A study by Dr. Stella Daskalopoulou of Canada’s McGill University Health Center revealed that smoking even one cigarette stiffens the arteries of 18 to 30-year-olds by 25 percent.

This causes blood vessels to be more resistant, forcing the heart to work harder and increasing the risk of heart disease or stroke. The study shows that arterial stiffness increases with exercise in smokers, rather than decreasing as it normally does in those who are smoke-free.

Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson Dr. Beth Abramson warned, “More than 47,000 Canadians will die prematurely each year due to tobacco use, which often starts in the teen years.”

She thus highlighted the need for education, preventive measures and legislative bans to eliminate tobacco use. Our gratitude, Dr. Daskalopoulou, Dr. Abramson and associates at McGill University and the Heart and Stroke Foundation for informing the public of this life-threatening risk to our youth. Blessed be such efforts
as yours in bringing freedom from this harmful substance to all people in the world.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027085300.htm