Tobacco Essay, Research Paper
Tobacco is a plant grown for its leaves that are smoked, chewed, or
sniffed for a variety of effects. It is considered an addictive substance
because it contains the chemical nicotine.
The tobacco plant is believed to have originated in the Western
Hemisphere. The cultivated species most often grown for North American and
European tobacco products is Nicotine Tabacum. The leaves of the plant are
prepared for smoking, chewing, or sniffing. In addition nicotine tobacco
contains over 45 carcinogens and more than 4,000 chemicals.
Prior to European influence in the Americas, the Indians of Mexico and
Peru used tobacco for the ceremonies, medical purposes and to alleviate
hunger pains during famines. Columbus is credited with introducing tobacco
into Europe. Tobacco use became widely accepted by the Portuguese, Spanish,
French, British, and Scandinavians. Explorers and sailors who became
dependent upon tobacco began planting seeds at their ports of call,
introducing the product into other parts of Europe and Asia.
The colonist introduced tobacco on the American continent in the early
1600’s. It became a major crop and trading commodity of the Jamestown
Colony. Over the years tobacco has been claimed as a cure for a wide range of
ailments with varying forms of administration. Its social importance also
grew over the years, even the point of denoting the “modern women” during the
1st part of the twentieth century.
It was not until the 1960’s, with the introduction of medical research
related to cigarette smoking that the adverse health effects of the tobacco
became widely publicized. Unfortunately, most of the health hazards were only
associated with cigarette smoking. While the number of cigarette smokers in
the United States has continually decreased over recent years the number of
smokeless tobacco users has steadily increased. Since the 1970’s a 15-fold
increase in smokeless tobacco has been noted in adolescents 17 to 19 years
old. This has most likely been related to the emphasis on smoke free
environments, availability, increased advertising of smokeless products, and
the false belief that smokeless tobacco is a safe alternative for those
convinced they should stop smoking but who still want the nicotine effects of
tobacco.
Although over 40 million people in the United States have quit
smoking, about 50 million continue to smoke (about 25% of the population).
Each year, approximately 1.3 million Americans quit smoking. In addition
about two thirds of current smokers report they have never tried to quit.
About 30 to 40% of those who have not tried to quit say they do not believe
that the health risks of smoking will ultimately decrease their risks for
disease.
Young men are at highest risk for using tobacco products but the
incidence in women is increasing. Smokeless tobacco use patterns are higher
within the following occupations; athletes, ranchers, farmers, fishermen,
lumberjacks, and industrial workers, who have jobs requiring hand freedom.
Nicotine has both stimulant and depressant effects upon the body.
Bowel tone and activity increases along with saliva and bronchial secretions.
Stimulation is followed with a phase that depresses the respiratory muscles.
As an euphoric agent, nicotine causes arousal as well as relaxation from
stressful situations. On the average, tobacco use increases the heart rate 10
to 20 beats per minute and it increases the blood pressure reading by 5 to 10
millimeters of mercury (because it constricts the blood vessels). Nicotine
may also increase sweating, nausea and diarrhea because of its effects on the
central nervous system. Nicotine’s effect upon hormonal activities is also
present. It elevates the blood level of glucose and increases insulin
production. Nicotine also tends to enhance platelet aggregation, which may
lead to blood clotting.
The positive effects of nicotine upon the body should also be noted.
It stimulates memory and alertness, enhancing cognitive skills that requires
speed, reaction time and work performance. As a mood-altering agent, it tends
to alleviate boredom, reduces stress, and reduces aggressive responses to
stressful events. It also tends to be an appetite suppressant specifically
decreasing the appetite for simple carbohydrates and disturbs the efficiency
with which food is metabolized. People who use tobacco products frequently
depend upon it to provide these side effects to help them accomplish certain
tasks at specific levels.
With all the information that is out today why do people continue to
smoke? Since 1964, the Surgeon General has warned that smoking is a health
hazard this announcement promoted the U.S. Public Health Service and The
American Cancer Society to publicize the dangers of tobacco smoking, and
offer suggestions to those trying to quit. Cigarette packages were required
to carry the warning ” may be hazardous to health.” Later the wording was
strengthened to read ” Smoking is Dangerous to Your Health.”
The reason cigarette smokers do not give up this harmful habit easily is
simple; Nicotine is a highly addictive substance like many other drugs.
Smokers are hooked as surely as is any heroin or cocaine addict; giving up
cigarettes creates painful withdrawal symptoms and a craving that many people
cannot overcome. The Public Health Service has declared cigarettes and
tobacco to be our most common form of drug dependency.
