How to Avoid the Ill Effects of Smoking: Don’t Even Start
Unknown to many, the most preventable cause of death in the United States is smoking. The average male smoker will die before reaching the age of 62, the early retirement age to be eligible to collect social security. The mortality rate of smokers who consume two or more packs of cigarettes daily is 12 to 25 times greater than nonsmokers. Smoking causes approximately 30 percent of all cancer deaths, and is associated with 87 percent of lung cancers. Smoking also contributes to cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, pancreas, uterus, cervix, kidney, and bladder. These are just some of the harmful effects of excessive, long-term smoking. Despite the health risks, millions of people still buy cigarettes to satisfy their nicotine cravings.
According to Denver urologist Lawrence Karsh, M.D., smoking is one of the worst things a young man can do to his body. We already know about smoking’s link to lung cancer and heart disease. But smoking, if done over the course of many years, can also damage and block the blood vessels inside the penis, resulting in a failure to sustain a normal erection. In...