Nearly 5,500 people die in Ireland each year from the effects of smoking, and many more are affected by it. Cigarettes and tobacco contain harmful chemicals like nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide which are highly addictive and poisonous to the body. Smoking gives you bad breath, wrinkles, smelly clothes and hair, stains your teeth and makes your skin dry. More long-term effects to your health can include breathing problems, throat cancer, lung cancer, mouth cancer, stomach ulcers and more. On top of all this, they ain’t cheap. Many young people smoke ‘roll up’ cigarettes or ‘rollies’ because it is cheaper than buying standard cigarettes. Some people believe that this is also a healthier alternative, but this is in fact false. There’s simply no denying that smoking is bad for you so check out the benefits of quitting smoking now: • Within 20 minutes your circulation will improve. • Within eight hours the carbon monoxide level in your blood will drop and the oxygen level will go up. • Within a few days your sense of smell and taste will start to improve. • Within one year the chances of having a heart attack drops by half and within two years the risk drops to almost the same as a nonsmoker. • Within five years the risk of smoking related cancers will be greatly reduced. • You’ll smell better without smoke hanging around your hair, clothes and breath. • You’ll have more money! 75
Drugs and Alcohol
Smoking