Tobacco Smoking

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