Smoking

Running Head : Smoking

Smoking

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Introduction

Smoking is one of the most common and major health hazards and refers to `the direct inhalation of smoke of burning tobacco ' enclosed in pipes cigars or cigarettes . Smoking may be casual where it is only done occasionally , often to relieve stress or in a social situation but it may also become a habit and lead to addiction (Boughton , n .p . Whether it is habitual or casual , it is a social menace and has serious health consequences for

the smokers

Cigarette smoking

One of the most vital of the preventable reasons of premature death in USA is cigarette smoking and is responsible for 440 ,000 of 2 .4 million deaths annually . Chronic diss are more common in cigarette smokers and Atherosclerosis which is the accumulation of fats in the arteries is one of the main reasons of greater deaths of smokers (AHA , n .p

Cigar and pipe smoking

Of the different modes of smoking , cigar and pipe are other ones Smoking through cigar and pipe is less risky than smoking through cigarette , yet people who use these modes are also exposed to a greater risk coronary heart disease resulting in death than non-smokers . These modes are less risky probably because the chances of inhaling the smoke are lesser (AHA , n .p

Addiction to smoking

A person who smokes continuously often forms an addiction to it . This implies that the smoker forms an irresistible reliance on cigarettes and this leads him /her to a state where if smoking is stopped , it results in extreme reactions which may be physical , mental or emotional (MD , 1

Smoking is harmful not only to its addicts , but also to non-addicted smokers and to people who are present around the smokers as they also inhale the smoke and hence are not safe from it either

Why is smoking addictive

Nicotine is a major component of tobacco and it is this drug which produces addiction . When a smoker smokes , the lungs inhale the smoke and the nicotine enters the bloodstream and gets absorbed . Nicotine has stimulant effects on the brains ' electrical activity producing a calming effect by activating "pleasure centers , besides , it also effects the other systems of the body . A person addicted to smoking grows tolerant to nicotine and consequently can intake higher doses than before without feeling sick (MD , 1

The effects of nicotine vary , depending on the circumstance under which it was taken and its amount . It can work as either a tranquilizer or a stimulant . This is the reason because of which some people feel that smoking provides them with energy and stimulation whereas other consider smoking a means of relaxation (Boughton , n .p

The dangers of smoking

Smoking exposes our body to many toxic substances whose consumption over a long period of time can be lethal . The smoke of tobacco has 4 ,000 chemicals and more than 200 of them are toxic . Nicotine , one of the major components of smoking yields...