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The Psychological Effects Of Smoking

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One thing that smoking affects that a lot of people do not think about is how it affects the people around the smoker, not only in a physical way but emotionally also. According to a study, kids whose parents smoke are three times more likely to smoke when they get older. If smokers have kids, smoking around them increases their risk of having ear infections, asthma and other breathing problems that include coughs, shortness of breath, and even bronchitis. It’s not just children that are at risk of lung and heart problems, it’s every person around a smoker that are put at risk due to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals. Hundreds of them being toxic and 70 have shown to cause cancer in humans. Breathing in secondhand smoke has been shown to have instant effects on the cardiovascular system of nearby individuals, whether it’s from a neighbor’s burning cigarette or from a cigarette outside your window. Over time, it takes a toll on people’s lungs and has been found to increase the risk of having a stroke by 20-30% (Quitterscircle). Smoking also has an impact on pets and animals. Exposure to secondhand smoke for dogs increases the risk of them getting lung cancer and nasal cancer, especially long nosed dogs like greyhounds. Cats that are exposed to secondhand smoke are more than three times as likely to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. They may also suffer from asthma or lung cancer. Secondhand smoke can also affect the eyesight of birds and cause respiratory

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