The Dangers of Smoking

It is the most common addiction throughout the world with 1.1 trillion people smoking currently, consisting about a third of the population over 15 years old. While nicotine is the addictive substance in the tobacco that causes addiction, tobacco will increase health risks of heart attack and vascular diseases. Nicotine dependency is a complex brain disease, and we need to start thinking of it as such. New ways of ingesting this substance have been created, that try to lure and appeal to demographic, particularly younger, to consume nicotine. Regardless of how many years someone has smoked, stopping at any point will valuable and improve your quality of life. Changing the public’s view on addiction is a subject of importance, so many of others can view this as a brain disease more than a personal decision. To fight this addiction, you have to rewire your behaviors in your brain and have a drive to overcome this horrific addiction. The brain can luckily keep changing and be trained to stop cravings with a multitude of different strategies. Anyone can be affected by addiction, we need start treating addicts with evidence-based practices rather than jailing them. Through more education and laws enforced, we can only hope that the number of tobacco users can decrease more and everyone can learn to live a healthier, full life without addiction and the painful diseases that derive from

Of the roughly 42 million adults in the US that use tobacco, nearly 69% of smokers want to quit and more than 42% of those wishing to quit will make the attempt through various methods(1). These methods range from the "cold turkey" method, nicotine replacement therapy, behavioural therapy and even medicine. Each method has it's unique strengths and weaknesses as well as varying success rates. There are many reasons to quit and many ways in which to do so, either with methods that involve slowly weaning off of nicotine, like gums and patches from replacement therapy, to nicotine-free methods which require support from various sources.

middle (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12) students, CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) analyzed data from the 2011-2014 National Youth Tobacco Surveys (NYTS). In 2014, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among middle (3.9%) and high (13.4%) school students. Between 2011 and 2014, statistically significant increases were observed among these students for current use of both e-cigarettes and hookahs (p<0.05), while decreases were observed for current use of more traditional products, such as cigarettes and cigars, resulting in no change in overall tobacco use. Consequently, 4.6 million middle and high school students continue to be exposed to harmful tobacco product constituents, including nicotine.” (Arrazola

Smoking is the single highest cause of preventable death in America and puts users at significantly greater risk for disease compared to the rest of the population. Tobacco use costs the U.S. more than 289 billion dollars annually in medical expenses and lost productivity (Surgeon General, 2014). The problems associated with smoking are due in part to its addictiveness. Nicotine is the addictive substance found in tobacco and its chemical dependence is as strong as heroin, cocaine, or alcohol (CDC, 2014). Getting all smokers to quit entirely is not realistic due to nicotine’s addictive characteristics.

Nicotine dependence remains a significant public health concern (Rep., 2011). Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of mortality in the United States, accounting for approximately 1 out of every 5 deaths. On average, smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than nonsmokers. Additionally the estimates for average annual smoking-attributable productivity losses are $96.8 billion and the total economic burden of smoking is approximately $193 billion per year (USDoHaH, 2000). Despite the availability of therapeutic options for smoking cessation, relapse rates remain high (Piasecki, 2006; Pollak et al., 2007). Therefore, there is a need for new, effective, strategies to assist cigarette smokers achieve abstinence.

When I think of smoking the first thing that comes to my mind is lung cancer. I could say with confidence that mostly any person that is asked about tobacco know the harm it causes to the human body or at least one of the dangers of smoking. This topic is very interesting to me because i simply don 't understand why a person becomes a frequent smoker while knowing all the harm one cigarette can do to them and others around them. Second hand smoking is also a big issue in our country because of all the smoking done in outside areas. Even if a person doesn 't smoke and is the healthiest person in the world, being around another person/people for a long time who smoke(s) frequently can cause you be very open to second hand smoke and can also give you all the same health problems a first hand smoker deals with.

Nicotine addiction is a most common addiction faced by adults and teens in today’s society, which could gradually lead to death eventually. A tobacco product such as a cigarettes, cigars, and pipes contains nicotine and 4,000 more different chemicals that are toxic to the body and brain physically and psychologically (CDC). Teen are pressured by their peers into start using nicotine products at early age in order to fit into a society or a group where it is symbolized as “Cool kids actions” to use this product, while adult use tobacco products because they are addicted. According to CDC more than 480,000 deaths annually are tobacco related death in which person was addicted to tobacco or victim of second hand smoke.

Cigarettes are highly addictive, which is mainly due to the ingredient nicotine. Tobacco is contains thousands of different chemicals and at least 50 of them are known carcinogens and many of the other ingredients are poisonous. Nicotine is a hard habit to quit, more than half of smokers say they wish they could quit yet despite the gum, patches and other remedies many cannot. Imagine waking up every day, smoking a cigarette, and knowing that you’re adversely affecting everything that surrounds you. Imagine feeling horrible about smoking but have a greater need to satisfy your nicotine addiction. Imagine seeing your young child cough upon inhalation of secondhand smoke and knowing that they too are inhaling the poisonous and carcinogenic compounds.

