What Happens When You Smoke a Cigarette?

Pop quiz: What is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States? Answer: Cigarette smoke. This is surprising, considering that smoking is a choice. It is even more shocking since 87 percent of lung cancer deaths are caused by cigarettes. Cigarettes kill more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined.
As you inhale cigarette smoke, nicotine moves deep into your lungs, gets absorbed into the bloodstream and quickly affects key parts of your body – not just the lungs, but also your central nervous system, your heart, and your brain. The “buzz” new smokers and regular smokers get from that first cigarette is a reaction to the release of epinephrine, similar to adrenaline, which then raises the heart rate, increases blood pressure, and constricts blood vessels. This pattern greatly increases your risk of lung cancer and can lead to heart disease, emphysema and other breathing conditions, and even a heart attack.

So why do people keep smoking cigarettes? It’s the nicotine. Nicotine’s addictiveness has been compared to heroin and cocaine. It creates a mental and physical dependence, and can lead to serious drug withdrawals.