Researchers discovered that nicotine is carried to the brain via the
bloodstream within a minute or two of smoking; it’s then eliminated about a
half-hour later, and then the craving returns. Scientists and farmers have
long known that nicotine is a deadly poison. They use a concentrated spray
of the chemical, extracted from tobacco leaves as a potent insecticide. In
humans, nicotine constricts the blood vessels, decreasing blood circulation
to the skin and vital organs. Long term smokers tend to look much older than
non-smokers- a result of the contraction of the capillaries on the skins
surface, which prevents absorption of tissue building nutrients.
Furthermore, smokers afflicted with arterial hardening and cholesterol
deposits suffer a significantly higher number of heart attacks than
non-smokers. The damaged blood vessels give way sooner, when shriveled by
nicotine.
Until the early 1900’s tobacco was usually chewed, inhaled as snuff,
or smoked in cigars and pipes without being inhaled. In other words,
nicotine was being absorbed into the bloodstream through the membranes of the
mouth, nose, and bronchial passages, not through the lungs. The invention of
cigarette paper and automatic rolling machinery changed all that, and soon
tobacco users were puffing away on white wrapped sticks of tobacco. This
introduced new toxins deep into the body, known collectively as “tar”. These
toxins are byproducts of the combustion of paper, tobacco, and chemicals in
tobacco processing.
The most lethal byproduct inhaled from burning tobacco is benzopyrene;
a carcinogenic chemical also emitted by automobile exhaust pipes and factory
smokestacks. In numerous tests, benzopyrene has been applied to the
respiratory tracts of laboratory animals, and has usually resulted in
malignant tumors.
The leading killer among all forms of cancers, lung cancer currently
claims about 140,000 victims annually. The American Cancer Society estimates
that 87% of lung cancer deaths could be avoided if only people would stop
smoking. Lung cancer isn’t the only concern. The chemical irritants
absorbed into the blood are excreted almost unchanged in the urine, and they
can lead to the development of cancer of the kidneys, prostate glands, and
bladder.
The last 10 years have seen a shift inner awareness of the dangers of
smoking. While we have known for three decades that smoking is a leading
cause of cancer death, we have finally acknowledged that second hand smoke
can cause the same problems as firsthand smoke. In early 1993, in fact, the
EPA classified second hand smoke a Class A carcinogen. That label means
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) is every bit as potent as arsenic,
asbestos, and radon in its ability to cause cancer.
In 1988, following years of study, the Surgeon General stated that
sidetream smoke could be deadly for non-smokers. In addition to causing
respiratory problems, ETS is responsible for 3,000 to 5,000 lung cancer
deaths a year in non-smokers, as well as 35,000 to 40,000 deaths from heart
disease.
It is easy to see why tobacco smoke is so deadly. It contains more
than 4,000 chemicals and at least 45 of its ingredients are known or
suspected to be cancer causing. But what is truly alarming is that
secondhand smoke contains greater concentrations of certain carcinogens than
primary smoke. It also contains greater amounts of nicotine and tar, both
strong and addictive toxins.
The first interview I had conducted was with my grandmother who
happily admits she has never been a smoker or tobacco user. Even though she
has never used tobacco, she has firsthand experiences of what tobacco can do
to a person and their family. The first story she told me was about how her
husband and my grandfather, needed to have triple by-pass surgery. The
surgery was performed in the spring of 1991 and was successful; my
grandfather still lives today. The doctor had told him that his smoking over
the last 40 years was one of the biggest factors that made him need the
surgery. My grandfather has since quit, but will be on medication for the
rest of his life.
The second story my grandmother had told me did not have such a happy
ending. Her sister was only 52 years old when she was diagnosed with
emphysema. The contributing factors were obvious, it was tobacco use. She
sat and told me the stories of how she would sit by her sister’s side feeling
helpless because they were told that nothing could be done. My grandmother
said of how her sister wished she knew the dangers of smoking when she was
younger; because by the time she had found out she had no desire to quit
because she had been smoking for so long. After a period of time the
emphysema finally killed my aunt and left her husband, two children and many
family members behind. These were two stories with different endings that my
grandmother will never forget. Stories like these should make society realize
that tobacco is not a personal problem, it is a global problem. Everyone is
affected by tobacco smoke, and it is time we all should get the proper
education to learn about the dangers of cigarette smoke.
More Americans are deciding to quit smoking due to its negative effects
on their health, so the tobacco companies must find new ways to market their
products.
