How Smoking Is Killing You Slowly

To say more people die from tobacco product use than any other method is an understatement. Smoking; though relaxing in theory is a nasty, debilitating habit that causes harm to the human body. More people die from the use of tobacco than HIV, motor vehicle accidents, illegal drug use, alcohol use, suicide and murders combined (Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids). The tobacco industry is a $45.1 billion dollar industry. “One in two lifetime smokers will die from their habit. Half of these deaths will occur in middle age”. (http://www.quit-smoking-stop.com/harmful-smoking-effects.html) In my paper, I will show the harmful effects of smoking or dipping tobacco. We will discuss tobacco and its origin and show several reasons why smoking is unhealthy and should be illegal.
Tobacco is an agricultural crop (Knouf) and was designed to be an insecticide. Nicotine is the chief addictive ingredient in cigarettes, cigars and snuff. It has a unique biphasic effect: inhaled in short puffs, it is a stimulant, but it can be a tranquilizer when inhaled slowly and deeply. In larger doses nicotine is a highly toxic poison, used as an insecticide, fumigant, and vermifuge a medicine that expels parasitic and intestinal worms (http://www.answers.com/topic/nicotine). Nicotine is the psychoactive (affecting the mind or mental processes) ingredient but more than 4,000 other chemicals of which 2,000 of which are allegedly poisonous. What other poisoning do you think someone put in their body to make them feel relaxed? Often times people who smoke tend to have other issues going on of course this is (Johnson, 2010)overweight, unhappy, worrisome, stressed out people who smoke. Though we all experience difficulty in life from time to time, the people you generally see smoking cigarettes often have a disregard for human life. I mean really they are actually torturing themselves or as I like to say killing themselves slowly.
Tobacco is a nervous system stimulant that triggers complex biochemical and neurotransmitter disruption elevates the heart rate and blood pressure. It also constricts blood vessels, irritates lung tissue and diminishes your ability to taste and smell (citation). Nicotine is the most addictive of all drugs. It stimulates the same areas of the brain as cocaine and amphetamines and tolerance to nicotine develops faster than to cocaine or heroin. Nicotine releases chemicals to give pleasure stimulation. Smoking is generally thought of as being a method of relaxation. But nicotine affects brain chemistry and makes you feel good. Hours later (Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids)it makes you feel really bad. Nicotine affects the Reward Center of your brain. It releases Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that affects emotional and physical pleasure. Just weigh these options you smoke to relax and then you relax to smoke. Smoking is often associated with drinking which is also a mind altering substance. Therefore, the average smoker should quit now in hopes of the body healing itself as much as possible and saving an organ. Nicotine is instantaneous, it takes six to seven seconds; a rate that no other pleasure stimulant gives off other than crack cocaine. Cigarettes cause lung and esophageal cancer.
There are several reasons why you shouldn’t smoke. These are facts that each smoker must deal with. Tar coats your lungs like soot in a chimney; the smell of cigarettes is really bad.
And the scent stays with you all day. Regardless, if you wash your hands, brush your teeth, the smell, is still on you. It’s in your hair, clothes, and in your vehicle. Smoking is also very bad for your skin and it ages you because it prohibits your body to heal or recover from the damage caused by the environment. Smoking speeds up your heart rate and has been associated with depression. Smoking is also expensive and based off of your geographical location one pack of cigarettes could cost up to $9.00.Cigarettes have been known to be responsible for infertility and can accelerate eggs loss and lower sperm count.
Smoking has been demonstrated to be cool and hip. All of the coolest Celebrities or the toughest thugs smoke in movies, videos and in their day to day lives. This is a bad example for children and is sending the message it’s ok to smoke. Most kids look at parents as their first role models and a study for life script healthy living for woman show that 50% of kids whose parents smoke think its cool and plan on smoking in the future. The effects of 2nd hand smoke is deadly also. Non-smokers breathe in smoke and this deadly fume increases the risk of developing lung cancer heart disease and numerous other respiratory problems. So imagine what cigarette smoking or dipping tobacco is actually doing to the body of the smoker. Smoking accounts for 443,000 deaths. One out of every five deaths are tobacco related (citation).
Smoking is a liar and a deceiver. Smoking is a habit, something that you do routinely and it is also an addiction. Nicotine is the most addictive chemical out of all chemicals it takes the smallest amount to bring pleasure. It increases tolerance to behavior and once you stop you can have withdrawals. One out of three smokers began by the age of fourteen because of peer pressure, rebellion and to fit in. Is smoking really worth the damage? Why haven’t the politicians made this dangerous drug illegal? Is it because of the deal between our Government and the Tobacco Industry, and painful effects of smoking or dipping tobacco? Can you really and truly relax knowing that your body has been purposely poisoned by you?

Citations:
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. (2009). Retrieved from Toll of Tobacco in the United States of America: http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0072.pdf
Ehealth MD. (2010). How Smoking Effects The Body. Retrieved from Ehealth MD: http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/smoking/SMO_affects.html
Johnson, L. (2010). www.quitsmoking-stop.com. Retrieved from Quit Smoking Stop: http://www.quit-smoking-stop.com/
Knouf, M. (2010). Ehow. Retrieved July 2010, from About Tobacco Addiction: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5568999_smoking-causes-depression.html
Martin, T. (2008, July 20). The Effects of Smoking on Human Health. Retrieved from Smoking Effects: http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/tobaccostatistics/a/CigaretteSmoke.htm
Phoenix House American Council for Drug Education. (2009). www.acde.org. Retrieved from American Council for Drug Education: http://www.acde.org/common/Tobacco%202002.pdf

Runita,
Your essay is well written and researched. Your stance is clear.
C. Heldt

Citations: Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. (2009). Retrieved from Toll of Tobacco in the United States of America: http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0072.pdf Ehealth MD. (2010). How Smoking Effects The Body. Retrieved from Ehealth MD: http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/smoking/SMO_affects.html Johnson, L. (2010). www.quitsmoking-stop.com. Retrieved from Quit Smoking Stop: http://www.quit-smoking-stop.com/ Knouf, M. (2010). Ehow. Retrieved July 2010, from About Tobacco Addiction: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5568999_smoking-causes-depression.html Martin, T. (2008, July 20). The Effects of Smoking on Human Health. Retrieved from Smoking Effects: http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/tobaccostatistics/a/CigaretteSmoke.htm Phoenix House American Council for Drug Education. (2009). www.acde.org. Retrieved from American Council for Drug Education: http://www.acde.org/common/Tobacco%202002.pdf Runita, Your essay is well written and researched. Your stance is clear. C. Heldt