Do you know these smoking myths?

Tobacco harm is one of the most serious public health problems in the world. Smoking is the culprit for many diseases such as chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes.

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However, there are some sayings circulating online that seem to give old smokers some hope that they don’t have to quit smoking. For example, smoking is harmless as long as you don’t inhale into your lungs, and long-time smokers who suddenly quit smoking will be harmful to their health... So are these sayings reliable? What is the truth?

Is smoking low-tar cigarettes less harmful?

The truth: No method of reducing tartar can reduce the harm

"This is a pseudo-scientific statement." Wang Gegang, chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Digestive Medicine at Wulong District People's Hospital, said that whether it is a high-tar cigarette or a low-tar cigarette, as long as it is a tobacco product, a large amount of harmful substances will be produced during the smoking process. A reduction in tar content does not mean a reduction in carcinogen content.

Relevant toxicological studies have shown that when the tar content decreases, the content of certain strong carcinogens in the tar does not decrease, such as nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Therefore, reducing the tar content in cigarettes does not reduce the harm of tobacco to human health.

Is smoking harmless to the body as long as it is not inhaled into the lungs?

The truth: As long as you smoke, it is impossible not to have lungs

"As long as you smoke, it is impossible not to smoke in your lungs." Wang Gegang said that the moment you start smoking, the smoke quickly enters the lungs with the inhaled airflow, and we cannot control this process. In addition, the smoke exhaled when smoking will be inhaled again by the human body, which is equivalent to breathing secondhand smoke. Harmful chemicals and carcinogens in the smoke enter the lungs through breathing and are adsorbed on clothing, greatly increasing the risk of respiratory system diseases and cardiovascular diseases for smokers and their families.

Is quitting smoking suddenly harmful to your health?

The truth: It is normal to experience withdrawal symptoms after quitting smoking

"Some 'old smokers' suddenly quit smoking and will feel like they are sick because they want to smoke, feel itchy, restless, or even have headaches, insomnia, anxiety and other symptoms. Clinically, these symptoms belong to 'withdrawal symptoms' after quitting smoking." Wang Gegang said, "Years of smoking have made their bodies dependent on tobacco. After suddenly quitting smoking, their bodies will naturally show some abnormalities. These abnormal reactions are often a sign that the body is gradually getting better."

Can eating certain foods help eliminate tobacco poison?

The truth: Only by quitting smoking can you truly eliminate the "tobacco poison"

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"So far, the academic community has not provided evidence that eating certain foods can eliminate 'tobacco toxins.'" Wang Gegang said that the harm of smoking to the human body is mainly reflected in two aspects: physically, the harmful substances in tobacco can enter the human lungs and other organs, causing chronic respiratory system diseases, malignant tumors, etc.; chemically, the harmful substances in tobacco can induce peroxidation reactions, etc., increasing the risk of a variety of diseases. Food is digested by the gastrointestinal tract and becomes small molecules that are absorbed into the blood, which cannot play a role in eliminating "tobacco toxins."

Source: Wulong Daily

Author: Chen Nalin

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