is the most common method of smoking tobacco.]]
is the act of burning the dried or cured leaves of the Tobacco plant and Inhaling The Smoke for pleasure, for Ritual istic or social purposes, Self-medication , or simply to satisfy physical dependence or Addiction . The practice was common among Native Americans throughout North and South America, and was later introduced to the rest of the world, via trade, following European exploration of the Americas.
Tobacco smoke contains and suppresses appetite. This is because nicotine, like many stimulants, increases blood sugar.
It has been determined that all forms of tobacco smoking including cigarettes, Cigars , Pipes , Bidis , Hookahs , and other forms of tobacco use such as chewing tobacco and snuff are addictive.
Medical research has determined that chronic tobacco smoking is a major contributing factor towards many health problems, particularly and require Warnings to be placed prominently on the product packaging. Many governments now restrict or Ban smoking in a variety of public venues over concerns of Second-hand Smoke , and possibly also to discourage tobacco use in general.
See Also: Cigarette
See Also: List of additives in cigarettes
Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco consumption. It leads all other methods by more than a factor of 10-- but nearly 99% of all tobacco advertising is to promote cigarettes, indicating that the industry finds this format most profitable . A cigarette is a product manufactured from cured and cut tobacco leaves, which are rolled and/or stuffed into a paper-wrapped cylinder. Because of the curing process, the smoke is mild enough to inhale in overdose quantities, unlike cigar or pipe tobacco. Cigarettes also contain a number of additives, particularly to enhance taste. The cigarette is lit, usually with a match or Lighter at one end and allowed to burn for the purpose of inhalation of its smoke from the other (usually Filtered ) end, which is inserted in the mouth. "Roll ups" are also very popular, particularly in European countries; these are prepared from loose tobacco, cigarette papers and filters all bought separately. Cigarettes are smoked by some with a Cigarette Holder . (See also Beedi ).
See Also: Cigar
A cigar is a cylinder of tobacco rolled in tobacco leaves for smoking. They come in many shapes and sizes, the most common being the "Corona", "Cigarillo" and "Blunt". The tobacco used is grown throughout the Caribbean in places such as the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Jamaica, and Cuba. A popular light colored "shade" wrappers is from Connecticut whereas darker Maduro wrappers come from the Caribbean. Cigars manufactured in Cuba have historically been considered to be without peer, though today some aficionados consider the relative quality of Cuban cigars has diminished with the Cuban government’s mismanagement of cigar production {Link without Title} , as well as the increasing quality of non-Cuban cigars, such as the Rocky Patel, Arturo Fuente, Punch, Bolivar and Padron labels.
See Also: Smoking pipe (tobacco)
A pipe for smoking typically consists of a small chamber (bowl) for , Corncob , Meerschaum , Clay , Wood , Glass , Gourd , Bamboo , and various other materials, such as metal. Tobacco used for smoking pipes is often chemically treated and altered to change smell and taste (both functions are affected negatively in humans by smoking) not available in other tobacco products sold commercially. Many of these are mixtures using staple ingredients of variously cured Burley and Virginia tobaccos which are mixed with tobaccos from different areas, such as Oriental or Balkan locations. Latakia (a fire-cured tobacco of Cypriot or Syrian origin), Perique (only grown in St. James Parish, Louisiana ) or combinations of Virginia and Burley tobaccos of African, Indian, or South American origins. Traditionally, many U.S. tobaccos are made of American Burley with artificial sweeteners and flavorings added to create an artificial "aromatic" smell, whereas "English" blends are based on natural Virginia tobaccos enhanced with Oriental and other natural tobaccos. There is a growing tendency towards "natural" tobaccos which derive their aromas from blending with spice tobaccos alone and historically-based curing processes.
Pipes can range from the very simple machine-made briar pipe to handmade and artful implements created by pipe-makers which can be very expensive collector's items. The popularity of pipe smoking in Western countries has declined in recent years under the onsloughtof cigarette advertising. However, it has also enjoyed a resurgence of late among younger and middle aged smokers who find its contemplative nature and age-transcendent status as "hobby not habit" to be both thoroughly enjoyable and stress-relieving. As many pipe-smokers say, "We don't inhale."
See Also: Hookah
A Hookah (or ''sheesha'') is a type of traditional Middle Eastern and South Asian water pipe, a pipe which operates by water-filtration and indirect heat. Hookahs are most popular in the Middle East, but form a niche market in many other places. In many situations, hookahs are loaded with Hashish or Opium . In the Far East opium and cannabis are also among the traditional drugs used.
