Lifestyle & Disease - Effects of Smoking and Alcohol on Health (GCSE Biology)

Effects of Smoking and Alcohol on Health

Smoking and drinking alcohol can have varying effects on health as explored below.

Smoking

The Effects of Smoking on Cardiovascular Health

• If one smokes, the walls of arteries can be damaged by chemicals in the tar – this leads to a greater chance of blood clots forming and can lead to coronary heart disease.
• Moreover, the nicotine can lead to an increase in heart rate and the chemicals lead to an increase in blood pressure. This leads to a greater incidence of cardiovascular disease.

The Effects of Smoking on the Lungs and Cancer

• Smoking can increase the risk of lung disease and cancer. Tobacco contains many chemicals that can affect the body. These include tar, carbon monoxide and nicotine, along with many other chemicals. These chemicals can increase the risk of lung disease as they can damage the gas exchange system. Tar damages the alveoli, leading to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It can also cause cancer.
• Other chemicals also flatten the cilia in the trachea, so they can no longer move the mucus – thus increasing coughing and predisposing the smoker to respiratory tract infections.

The Effects of Smoking on Unborn Babies

• Smoking can affect unborn babies. When a pregnant lady smokes, her baby is starved of oxygen, so many problems such as stillbirths, premature births and a reduced birth weight can occur

Alcohol

The Effect of Alcohol on the Liver and Brain Function

• Alcohol affects liver function. The liver is responsible for breaking down alcohol. Long term drinking of large volumes of alcohol can damage the liver. This can cause cirrhosis, the scarring of the liver, and even cancer.
• Alcohol affects brain function. Alcohol damages the nervous system, thus affecting brain function.

The Effect of Alcohol on Unborn Babies

• Alcohol can affect unborn babies. Alcohol can cause foetal alcohol syndrome as it crosses the placenta. This can lead to deformities in the foetus and heart problems. As the child becomes older, it may suffer from developmental problems.