The Department of biology organized an awareness campaign entitled “The Negative Effects of Smoking”, which included distributing awareness brochures to students in the university corridors under the supervision of the department staff, represented by (Prof. Dr. Dhurgham Ali Abbas) (Assistant Professor Zahraa Jawad Kazim) and second-year students of the Department of Life Sciences.<br /><br />Smoking has many negative effects and damages that affect public health and the body in many ways<br /><br />1. Cardiovascular diseases:<br />Atherosclerosis: Smoking increases the accumulation of fatty substances in the walls of the arteries, which leads to their hardening and reduced blood flow.<br /><br />High blood pressure: Smoking increases blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and strokes.<br /><br />Coronary artery diseases: Smokers are more susceptible to heart attacks and coronary heart disease.<br /><br />2. Lung diseases:<br />Lung cancer: Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer, as cigarette smoke contains carcinogenic substances that lead to changes in the DNA of lung cells.<br />Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Smoking causes chronic lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which impede normal breathing.<br />3. Cancer:<br />Smoking is linked to a number of other types of cancer, such as:<br />Cancer of the mouth, pharynx and throat.<br />Esophageal cancer.<br />Pancreatic cancer.<br />Bladder cancer.<br />Chemicals in cigarettes lead to cellular changes that increase the likelihood of cancer.<br />4. Weakened immune system:<br />Smoking weakens the immune system's ability to fight infection and disease. Smokers are more susceptible to colds, flu, and respiratory infections.<br />5. Digestive problems:<br />Stomach ulcers: Smoking increases the risk of stomach ulcers and leads to a deterioration in the health of the digestive system.<br /><br />Stomach cancer: Smoking increases the risk of stomach and intestinal cancer.<br /><br />Smoking negatively affects almost all organs of the body, quitting smoking helps reduce these risks significantly, and leads to an improvement in overall health in the long term.<br /><br />Al-Mustaqbal University is the first university in Iraq