We all know that smoking is dangerous to our health, but do you know how dangerous? Every cigarette can shorten your life by 14 minutes. The number of people under 70 years of age dying from smoking-related diseases exceeds the total figure for deaths caused by breast cancer, AIDS, traffic accidents and drug addiction.

I read on a package here in Spain: Fumar puede ser causa de una muerte lenta y dolorosa. And it is true: Smoking may be the reson for a slow and painful death. Most people know that smoking can cause lung cancer, but it can also cause many other cancers and illnesses.

Nicotine on its own does not cause cancer, it is all the other ingredients in the cigarette that does that. But nicotine is very addictive and also dangerous on its own in causing coronary and circulatory diseases.

Did you know that for males in their 30s and 40s, smoking decreases the risk of a good erection by about 50%?

This is because nicotine closes up the arteries that lead to the penis and it reduces the pressure of blood in the penis. At present, we have no reliable medical data on the effect of smoking on the sex life of women.

But since tobacco does so much harm to the blood tubes that supply men’s sex organs, it would be very surprising if the same sort of damage didn’t occur in female smokers i.e. difficulties in getting a good physical response in the genital area.

You can eat salad and broccoli until your head turns green, exercise regurlarly, wear safety belts etc. but all your healthy behaviour means little if you continue to smoke.

Nicotine is a stimulant. It increases the activity of the brain just like caffeine, cocaine and amphetamine. The neurochemicals that are released every time you smoke, may explain the stimulation and addiction you experience.

It is thought that both nicotine and caffeine act as a sort of “mild cocaine”, which is a significant factor in explaining the widespread use of these two legal substances.

When you stop smoking, you will notice the benefits immediately.

• After 20 minutes
  Blood pressure and pulse are normalised, blood circulation increases.
• After 8 hours
  The level of carbon monoxide in the blood falls. Improved fitness.
• After 48 hours
  Carbon monoxide due to tobacco smoke had disappeared comletely
• After 2 – 3 days
  Less or no phlegm in the throat, fewer breathing difficulties
• After 5 – 7 days
  Your senses of taste and smell will improve, your breath is fresher, your teeth cleaner and your energy level higher.
• After 2 – 3 weeks
  The withdrawal symptoms will stop, and you can now go several hours without thinking about smoking. Your risk of thrombosis is reduced.
• After 4 weeks
  Coughing, blocked sinuses and breathing difficulties should disappear. Less fatigue. More energy. The lungs are better able to resist infections.
• After 2 – 3 months
  The funtion of the lungs improves by 5 %
• After 1 year
  The risk of developing cardiovascular diseases is halved
• After 2 – 3 years
  The risk of developing severe pneumonia or influenza is the same as for a non-smoker.
• After 5 years
  The risk of lung, throat, oesophageal or bladder cancer is halved
• After 5 – 10 years
  The risk of developing cardiovascular diseases or thrombosis is basically the same as for a non-smoker.
• After 10 years
  The risk of lung cancer is halved. The risk of developing osteoporosis decreases.
• After 15 - 20 years
  The risk of lung, throat, oesophageal or bladder cancer is basically the same as for a non-smoker.