*2022 Update - Now you can make the switch with the sleek SMOKO VAPE POD! Great-tasting SMOKO liquids, made in the UK, in our new pre-filled pod-style vape!
Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death worldwide, but there are many diseases that smoking tobacco increases the risk of. Across 2008-2009, an estimated 1.5 million people were admitted to hospital in the UK where the primary diagnosis was a smoking related disease!
A study published the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has found that even 1 cigarette a day can have a huge impact on your health. By having a single cigarette, you raise the chance of heart disease by as much as 50%!
And it's not much better for strokes, with just a single cigarette raising your chances of a stroke by 30%.The research warns against the thinking that cutting down is the same as quitting.
So even if you are having just 1 or 2 a day, you could be in serious risk.
HEART DISEASE - THE BIGGEST RISK FROM CIGARETTES
When people think of the dangers of cigarettes, they think of cancer. But in fact, heart disease is the true danger of cigarettes, causing 48% of all smoking deaths.
But why are the BMJ warning against even cutting down? It seems to make sense, presumably having fewer cigarettes means less damage to your system?
The answer, sadly, is: not really. The study found that men who smoked just one cigarette a day had 48% more risk of heart disease and 25% more risk of strokes, compared to those who had never smoked.
For women it’s higher - 57% for heart disease and 31% for stroke.
And all of this can happen with just one cigarette a day.
BUT HOW DO CIGARETTES AFFECT US THAT MUCH?
They do it in a couple of different ways:
- Smoking causes damage to the lining of your arteries, leading to a build-up of fatty material which narrows the artery.
- The carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood. This means your heart has to pump harder to supply the body with the oxygen it needs.
- Your blood is more likely to clot, which increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Even worse, the risk increases even only after a couple of years of smoking. The pressure on the cardiovascular system can lead to high blood pressure, making daily challenges that little bit more stressful.
Tobacco smoke contains a host of harmful chemicals including hydrogen cyanide (a chemical weapon!), formaldehyde (a carcinogen used in embalming!), and many more that are known to cause cancer.
Reactive oxygen species are highly reactive chemicals that can cause damage to our cells, breaking DNA strands, leading to cell death or cancer. Tobacco smoke contains many reactive oxygen species, so smoking keeps the immune system under constant pressure - that is to say: chronic stress.
IT'S NOT ALL BAD NEWS
If you are one of the millions of people who have cut down then don't feel too bad, you are at least on the right track! In the same report they did mention that if you have reduced your cigarette intake then the chances of cancer may have dropped.
But we all know that cigarettes aren't going to be good for you and if you haven't quit, then maybe it's time to try another way?
The chief executive of health charity ASH, Deborah Arnott, said: "It's addiction to nicotine that keeps people smoking but it's the tar and chemicals in cigarette smoke that does the serious damage.”
"Vaping is much less harmful, but only if you quit smoking altogether."
If you originally cut down due to health reasons, then switching to e-cigarettes is the next logical move. The nicotine is still there so you fulfil your craving, but you aren't taking in the other 4,000 chemicals which come in cigarettes. This is a big reason that vaping is better for your heart than smoking tobacco cigarettes!
So if you are ready to explore an alternative to traditional cigarettes, then why not check out our range of starter kits and move away from cigarettes for good.
*2022 Update - Now you can get a FREE E-Cigarette starter kit when you purchase a box of SMOKO E-Cigarette refills (One per customer)
