How Dangerous Is Smoking for Your Health - Research Paper Example

29 August 2009 How Dangerous is Smoking For Your Health? Introduction It has been an intriguing issue from the start. Smoking has been notoriously known globally as dangerous to one’s health. The intriguing part is that: how come despite its notoriety, people still engage in this habitual activity. Word Net defines smoking as “a hot vapor containing fine particles of carbon being produced by combustion” (2008). This paper is written to determine how dangerous smoking is to people’s health. In the process, its origins would be initially presented as well as the main ingredients used in making cigarettes. The factors and reasons for people to go into the act of smoking would be evaluated. Further, it would be interesting to find out how the hot vapor containing fine particles of carbon directly and specifically affect human organs. Its implications to health would also be analyzed through the illnesses and diseases it inflicts. And finally, when people have realized the health hazards of smoking, this essay would explore ways and means to prevent and ultimately stop smoking. Origins of Smoking Historians traced the origins of smoking from the Mayan Indians of Mexico from as early as the 600 to 900 A.D. (Glantz 1) Tobacco, being the original source for a smoke, was grown as a cash crop in 1612 where the settlers of the first American colony in Jamestown, Virginia started cultivating and growing them. (Glantz 2). By 1800s, historians revealed that people started using tobaccos for various purposes such as: for chewing, smoking in a pipe, hand-rolled as a cigar or cigarette. According to Glantz, “the first commercial cigarettes were made in 1865 by Washington Duke on his 300-acre farm in Raleigh, North Carolina. His hand-rolled cigarettes were sold to soldiers at the end of the Civil War.” (Glantz 3). The invention of the cigarette making machine in 1881 by James Bonsack paved the way for the widespread production of cigarettes. His partnership with Washington Dukes son, James "Buck" Duke, initiated the establishment of the first tobacco company in the US, the American Tobacco Company. (Glantz 4) Main Ingredients in a Cigarette Tobacco, is first and foremost, the main ingredient in a cigarette. Tobacco is a leafy green plant widely grown in warm climates. In the planting phase alone, tobacco is already bombarded with chemicals, fertilizers and insecticides to ensure that the plant grows free from insects. In the manufacturing process, the chemicals are added for flavors and to make them combustible. Jacobs averred that “there are over 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes. 51 of them are known to be carcinogenic. A carcinogen is something that causes cancer.” (Jacobs 3) From among the most prominent chemicals found in cigarettes are nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide. Nicotine is “an alkaloid (a nitrogen-containing chemical) made by the tobacco plant or produced synthetically; … it has powerful pharmacologic effects (including increased heart rate, heart stroke volume, and oxygen consumption by the heart muscle) as well as powerful psychodynamic effects (such as euphoria, increased alertness, and a sense of relaxation). As is now well known, nicotine is also powerfully addictive.” (Medicine Net 1). Tar is found to be an oily material while carbon monoxide is known to be a poisonous gas. (Jacobs 8 & 9) Why People Smoke Despite the horrifying ingredients enumerated herein, people still find an option to go into smoking for a variety of reasons. The people who have high susceptibility to start smoking are youngsters and teenagers who are not fully aware of the hazards of smoking. Most teenagers start smoking due to peer influences. Others grew up in an environment which considers smoking a way of life. Rebellion or as an act of defiance for adults including parents and people of authority is also a reason for smoking. People with low self esteem were found to be more susceptible to try smoking as a means to build a certain self image. Some teenagers, out of curiosity, just want to try how it feels to smoke. In addition, emulating popular or prominent personalities who smoke is also a reason why youngsters indulge in this activity. The fact is, due to its addictive ingredient, once it starts, there is difficulty in containing the habit. For most people, they feel that smoking initially relieves stress and tension. Smoking could be utilized as an ice-breaker to start a conversation with new acquaintances. And still for others, smoking