Studies show that most smokers start smoking as teens (80% before the
age of 18) and if they don’t start then, they will probably never smoke. The
tobacco companies know this, so they target these children through
advertisements. They also target the women more because women are more
likely to be influenced than men are. The third most targeted population is
the minority group. Currently in the United States the minorities’ make-up
25% of our population, this is a lot of people with a lot of money to spend
on tobacco products.
Tobacco companies spend $700,000 an hour trying to convince people
smoking is fun and exciting. These companies need to recruit 5,000 new
smokers each day, because 1,000 smokers will die and another 4,000 smokers
quit each day. There are a lot of different methods that these
advertisements companies use: such as using good looking models to make
smoking look fun and exciting. They put ads in magazines and on billboards,
they sponsor car races, rodeos, and sporting events to make smoking look like
winners. They use cartoon characters so young people will recognize their
brands and they also try to use “free stuff” coupons so you buy more
cigarettes. With all this advertisement how can we prevent our children from
smoking?
The Federal Government along with state and local government have
started their war with these tobacco companies. They are trying to educate
students on the dangers of smoking, through health educators and programs
such as D.A.R.E. They have also used the same advertising techniques as
tobacco companies, with their own anti-smoking campaign. Except they make
smoking look terrible and show that to be a real winner you don’t need to
smoke.
What about all these people who are currently addicted and want to
quit smoking, what are we to do as health professionals? Numbers show there
is a high percentage of American adults that want to quit smoking but just
can’t.
Like other addictive behaviors, tobacco use is difficult to stop and
maintain, particularly if acting alone. The best success in quitting has been
noted with comprehensive programs that may combine various strategies
including education, peer support, behavior recognition, behavior
modification methods, recognition of potential relapse situations, and
strategies for confronting such situations.
Medications that are nicotine substitutes, such as transdermal nicotine
or nicotine chewing gum may be used but their effectiveness ranges between
25%-40%. There are also alternative methods such as hypnosis, acupuncture, or
even cold turkey. Anyone of these methods can work with the proper support
and total mindset upon quitting.
The benefits of quitting are almost instant. Within 20 minutes blood
pressure and pulse rate drop, body temperature of extremities increase to
normal. Within 8 hours, risk of sudden heart attack decreases. After 48 hours
nerve endings begin to regenerate and sense of smell and taste begin to
return to normal. Between 2 weeks and 3 months of quitting, circulation
improves and walking becomes easier. Lung function increases up to 30%. These
benefits will increase the longer the person has not smoked.
Given all the dangers of cigarette smoking it is not surprising that
many states have taken legal action to protect non-smokers from secondhand
smoke. More than 40 states and at least 480 communities have passed
legislation to restrict smoking in public places. A majority of companies now
have smoking policies that restrict or ban smoking in the workplace. We spend
some 22 billion a year on medical care related to smoking, and lost
productivity exceeds another 43 billion a year. As of 1986 smokeless tobacco
commercials were banned from TV and radio. As of 1987 smokeless tobacco
companies were required to have warning labels on them.
The second interview I had conducted was with the Chief of City 1
Tobacco Control Office, person 1. He told me about all the consequences and
adverse effects that tobacco will produce, but more importantly we talked
about what this city is doing to stop tobacco use among the people who live
here.
The city’s first requirement is that all tobacco sellers need to have a
tobacco permit, this allows the city to monitor the tobacco in the city. This
also allows the tobacco control office to set up a database for compliance
checks. These compliance checks will test stores for sale to minors and for
signage in the stores. They have also created a new ordinance that will ban
smoking in all restaurants, effective July 1, . They also work in
conjunction with the D.A.R.E. program to educate children on the dangers of
tobacco. These programs and ordinances work together to slow down tobacco use
in this city.
I have stated facts and figures on tobacco and the society it affects.
This is a problem that people on all levels need to address. The government
needs to put an end to tobacco companies. Cities and states need to ban
smoking in all public places to keep those who do not smoke healthy. Most
importantly parents and all adults need to show children that smoking is
dangerous, by not smoking ourselves. By everyone doing a little something to
help this alleviate problem we can make our environment a much healthier
place to live.
There are billions of dollars invested in health care cessation
programs, education, and prevention. Tobacco affects everyone; even if you do
not smoke, all taxpayers are being affected and do not even realize it.
People are dying everyday from a drug that if not so socially and financially
acceptable would be banned by now. Everyone has a reason to help in this