Smoking as a Drug - Research Paper Example

? Smoking as a Drug: A Discussion of the Means by Which Smoking Engenders Worse Effects than Other Well Known Street Drugs Ruoyu Huang 11/13 This paper was prepared for Trevor Carlson’s Research Class Abstract: The following analysis seeks to engage the reader with an understanding of the plethora of dangers that exist with relation to smoking. Whereas it is oftentimes assumed that the most relevant threat to first and second-hand smoke is the risk of lung cancer, the following analysis helps to expand upon the litany of different negative health impacts that smoking can have. Further, from an analysis of the exiting literature and facts surrounding smoking, it is the view of this author that the dangers that it engenders are oftentimes under-emphasized and misrepresented to the societal stakeholder. As such, seeking to shed a further level of emphasis upon these will be the main and focused intent of this brief analysis. Key words: smoking, health risk, death Introduction: Whereas many individuals are of the opinion that smoking is a dangerous process that threatens the overall health and well-being of the individual, the fact of the matter is that the overall scope of danger that smoking represents a much greater issue with regards to the overall addictive nature that it represents. Few people within the world understand the fact that smoking is more addicting than some of the harder street drugs that people have come to be so aware of; inclusive of LSD or even cocaine. Accordingly, as a means of categorizing this danger and promoting a level of understanding with respect to the full range of damaging impact that smoking can have upon the individual, this brief analysis will consider and discuss the litany of negative health impacts that smoking engenders. As such, it is the hope of this author that such an analysis will further help to congeal a level of understanding within the reader that smoking is a harmful practice that is not only restricted to impacting the individuals overall chances of lung cancer. Overall Impact: Firstly, it must be understood that smoking accounts for nearly ? million deaths each and every year within the United States. This is a figure that is larger than the overall number of people that succumb to HIV/AIDS, illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle death, suicide, or murders combined. As such, the overall scope of the damage that smoking can have upon an individual is profound and affects their life in a number of different ways. Most obviously, high rates of lung cancer can almost entirely be attributed to smoking. Current estimates place this number from 80-90% of all lung cancer cases; depending upon what demographic and gender is measured. Regardless of the actual number, the statistics that have been provided show that smoking is invariably attributed to high rates of lung cancer and death. Yet, this statistic oftentimes confuses individuals who assume that lung cancer is the only means through which smoking can adversely impact upon the overall health of an individual. However, smoking also increases the chances of developed coronary heart disease by up to 400%. Moreover, upwards of 94% of all deaths that are the result of chronic obstructive lung disease are normally caused by cancer. Yet, of all of the health impacts that can be felt, it is the health impact of cardiovascular disease that is the most overlooked. Due to the impact that nicotine has as well as the artery hardening properties of prolonged exposure to first or second hand cigarette smoke, the narrowing of blood vessels helps to put smokers at high risk for any type of blockage or obstruction that might appear in their blood. Naturally, this drastically impacts upon the overall risk of death and disease from aneurysm, stroke, and of course heart attacks. As each of these increases with risk as an individual ages, the compound effect of smoking and the risk of these diseases acts as a catalyst for many complex health issues that otherwise might not be evidenced within an individual’s life. Not surprisingly, smoking has a drastic impact upon increasing rates of a great litany of different respiratory diseases. As has been discussed, whereas lung cancer is coming, bronchitis, chronic airway obstruction, and emphysema are also well known side effects of smoking. Further, beyond merely lung cancer, smoking is known to drastically increase the overall risk of all types of cancer. For instance, bladder cancer, myeloid leukemia, cervical cancer, kidney cancer, esophageal cancer, oral cancer, pancreatic cancer, cancer of the pharynx, and stomach cancer have all been proven to have a direct linkage with regards to the impacts that smoking can have on health. Yet, beyond the negative health impacts that have thus far been listed, there is a litany of other negative health affects that smoking can have upon an individual. For instance, one of the single largest causes of acquired infertility is the result of smoking. Moreover, cigarette smoking has definitively been linked to preterm deliveries, stillbirth, low birth weight, and SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) (Dingel 1374). As if the previous information that has been thus far presented is not enough, it has also been noted that smoking is linked to a loss in bone density; representing a distinct risk of osteoporosis for post-menopausal women. Further, as a result of the process and manipulated body chemistry that smoking causes, the loss of bone density in tandem with aging creates a vastly increased risk of bone fractures with age. As such, smoking, if not primarily, can secondarily impact upon the risk of death as a result of the fact that