Addiction

Pictorial warning from ... Canada

Inhaled tobacco smoke carries the drug, nicotine, into the lungs where it is absorbed into blood stream and reaches the brain. Nicotine causes addiction by promoting a  feeling of reward / euphoria, altering the structure and function of the brain and causing cravings for nicotine.

Heart Disease
Heart Attacks

Pictorial warning from ... New Zealand

Nicotine raises the heart rate, blood pressure and blood fats. It causes the arteries to constrict, reducing blood supply to the heart. Other chemicals in tobacco smoke promote hardening, clogging and weakening of the arteries.

In a diseased heart, nicotine gives rise to severe chest pain and breathless-ness.

Strokes
(& Paralysis)

Pictorial warning from ... Australia

Smoking doubles your risk of stroke. Ischemic stroke is an episode of reduced blood supply to the brain leading to dysfunction and necrosis of brain tissue.

Hemorrhagic stroke is an episode of bleeding inside the brain leads to formation of hematoma and therefore compresses the brain tissue. Tobacco use causes both types of stroke.

Stroke symptoms are paralysis of muscles of limbs, neck and face, speech is affected. Development of symptoms depends on the part affected in the brain.

Peripheral Vascular Disease

Pictorial warnings from ... Brazil

Smoking damages your blood vessels, which can block blood circulation, particularly to your legs or feet. This can result in blood clots infection, gangrene, even amputation.

Chronic Obstructive
Lung Disease

Tobacco smoke contains chemical irritants that cause progressive inflammation in the lungs, which in different patients leads to chronic cough, excess mucous / phlegm production, wheeze (noisy breath), shortness of breath, and emphysema, all a part of chronic obstructive lung disease.

Tuberculosis

Harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke suppress the body’s immune response, making smokers more vulnerable to respiratory infections, like tuberculosis, pneumonia and influenza, as well as asthma. In India, about 200,000 deaths per year are due to smoking associated TB. About half of all prevalent TB cases are in smokers.

Lung Cancer,
Bronchial Cancer

Pictorial warning from ... United Kingdom

Smokers inhale cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens) as fine particles into their lungs with every puff of tobacco smoke. Some of these particles get lodged permanently in the lung tissue (note the blackened appearance of the smoker’s lung) and some enter the cells and become attached to the chromosomes where they cause damage that may lead to lung cancer.

Laryngeal Cancer

Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi ... India

Carcinogens in tobacco smoke pass through the larynx (voice box) with every puff. Smokers have a high risk of getting cancer of the larynx. Victims lose their voice and many die an early death.

Oral Cancer

Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi ... India

Tobacco smokers have a high risk of oral cancer: about 4 times higher than nonsmokers. Chewing gutkha, tobacco, pan masala with or without tobacco raises the risk even higher.

Throat Cancer

Tobacco smokers have a high risk of throat cancer: at least 4 times higher than nonsmokers. Chewing tobacco also highly raises this risk.

Esophagus, stomach, pancreas, bladder, kidney, uterine cervix, myeloid leukemia

Esophageal cancer

Pictorial warning from ... Romania

Tobacco smokers have a high risk of developing cancer as they are ingesting many carcinogens: tobacco smoke is known to contain over 50 carcinogens.

Asthma Attacks

Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi ... India
http://chaturvedi.pankaj.googlepages.com
/tobaccokills

Irritants in tobacco smoke may precipitate asthma attacks in smokers as well as those exposed to second-hand smoke.

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

Diabetes mellitus Type 2 is a terrible and deadly disease – you cannot see it; you may have it and not know it until it is in an advanced stage. Diabetes patients tend to have a shortened life span.

Smokers are at more at risk for diabetes than non-smokers.

Early Death

Pictorial warning from ... India

In India, smoking is responsible for a quarter of all male deaths in middle age (25-69 years) and smaller fractions at other ages. Those killed in middle age lose at least 15 years

Pregnancy Complications (Placenta Previa etc.)

Pictorial warning from ... Canada

Harm to the child in the womb is caused by nicotine, causing vasoconstriction, and carbon monoxide limit the amount of oxygen that reaches the fetus, reducing its capacity to grow and leading to low birth weight. Other toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke also harm the fetus.

Low Birth Weight

Pictorial warning from ... Brazil

Low birth weight babies are born more often to smokers than non-smoking mothers.

Spontaneous Abortion and Stillbirth

Pictorial warning from ... Brazil

Spontaneous abortion and stillbirth are more common in smoking women than nonsmokers.

Shortness Of Breath

Pictorial warning from ... Canada

Shortness of breath is a consequence of the progressive inflammation of the small airways caused by smoking.

Impotence

Pictorial warning from ... Canada

Smoking constricts blood vessels and causes clogged arteries, that can lead to impotence in men.

Infertility

Pictorial warning from ... Canada

Smoking affects the body’s ability to produce healthy sperm, leading to reduced fertility.

Gum Disease & Stained Teeth, Bad Breath, Reduced Sense of Taste, Dyspepsia

Pictorial warning from ... Singapore

Gum disease, a common consequence of smoking, is a risk factor for heart disease and poor pregnancy outcomes.

Greyish, Wrinkled Skin, Premature Grey Hair, Smell of Smoke

Pictorial warning from ... Singapore

Wrinkles caused by smoking are due to premature ageing of the skin. Smoking causes poor circulation resulting in an unhealthy appearance. A smell of smoke lingers in hair, breath and clothes.

Blindness (Macular degeneration, cataract)

Pictorial warning from ... Singapore

Smoking damages the area of the retina in the eye. This is known as macular degeneration. Central vision is lost. Blindness may follow. These changes are due to oxidative stress caused by tobacco smoke.

Hurts Babies, Even Kills Them

Pictorial warning from ... Canada

Infants exposed to tobacco smoke may develop Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). They may also develop respiratory infections. Passive smoking hurts pregnant women and the unborn child too. Smoke exposure in the home can be avoided by smokers never smoking in the home.

Hurts Children

Pictorial warning from ... Canada

Parental smoking is an important risk factor for acute respiratory infections, chronic or recurrent cough and asthma in children in India. Such exposure may also lead to reduced lung function.

Mouth Sores & Other Conditions (potentially precancerous)

Oral lesions In: Mehta and Hamner, 1993

Oral lesions associated with smokeless tobacco use are very common in India. They are an indication of changes occurring in tissues due to carcinogens in tobacco. Many such lesions have the potential to turn into cancer over time.

Oral Submucous Fibrosis

Oral submucous fibrosis is a condition where the patient has difficulty opening the mouth, due to constriction and loss of elasticity of the mouth tissues. It is a precancerous condition caused by carcinogens in areca nut (supari) contained in many tobacco products.

Oral Cancer

Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi ... India

Smokeless tobacco contains powerful carcinogens, especially tobacco related nitrosamines (formed from nicotine during the curing process). Smokeless tobacco users have a very high risk of developing oral cancer. India and Pakistan have the world's highest incidence of oral cancer for men and women respectively.

A rise in incidence of oral cancer among young adults (< 40) has been registered in some places and this has been linked to increasing use of commercial smokeless tobacco products containing areca nut (mawa, gutka, etc).

Throat Cancer, Esophageal Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer

Smokeless tobacco users have very high risks of developing cancer.

HEART DISEASE

Pictorial warning from ... New Zealand

Smokeless tobacco use can lead to high blood pressure, narrowing and blood clots in the arteries of the heart, and heart attacks.

Pregnancy Complications

Pictorial warning from ... Brazil

Early Painful Death

Mouth Problem, Bad Breath Stained Teeth, Permanent Gum Recession & Tooth Loss