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When you smoke a cigarette, the chemical nicotine causes a number of immediate responses in the body. In the short-term, blood pressure and heart rate rise and the arteries supplying the heart narrow. When these arteries narrow, the combination of nicotine and carbon monoxide spell double trouble to the heart since carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry.

In addition, smoking causes abnormalities in the way that the body handles various fats (causing a rise in the bad cholesterol LDL and a decrease in the good cholesterol HDL). It also affects various hormones in the body, as well as the handling of blood sugar.

Cigarette smoking harms both the heart and the arteries. The carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke appears to damage the walls of arteries and encourages the buildup of fat inside these walls. Nicotine may also contribute to this process. In addition, chemicals in cigarette smoke make platelets more sticky and thereby increase the likelihood that the blood will clot. All these effects combined increase the risk of heart disease significantly.

Smell is our primal connection to life. Biologists believe that the so-called "smell brain" is the oldest part of the brain. This defined area is a part of the nervous system that we share with insects, lizards, and mammals that has evolved over millions of years. It's one of the gateways to intense attraction (or repulsion). Our bodies are tightly cued in to the presence of friendly, hostile, or sexy odors. Regaining your awareness of this cornucopia of sensations is a major reason to abandon those butts.

With practice, you can hone your senses of smell and taste. Food and wine connoisseurs can pick up subtle distinctions in flavor and distinguish between vintages of a wine; they can tell how long a roast has been marinated and in what kind of sauce.

You can also devolve these senses. Continued exposure to toxic chemicals such as tar, nicotine, and the other constituents of tobacco erodes the sense of smell and taste over the course of years. The good news is that after you quit smoking, your sensitivity and receptivity make a comeback. Your awareness of the world of odors around you rebounds. This may seem like a small matter, but once you get a hint of the banquet of fragrances and flavors that you may have let slip over the years, you're likely to want more.