black lungs

by Lollolcats

Smoking, Why we do it and the damage it can cause.

One of the most common problems plaguing our society all across the world today is the smoking of tobacco. The worst part is, most people are aware of the detrimental health effects involved in its use. But why do people begin smoking if they known of the complications that arise from it? Why do they continue you smoke regularly knowing of its irreversible effect upon our bodies? Why is such a deadly product still on shelves, and how dit it start to begin with?
Most people known somewhat of the problems associated with tobacco consumption yet, smoking has become a trend in the world of today, even though people know how harmful it is. Smoking causes are obvious it will tear down and destroy your health and give you a series of health issues that cling to you for the rest of your life. In America 85% of the teenage population first start smoking around the ages of fifteen and sixteen, and they soon find out smoking tobacco is incredibly addicting. Smoking causes heart diseases, higher blood pressure, multiple deadly cancers such as, lung cancer, mouth cancer and throat cancer. Many of my relatives have succumbed to some sort of terrible effect from smoking, and I myself was once a smoker until I discovered the complications it had with my heart along with cigarettes claiming the life of my grandmother. Unfortunately some of the people who start smoking do not quit after they realize they are having health issues, or rather they have no choice on quitting. This is a complication which arises because of being dependent and addicted to the nicotine hidden deep within the weaves of lies that make up the majority of tobacco products and most adults who start smoking in their teen years never expected to become addicted. There are several brands of cigarettes and other tobacco related products out there and people may assume some different brands will have a lesser affect upon them. The fact is whether you smoke the “lights” or the “regular” brands, it will affect your health in the same way regardless of brand. In fact, The most health ruining cigarette is the menthol brand which not only gives you the same amount of health problems like the average cigarette but also can cause a men impotency. A standard cigarette contains three very harmful chemicals that can lead to fatal illnesses. Nicotine is one of the worst and most devious chemicals in a cigarette. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that can eventually lead from having just one cigarette into buying high quantities of cigarette packets and smoking them all. Tar is another component in a cigarette which contributes to the harmful effects of smoking. It is a brown chemical substance that is left behind on the end of the cigarette. It stains the smoker’s teeth and fingernails and it also coats other things such as furniture in a brownish-yellow film. The build-up of thick nasty tar inside the smokers lungs can eventually cause cancer; and this cancer causing tar has now become the most common cause of death among regular smokers. Cigarettes use also produces a third deadly chemical called carbon monoxide which, when inhaled, reduces the oxygen intake by red blood cells. This leads to shortness of breath, overall fatigue for the idividual, and many detrimental complications within heart and lungs.
Smoking does not only cause health issues, but it can be harmful to those around you as well, and comes with a less than pleasant aroma. An individual who smokes around young children, or pregnant women, or while pregnant can cause those children serious breathing issues. This is called second hand smoke and is what smokers share to those surrounding them, which is more awful than tearing apart yourself with smoking for your are harming others without their consent. Quitting nicotine is never easy but it iss not an impossible feat, a strong will power and unending determination is all smokers need couple that with the support of their beloved ones and anyone could quit nicotine. There are several anti-nicotine classes and seminars all over the world so that smokers can seek others who are in the same nicotin craving boat as them and to learn the bright sides of quitting nicotine. Smoking, and smokers, have also been segregated from the public dampening the ease of smoking around others but it also has social effects which can cause people to stay away from the smoker if some of the public views a smoker as a bad person or bad influence and shuns them in a way because of their poor habits.
There are many reasons why people resort to smoking; many of the choices are based on the individual’s decisions. Much of temptation to start smoking is based on the advertising propaganda carried out by cigarette manufacturers. People at home see the images of smoking people on their television screens, in newspapers, and magazines. Children are influenced by their parents and may be mislead to the thinking that smoking poses no danger. Statistics show that about nine out of ten tobacco users start smoking before they are eighteen years old. Peer pressure is another main reason why teenagers choose to do things they shouldn’t do: befriending the wrong group of people who might represent a negative example. Quite often it is the friends who persuade each other to start smoking or purchase a pack of cigarettes only to try what smoking is all about.

Knowing all of this about smoking it would seem like nobody would want to smoke, right? Wrong, because smoking is often portrayed in the society of today as something that gives you a “cool” or “bad boy” type of status among the public. Moreover, on many occasions, smoking can and has contributed to the status of an individual. Being granted the “cool” status can and will tempt a person to begin smoking and eventually harm his or her health. The culture in which a person belongs to can also have a powerful impact on whether smoking is accepted by society. For example, in England it might not be as frowned upon as in Switzerland, it may even be encouraged among some persons or groups. Smoking can also cause a relaxing effect which relieves stress, and the relief of stress is a strong motivational factor to someone who is under pressure be it in school or business furthering the appeal of picking up the habit.
But tobacco companies themselves also play a large role through the use of propaganda in media and advertising. Although most cigarette companies in America do not show advertisements anymore the rest of the world doesn’t follow suit, allowing the use of cigarettes to be glorified through commercials and other forms of advertisement. Big name companies that produce tobacco product also add mor chemicals to the cigarette than what is naturally found in the tobacco plant to increase the likelihood of addiction. They are allowed to do this because they play off the accusations as necessary chemicals for creating their specific product “flavor”. And as long as people continue to buy, these companies will continue to exploit them for profit.