Many people in the US smoke, but smoking is unhealthy. Even presidential candidate Barack Obama is trying to quit smoking because he knows it’s unhealthy. People who smoke should stop smoking. The damage that smoking does to your body can be reversed if you stop smoking. Because smoking is so unhealthy many states are passing a smoking ban that doesn’t let people smoke anywhere in public.

Isn’t Smoking Trendy?

In the late 90’s it became very fashionable for women to start smoking cigars and cigarettes. Girls started smoking in higher numbers. Teen smoking increased, but not of cigarettes. Smoking weed is popular among high school students. Nearly 45% of high school students have tried smoking pot before they graduate from high school. In the last few years people have become more aware of the harmful effects of smoking cigarettes. Second hand smoke from cigarettes has become a big concern. Because of the risks from secondhand smoke most restaurants and public places are now no smoking and won’t allow people to smoke cigarettes inside. Smokers are being incentives by insurance companies to quit smoking cigarettes. Smokers who don’t stop smoking cigarettes are being penalized with higher insurance rates to cover the extra cost of their care. The insurance companies know that smokers will require medical care that could drive up rates for other people.

The facts about smoking

There are many facts about smoking that people should know. Smoking is never safe. Smoking is never healthy. Secondhand smoke can be very dangerous to children and parents should never smoke when their children are present. Illinois is considering passing a law that would make it a crime to smoke in a car if children are in the car. Smoking causes lung cancer. Smoking also causes Emphysema. Every year hundreds of thousands of people die as a direct or indirect result of cigarette smoking. People who smoke multiple packs of cigarettes per day are at a higher risk of illness from smoking. One out of two lifetime smokers will die as a result of smoking or complications from smoking. Cigarette smoking is bad for your heart. The mixture of nicotine and carbon monoxide in each cigarette strains your heart and can cause heart disease. Cigarettes contain lots of nasty additives including tar. A person who smokes a pack of cigarettes per day will breathe in up to a full cup of tar in a year. While smoking is bad for women and men, men who smoke are ten times more likely to die from lung cancer than non-smokers.