broken bones, especially hips, take a great deal of strength and energy to heal from and are one of the primary causes of death in nursing homes around the nation. Yet, all of the information that has been discussed thus far has been concentric upon the ways in which first hand smoke impacts upon the health of the individual. However, the truth of the matter is that medical researchers have recently come to understand the fact that second-hand smoke is almost as damaging to the overall health of the individual exposed to it as is firsthand smoke. As such, many individuals have helped to enact laws that have banished smoking from workplaces, colleges and universities, airports, waiting lounges, restaurants, and a host of other venues. Although smoking is still permitted within certain restaurants and some bars(in designated sections) within the United States, the practice of smoking within a publicly shared space has become increasingly uncommon due to the efforts of those that sought to relegate smoking to areas in which it would have a considerably less negative effect on the general public (Guydish 19). No single individuals have led the charge against banning smoking from public places; rather, the movement is made up of a grass roots movement of concerned citizens, community leaders, health professionals and other key shareholders. However, as our positions have changed with respect to smoking and fewer and fewer individuals consider themselves as “smokers” within the United States, there still is a long way to go with reference to promoting the general health of the population. The purpose of this brief piece will be to consider the issue of banning smoking in publicly shared places (whether indoor or outdoor). Similarly, the appeal which this particular piece will make is one that I based on a logical framework of understanding the known risks which smoking provides to both the smoker and to those that inhale the second-hand smoke. Naturally, rather than seeking to engage in other activities that are both positive to others and/or positive to one’s overall health and well-being, the individuals seek to utilize cigarettes as a means of creating a fabricated rite of passage demonstrate that they realize and understand little with regards to how such a rite of passage should be conducted and impacts upon their future health and decision-making process (Smerecnik 1103). Of all of the computing factors to use smoking which will herein be discussed, the rite of passage aspect is one of the most difficult to counter. This is due to the fact that it is born from within the community of young people that it affects; rather than being directly linked to the influences of another outside group of individuals, society, advertising, or even movies and films. Although the rite of passage argument is a powerful one, it also goes hand in glove with the understanding that exists within many elements of youth culture that smoking in an of itself is a type of rebellion to the norm and can be seen as punk or hip. Within such an understanding, the means by which smoking can be seen as something of a personality identifier can be readily noted. Since the beginning of earliest society, people have sought to differentiate themselves from other groups. Oftentimes, this is done by dressing in a different way, speaking in a different way, were generally behaving in a different way. As such, smoking provides a powerful means by which individuals within youthful society can seek to represent a level of differentiation and rebellion from the norm (Mccullough & Murray 249). Anyone who performs a level of psychological analysis upon youth culture can quickly come to the understanding that the level to which these individuals place and importance upon differentiating themselves from the others is necessarily much higher than is evidenced in any other group of people. Of all of the different aspects of youth smoking that will be discussed within this analysis, seeking to change the way in which culture and society tries to set itself apart from another is perhaps the most difficult of all. Within such an understanding, it is easy for the reader to realize why the definitive proof that exists within society with regards to the overall level of harm and health damages that smoking engage with the user are effectively useless in deterring individuals within the youth of the society from starting smoking. This is of course due to the fact that it is engaged in as a form of rebellion and separation from the remainder of society to my (Mantler 309). The issue becomes further complicated by the fact that both civil liberties and the overall health of the population are two competing virtues that must be juxtaposed in order to seek a remedy. Medical research has greatly advanced within the past few years and has shown that second-hand smoke is nearly as damaging to an individual’s health as that of primary inhalation by the smoker himself/herself. As such, the “right” or “choice” of smoking takes on a broader meaning when weighed against the negative health side effects that are shared by society at large with relation to this destructive habit. The opinion of this author is that although it is within the rights of the individual to destroy their own health, it is entirely unfair to place such a burden on society at large when one factors in the known negative health effects that smoking provides. The opposing view on such measures to ban smoking in public places (both indoor and outdoor) hinges upon the fact that many smokers say that their civil liberties have been violated. This argument in and of itself breaks down due to the fact that the laws are not with regards to whether smokers can still