Smoking has far-reaching effects on your life and the lives of those around you and being able to quit this habit can allow you to live a more active life without the desire to smoke. Smoking cigarettes is an addictive habit caused by a chemical in tobacco called nicotine. Addiction is the word used to describe a person who habitually smokes cigarettes, but the word addiction has not always been used to describe such a negative thing. Dependency was originally used to describe an individual who was engaged with another to learn a trade as on-the-job training is used today. In the 1800s the word addict became more related to negative actions such as alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs. Cigarettes are addictive and this comes from a chemical drug called nicotine which is found in tobacco leaves. Nicotine is a natural chemical that allows the tobacco plant to deter insects, but this chemical is a poison and is harmful to humans. One drop of this chemical in its pure form is enough to kill a human. There is also a psychological effect that makes a habit extremely difficult to break. These and many others are the tools with which the tobacco industry sells these harmful products while masking the resulting health problems. There are many health risks associated with smoking, many of these diseases are fatal. Diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, leukemia, mouth cancer also double the chances of developing bladder and stomach cancer, as well as the possibility of leading to cervical, kidney, pancreatic or liver cancer. Cancer can form in smokers due to the harmful chemicals associated with cigarettes, whether natural or unnatural, found in them. Cigarettes are filled with... halves of paper... and they break the rubber band when they feel the need and continue doing so until the need no longer exists. Willpower is a method used by many, but the failure rate is much higher than for those who are helped with alternative means to deal with the addiction resulting from smoking. Smokers who do not have the ability to quit put their lives at risk for more than 4 years. million people per year and shortening the lifespan of men and women by more than 10 years. Smoking is a pleasurable habit that has far-reaching effects on your life and the lives of those around you. Quitting smoking now will allow you to live a healthier and longer life as well as that of your loved ones. Works Cited Robert West, Saul Shiffman. “Stop smoking”. (2nd edition)Health Press ltd, 2007, Web.William McCay, Mark Kittleson., Mark Kittleson. "The truth about smoking." Health Press ltd, 2005, Web.