Typically, tobacco is smoked from a hookah by placing richly flavored tobaccos in the smoking bowl, covering it with foil, and placing a coal on top of the foil. This keeps the tobacco from burning, and allows it to bake. The resulting vapors are further cooled by the hookah water, resulting in a moist, warm smoke. The Al-Waha, Al Fakher, and Nakhla tobacco companies compete for market share in the Middle East by producing increasingly luxurious flavored tobaccos for use in the hookah. Currently available flavors include the traditional apple, grape, double apple, orange, strawberry, cherry, mango, vanilla, and melon flavors; as well as the modern cola, coconut, cappuccino, and banana milk flavors.
Popular myth suggests that hookah smoking is considered to be safer than other forms of smoking. However, water is not effective for removing all relevant toxins, e.g. the carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbons are not water-soluble. Several serious negative health effects are linked to hookah smoking and studies indicate that it is likely to be more harmful to health than cigarettes, due in part to the volume of smoke inhaled. One study found hookah smoke to be both hazard is as high with hookah smoking as with cigarette smoking. Carbon monoxide fractions in cigarette and hookah (hubble bubble) smoke. In addition to the cancer risk, there is some risk of infectious disease resulting from pipe sharing, and other risks associated with the common addition of other psychoactive drugs to the tobacco. Water-Pipe (Narghile) Smoking: An Emerging Health Risk Behavior
See Also: Health effects of tobacco smoking
As the use of tobacco became popular in Europe, some people became concerned about its possible ill effects on the health of its users. One of the first was King James I Of Great Britain . In 1604, he wrote '' A Counterblaste To Tobacco '' in which he asked his subjects A Counterblaste to Tobacco , by King James I of England
You have not reason then to be ashamed, and to forbeare this filthie noveltie, so basely grounded, so foolishly received and so grossly mistaken in the right use thereof? In your abuse thereof sinning against God, harming your selves both in persons and goods, and raking also thereby the marks and notes of vanitie upon you: by the custome thereof making your selves to be wondered at by all forraine civil Nations, and by all strangers that come among you, to be scorned and contemned. A custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the Nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the Lungs, and in the blacke stinking fume thereof, neerest resembling the horrible Stigian smoke of the pit that is bottomelesse.''
In 1761, English doctor John Hill published "Cautions against the Immoderate Use of Snuff" in which he warned snuff users that they were vulnerable to cancers of the nose. http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10029&page=593 Tobacco Timeline: The Eighteenth Century -- Snuff Holds Sway In 1795, American Samuel Thomas von Soemmering reported on cancers of the lip in pipe smokers. The late-19th century invention of automated cigarette making machinery in the American South made possible mass production of cigarettes at low cost; the profits endowed and II when cigarettes were included in military rations and distributed by charitable organizations.
In 1950, Dr. factsheet 'Safer' cigarette myth goes up in smoke , by Andy Coghlan. New Scientist, 2004
The health effects of tobacco smoking are related to direct tobacco smoking, as well as showed that nonsmokers lived about 10 years longer than smokers. For those born between 1920 and 1929 the Standardized Mortality Rate between the ages of 35 and 69 for nonsmokers was 15% and for smokers was 45%, three times as great.4 Claims that personalities of smokers account for these differences are not convincing in light of the fact that the heavy smokers were about 25 times more likely to die of lung cancer or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease than the nonsmokers. Another source claims smoking is responsible for 87% of lung cancer deaths.
The main health risks in tobacco pertain to diseases of the cardiovascular system, in particular , and Cancer , particularly Lung Cancer and cancers of the Larynx and tongue. Prior to World War I, lung cancer was considered to be a rare disease, which most physicians would never see during their careerWitschi 2001, A Short History of Lung Cancer. Toxicol Sci. 2001 Nov;64(1):4-6. PMID 11606795 Adler I. Primary malignant growths of the lungs and bronchi. New York: Longmans, Green, and Company; 1912., cited in Spiro SG, Silvestri GA. One hundred years of lung cancer. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005 Sep 1;172(5):523-9. PMID 15961694. With the postwar rise in popularity of cigarette smoking, however, came a virtual epidemic of lung cancer.
