The Negative Effects of Tobacco

In 1988, the Ministry of Health in the United States defined the nicotine as an addictive substance. Cigarettes and other derivatives substances generate tobacco dependence. The addictive mechanisms are similar to the addiction mechanisms to drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Cigarettes are highly efficient at delivering nicotine and other addictive substances. The average smoker takes in 1 to 2 mg of nicotine per cigarette each time they inhale. Nicotine reaches the brain within 10 seconds which contributes to its great power of addiction.

Now for some tobacco facts. Chewing Tobacco can lead to mouth cancer and dry tongue. You can loose your teeth

Let’s just start with one of the main reasons on why using smokeless tobacco is bad for you, it contains multitude of chemicals, some of which cause cancer. Of some of the 4,000+ chemicals found in a can of chewing tobacco (The Effects Of Physical Withdrawal, 2013), some of these include; formaldehyde, arsenic, polonium-210 (nuclear waste), cadmium (car battery additive), acetone (paint stripper), ammonia, and Nitrosamines. According to the American Cancer Society, that least thirty (30) of these chemicals found in smokeless tobacco are cancer causing agents. (Berger, 2015) Of these cancer causing chemical, the most harmful are “Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamines (TSNAs)” Some of the cancers that smokeless tobacco can attribute too include, but are not limited to; mouth, tongue, cheek, gum, esophageal, and pancreatic. (Berger, 2015) Hank, I know that you’re probably heard all of this before, but I’ve heard your excuse before “It’s a safer alternative than cigarettes.” Hank, have you ever read one of the front labels found on most cans that state, “This product is not a safe alternative to cigarettes.”

The use of tobacco is unhealthy. It increases blood pressure, respiratory problems, and heart rate, just like cocaine or heroin would do. That may seem like a big comparison, however if it can save ones life, then it is necessary. Why would one want to potentially harm themselves? If you do the math, overtime, some would call tobacco use a suicide attempt. You are only making yourself worse when being around tobacco or using it. Smoking causes premature aging, wrinkles, and skin discoloration. Tobacco causes gum infection and gingivitis, which will also run up a dentist bill, and those are not cheap. Overall tobacco is just leading those who use it into

A Tobacco plant is made up of approximately 5 percent of nicotine by weight. There are two categories of tobacco products cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Nicotine has many effects on the body but the effect it has on the brain is responsible for the so called “good feeling” that is behind the addiction. Nicotine is considered to be addictive because of the psychological and physiological effects on a person. The Center for the Advancement of Health published the results of a study on teenager smokers:

Smoking is the most avoidable cause of death. The drug nicotine is found in tobacco, and the most common use of nicotine is in cigarettes. Filter cigarettes are the popular form of nictoine in todays society, controlling over ninety percent of the U.S. cigarette market (Hart, Carl L., et al., 2013). Nicotine can be absorbed through the mucous membranes. Additionally it can cause, “lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive lung diseases (including emphysema) (Hart, Carl L., et al.,2013). Nicotine can cause dependence, and often leads to smokers modify smoking patterns to acqire more nicotine. However, smokers are not the only people who suffer the consequences of smoke. Second handsmoke can cause lung

Most cigarettes have eight to nine mg of nicotine, though only one mg is transferred to the smoker. Nicotine increases the heart rate, raises the blood pressure and causes blood clotting to the smoker. The most important fact about nicotine is that it has no medical value. Other drugs like marijuana, heroine, and cocaine have no medical value as well but for some reason, cigarettes are legal in the US. An interesting fact that many people do not know is that nicotine, the addicting drug in cigarettes, is more addicting then marijuana, heroine, and cocaine. There has not been one reported death due to marijuana. In 1988, the U.S. Surgeon General reported that nicotine is just as addictive as heroin and cocaine. A "hit" of nicotine reaches the brain in seven seconds, twice as fast as heroin injected into the vein. And still the cigarette is still legal.

Also, the main reason these smokeless tobacco products are so dangerous is because of the all the hazardous chemicals found inside them, such as nicotine. Nicotine is a chemical found in all tobacco products that has many health effects on the human body. The difference between cigarette users, who inhale nicotine-containing smoke into the lungs, and smokeless users is that they absorb the chemicals through their oral cavities, getting nicotine to eventually travel into their bloodstreams. (Julie 1). As a matter of fact, “users [of smokeless tobacco] generally absorb more nicotine from smokeless tobacco products than from cigarettes” (Julie 2). If more people were aware of this fact, they would definitely think twice before chewing/dipping again. When individuals buy any smokeless tobacco product on the market, they are also unknowingly purchasing the many deadly chemicals that come with it.

According to the NRDC, nearly 18,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease were caused by active smoking in 1990. Smoking a single cigarette can damage blood flow to your heart for people with a pre-existing coronary artery disease. Cigarette smoking has been found to be the leading cause of pulmonary illness and death in the US. In 1990, smoking cause more than 84,000 deaths anywhere from lung disease, such as pneumonia, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.

To begin let’s talk about the many, many health risks that are caused from smoking. I’ll start off with the biggest consequence smoking causes. Cancer. According to the CDC.gov website, nine out of ten lung cancers are caused from smoking cigarettes. And although lung cancer is the most common cancer associated with smoking, it is definitely not the only one. Smoking can cause cancer anywhere in the body. From the mouth to the colon, nothing is safe from cancer when you smoke. According to betobaccofree.gov, the chemicals in cigarettes harm your blood cells and damage your heart, increasing your likelihood of developing aneurysms, cardiovascular disease, Coronary heart disease, and strokes. Smokers also develop mouth sores and ulcers and as stated on deltadentalins.com, smokers are about 4 times more likely than non-smokers to develop gum disease. Smokers experience muscle deterioration because blood and oxygen are restricted and can’t reach the muscles.

Another cardiovascular malfunction that cigarette smoking may cause are strokes. A stroke is damage to the brain caused by leakage from a ruptured blood vessel or an interruption in blood supply. Nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke affect the adhesives of blood platelets, the main clotting factor in blood. This can cause blood vessels to harden and form blood clots that can flow to the brain, a major cause of strokes. Nicotine can also cause the blood vessels to constrict. When a smokers arteries become too constricted,

Cigarette smokers are two to four times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than non-smokers, and tobacco use doubles risk for stroke. It also causes reduced circulation by narrowing the blood vessels, and it causes premature wrinkles because it constricts the oxygen and warmth from all parts of the body so the skin ages faster.

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.

Smoking is not just a bad habit, but also a complex addiction. Experts believe that nicotine exerts its powerful addictive effects by

Although many claim the opposite smoking tobacco has been proved scientifically to be addictive. Addiction is when a person is physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance and is unable to stop taking it without incurring unpleasant effects. Once the body tastes nicotine the addictive chemical found in cigarettes it craves for more. Nicotine creates a pleasurable feeling that appeals to the smoker. However, since nicotine is the only addictive drug in tobacco if extracted from tobacco then tobacco won't be addictive.