The health impact of cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of death and disease in the United States. Many chemicals and toxic gases are released when you inhale tobacco smoke. Of those, nicotine and carbon monoxide are the most dangerous. 

  When nicotine is inhaled during smoking it causes coronary spasms, high blood pressure, reduced blood flow to the heart and an increased heart rate. Carbon monoxide, like nicotine, competes with oxygen in the body and slowly suffocates working tissue, which can cause chest pain. Smokeless tobacco products such as chewing tobacco also contain chemicals that are linked to cancer, gum disease, bad breath and dental cavities. 

  Amy Rainer, exercise physiologist, Baptist Wellness Complex, offers reasons to stop smoking and tips on how to do it. For more information on smoking cessation, contact the Baptist Wellness Complex at (901) 226-5454.

Reasons to quit:

• Decrease heart rate
• Decrease blood pressure
• Decrease health risks associated with smoking
• Improve lung function
• Enhance ability to smell and taste

Disease processes linked to smoking:

• Heart attack
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Stroke
• Cancer of the lung, throat, mouth and bladder
• Emphysema
• Osteoporosis

Tips for quitting:

• Set a quit date
• Make a plan
• Form a social support group
• Discard smoking paraphernalia
• Reward yourself
• Exercise
• Keep a journal