A person's increased risk of contracting disease is directly proportional to the length of time that a person continues to smoke as well as the amount smoked. However, if someone stops smoking, then these chances gradually decrease as the damage to their body is repaired. A year after quitting, the risk of contracting heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker. {Link without Title} The health risks of smoking are not uniform across all smokers. Risks vary according to amount of tobacco smoked, with those who smoke more at greater risk. Light smoking is still a health risk.
According to the Surgeon General of The United States, mortality rates for pipe smokers and cigar smokers who smoke less than five cigars per day are roughly the same as for non-smokers. The data regarding smoking to date focuses primarily on cigarette smoking, which even by conservative estimates increases mortality rates by 40%. Men who smoke 10-19 cigarettes a day have a 70% increase in mortality rates, men who smoke 20-39 cigarettes a day have an increase in mortality rate by 90%, for men smoking two packs a day or more, their mortality rates increased 120%.http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/NN/B/B/K/M/_/nnbbkm.pdf 1967 Surgeon General's Report on Smoking
According to the Canadian Lung Association, tobacco kills between 40,000–45,000 Canadians per year, more than the total number of deaths from AIDS, traffic accidents, suicide, murder, fires and accidental poisoning. Smoking and Teens, Canadian Lung Association, Newspaper articles, Canada, Canadian Cancer Society Allan Rock announces collaborative research initiative on smoking The United States' Centers For Disease Control And Prevention describes tobacco use as "the single most important preventable risk to human health in Developed Countries and an important cause of premature death worldwide".
Tobacco smoke reduces the delivery of oxygen to the fetus through the presence of carbon monoxide, cyanide, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Nicotine and other substances in tobacco smoke cause reduction in placental blood flow, creating further reductions in oxygen delivery as well as reductions in nutrients to the unborn baby. Secondhand smoke exposure during pregnancy produces twice the risk of low birth weight babies. Smoking is the single largest modifiable risk factor in intrauterine growth retardation.
Smoke, or any partially burnt organic matter, is Carcinogen ic (cancer-causing). Lung cancer rates are linked to the number of people who smoke. It is noted that an increase in deaths from lung cancer appeared 20 years after an increase in cigarette consumption. The damage a continuing smoker does to their lungs can take up to 20 years before its physical manifestation in lung cancer. Women began smoking later than men, so the rise in death rate amongst women did not appear until later. The male lung cancer death rate decreased in 1975 — roughly 20 years after the fall in cigarette consumption in men. A fall in consumption in women also began in 1975 but by 1991 had not manifested in a decrease in lung cancer related mortalities amongst women.5
Some commentators however question the claims that lung cancer trends are closely related to smoking trends due to the fact that figures from other parts of the world where smoking rates have been as high or higher over many decades do not support this hypothesis 6
, a polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon, produced by burning tobacco.]]
The primary carcinogens are the , which binds to DNA covalently and distorts it. If the cell cannot repair its DNA damage prior to undergoing mitotic division, the daughter cells carry a greater risk of becoming carcinogenic. DNA damage is one of the causes of cancer, because if the poison damages the Programmed Cell Death system severely enough (usually requiring more than one mutation), damaged cells cannot kill themselves and begin to divide uncontrollably. This results in the formation of tumors that have the potential of becoming cancerous. The DNA oxidative damage is non-specific, so oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes (both genes associated with tumorgenicity) aren't always targeted. This results in an essentially random occurrence of cancer, where the probability increases with increasing exposure. In this respect, the mechanism of carcinogenicity closely resembles that of Mustard Gas , Aflatoxin and other DNA Alkylating Agent s.
Tobacco smoke also contains various carcinogens other than polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, such as traces of radioactive elements. Smoking is therefore an important route of exposure to Ionizing Radiation .
For example, smoke from tobacco grown with phosphate fertilizers contains Polonium 210 .7 Polonium 210 is an emitter of Alpha Particle s, which cannot penetrate skin and are harmless outside the body, but destructive when present in the lungs. Some researchers have estimated that polonium 210 carries a cancer risk of 4 per 10000 smokers Alpha Radioactivity (210 Polonium) and Tobacco Smoke , while others have estimated the mortality rate to be 18 per million.8
The carcinogenity of tobacco smoke is not explained by Nicotine per se, which is not carcinogenic or mutagenic. However, it inhibits Apoptosis , therefore accelerating existing cancers.9 Also, NNK, a nicotine derivative converted from nicotine, can be carcinogenic.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) caused by smoking, known as tobacco disease, is a permanent, incurable reduction of pulmonary capacity characterized by shortness of breath, wheezing, persistent cough with Sputum , and damage to the lungs, including Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis . Smokers have a 26% risk of developing COPD.
