Tobacco Smoking; a World Health Issue

Tobacco smoking first started sometime in the 1400s. It was invented by natives in the Bahamas Islands. Instead of just pulling out a paper rolled cigarette, they had pipes. One end of the pipe was filled with burning tobacco leaves, while the other end of the pipe was where they inhaled the smoke. Many people all over the world today have been taken into this habit. Worldwide, there are approximately one billion smokers. This habit is extremely addicting because of a substance called nicotine found within each cigarette. Once a person is sucked into this dirty habit, it is hard for them to quit.

The smoke from a cigarette, consists of 100 million more harmful substances than the most polluted air. It also contains chemicals in it that many people don’t know of. Some of these chemicals include acetone (nail polish remover), ammonia (a household cleaner), cadmium (battery acid),and formaldehyde (preserves dead bodies). All of these chemicals are found in just one cigarette. These chemicals aggravate asthma and allergies by directly bothering the respiratory membranes. Because of this, it can trigger the production of excess mucus and cause sensitive airways in the lungs to tighten.

Tobacco smoking is the largest cause of death that can be prevented. Everyday, about a few thousand people die from this fatal death stick. This means that every eight seconds. This kills more people than the worst epidemic diseases. Tobacco even affects your physical appearance. It can make your skin wrinkled and older looking, cause your

teeth to turn yellow, and give your breath and clothes a dingy odor. Researchers say that smokers who smoke 10-20 cigarettes a day live on an average of five years less than non-smokers. To look on the bright side, if smokers quit, it is possible that the damage done to the lungs can be repaired.

Cigarette smoke is so dangerous and so powerful that it can cause 17 different kinds of cancer. The cancer that is the most obvious and seen most often is lung cancer. Other places where cancer can sprout are in the throat, gullet, mouth, esophagus, pancreas, stomach, kidney and the bladder. Not only does tobacco smoke cause cancer, it can cause chronicle cough and bronchitis.

However, tobacco smoke doesn’t only cause many harmful and fatal diseases, but it also influences things like