Have you ever encountered someone smoking? I definitely have and I do not think it is a good thing to do.There are many reasons for this.  It is not good to smoke and you (if you smoke) should stop because second hand smoke harms the body and smoking causes cancer.

My first reason is second hand smoking is harmful. The Cleveland Clinic says, “children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to experience: frequent coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath or other breathing problems.” There are more reasons that second hand smoking is bad too. I will inform you of another thought regarding why it is unpleasant. They also say Cardiovascular (heart, veins and arteries) disease like high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart attack or stroke can also be caused by second hand smoke. This fact proves that second hand smoking is harmful to others. Also it shows another reason to stop smoking. For these reasons, second hand smoke is harmful to the body. 

Secondly, smoking is bad because it can cause lung cancer. The Mayo Clinic states that, “Lung cancer typically doesn’t cause signs and symptoms in its earliest stages. Signs and symptoms of lung cancer typically occur when the disease is advanced. Signs and symptoms of lung cancer may include: a new cough that doesn’t go away, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, chest pain, hoarseness, losing weight without trying, bone pain, and headache.” It can cause lung cancer for people who smoke. Another thing they say is that, “Smoking causes the majority of lung cancers — both in smokers and in people exposed to secondhand smoke. But lung cancer also occurs in people who never smoked and in those who never had prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke. In these cases, there may be no clear cause of lung cancer.” These are ways smoking can cause lung cancer. For these reasons, smoking is harmful because it can cause cancer.

Some people think that smoking reduces stress but they are incorrect. “Research into smoking and stress has shown that smoking actually increases stress. Nicotine creates an immediate sense of relaxation so people smoke in the belief that it reduces stress and anxiety. This feeling of relaxation is temporary and soon gives way to symptoms and increased cravings and stress.” This information is found in the article “Smoking And Mental Health.” It does get your mind off stress, however, it causes it and it can cause depression too. The article also says that, “Many people start to smoke before they show signs of depression making it unclear if smoking leads to depression or depression encourages people to start smoking. The most likely explanation is that there is an odd relationship between the two.” For these reasons, smoking is harmful because it can cause stress.

In conclusion, smoking is harmful because second hand smoke harms the body and smoking causes cancer. These are all of the reasons I think it is a good idea to stop smoking. Do you agree with me? If you are not convinced yet, just look up reasons to stop smoking and you will see even more reasons.