Why Do People Smoke Cigarettes?
Posted by Adam Waxler
Copyright 2006 Adam Waxler
Obviously, smoking cigarettes is dangerous to your health.
According to various studies on the effects of cigarette
smoking, it is responsible for one out of every five deaths in
the U.S. and is the most addictive and destructive
over-the-counter drug known to man.
With all these known facts on the effects of cigarette smoking
one may wonder why people still smoke cigarettes.
The history and culture surrounding cigarette smoking dates back
to before World War I. During this time tobacco was smoked
mostly in the form of cigars and primarily by the wealthy.
Cigarettes, which are basically leftovers of the cigar making
process, were smoked by the less fortunate. The number of people
who smoked cigarettes boomed when the tobacco companies started
to mass-produce cigarettes. Their cigarette smoking clientele:
soldiers of World War I.
While inhaling smoke into your lungs is obviously unhealthy, it
took some time before the true effects of smoking cigarettes
became well known. It wasn't for another 20 to 30 years after
WWI that doctors first noticed the increase in lung cancer. With
this increase, Reader's Digest published an article "Cancer by
the Carton," which prompted the public to be aware of the
effects of cigarette smoking. Since then, extensive medical
studies have now proven the correlation between cigarette
smoking and lung cancer.
Nicotine, the most common ingredient in cigarettes, is more
addictive than heroine and doctors rank nicotine ahead of
alcohol and cocaine in terms of dependence. Nicotine triggers
the smoker's brain to be more efficient in processing
information. Furthermore, nicotine also reduces anxiety and
induces euphoria. Researches have also shown that nicotine
stimulates alertness and arousal, and sedation and relaxation
based on the dose of nicotine intake. These effects of nicotine,
though, do not outweigh the harmful effect of nicotine
addiction, which is lung cancer, and possibly other ailments,
which will all eventually lead to death.
Aside from nicotine, many smokers are not aware of the fact that
a cigarette contains acetylene (fuel used in welding), cyanide,
nitrogen oxide, and carbon monoxide, all of which are harmful
chemicals. These chemicals are also used as poison.
What adds to the addiction to smoke cigarettes is the
psychological pleasure or satisfaction a smoker gains when
smoking a cigarette. The psychosocial factors also contribute to
why people continue to smoke cigarettes. People surrounded by
other people who smoke cigarettes will find it more difficult to
stop smoking.
Regardless of the many facts and figures related to the dangers
of smoking cigarettes, the percentage of people smoking
cigarettes has not experienced any considerable decrease. In
fact, cigarette smoking continues to increase throughout the
world. The World Health Organization has estimated that by year
2020, tobacco will kill more people than any single disease in
the world.
For some reason, educating people about the effects of smoking
cigarettes doesn't seem to strike any sense into smokers. For
some smokers, thinking that smoking is directly related to lung
cancer and eventually death is a myth yet to be proven.
But whatever the reason smokers have, the facts speak for
themselves. Making smoking cigarettes a habit will, sooner or
later, lead to death.
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