While smoking rates in Japan are decreasing little by little every year, they remain about twice the level of adult males in the advanced nations of Europe and North America. The incidence of smoking among Japanese women is 14.2% of the population, which is approximate half the numbers found in Europe and North America. Interestingly, the number of young Japanese female smokers is increasing rapidly and the entire female smoking rate is also increasing. Among all smokers, 70% either want to quit smoking or reduce the number of cigarettes smoked. In any case, there are still many smokers out there.
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Smoking causes various diseases such as malignant tumors, heart disease and respiratory disorders. It is also a contributing factor to early deaths.
When you smoke, nicotine is taken into your body. If you take nicotine for a long time, your body gets used to nicotine and engenders so-called "Smoking dependence syndrome." Nicotine addicts insist that smoking eases stress, but in reality it is only a temporary dampening of the nicotine poisoning symptoms. In the field of psychiatry "Smoking dependence syndrome" is considered to be a disease of drug addiction. |
| Possibility of cancer |
More than 10 kinds of carcinogens are found in tar. Mouth cancer, pharyngeal cancer and esophageal cancer are the most representative cancers among smokers and the danger of contracting uterine cervix cancer is higher among women smokers. According to a 2003 study of males who started smoking between the ages of 20 and 24 years, the incidence of cancers is 114.0 per 100,000, while nonsmokers' average 24.1 per 100,000. This means five times more smokers die of cancer than nonsmokers. |
| Possibility of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) |
Irritant chemicals such as Formaldehyde and Acroran contained in cigarettes stimulate the production of airway mucosa. As a result, smokers are more at risk of contracting chronic lung disease. |
| Possibility of angina and cardiac infarction |
Nicotine stiffens the coronary arteries of the heart. As a result, smokers have more incidences of ischemic heart disease. |
| Possibility of stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer |
Nicotine shrinks blood vessels. It weakens the vascular system's way of supplying nourishment to the mucous membranes of the stomach and the duodenum. As a result, smokers are more at risk of contracting stomach and duodenal ulcers. |
| Possibility of erectile dysfunction (ED) |
Compared to nonsmokers, twice the number of smokers has an erectile dysfunction. The mechanism of how smoking causes ED is still not completely clear, but it is suggested that impaired vasodilatation of the cavernous body of the penis is due to injury to the capillary endothelium. |
| Possibility of sleep disorders |
Because nicotine has awakening properties, smoking prior to sleeping may cause sleep a problem. |
| Possibility of periodontitis |
Statistics show that more smokers contract periodontitis and lose more teeth than nonsmokers. It is thought that this is because smoking shrinks the blood vessels to the gums and hampers and slows the creation of new blood vessels after inflammation. Periodontitis is not only a disease of the mouth, it also causes arterial sclerosis, cardiac infarction and premature delivery of babies.
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The Ministry of Health and Welfare's "Cigarette action plan study committee report," marked the first step in segregating smoking areas and encouraging no smoking at a national level. In response, the Ministry of Labor drew up the "Guideline to fight tobacco use in offices" and the Ministry of Health and Welfare put forth the "Report on separate smoking areas in the public domain." Moreover, the Ministry of Health and Welfare established the "Tobacco control study committee of the 21st century," and started direct appeals to tobacco users. Recently we have seen the advent of non smoking pachinko parlors and various taxi organizations throughout Japan have prohibited smoking in their vehicles. Besides private company's efforts, we now have various "Road smoking prevention ordinance" and "Littering prevention ordinance" in the cities. Smoking is expected to be severely restricted in the future. |
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Smoking causes blood vessels to shrink and restricts circulation of the blood. In addition, smoking consumes vitamin C that relates to metabolizing melanin pigment in the body. This is very bad news for your skin. Smokers tend to have more rough skin, bristletails and freckles than nonsmokers. It is known that smoking increases wrinkles, and it is said that long-term smokers have the peculiar facial configuration known as "smoker's face." But smokers with skin problems will have beautiful skin once they stop smoking. Having beautiful skin is the most important part of being beautiful. |
