Effects of Smoking - Report Example

Effects of Smoking Introduction Topol (2007) defined smoking as a process where a substance is burned and then the resulting smoke is inhaled and tasted. The most common substance inhaled is the cigarette that is a substance made from dried tobacco plant leaves and it has been rolled into round small cylinders. Sessa et al. (2000) noted that smoking cigarettes has become a recreational activity for both the youth and old men and women in society because it releases substances that activate body cells. Smoking implements comprise of cigars, hookahs, bongs, pipes, vaporizers, and bidis. Diseases related to smoking kill one-half of the regular smokers and non-smokers could contract the infections. Since July 2007, there has been a smoking ban in the UK in public places such as workplaces, pubs, and restaurants. This paper is going to assess the arguments for and against concern for public health, versus the freedom of the individual to choose. Effects of smoking According to the report written by Brannon and Feist (2010), it is confirmed that approximately 4.9 million individuals in the world die because of excessive smoking. In the current society, more than one billion individuals in the communities practice the behavior. Other drugs smoked include opium, cannabis, and hard narcotics such as heroin. Nicotine is an addictive drug that is found in tobacco smoke that influences the users to continue smoking. People who are addicted to cigarettes need to have enough nicotine over a day in order to satisfy their cravings. Nicotine smokers inhale around 7,000 chemicals from the cigarette smoke that contain compounds that trigger damaging body changes. Individuals smoke because they believe that it enables them to fit in peer groups that are of high standards and class. This fact encourages even the teens and youth to engage in smoking. Fong (2006) stated that smoking helps individuals to lose weight hence improving their image. Smoking is beneficial to those who need to improve their performances in tasks that require concentration. Owing (2004) observed that most individuals smoke to relieve their stress hence being able to cool down and forget whatever is bothering them. Majority of the society members smoke because they enjoy the taste. Smokers have a right to choose whether to continue smoking or to quit. People should be given freedom to make a decisions regarding what they think is right about their bodies after they know the consequences since it their own lives. As much as frequent smokers enjoy their cigarettes, smoking should be discouraged because it causes more harm than good. This is because when taken in public places, it affects both the smoker and the non-smoker. It was a good idea for smoking to be banned in UK in pubs, restaurants, and workplaces because it contains toxins that harm organs in the body hence causing diseases and making individuals unhealthy. The disadvantages of using tobacco are numerous and scary to compare with the benefits. Smoking causes, death at extreme levels and other diseases even if they do not cause death immediately such as throat cancer, mouth cancer, lung cancer, emphysema and asthma. Smoking should be banned because it causes a decrease in lung functions and advances the signs of aging. Smokers spend more of their money on cigarettes than spending it on other important matters at home. Sivaramakrishnan (2001) noted that non-smoking peers rarely accept the smokers in their groups’ hence encouraging discrimination. Smokers have a lingering odor from cigarettes on their clothing and body hence making others despise them. Owing (2005) noted that smoking lowers the ability of the addicts to exercise because of difficulties in breathing. Smoking should be banned because it causes death of premature babies, unhealthy new born and infertile sperms in men. Tobacco contains the following dangerous chemicals that destroy human body cells: Carbon monoxide: Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas that replaces oxygen in the blood when taken in large quantities. The gas combines with haemoglobin better than oxygen and hence transported around the body (Rothman et al. (2008). The fatal gas makes the blood thicker and hence when the body needs more oxygen during exercises less oxygen is able to reach the muscles, heart .brain, and other organs. Tar These are collective particles found in tobacco smoke that contain chemicals. This substance is brown and sticky, and stains fingernails, lung tissues, and teeth. Chemicals found in tar cause cancer because they contain carcinogen benzo pyrene (Great Britain, 2005). Hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen cyanide is a chemical found in tobacco that destroys cilia in the body tracts hence allowing poisonous gases from tobacco smoke to build up in the lungs. Cilia are the tiny hairs that clean lungs by eliminating foreign substances. Other chemicals found in the smoke include nitrous oxides, phenols, hydrocarbons, oxidizing agents, and organic acids that destroy the lungs. Oxidizing chemicals are very reactive compounds that could destroy blood vessels and heart muscles. A reaction with cholesterol leads to a build-up of fatty materials on the artery walls (Hilton, 2000). Oxidizing chemicals lead to stroke, blood vessel diseases, and heart diseases. Smoke from tobacco contains dangerous metals such as cadmium, lead, and arsenic that are known to be carcinogenic. Radioactive compounds found in the smoke cause cancer too. Banning tobacco use in public places is the right decision for the society because they will be protected from the health concerns brought about by smoking and more so since the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. Conclusion Smoking is the process in which individuals’ burn up and inhale cigarette smoke. Smoking affects both the smokers and non-smokers and hence serious actions should be taken to protect the society. Individuals smoke because they want to associate themselves with various peer groups, want to relieve stress and others because they enjoy the taste of the smoke. Individuals should be free to make a decision whether to smoke or not but since it affects even the non-smokers, the advantages and disadvantages should be considered. Smoking causes great harm to the human body cells since it contains dangerous chemicals. Smokers are at a risk of getting lung and throat cancer, asthma and other dangerous diseases that could lead to death at extreme levels. The UK government was therefore right to ban smoking in public places since that would reduce tobacco related infections in the future. References Brannon, L., and Feist, J. (2010). Health psychology: an introduction to behavior and health. Australia, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Fong, C. B. (2006). Smoking and health research frontiers. New York, Nova Science. Great Britain. (2005). Smoking in public places: first report of Session 2005-06. London, Stationery Office. Hilton, M. (2000). Smoking in British popular culture, 1800-2000: perfect pleasures. Manchester, Manchester University Press. Owing, J. H. (2004). Smoking and health: new research. Hauppauge, N.Y., Nova Biomedical Books. Owing, J. H. (2005). Trends in smoking and health research. New York, Nova Biomedical Books. Rothman, K. J., Greenland, S., and Lash, T. L. (2008). Modern epidemiology. Philadelphia, Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Seminar on cigarette smoking and kidney involvement, and Sessa, A. (2000). Cigarette smoking and the kidney. Basel, Karger. Topol, E. J. (2007). Textbook of cardiovascular medicine. Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Read More