My breathing becomes labored, I don't think I'll live,
Well, I tried my best, I gave all I had to give,
But one thing, Dad, I cannot comprehend,
I'm not a smoker, so why is my life about to end?
She has been with you for quite some time now. And you swear by her. Be it the all important presentation or a gala time with friends, be it at home or at work, time with spouse or with your child, she is there with you and with those around you.
But, while you may find her to be therapeutic to your brainy nerves and a stressful mind, she may prove to be dangerous for not only your own health, but also the health of your loved ones. Yes, your cigarette can mean “disaster” for your kids and family!
You are strong and healthy, so, why should you care?
It may be easier to live in perpetual denial, wanting to turn a blind eye to the most obvious dangers of smoking and continue with the habit despite a million sermons from friends and family. But when the habit gets close enough to disrupt the health of those around you, it’s time to dump it! And then it no longer remains an excuse, neither that of a stress buster nor that of an energizer, you no longer want to justify the habit, and especially not when it hits your baby hard in the lungs and plays a spoilsport in your active sex life!
According to WHO, the negative effects of tobacco on health become much more explicit in the later stages of life, and does not prove to interrupt the normal day-to-day functioning of an individual. If the long term implications of the habit on your health including - risks of you developing cancer, heart diseases, high blood pressure and an increased risk of clogged arteries, among others - is not an inspiration enough for you to leave it – these will definitely make you kick the butt:
Your child can suffer from life threatening diseases
Your habit of smoking can be detrimental to the health of your child as children are known to be especially sensitive to the effects of secondhand smoke. As their bodies are still growing and developing and they breathe faster than adults, they tend to inhale more smoke.
Contracting Cancer: If you are an aspiring father, you need to give up smoking, before you plan conception. Research confirms that smoking leads to chances of you fathering a child with cancer. A Child under the influence of smoke will have a higher risk of developing cancer as an adult.
CNS Tumour: As per the research published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, fathers who smoke over 20 cigarettes daily are faced with enhanced hazards of having a baby with a Central Nervous System (CNS) tumor.
Illnesses and Infections: Children exposed to secondhand smoke at home (especially infants) have major chances of developing lung illnesses, such as bronchitis, pneumonia and will suffer severe asthma attacks if they are already asthmatic. And as parents who smoke are more likely to cough and spread germs, their children are more likely to develop chest illnesses and respiratory infections.
Behavioural Problems: Reports also confirm that children who are exposed to passive smoking are more likely to have behavioural problems and that they may not develop mentally, as quickly as other children.
Smoking kills sex drive and causes impotence
What happens when your habit with the stick hits your love life? You know it’s time to choose any one! Smoking adversely affects your sexual health there affecting your relationships.
- It can be a contributing reason towards reduced ejaculation, low sperm count, abnormal sperm shape, impaired sperm mobility and reduced quality of semen. By-products of nicotine present in semen of smokers have been found to reduce the motility of sperm.
- Research confirms that male smokers are more likely to suffer sexual impotence/erectile dysfunction than non smokers.
- Men who smoke also lower sex drives. Frequent smoking over a long term can lead to a loss of interest in sex and relationships and feelings of depression may set in.
- Smoking can increase the risk of sexual impotence. It can also damage sperm, reduce sperm count and cause testicular cancer.
- Dr Mahinder Watsa, a well-known sexologist, explains, “cigarette smoking can lead to a smelly mouth, due to the levels of tobacco present, and this hinders the arousal of the woman.Also, smoking leads to a plunge in a man’s desire levels”.
Smoking can lead to increasing chances of Erectile dysfunction
Several studies pertaining to male impotence, have confirmed the link between smoking and difficulties in having an erection.
- “Nicotine present in cigarettes, is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it tightens blood vessels and restricts blood flow and since a man's erection depends on blood flow, smoking affects erections” explains Dr Watsa, “Sperm count too decreases”.
- Age is not a factor, with young guys as prone to developing erectile disorder due to cigarettes, as are middle-aged or even older men. This is not to say that smoking is the only cause for male impotence, but among others such as hypertension, stress, diabetes, smoking is a definitive major contributing cause.
- The research showed that 40 percent of men affected by impotence were smokers. This condition effects roughly 1 in 10 men between the ages of 21 and 75.
Who do you choose?
While all of these may seem too heavy to digest, there is no running away from facts, right! And especially not when it comes to your sweethearts – your family! Is the stick more important or their health? Are those 15 minutes that go up in smoke of any value when compared to healthy 10 minutes of love with your spouse? When you get yourself to answer to these questions, with bias, that would be the moment to kick the butt!
