Great post cincere, Very interesting information. Thank you, Melanie ____________________ The SSC Support Team

Isn't it funny that when we set our minds towards doing something,signs about that something seem to pop up all around. Here's what I found staring me in the face when I logged on to my msn. All the more reason to stay quit. 8 Lesser Known Side Effects Of Smoking -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Gidon Gabbay, TheSoko.com Printer-friendly page Let�s face it � we all know smoking is bad for us. And most of us know that it can cause lung cancer, smoker�s cough, and all-around bad breath. But there are some other not-so-pretty side effects that you might not have known. The fact is, smoking isn�t just a habit that will give you trouble later on in life, it will give you trouble all along the way. Bad Skin and Wrinkles Because smoking restricts blood vessels, it can prevent oxygen and nutrients like Vitamin A from getting to the skin. Smoking also affects the body�s production of collagen and elastin � fibres that give your skin its strength and elasticity. As a result, skin begins to sag and wrinkle prematurely. Lines tend to develop around the mouth from sucking on cigarettes, and around the eyes from squinting through smoke. Increased Risk of Injury Your skin is not the only tissue that is composed of collagen � this fibre is also present in your tendons and ligaments. Therefore if your body�s ability to produce collagen is hampered, injuries involving damage to tendons and ligaments will heal more slowly. These types of injuries are common, especially for those people involved in sports. Slow Healing Time Smokers' broken bones often take a lot longer to heal and the reason for this is simple. Nicotine, a main ingredient in cigarettes, constricts blood vessels around 25% of their normal diameter. Since the new formation of bone depends on an adequate supply of blood, oxygen, and nutrients reaching the injured area, bones tend to heal more slowly in smokers because lower levels of nutrients are supplied to the bones. Increased Risk of Illness Studies show that smokers get more colds, flu, bronchitis, and pneumonia than non-smokers. In addition, people with certain health conditions like asthma, become sicker if they smoke (and often if they're jus

thats realy intersting cincere, i diddnt know about the possible loss of sight. I heard that wounds take longer to repair in smokers dont know if its true. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/28/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 0 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 0 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �0 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 0 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0