birth weight, delays in growth, and a higher likelihood of miscarriage.

You may get agitated, restless, and addicted when you have the need or craving to smoke. Emotional distress is exacerbated by dependency, which increases anxiety and depression.

The long-term effects of smoking include poor oral health, hypertension, diabetes, COPD, emphysema, and cancer.

The immediate effects of smoking include pleasure, contentment, and motivation.  

There is no concept of a healthy smoker. Light smoking, vaping, and e-cigarettes are also harmful in the long run, as shown in studies.