smoke; rather, this argument breaks apart due to the fact that these “civil liberties” that smokers claim with respect to being able to light up in a public place also violate the civil rights and liberties of non-smokers (Song et al 618). By means of the fact that the general public is introduced to the negative health effects of the second-hand smoke and resulting carcinogens, the logic behind implementing a ban on smoking in public is manifestly clear. Due to the fact that around 20% of the US adult population is smokers, one can quickly see that the number of individuals affected by second hand smoke can easily extend into the tens of millions. Due to this fact alone, one is easy able to infer that the negative health effects are compounded when one begins to consider the issue of second hand smoke on the general population. Regardless of one’s particular position on the practice of smoking, the fact remains that the issue itself must be weighed from the perspective of society as a whole and not the individual as a function of his/her rights to damage their own health (Pruss-Ustin et al 139). Although this author is firmly against the implementation of further rules and regulations that provide a greater degree of government autonomy over key aspects of individual rights and individual freedoms, it is also a firmly held belief that those who engage in destructive practices should not be allowed to let those practices impact on anyone besides themselves. In order to directly express what the true costs of second-hand smoke really are one might consider the case of Sally Brisbane. Sally worked as a special education teacher; continually struggling to get by on the meager salary she was provided by the state. Finally, as a means of supplementing this, Sally took a job as a waitress in a bar during the evenings. The supplemental income was just what she needed; what she did not know was that the job was silently killing her. Within 4 years, Sally had developed advanced lung cancer and subsequently succumbed to the disease (Hampstad 2009). Her death is but one example of the many people who have not only been affected by second hand smoke but have subsequently lost their health and their lives due to this factor. As such, rather than advocating a complete ban on smoking, or a ban on the sale of cigarettes etc, this author is advocating that a set of laws and regulations be observed which will push smoking back into the personal arena of responsibility where it belongs. Smoking as a practice is innately dangerous to one’s health. As such, if such a practice is to be carried out, it should necessarily be done within the privacy of one’s own home, vehicle, or other similar location in which the damaging effects to secondary non-users will be severely limited. In this manner both the civil liberties of the smoker and the individual health rights of the non-smoker are persevered in a way to maximize the utility to both. Furthermore, such a logical progression is also a helpful step in removing smoking from the public’s eye. With firmer and stricter controls being instituted with relation to advertising cigarettes, it only stands to reason that a further progression will be to regulate the manner in which smoking appears within our own society. Conclusion: As can be seen from the information that has been presented, the overall addictive nature of cigarette smoking is what continues to make it a threat to society. Even though individuals are fully aware of the fact that cigarette smoking kills, both the individual smoker as well as those around them, they continue to integrate with it because of the high level of addiction that it engenders. If it were not for the fact that cigarette smoking was so addictive in the first place, it is doubtless that many individuals would have been able to kick the habit long ago. Works Cited Annette Pruss-Ustun, et al. "Worldwide Burden Of Disease From Exposure To Second-Hand Smoke: A Retrospective Analysis Of Data From 192 Countries." Lancet 377.9760 (2011): 139-146. MEDLINE. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. Dingel, Molly J., Katrina Karkazis, and Barbara A. Koenig. "Framing Nicotine Addiction As A 'Disease Of The Brain': Social And Ethical Consequences." Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell) 92.5 (2011): 1363-1388. Business Source Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. Guydish, Joseph, et al. "The New York Policy On Smoking In Addiction Treatment: Findings After 1 Year." American Journal Of Public Health 102.5 (2012): e17-e25. Business Source Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. Hampstad, Raymond. "Secondhand Smoke Stories." Read Stories Related to Secondhand Smoke. N.p., 9 Sept. 2009. Web. 04 Nov. 2012. . Mantler, Tara. "A Systematic Review Of Smoking Youths' Perceptions Of Addiction And Health Risks Associated With Smoking: Utilizing The Framework Of The Health Belief Model."Addiction Research & Theory 21.4 (2013): 306-317. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. Mccullough, Lucy, and Murray Anderson. "Agency Lost And Recovered: A Social Constructionist Approach To Smoking Addiction And Recovery." Addiction Research & Theory 21.3 (2013): 247-257. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. Smerecnik, Chris, et al. "Are Smokers Interested In Genetic Testing For Smoking Addiction? A Socio-Cognitive Approach." Psychology & Health 26.8 (2011): 1099-1112. CINAHL Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. Song, AV, SA Glantz, and BL Halpern-Felsher. "Perceptions Of Second-Hand Smoke Risks Predict Future Adolescent Smoking Initiation." Journal Of Adolescent Health 45.6 (2009): 618-625. CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. Read More