Be it ads, hoardings or warnings, you will almost always see gory pictures of the effects of smoking. Many of these evoke fear or disgust not just among smokers but among people in general. Many complain that these images are exaggerated and do not present the real picture. There may be others who support using such pictures to create awareness. Whatever be the case, you might still have a doubt about some such pictures.
Pictures of smoking damage — what do they mean?
Here, we will look at three commonly seen pictures used in anti-smoking ads and warnings and try to find out if there is any truth to them.
Yellow teeth: Pictures of yellow rotting teeth are widely used as it is possibly one of the most immediate effects of smoking. This is one image that is not exaggerated because smoking does cause staining of teeth. Many smokers use various chemicals like special toothpastes and teeth-whitening techniques to keep their teeth white, but without much success.
When a smoker takes a puff from a cigarette, the smoke enters the body through his/her mouth. This means that the teeth are exposed to all the chemicals present in cigarette smoke. Some particulate toxins, like tar, stick to the teeth and make them yellow and stained. Cigarette smoke also stains crowns, implants and false teeth.
Cancerous lungs: This is another image that is widely used, especially in anti-smoking warnings. This image is usually a combination of two pictures — a healthy lung and a black lung affected by cancer.
Smoking has been known to cause or increase the risk of lung cancer. A sizable percentage of lung cancer patients have been found to be current or past smokers. Also, smokers’ lungs are generally shriveled and black due to accumulated soot and tar, along with many other toxins.
Clogged Arteries: Images of a diseased heart or clogged arteries are again commonly seen in quit smoking ads and warnings. Warning accompanying these images will tell you about heart diseases caused by smoking.
Nicotine in cigarette attacks and damages the innermost layer of blood vessels. The main function of this layer is to ensure smooth flow of blood and prevent fats and cholesterol from sticking to the walls of blood vessels. This causes blood vessels, especially arteries, to get clogged. This increases the risk of heart attacks and other heart diseases. Heart-related diseases due to smoking have been known to cause more deaths per year than lung cancer due to smoking.
So, even though pictures that you see on hoardings or in ads and warning signs may look a bit exaggerated, they still have a substantial amount of truth to them.
