The harm of tobacco has become one of the most serious public health problems in the world today. According to statistics, the number of deaths caused by smoking worldwide reaches as high as 3 million each year, and this number is expected to increase to 10 million by 2025. The "Smoking and Health" report released by the Ministry of Health of China in 2006 showed: in 2002, the smoking rate among people aged 15 and above in China was 35.8%. It is estimated that there are 350 million smokers, accounting for one-third of the world's smokers. "Female-targeted" cigarettes do not reduce the risk of cancer.
When many people talk about the harm of cigarettes, the first thing that comes to mind is the lungs: smoke particles enter the human body through the respiratory tract, and the respiratory system is the first to be harmed. Scientific research has found that long-term smoking can damage and shorten the cilia of the bronchial mucosa, affecting the ciliary clearance function, which in turn blocks the bronchioles and affects lung function. Data shows that the probability of smokers suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is 2 to 4 times higher than that of non-smokers. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the incidence of lung cancer in the world has increased significantly, and its growth rate has exceeded that of other cancers. Among patients who died from lung cancer, 87% were caused by smoking. It is particularly noteworthy that among China's smokers, at least 30 million are addicted female smokers, and the number of female smokers is increasing by 10% every year. In Shanghai alone, the proportion of female smokers has reached 5.6%; among young people, 29 out of 100 smokers are women, distributed across various occupations and educational levels.
Recently, many "female-targeted" cigarettes with long filters or low tar have appeared on the market. Many female smokers believe that this type of cigarette can minimize the harm. In fact, so-called "female cigarettes" do not mean that the 40 carcinogenic components, such as nitrogen oxides, aldehydes, organophosphorus, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and heavy metal elements, are also reduced along with the reduction of tar content. The most carcinogenic substance in tobacco is benzo[a]pyrene, which, together with aflatoxin and nitrite, is known as the three major carcinogens. Extending the filter and reducing tar content cannot reduce the production of this carcinogen. At the same time, the longer the filter of a female cigarette, the more incomplete the combustion, and the higher the carbon monoxide content. Inhaling carbon monoxide by the human body can lead to tissue hypoxia. Over time, the probability of gene mutation increases, and the risk of normal cells becoming cancerous also rises. Female smoking leads to premature aging and affects the fetus.
The harm of smoking to women is far more than just the respiratory system. Clinical studies have found that the probability of female smokers suffering from cervical cancer is 50% higher than that of non-smoking women, and women who have smoked for more than 20 years have a 30% increased risk of breast cancer. A survey by the Dutch government's statistical agency showed that female smokers lose an average of more than 10 years of life, while male smokers lose an average of 3 years.
Some women believe that smoking is a manifestation of elegance. From a medical perspective, this view is the opposite. Smoking not only fails to maintain one's own charm but is actually self-destruction of one's appearance. Smoke particles have a great impact on the thickness of the subcutaneous fat layer in women. Therefore, most female smokers are not full-bodied, their skin is not moisturized, lacks nutrition, wrinkles appear faster, and they age prematurely. In addition, nicotine stimulates the contraction and spasm of microvessels, leading to insufficient oxygen and blood supply to the skin, causing premature wrinkles around the lips and corners of the eyes, yellowing of teeth, rough skin, and even the growth of facial hair.
For women of childbearing age, smoking can cause menstrual disorders, difficulty in conception, ectopic pregnancy, low estrogen levels, osteoporosis, premature menopause, and early menopause. Compared to non-smoking women, the probability of smoking women suffering from infertility is 2.7 times higher, and the risk of concurrent heart disease when taking contraceptive pills is also greater. Spontaneous abortion, premature rupture of membranes, placental abruption, placenta previa, premature birth, and abnormal fetal growth are also related to smoking during pregnancy. Pregnant women who smoke 15 to 20 cigarettes a day have twice the risk of miscarriage compared to normal pregnant women, and are more likely to give birth to premature babies or weak infants. Harmful substances in smoke enter the fetal bloodstream, affecting the normal development of the fetus and increasing the incidence of congenital malformations. Therefore, the number of babies with congenital malformations such as anencephaly, cleft palate, cleft lip, mental retardation, and physical developmental disorders born to smoking mothers is 23 times that of non-smoking mothers.