The chronic cough associated with smoking is largely due to paralysis of the Small Hairs which sweep mucus and debris out of the lungs (the mucociliary escalator) and up the Windpipe to the Back Of The Mouth , from where they are swallowed. Impairment of this system means that mucus collects in the lung bases, and the "smoker's cough" is an attempt to clear this. It cannot be treated, but tends to resolve if the smoker can quit.
Smoking contributes to the risk of developing heart disease. All smoke contains very fine particulates that are able to penetrate the alveolar wall into the blood and exert their effects on the heart in a short time.
Inhalation of tobacco smoke causes several immediate responses within the heart and blood vessels. Within one minute the heart rate begins to rise, increasing by as much as 30 percent during the first 10 minutes of smoking. Carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke exerts its negative effects by reducing the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.
Smoking tends to increase blood cholesterol levels. Furthermore, the ratio of high-density lipoprotein (the “good” cholesterol) to low-density lipoprotein (the “bad” cholesterol) tends to be lower in smokers compared to non-smokers. Smoking also raises the levels of fibrinogen and increases platelet production (both involved in blood clotting) which makes the blood viscous. Carbon monoxide binds to haemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying component in red blood cells), resulting in a much stabler complex than haemoglobin bound with oxygen or carbon dioxide--the result is permanent loss of blood cell functionality. Blood cells are naturally recycled after a certain period of time, allowing for the creation of new, functional erythrocytes. However, if carbon monoxide exposure reaches a certain point before they can be recycled, hypoxia (and later death) occurs. All these factors make smokers more at risk of developing various forms of arteriosclerosis. As the arteriosclerosis progresses, blood flows less easily through rigid and narrowed blood vessels, making the blood more likely to form a thrombosis (clot). Sudden blockage of a blood vessel may lead to an infarction (e.g. stroke). However, it is also worth noting that the effects of smoking on the heart may be more subtle. These conditions may develop gradually given the smoking-healing cycle (the human body heals itself between periods of smoking), and therefore a smoker may develop less significant disorders such as worsening or maintenance of unpleasant dermatological conditions, e.g. eczema, due to reduced blood supply. Smoking also increases blood pressure and weakens blood vessels.
Nicotine is a powerful, addictive Stimulant and is one of the main factors leading to the continued tobacco smoking. Although the percentage of the nicotine inhaled with tobacco smoke is quite small (most of the substance is destroyed by the heat) it is still sufficient to cause physical and/or psychological Dependence .
Prior to habituation, tobacco smokers often focus on the reinforcing properties of smoking rather than the associated health risks. The diseases caused by smoking surface relatively later in life. As a result, they do not serve to deter smoking given the immediate gratification offered by smoking.
Some smokers claim that the Depressant effect of smoking allows them to calm their nerves, often allowing for increased concentration. This, however, is only partly true. According to the Imperial College London , "Nicotine seems to provide both a stimulant and a depressant effect, and it is likely that the effect it has at any time is determined by the mood of the user, the environment and the circumstances of use. Studies have suggested that low doses have a depressant effect, whilst higher doses have stimulant effect." Nicotine However, it is impossible to differentiate a drug effect brought on by nicotine use, and the alleviation of nicotine withdrawal.
See Also: Passive smoking
, a common complaint from those concerned with passive smoking.]]
Passive or involuntary smoking occurs when the exhaled and ambient smoke (otherwise known as environmental or secondhand smoke) from one person's cigarette is inhaled by other people. Passive smoking involves inhaling carcinogens, as well as other toxic components, that are present in secondhand tobacco smoke.
Secondhand smoke is also known to harm children, infants and reproductive health through acute lower respiratory tract illness, asthma induction and exacerbation, chronic respiratory symptoms, middle ear infection, lower birth weight babies, and , February 12 , 2007 .
Passive smoking has long been known as a risk to the health of people with conditions such as Asthma , but as recently as the early 1990s few people believed that it was a killer which had the same effect on non-smokers as it did on smokers. British entertainer Roy Castle , who died of cancer in 1994, blamed his illness on spending years playing the trumpet in smoky jazz clubs.
In June 2006, U.S. Surgeon General s, particularly in workplaces.
