What Is Chain Smoking?
Due to years of research that has overwhelmingly proven the dangers of smoking, it is common knowledge that smoking causes a myriad of health issues. Chain smoking--as compared with social or stress smoking--only exacerbates the problem.
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Definition
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Chain smoking occurs when someone continually smokes tobacco or another addictive substance. Often, a smoker will light a new cigarette with the still-lit butt of the previous cigarette.
Effects
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According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), health concerns raised from smoking include a higher risk of cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as reproductive and early childhood issues. Chain smoking raises the risks significantly.
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Cost
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As of March 2010, a pack of Marlboro cigarettes cost $5.95 in the Midwest, and more on the coasts. That adds up to $2,171.75 per year for a pack-a-day smoker. Considering that chain smokers go through more than five packs a day, that adds up to a whopping $10,885.75 per year.
Stigma
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Although smoking was considered a cool habit in the roaring '20s, an overwhelming amount of research over the past several decades has proven the harmful effects of chain smoking. Throughout the United States, smoking is down and communities are slowly stamping out smoking in public places, making it more inconvenient for smokers to keep up the habit.
Benefits of Quitting
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According to the ACS, heart rate and blood pressure drops a mere 20 minutes after quitting; two weeks to three months later, circulation improves and lung function increases; one to nine months after quitting, coughing and shortness of breath decrease; five years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker, and 15 years after the last cigarette, the risk of coronary heart disease is the same as a nonsmoker's.
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References
- Photo Credit cigarette butts image by Edsweb from Fotolia.com
