Nicotine in cigarettes does not cause cancer at all, is smoking harmful to health? Here comes the truth

"Which one said that smoking will definitely lead to lung cancer? The second cousin of Aunt Zhang's fourth uncle next door, the old lady has never smoked in her life, didn't she also find lung cancer? I smoked cigarettes all my life, and I didn't feel any serious harm. what?"

Many people may have this idea, and some studies have found that nicotine does not cause cancer. Is it false that smoking is harmful to health?

1. Nicotine does not cause cancer?

When it comes to the harm of cigarettes, many people will think of nicotine. Nicotine is indeed addictive and dependent, but it does not cause cancer.

The US Surgeon General's Report explained that there is currently no clear evidence that nicotine causes cancer. And many clinical studies related to nicotine also believe that nicotine does not cause carcinogenicity to humans. In 2017, the US FDA also clearly announced that nicotine itself has no direct causal relationship with cancer. So why is smoking harmful to health?

2. Is it wrong to smoke harmful to health?

Although nicotine does not cause cancer, cigarettes contain at least 69 chemical carcinogenic components. After these components enter the human body, the harm caused to the human body cannot be ignored. Therefore, there is no doubt that smoking is harmful to health.

Cyanide, heavy metals, amines: These components are all toxic substances, and once they enter the human body, they can easily cause toxicity to different organs.

Phenolic compounds, formaldehyde, etc.: Accelerate carcinogenesis.

Carbon monoxide: Causes a reduction in the ability of red blood cells to transport oxygen, which affects oxygen delivery throughout the body.

Benzopyrene, cadmium, aminophenol, arsenic and some other radioactive substances: they are carcinogenic. After entering the human body, they may reach various organs of the body with the blood, and damage these organs, such as gastric cancer, cervical cancer, esophageal cancer, colon cancer, etc. Cancer is inseparable from smoking.

Nicotine: These ingredients are addictive, which will make smokers become dependent and addicted, whether it is physical or mental, they will have a sense of dependence.

Aldehydes, olefins, nitrogen compounds: Irritating to the respiratory tract.

3. Non-smoking may prolong life by 10 years

The US monthly website "Discovery" once pointed out that smoking cessation can appropriately reduce exposure to carcinogens, and non-smokers live ten years longer on average.

And the World Health Organization once had a set of data:

Quitting smoking at age 30 can increase life expectancy by about 10 years;

Quitting smoking at age 40 can increase life expectancy by about 9 years.

Quitting smoking at age 50 can increase life expectancy by about 6 years.

Quitting smoking at age 60 can increase life expectancy by about 3 years.

Therefore, it is never too late to quit smoking, the sooner the better!

When it comes to cigarettes that are harmful to health, many people will think of nicotine, but in fact nicotine does not cause cancer, but can cause addiction and dependence. However, there are 69 chemical carcinogenic components in tobacco, and long-term smoking is still harmful.

References:

[1]5.31 World No Tobacco Day | Use nicotine well, it can help you quit smoking! What are you hesitating about? Healthy China. 2020-05-31

[2] What cigarettes do to the body, smoking is not a slogan, it affects the spectrum of human diseases. Respiratory doctor Hu Yang. 2019-05-30

[3] Don't smoke, live ten more years! With so many benefits of quitting smoking, why are you still hesitating? .Health Times.2021-11-25

Reproduction is prohibited without the author's permission