Why Smoking is stupid and how Nicotine impacts your body
Why Smoking Is Stupid and How Nicotine Impacts Your Body
Smoking is everywhere.
We all know about its harms, danger and serious addiction - tobacco remains one of the most accepted and legal substances in the world.
From the classic image of the “cool” cigarette in movies to the casual smoke break at work, its own conditioning to coffee and cigarette or the urge to smoke when we drink alcohol. Smoking is still deeply integrated into our daily life for millions of us. When we strip away the glamor, what we’re left with is a brutal reality: smoking is quite a stupid habit that harms us in ways we might not even be fully aware of.
Are you already aware and you don´t stop? Read further about the picture I will draw later about your own house.
This article isn’t about judgment; it’s about bringing awareness to what smoking truly does to our body and mind. If we can understand the full picture of nicotine’s impact, perhaps we’ll be better equipped to make choices that serve our health, respect our bodies, and honor the life we’re trying to live.
The Global Habit: How Much Are We Really Smoking?
Every day, the world consumes a shocking 15 billion cigarettes. In Europe, the numbers are particularly high, with around 28% of adults identifying as smokers. Germany, one of the highest-consuming countries in the EU, has almost 23% of its population smoking daily, which translates to millions of people who light up every day European Commission. This wide acceptance and normalisation of smoking mean that many people don’t think what is happening in their body reaching for a cigarette, often without realising the long-term effects on both their health and the environment.
In Germany alone, smoking-related illnesses and healthcare costs place a heavy burden on the healthcare system. Tobacco use causes around 120,000 deaths each year in Germany, making it one of the leading causes of preventable death German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). And the cost doesn’t stop at human lives; the environmental impact of tobacco farming, cigarette production, and waste is equally concerning, adding to pollution and deforestation worldwide.
The Physical Impact: Why Smoking is Stupid for Your Body
When you smoke, you’re not just inhaling nicotine. Each cigarette contains over 7,000 chemicals, including tar, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde. These toxins affect every part of the body, from your respiratory system to your heart, immune system, and even your skin.
Respiratory System
Smoking damages the lungs, leading to chronic conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and lung cancer. The tar from cigarettes coats the lungs, making it difficult to breathe and reducing oxygen levels throughout the body British Lung Foundation.
Cardiovascular System
Nicotine and other chemicals constrict blood vessels, raise blood pressure, and increase the risk of blood clots. Smoking doubles the risk of heart disease and strokes, making it a leading cause of cardiovascular issues European Society of Cardiology.
Immune System Suppression
Smoking weakens the immune system, making the body more vulnerable to infections and slower to recover. Smokers are more susceptible to respiratory infections like pneumonia and chronic bronchitis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Increased Cancer Risk
Tobacco is directly linked to various types of cancer, including lung, throat, mouth, esophageal, and pancreatic cancers. Smoking is responsible for about 85% of lung cancer cases globally, significantly raising the risk of many other cancers Cancer Research UK.
The Chemical Hook: How Nicotine Works
When you smoke a cigarette, the nicotine in tobacco is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream and reaches your brain within seconds. There, it attaches to receptors that trigger the release of dopamine—the “feel-good” chemical responsible for pleasure and reward. This rush gives smokers a brief sense of relaxation or satisfaction after lighting up. But, and here’s the key, that feeling is fake and very short.
Nicotine wears off quickly, leaving you craving more. That’s why one cigarette is never enough. As nicotine fades, the dopamine high crashes, leaving you jittery, anxious, or irritable. The only way to relieve this discomfort is to smoke again. This cycle of craving, relief, and withdrawal is the essence of nicotine addiction.
The Addiction Cycle: A Trap with No Upside
What makes nicotine so insidious isn’t just that it’s addictive; it’s how it manipulates your brain chemistry to keep you coming back for more. It hijacks your body’s natural reward system, convincing you that smoking is essential for relaxation or stress relief, when in reality, it’s the nicotine withdrawal causing the stress in the first place. Here’s how the addiction cycle plays out:
Craving: Nicotine levels drop, and your brain signals that it needs more to feel “normal.”
Relief: You smoke, nicotine floods your brain with dopamine, and you feel temporarily calm or happy.
Withdrawal: As nicotine leaves your system, the good feelings fade, leaving you anxious or restless.
Repeat: To escape withdrawal, you light another cigarette, reinforcing the addiction.
This relentless cycle is what makes smoking such a hard habit to break. Every time you give in to the craving, the addiction tightens its grip.
The Hidden Effects of Smoking: How Nicotine Impacts Your Body and Mind on an Unconscious Level
Beyond the well-known risks, smoking has subtle, often overlooked effects that make it a truly insidious habit. Here’s how nicotine impacts your body on a deeper, unconscious level:
Nicotine’s Grip on the Nervous System
Nicotine is a highly addictive stimulant that alters the nervous system by increasing dopamine release—a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and reward. Each time you smoke, nicotine creates a quick dopamine hit, reinforcing the habit and building a cycle of dependency. Over time, the brain adapts by producing fewer dopamine receptors, meaning you need more nicotine to feel “normal.” This process rewires your brain, making quitting incredibly challenging and creating a dependency that’s hard to break American Psychological Association.
Amplifying Anxiety and Depression
Many people smoke to relieve stress, but studies show that smoking actually increases baseline levels of anxiety and depression. Nicotine disrupts the brain’s natural chemical balance, leading to mood swings and irritability. Ironically, the more you smoke to feel calm, the more your brain becomes reliant on nicotine to regulate stress—leading to a vicious cycle that worsens mental health over time National Institute of Mental Health.
