Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most commonly, the substance smoked is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, which contain nicotine, a potent psychoactive alkaloid. Tobacco smoking has a long history dating back to as early as 5000 BCE, when it was first observed by indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and South America. The practice later spread to Europe and North America during the 16th century CE with the arrival of Spanish explorers and colonists. Today, smoking is widely considered harmful to health and is responsible for an estimated 5 million deaths each year worldwide.
While there are many negative health effects associated with smoking, there are also some potential benefits. For instance, smokers have been shown to have lower rates of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease than non-smokers. Smoking may also help to improve circulation and increase levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol in the blood. However, these potential benefits are far outweighed by the dangers of smoking, which include lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, emphysema, and other respiratory illnesses. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health; even if you’ve been smoking for many years, quitting will significantly reduce your risk of developing tobacco-related diseases.