However, once nicotine dependence is established, cues related to nicotine release become greatly influential in controlling self-administration behaviors. When a cigarette is smoked, about 80 percent of the inhaled nicotine is absorbed in the lungs. The American Lung Association reports that teens who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime find it hard to quit, even if they want to do so. Some teens will be addicted to smoking more quickly, and they experience cravings for nicotine quite soon after initiating cigarette use. Teens can also become addicted to the process of smoking, finding it difficult to even think about going through the day without the ability to unwrap a pack of cigarettes, flick open a lighter or hear the paper of the cigarette crackle with flame. Withdrawal symptoms like this can make it difficult, if not impossible, for teens to quit smoking on their own. They may simply feel as though they need cigarettes in order to feel happy and normal, and they may be unable to find a way to stop smoking without help.( David R. Francis “Dramatic Rise in Teenage Smoking,” 27 July 2010, National Bureau of Economic Research, Massachusetts.

The analysis found that “ Unfortunately, less than 7% of those who try to quit achieve more than 1 year of abstinence. In fact, most individuals relapse within a few days of their quit attempt.” (Fritz et al., 2008) The adolescent population is facing a nicotine plague of epidemic proportions. Fitz et al., (2008) concluded that the majority of adolescents (82.3%) reported smoking as a means to relax. It is of interest to note that many smoked for emotional reasons, including stress reduction (75.0%) and feelings of depression and worry (68.8%). Fritz et al., (2008) further demonstrated the need for smoking cessation when their findings suggest that 43% of people between the ages of 10 and 22 years who smoke as few as three cigarettes a day become habitual smokers (CDC, 2004). These figures support the recent findings that the largest proportion (28.5%) of smokers is among people between the ages of 18 and 24 years (ALA, 2004). Seeing that this issue is one of the leading causes of death in the US based upon preventability. Researchers and clinicians alike are trying to find adequate addressing ways to increase smoking cessation effectiveness. Fitz et al., (2008) also conclude by saying that those adolescents who smoke are three times more likely to drink alcohol, eight times more likely to smoke marijuana, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine than adolescents who do not

“More than 80 percent of smokers and ex-smokers regret they ever started smoking in the first place.” (IBTimes). Lung cancer, brain defects, heart problems, losing teeth, ruining family relationships, wasting money, and early deaths are all resulting factors that revolve around smoking nicotine. The effects of nicotine have impacted the lives of many people more negatively than positively based off personal testimonies. Smoking nicotine at an early age has resulted in the educational lives of young teenagers to be ruined because of their faulty decisions. Children also suffer from second hand smoking nicotine because of a decision their parents make by smoking around them in small households. Nicotine has been sold as early as 1828 and is currently legal to sell in the United States, but should be outlawed do to the negative effects and impacts it has on people who smoke it such as; leading to smoke other substances, physical defects, and ruining social relationships.

One of the largest issues today is adolescent smoking. According to a heath based website, nearly 90% of adult smokers start while they are still teens and they never intend to get hooked. They may start by bumming a cigarette or two from a friend at a party, and then go on to buying an occasional pack. Soon they realize that they can't go without that pack. They've gotten used to reaching for a cigarette first thing in the morning, after meals, or during any stressful time. They become addicted, both physically and psychologically. According to the American Lung Association, each day 6,000 children under the age of 18 smoke their first cigarette. Almost 2,000 of them will become regular smokers – that’s 757, 000 new smokers annually!

Tobacco; one of the most profitable products in history, an addictive substance, and a deadly killer. Smoking tobacco used to be a thing that was endorsed in American society. Now, with the new medical advances and knowledge, society has seen the side effects of smoking and how fatal it actually is. Teenagers have been one of the largest age groups that have been affected by smoking. After analyzing all possible reasons as to why teenagers would smoke while knowing it can affect their health, three possible reasons stuck out the most. Teenagers smoke despite knowing the health problems that originate from smoking because of peer pressure, an “invincibility” mentality, and seeing a role model or family member smoke.

For a country in our financial position the general health of Scotland is very poor. In some areas the average life expectancy is as low as 54 years old for men. A major cause of this is smoking. With the young in particular smoking is much more popular than it used to be. In October 2008, it was estimated that one third of 16-24 year olds smoke. This figure is at a 10 year high. In between the ages of 16-19 it is found that girls are more likely to smoke than boys.

Over 65% of adult cigarette smokers claim that they wish they could quit permanently, according to a survey by the American Center for Disease Control (Smoking Cessation). This desire to cede from the addiction of smoking is in good reasoning, too. Even those who currently smoke know the dangers in such an unhealthy behavior, and everyone is familiar with the aura of disaster that comes along with cigarettes, but what exactly makes them so dangerous? Is it addiction; financial loss; psychological isolation? Try chemicals. Over four thousand chemicals have been identified in cigarette smoke, and, the worst part is, a great number of the same chemicals are found in America’s food, too (Wells). Just as cigarette tobacco absorbs harmful pesticides from the soil in which it grows, America’s grains, fruits, and vegetables do the same. Although not nearly all four thousand are commonplace in our everyday diet, these chemicals have recently drawn the concern of many consumers. Research studies conducted by distinguished scientists have found a vast amount of chemical residue in conventional foods. Eliminating these toxins from diets is quite easy: grow the food without pesticides. Organic and natural foods are superior to conventional foods in that they help preserve the environment and offer greater health benefits.