The composition of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is similar to fossil fuel combustion products that contribute to air pollution, and has been shown to be responsible for indoor Particulate matter (PM) levels far exceeding official outdoor limits. Particulate matter from tobacco versus diesel car exhaust: an educational perspective
A presentation at the American Thoracic Society 's 2007 conference suggested that children of smokers who show no signs of respiratory problems may still be experiencing damaging changes in their airways10.
See Also: Sudden infant death syndrome
According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Report ( Chapter 5 ; pages 180–194), secondhand smoke is connected to SIDS. Infants who die from SIDS tend to have higher concentrations of nicotine and Cotinine (a biological marker for secondhand smoke exposure) in their lungs than those who die from other causes. Infants exposed to secondhand smoke after birth are also at a greater risk of SIDS.
Tobacco smoke contains Nicotine . Nicotine acts as an Agonist that binds to Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor sites in the brain and body. Some of these neurons influence respiration, heart rate, memory, alertness, and muscle movement, and are therefore affected by nicotine.
Nicotine's effect in the body results in desensitization of acetylcholine receptors in the brain and body— a physiological response to excess stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. This desensitization can become problematic when a smoker stops smoking, as lower levels of acetylcholine receptor stimulation can affect respiration, heart rate, memory, alertness, and muscle movement until the receptors are resensitized or restimulated.
Recent evidence has shown that smoking tobacco increases the release of Dopamine in the brain, specifically in the mesolimbic pathway, the same neuro-reward circuit activated by drugs of abuse such as Heroin and Cocaine . This suggests nicotine use has a pleasurable effect that triggers positive reinforcement. Nicotine and the Brain One study found that smokers exhibit better reaction-time and memory performance compared to non-smokers, which is consistent with increased activation of dopamine receptors. The effects of cigarette smoking on overnight performance Neurologically, rodent studies have found that nicotine self-administration causes lowering of reward thresholds--a finding opposite that of most other drugs of abuse (e.g. cocaine and heroin). This increase in reward circuit sensitivity persisted months after the self-administration ended, suggesting that nicotine's alteration of brain reward function is either long lasting or permanent. Furthermore, it has been found that nicotine can activate long term potentiation ''in vivo'' and ''in vitro''. These studies suggests nicotine’s "trace memory" may contribute to difficulties in nicotine abstinence.
health professor Jennifer O'Loughlin stated that nicotine addiction can occur as soon as five months after the start of smoking. Cigarette addiction faster than expected. ''The London Free Press'' (August 2, 2006).
It can be difficult to quit smoking due to the withdrawal symptoms which include Insomnia , Irritability , Anxiety , decreased heart rate, Weight Gain , and nicotine cravings. The relapse rate for quitters is high: about 60% relapse within three months. In addition, nicotine users typically do not associate the aversive properties to nicotine as these develop long after the positive associations have been made.
A component of both somatic and psychological addiction is the lowering of reward thresholds associated with nicotine use. Studies from The Scripps Research Institute have shown that acute and chronic nicotine use lowers reward thresholds, sensitizing this neurocircuit. Though nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are being desensitized, the body compensates for the compensatory mechanism by up-regulating the number these receptors. The reason for this is not known, though speculation is that the functionality of NACh receptors is so essential to the body and brain, that it is preferable to have excess stimulation than insufficient activation. As a result, relapse after abstinence can cause an immediate spiral to a physical and psychological state prior to abstinence, even after months of being clean. This would be as if the abstinence never occurred, and might help to explain the high incidence of relapse.
Data from multiple studies suggest that depression plays a role in cigarette smoking. Depression and the dynamics of smoking. A national perspective A history of regular smoking was observed more frequently among individuals who had experienced a due to the increased risk of experiencing mild to severe states of depression, including a major depressive episode. Cigarette smoking and major depression. Depressed smokers appear to experience more withdrawal symptoms on quitting, are less likely to be successful at quitting, and are more likely to relapse. Nicotine, negative affect, and depression.
Recent studies have linked smoking to anxiety disorders, suggesting the correlation (and possibly mechanism) may be related to the broad class of anxiety disorders, and not limited to just depression. Current ongoing research are attempting to tweeze apart the addiction-anxiety relationship.
Some studies have discovered health benefits correlated with smoking. These studies observed a reduction in the occurrence of some diseases, but all such studies stressed that the benefits of smoking did not outweigh the risks.
Several types of "Smoker's Paradoxes",
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