Premature Aging and Skin Damage
Smoking accelerates aging by breaking down collagen and elastin, which are essential for skin elasticity. Reduced blood flow caused by nicotine restricts oxygen delivery to skin cells, causing wrinkles, dullness, and a prematurely aged appearance. Smokers often appear years older than they actually are, a visible reflection of the damage happening within their bodies British Association of Dermatologists.
Memory Impairment and Cognitive Decline
Smoking negatively impacts cognitive function over time. Regular tobacco use decreases blood flow to the brain, leading to memory impairment and a greater risk of cognitive decline. Smokers are at higher risk for dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases, as nicotine and other toxins continually damage the brain Alzheimer’s Society UK.
Treating the Body as a Temple - your house you live in.
From a tantric perspective, our bodies are seen as temples - the sacred Space, the home for our Soul, our house that carry our life force. So why would we willingly pollute this temple by filling it with smoke?
It’s like setting a fire inside your own house while you’re sitting on the Sofa and watch a movie.
Smoking is not just a physical act; it’s a form of self-neglect, a disregard for the body that supports and sustains us.
When we respect our bodies as sacred, treating them with care and awareness becomes a natural choice. Imagine honoring your body by nourishing it, protecting it, and allowing it to thrive. Smoking, from this perspective, becomes not only unnecessary, I is totally absurd - a habit that goes directly against valuing and respecting ourselves.
Imagine a World Without Cigarettes
What would it be like to live in a world without cigarettes? Imagine a world where people gather without the haze of smoke, where the air is clean, and where we breathe freely. Hospitals would no longer be filled with patients suffering from smoking-related diseases, and our healthcare systems could channel resources into other areas of need. Or, would we actually still need this System
Without tobacco, people would experience fewer cancers, less cardiovascular disease, and improved mental health. Families would be spared the heartbreak of watching loved ones struggle with smoking-related illnesses. The environment would benefit, too, as tobacco farming—which contributes to deforestation and pollution—would no longer ravage our planet.
Painting this powerful and maybe unrealistic vision shows us, how much life could improve if we chose to let go of this deeply toxic habit.
Your Choice: Breaking Free from the Cycle
The decision to quit smoking is personal—and ultimately yours alone. But understanding what nicotine is doing to your body and mind can help you make a conscious choice. Smoking is a trap, plain and simple. It hooks you with a fleeting sense of pleasure, dragging you down with every puff.
The Lies We Tell Ourselves
Despite overwhelming evidence of harm, many smokers convince themselves they don’t need to quit - at least not yet. Maybe you think smoking helps you relax, manage stress, or get through the day. But here’s the hard truth: nicotine doesn’t calm you down. It creates the stress it pretends to relieve. The “calm” feeling from smoking simply alleviates the withdrawal symptoms that nicotine caused in the first place.
Another common justification is, “I’m only hurting myself.” But smoking doesn’t just affect the smoker. Secondhand smoke harms those around you - especially children and loved ones who have no choice but to inhale the toxins you exhale.
Personal Note
Fifteen years ago, I was a smoker myself. I smoked a pack of blue Gauloises every day, before I went to sleep and the moment I woke up. It was a habit, a comfort, and an addiction. Then, one day, I felt an disgust for the smoke. It was as if my body decided, “We don’t want this anymore.” I feel deeply grateful for that shift, for my body’s silent wisdom guiding me away from cigarettes.
Now, looking back, I see smoking for what it truly was - a way of polluting the “House” I live in. I wouldn’t burn my own house from the inside, so why was I doing it to my body? That realization helped me make this radical choice to let go of smoking for good. For anyone still struggling with this habit, know that it’s possible to break free. Sometimes it’s about finding that moment of clarity, listening to the body, having awareness and realising that there’s a better way to live with fresh air in my lungs.
Sources: 1. World Health Organization (WHO) – Tobacco Fact Sheet • Link: World Health Organization • Provides global statistics on smoking rates, deaths, and health impacts. 2. European Commission – Tobacco Consumption in the European Union • Link: European Commission • Discusses smoking rates in the EU, including statistics on Germany and other European countries. 3. German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) – Tobacco Atlas • Link: DKFZ Tobacco Atlas • Provides information on smoking rates, deaths, and healthcare costs associated with smoking in Germany. 4. British Lung Foundation – Smoking and Respiratory Health • Link: British Lung Foundation • Details the effects of smoking on respiratory health, including conditions like COPD, emphysema, and lung cancer. 5. European Society of Cardiology (ESC) – Cardiovascular Health and Smoking • Link: European Society of Cardiology • Explores how smoking impacts cardiovascular health, including the risk of heart disease and stroke. 6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Health Effects of Smoking • Link: CDC Smoking and Health • Covers the broad health impacts of smoking, including immune system suppression and the risks of smoking-related infections. 7. Cancer Research UK – Smoking and Cancer • Link: Cancer Research UK • Discusses the link between smoking and various cancers, including lung, throat, and pancreatic cancer. 8. American Psychological Association (APA) – Nicotine Addiction and the Brain • Link: APA Smoking and Mental Health • Examines how nicotine affects the brain, leading to dependency, mood swings, and changes in mental health. 9. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) – Nicotine, Anxiety, and Depression • Link: National Institute of Mental Health • Discusses the link between smoking, anxiety, and depression, and how nicotine affects mental health over time. 10. British Association of Dermatologists – Smoking and Skin Health • Link: British Association of Dermatologists • Describes the impact of smoking on skin, including premature aging, wrinkles, and reduced blood flow to skin cells. 11. Alzheimer’s Society UK – Smoking and Cognitive Decline • Link: Alzheimer’s Society UK • Provides information on how smoking affects brain health, increasing the risk of memory impairment and dementia. 12. European Lung Foundation – The Impact of Smoking on Lung Health • Link: European Lung Foundation • Covers the effects of smoking on lung health, including increased susceptibility to respiratory infections.