The Unbelievably Scary Thing That Just One Cigarette May Do To You
Just one gooey chocolate eclair, just one dash of salt, just one day of skipping a workout... usually, "just one" of anything isn't enough to do you any real damage. But when it comes to cigarettes, a new study shows that "just one" is way too many--especially for 18- to 30-year-olds.
The study found that smoking just one cigarette causes arteries to stiffen by 25 percent. That's bad news bears, because the stiffer the artery, the harder the heart has to work--which means there's a greater risk of heart attack or stroke.
So we're talking about a hugely increased risk of heart attack or stroke in 18- to 30-year-olds--young adults who are usually thinking about anything but the chance they might end up with a heart attack or stroke anytime soon.
I know a lot of people who don't smoke regularly and you could never officially label them as "smokers," but they do that social-smoking thing--they puff away on a cigarette or two when they're out with friends on a Saturday night... not enough to do any harm, right?
Apparently, not so much.
'Fess up: do you ever smoke? And does this kind of news change how you feel about smoking--whether for yourself or people that you know?
Need another reason not to smoke? How 'bout this one?
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