The Effects of Smoking
Smoking has a detrimental effect to the individual‟s health and their family through second-hand
smoke. A given fact stated by Health Canada is that “The average smoker will die about 8 years
earlier than a similar non-smoker. Life expectancy improves after a smoker quits” (Health
Canada, 2009). Its causes are widely known yet individuals still attract to the consumption of
Cigarette’s Brief History
Cigarette‟s origin place is America, where the production of tobacco itself began. People started
to consume the leaves for smoking and chewing. “The first users were considered to be of Maya
civilization in Central America. The people of Aztecs in South America followed and crushed
tobacco leaves, wrapped them in corn husks to smoke” (iloveindia.com). The corn husks were
replaced in the early 17th century by paper in Spain, which spread the smoking custom.
The word „cigarette‟ is French from „sigarito‟ in Spanish (iloveindia.com).
After the Crimean War, cigarettes were introduced to the English world (iloveindia.com).
British soldiers started to smoke during the war and when they returned to England, the custom
was quickly spread. Phillip Morris, a London tobacconist, in 1854 started to manufacture
cigarettes. In U.S, manufacturing of cigarettes didn‟t start until 1864. In 1879, due to the high
demand of cigarettes, the invention of the first cigarette machine was introduced
“In 1922, the Tobacco Tax Law fixed the weight of the tobacco at 1361 mg per cigarette,
thereby also determining the modern day size. By 1930s and 40s, the other brands which became
popular were Old Gold, Raleigh and Philip Morris” (iloveindia.com). In 1954, studies showed
that tobacco consumption was harmful to the health. “In 1954, R. J Reynolds manufactured the
first filtered cigarette under the brand name Winston. In 1956, the first filtered cigarette with
menthol, named Salem was introduced. In 1962, Kent brand was launched, which had „micronit
filter‟, containing asbestos” (iloveindia.com). In 1968, companies failed by attempting the sale
of cigarettes, under the name of Brave, that contained lettuce leaves and not tobacco.
Manufacturing companies extended their market of cigarettes in other countries, specifically in
the developing countries of Asia (iloveindia.com). The brand, Malbora, was ranked as the top
brand in the world.
During the 1980s, smoking was seen as impolite and “politically „incorrect‟” (iloveindia.com).
That idea quickly changed in the 21st century as society accepted the habit of smoking. Tobacco
smoking became addictive and “the world‟s most devastating causes of death and disease”
(Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009). In the late 1990s, World Health Organization estimated a
worldwide death of approximately 4 million per year and this estimation increased by a million
approximately in 2003 (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009).
Have you checked the components of your cigarette?
Cigarettes contain many toxins, one too many to count, which are hazardous to the person‟s
health and the numbers increase when the smoke is released. Some of the dangerous toxins
added to a cigarette are nicotine, ammonia, tar, benzene, cadmium, carbon monoxide, and
Formaldehyde. The depressing fact is those are not the only chemicals added.
Nicotine helps you become addicted to tobacco, which is why many find it hard to stop their
habits right away. This chemical gets absorbed into the individual‟s bloodstream and within ten
seconds, gives „a rush to the brain‟. It “produces chemicals in the brain called dopamine”
(About.com, 2005). It also increases the individual‟s heart rate and blood pressure (About.com,
2005) and affects your cardiovascular and endocrine systems (Body and Health, 2009).
Ammonia simple helps the nicotine do its job in other words. Tar is a “black residue containing
hundreds of chemical [and] are considered carcinogenic or classified as hazardous waste. They
include polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), aromatic amines and inorganic compounds”
(About.com, 2005). Benzene is a chemical used in fuel and dyes. It is known to cause cancer
(About.com, 2005). Cadmium can cause kidney damage and also “increases the risk of
developing lung cancer (About.com, 2005). Carbon monoxide “reduces the ability of your red
blood cells to deliver oxygen to tissues, causing the greatest potential damage to the heart, brain
and skeletal muscles -- tissues that have the most demand for oxygen” (Body and Health, 2009).
Formaldehyde is “classified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a probable
human carcinogen” (Body and Health, 2009). Some of the symptoms are eye, nose and throat
irritations, and other breathing problems (Body and Health, 2009).
Smoking doesn‟t give individual positive results; rather it produces more negative effects for the
body. According to Canadian Cancer Society, 30% of all cancer deaths are because of smoking
(Canadian Cancer Society, 2009). Smoking has adverse health effects: lung cancer, lung disease
and heart disease. It “also increase[s] the risk of developing cancer of the bladder, cervix, colon
and rectum, esophagus, kidney, larynx, mouth and throat, pancreas, stomach and some types
of ovarian tumours” (Canadian Cancer Society, 2009).
The more an individual smokes, the greater the risk is for them to have lung cancer. “Smoking
causes genetic changes in the cells of the lung that lead to the development of lung cancer”
(Health Canada, 2009). It can also cause lung disease. COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease) is a respiratory disease that is associated with smoking; this includes emphysema,
chronic bronchitis, and asthmatic bronchitis (Health Canada, 2009). Cardiovascular diseases (a
form of heart disease) “are diseases and injuries of the heart, the blood vessels of the heart, and
of the system of blood vessels (veins and arteries) throughout the body and brain” (Health
Canada, 2009). It also includes heart attacks and strokes.
For women, it can destroy their reproductive system and hurt babies. It can also reduce fertility
and there is a higher chance of miscarriages, premature births, stillbirth, infant death and low
birth-weight infants (American Cancer Society, 2007).
There are two categories of smoke in cigarette smoke: Mainstream smoke (MS) and Sidestream
smoke. “Mainstream smoke is a combination of inhaled and exhaled smoke after taking a puff
on a lit cigarette (Martin, 2009). It depends on each person as it is affected by how the smoker
inhales and exhales. Sidestream smoke, on the other hand, is the smoke that comes off the end
of cigarette butt (Martin, 2009). These two categories form second-hand smoke, also known as
Second-hand smoke consists of “a combination of poisonous gases, liquids, and breathable
particles that are harmful to [the] health” (Health Canada, 2007). Non-smokers residing with
smokers have a 24% increased risk for developing lung cancer in comparison to other non-
smokers (MedicineNet, 2009).
Children are more affected than adults because they breathe faster and can increase their chances
of developing asthma by 200 – 400 percent (Health Canada, 2009). They are also at risk for ear
infections. Children being exposed to second-hand smoke are at risk for: bronchitis, pneumonia,
asthma, middle ear disease, and tonsillitis (Alberta Health Services, 2009).
There are more than 4000 chemicals which are known to cause cancer; these include: carbon
monoxide, ammonia, cadmium, and arsenic. It can cause sore eyes and throat, nasal irritation,
headaches, coughing and wheezing, nausea and dizziness Canadian Cancer Society, 2009).
Another Idea: Third-Hand Smoke?
Smoke that lingers after a smoker has long finished their cigarette is known as third-hand smoke.
“Researchers have found that third-hand smoke containing heavy metals, carcinogens and even
radioactive materials lingers long after second-hand smoke has dissipated, and can be ingested
by children crawling around a room” (TheStar, 2009).
Smoking tobacco is a harmful fact not only to those that smoke but also to the individuals who
inhale the smoke, such as family members, friends and co workers. Not only does it harm the
smoker themselves but for pregnant women, it can harm premature babies. A smoker usually
doubles their risk of dying before they are at the age of 65 years old. Canada and other countries
have begun to help smokers from quitting with programs that aid them towards the goal of
quitting, removing tobacco related items off the shelf, banning advertising, and creating smoke
free environment. Smoking is an essential key that contributes to health instability and creates an
unhealthy environment for all of us.
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