Tobacco is the single greatest cause of preventable death globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that tobacco caused 5.4 million deaths in 2004 and 100 million deaths over the course of the 20th century. To create awareness among the youngsters, Pillai’s N.S.S. Unit organized a talk on “Substance Abuse – Side Effects of Smoking” by Dr. Manish Bhanushali at Dr. K. M. Vasudevan Pillai Campus on 12th September, 2011. Dr. Manish stressed on the long term effects of smoking such as lung cancer, emphysema, cardiovascular diseases and premature ageing. He also said that It’s important to understand in the short term smoking cigarettes can be every bit as dangerous.
The following are 6 of the most dangerous short term side effects of smoking that were highlighted by him:
- Increased blood pressure.
- Increased heart rate.
- Narrowing of the arteries.
- Reduced amount of oxygen the blood can carry.
- Carbon monoxide levels in the blood rise.
- Creates an imbalance in the demand for oxygen by the cells.
- The talk really helped the young minds to be on the right directions for a better health.