gives them something to do than just standing and waiting. How Smoking Affects Health Glantz & Parmley appropriately describes how smoking actually affects organs in the body, to wit: “when a person smokes cigarettes, the carbon monoxide in the smoke gets into his/her blood stream. This reduces the amount of oxygen going to the heart. In addition, the chemicals in cigarette smoke narrow the walls of the arteries. With less oxygen passing through the arteries, the heart must work harder. Blood pressure also goes up.” (Glantz & Parmley 14) The blood should be rich in oxygen when it reaches the heart. When one smokes, it lessens the amount of oxygen which can cause the heart to have difficulty in beating. Further, smoking brings the nicotine with it to the heart and the brain. Since nicotine is a stimulant, the smoker feels immediately awake and alert. However, after only 45 minutes, the level of nicotine in the blood goes down and the smoker starts to feel uneasy and anxious. They are starting to exhibit symptoms of withdrawal. “Withdrawal is the feeling they have when the nicotine is taken away. They may feel tired and irritable (angry, impatient, nervous).” (Glantz & Parmley 2) As a consequence, they would start increasing the number and frequency of cigarettes they smoke to address the feeling of withdrawal. Diseases Resulting from Smoking Aside from the predominantly known illnesses caused by smoking such as lung cancer and heart illness, the following are the diseases that stem from this hazardous activity: (1) cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease, heart attacks, strokes, pain in the legs and gangrene; (2) diseases of the lungs such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis; (3) cancer of the lungs, mouth, larynx, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, blood, cervix, and bladder; (4) cataracts; (5) gum disease; (6) ulcers; (7) tuberculosis; (8) dental caries, and (9) addiction, among others. (Dunnington, Tobacco Almanac) Measures to Prevent and Stop Smoking In the two books written by Allen Carr, he discussed ways and means to ultimately stop smoking – the easy way. What is unique in the method utilized by Allen Carr, as described in his books is his philosophy of rebuilding the mindset of smokers back to their normal non smoking days. In fact during sessions when smokers come to his clinics to address their addiction for smoking, he allowed them to continue smoking until such time that they realize that there is nothing to fear or doubt in their capacity to go back to their normal lives – free from smoking. "The object of the book" wrote Carr, "is to get you into the frame of mind in which, instead of the normal method of stopping whereby you start off with the feeling that you are climbing Mount Everest and spend the next few days craving a cigarette and envying other smokers, you start off right away with a feeling of elation, as if you had been cured of a terrible disease." (Carr 4) "Breaking The Habit" Series, The Boston Globe, April 10-12, 1994 discussed methods of stopping smoking such as: going cold turkey (stopping out rightly on their own or with some assistance or resources) and tapering off (slowly decreasing the number and frequency of cigarette intakes until it is completely stopped). There are several organizations, support groups, and resource materials such as the books written by Allen Carr which can assist smokers in quitting. The government has also instituted laws against smoking. It created laws to prevent smoking in public places or government buildings and planning on extending these laws to workplaces (Jacobs 2 & 3). Recommendations From the research, it can be deduced that the youngsters are the most susceptible group to try smoking out of peer influence and possibly, their environment. Due to their delicate and immaturity, they are not fully aware of the consequences of indulging in their first smoke. Since the ingredients enumerated above show that cigarettes contain substances that are terribly addictive and dangerous to one’s health, awareness of these information could warn teenagers of the consequences. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. However, if despite the warnings and awareness of the dangers of smoking, people are still lured into the habit, the research provided insights and suggested methods to prevent and ultimately stop smoking. The government has instituted laws to restrict or even ban smoking in selective places. It could be beneficial to expand the places where smoking is not allowed. Or better yet, it could be helpful to out rightly ban the manufacture of cigarettes since there are no eminent benefits of this product to a person. Conclusion There is no subtleness to the moral: smoking is extremely dangerous to a person’s health. From the time the tobacco is cultivated, harvested, manufactured and processed to make cigarettes as its finished product; the number of chemicals that are incorporated are staggering considering that 51 of them are carcinogenic. The rationale for smoking reveals the lack of knowledge and awareness that these people possess in initially trying their first smoke. What starts as a simple haphazard activity traps the person into a life of bondage in addiction which exposes one into a long list of illnesses, financial and psychological suffering. So, why start? Works Cited "Breaking The Habit" Series, The Boston Globe, April 10-12, 1994. Carr, Allen. Allen Carrs Easy Way for Women to Stop Smoking. Arcturus foulsham, 2002. ---. The Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Join the Millions Who Have Become Non-Smokers Using Allen Carrs Easyway Method. Sterling; 1 edition, 2005. Dunnington, Joel. Tobacco Almanac. Revised May 1993. 28 August 2009 < http://lincs.worlded.org/docs/tobacco/Unit4/3other_health.html> Glantz, Dr. Stanton & Dr. William Parmley, "Passive Smoking & Heart Disease," JAMA, April 5, 1995. Glantz, Dr. Stanton, Tobacco Biology & Politics, Health EDCO, Texas, 1992. Jacobs, Marjorie. From the First to the Last Ash: The History, Economics & Hazards of Tobacco. Revised 1997. Community Learning Center. 28 August 2009 Medicine Net. Definition of Nicotine. 7/1/2004, 29 August 2009, http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=22807> Word Net 3.0. Definition of Smoking. Princeton University, Farlex, Inc., 2008. Outline Introduction a. Definition of Smoking: a hot vapor containing fine particles of carbon being produced by combustion. b. Objectives: (i) to determine how dangerous smoking is to people’s health; (ii) its origins would be initially presented as well as the main ingredients used in making cigarettes; (iii) the factors and reasons for people to go into the act of smoking would be evaluated; (iv) to find out how the hot vapor containing fine particles of carbon directly and specifically affect human organs. (v) to analyze its implications to health through the illnesses and diseases it inflicts; (v) to explore ways and means to prevent and ultimately stop smoking. Origins of Smoking a. Mayan Indians of Mexico from as early as the 600 to 900 A.D. b. Grown as a cash crop in 1612 c. By 1800s tobaccos were used for various purposes such as: for chewing, smoking in a pipe, hand-rolled as a cigar or cigarette. d. The first commercial cigarettes were made in 1865 by Washington Duke. e. The invention of the cigarette making machine in 1881 by James Bonsack paved the way for the widespread production of cigarettes. Main Ingredients in a Cigarette a. Tobacco b. Chemicals such as nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide, among others Why People Smoke a. Peer influences b. Environment where smoking is a way of life c. As a means of rebellion or act of defiance d. To build a certain self image e. Out of curiosity f. To emulate popular personalities g. To relieve stress and tension h. As an ice-breaker to start a conversation i. Gives peoples something to do How Smoking Affects Health a. Carbon monoxide gets into the blood stream b. Carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen going to the heart c. Chemicals in smoke narrow the walls of the arteries d. Lesser oxygen makes the heart work harder e. Blood pressure goes up f. Nicotine goes to the heart and brain causing addiction g. As level of nicotine goes down, smoker feels uneasy h. Smokers need to smoke more frequently i. Withdrawal symptoms occur Diseases Resulting from Smoking a. cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease, heart attacks, strokes, pain in the legs and gangrene; b. diseases of the lungs such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis; c. cancer of the lungs, mouth, larynx, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, blood, cervix, and bladder; d. cataracts; e. gum disease; f. ulcers; g. tuberculosis; h. dental caries, i. addiction Measures to Prevent and Stop Smoking a. Cold turkey b. Tapering off c. Organizations, support groups and resource materials Recommendations a. Intensify awareness efforts b. Institute and enforce stricter laws c. Ban the outright manufacture of cigarettes Conclusion: smoking is extremely dangerous to a person’s health Works Cited Read More