The effects of tobacco smoke on the respiratory system include: irritation of the trachea (windpipe) and larynx (voice box) reduced lung function and breathlessness due to swelling and narrowing of the lung airways and excess mucus in the lung passages.
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The major health problems caused by smoking affect the nicotine delivery system: the airways, blood vessels and lungs in the human respiratory system. During normal breathing, air is ingested through the nose or mouth and travels through the bronchial tubes to the lungs. There, the oxygen collects in the alveoli, or air sacs, and diffuses into the bloodstream, to be pumped by the heart to the brain and body. Cigarette smoking upsets this balanced process, to the detriment of the respiratory system.