Cause and effect essay on smoking

Cause and Effect Essay on Smoking
Introduction
Smoking is considered a lifestyle behavior. Many people engage in the practice
without the awareness of the health risks it is associated with. Smoking is one of the
most addictive lifestyle behaviors and has life-changing implications. It has been
termed as one of the most significant health challenges that health organizations are
facing today. According to reports by the World Health Organization, there were more
than 1 billion smokers all over the world in 2014. To understand the social and health
implications of smoking, it is essential to look into some of its causes and effects.
Causes
Peer pressure is the most prevalent cause of smoking. During adolescence and in
the early twenties, most people are infatuated with friendships. At this stage in life,
friends hold great value and meaning in individuals. Most young people particularly
those at the college and high school levels engage in various dangerous and lifeharming activities, one of which is smoking. Often, their intent is not to become
smokers but to enjoy the experience of being young and feel a celebrated status
over their peers. If one belongs to a group whose members are smokers, then they
too will likely start smoking. Later in life, such people try to drop the smoking
behavior, but it becomes challenging due to withdrawal effects.
Parenting style is another factor that may determine whether or not one will become
a smoker. The manner in which a child is raised contributes significantly to their
behavior as adults. Most children look up to their parents and will adopt most of the
lifestyle behaviors portrayed by the parents. There are parents who have the habit of
smoking in the presence of their children, a behavior which is utterly irresponsible.
Children get the idea that smoking is not unhealthy if their parents do it in their
presence. Once such children grow up, they develop a liking for tobacco smoking
without knowing that it is an unhealthy lifestyle behavior.
There is also a misconception that smoking acts as a strain reliever. This delusion
blinds most people that smoking helps one relieve stress. Many people therefore find
themselves engaging in the habit as a stress management strategy. Noteworthy,
continued smoking leads to addiction, thereby making it very difficult for one to do

away with the habit once they start it. Research has shown that smoking does not
relieve stress, instead it increases it. The level of stress in smokers is twice as high
as that in non-smokers.
Effects
Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer in the world, according to research. The
practice is likely to cause lung cancer both in active and passive smokers. Passive
smokers are people who do not smoke but are exposed to cigarette smoke.
According to medics, smoking damages the lining of one’s lungs thus causing lung
cancer. When one inhales cigarette smoke, which consists of cancer-causing
carcinogens, lung tissues start changing immediately. If one smokes for a small
period then quits, the lung tissues will repair themselves thus reducing the chances
of contracting lung cancer. However, continued smoking leads to permanent damage
of the lung tissues to the extent that they become irreparable. These damages
accelerate the development of lung cancer.
Smoking also causes loss of sight. According to medical research, cataracts are the
number one cause of blindness in the world. Cataract is the blurring of the eyes
standard lens. Studies reveal that smokers are twice at the risk of developing
cataracts than non-smokers. Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) has an
impact on the retina, which is the part of the eye that is responsible for the sharp
vision that people use while driving and reading. AMD has been termed as the
leading cause of permanent blindness in people aged 65 years and above. Research
shows that smokers are three times more likely to develop AMD than non-smokers.
However, if one quits smoking at an early stage, the damage caused to the eyes is
repairable, but prolonged smoking leads to increased destruction of the eyes that in
turn translates to permanent blindness.
Further, smoking is one of the major causes of type-2 diabetes. Research shows that
40% of smokers are likely to develop type-2 diabetes. Diabetic people who smoke
are likely to experience difficulties in managing insulin levels in their bodies even with
prescribed medications. Since increased smoking leads to increased chances of

developing type-2 diabetes, diabetic smokers make it hard to control the disease’s
progress and insulin levels thus increasing their chances of dying from it. Diabetic
smokers are also likely to suffer from other health complications linked to diabetes
such as heart failure, kidney problems, high blood pressure, retinopathy, and


peripheral neuropathy. For a diabetic person, quitting smoking can help control
insulin levels in the body.

Even more disheartening is the fact that even though preventable, cigarette smoking
is the number one cause of death in the US among all the causes of deaths that are
preventable. The same applies to the United Kingdom. In the US alone, 480,000
deaths are caused by cigarette smoking each year, translating to 20% of the total
yearly deaths. The total deaths resulting from a combination of the following causes
every year is less than the number of deaths caused by cigarette smoking: firearmrelated accidents, motor vehicle injuries, alcohol use, illegal drug use, and HIV. This
further shows the seriousness of the effects of smoking on human health.
Conclusion
Smoking is a general lifestyle behavior among young and older people alike. People
engage in the practice as a way of having fun. Peer pressure is one of the leading
factors that drive people to smoke. Parenting style also contributes to the chances of
one becoming a smoker. Many people underestimate the health risks associated
with smoking. Lung cancer, blindness, and type-2 diabetes are some of the health
effects associated with this habit.


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