When you smoke or vape, harmful chemicals instantly enter your lungs, and from there they enter your bloodstream and are carried throughout your body - to your brain, heart, and other organs within 10 seconds of the first puff.
The nicotine in cigarettes is addictive. When you smoke, your brain releases dopamine, a pleasure hormone that makes you feel happy, energetic, and focused. However, this effect is short-lived: over time, your brain begins to rely on nicotine to get these feelings. So the longer you smoke, the more dopamine you need to feel good. This process is called “neuroadaptation.” The lack of nicotine in your body can make it difficult to concentrate, and you may feel nervous, restless, irritable, or anxious.
If you smoke, we recommend taking a test to determine physical dependence on nicotine (Fagerstrom test) at the link https://stopsmoking.org.ua/section/test- na-fizicnu-zaleznist-vid-nikotinu-test-fagerstroma The test will help you find out your level of addiction and better plan steps towards complete cessation of tobacco and nicotine use.
Why is smoking dangerous?
• Cognitive decline: Long-term smoking is associated with impaired attention and memory. Smokers often experience increased anxiety and irritability as the brain loses its ability to regulate mood without nicotine.
• Physical endurance: Smoking reduces physical endurance and causes chronic fatigue, which makes it difficult to perform daily tasks and affects overall quality of life.
• Cardiovascular disease: Smoking significantly increases the risk of developing heart and vascular disease, including heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure.
• Respiratory diseases: Harmful substances in cigarette smoke damage the lungs and bronchial tubes, causing diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and lung cancer. Long-term smoking also reduces the lungs' ability to provide oxygen to the body.
• Cancer: Smoking is a major risk factor for developing not only lung cancer, but also cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, pancreas, kidneys, stomach, and even the cervix in women.
• Effects on the immune system: Smoking weakens the immune system, increasing the risk of infectious diseases and impairing the body's ability to fight disease.
Understanding these risks is the first step to quitting tobacco and nicotine products. Quitting smoking is possible! Learn more about effective quitting tips in the video