Smoking And Smoking

Smoking is the act of breathing in the smoke produced by burning tobacco either in cigarettes, cigars or pipes. Smoking was introduced to the European culture by explorers such as Christopher Columbus, the practice soon spread across the globe. Smoking (2017) describes the use of tobacco products in the early 20th century as medicinal. Health practitioners believed smoking would aid in elevating the disposition, concentration and productivity of their patients. However, by the early 21st century the converse to this theory had been proven. Smoking had been identified as one of the leading causes of mortality and disease globally. Smoking is still widespread today, although there are many religious, social and medical discussions against it.

The popularity of e-cigarettes and vapes has grown exponentially within the last couple of years. These two alternatives offer a “safe” way to consume nicotine or just a substitute to regular cigarette smoking. These products omit water vapor instead of tobacco smoke, constructing it as less of a health risk. Nicotine can be added to the mixture to help quit smoking or offer a healthier option to those with nicotine dependence. There has not been widespread research on conventional e-cigarettes, in addition to data on vapes been relatively premature. These smoking devices have not be regulated by the FDA yet, but the FDA has looked into e-cigarettes and its contents (FDA, 2015). Many e-cigarettes that are thought to be free of nicotine, have

Tetrahymena cells are model organisms that have led to the discovery of many groundbreaking topics in the biology world. Tetrahymena cells nourish through a process called phagocytosis. Phagocytosis is when the cell engulfs anything in its path using the cell’s cytoplasm. In this experiment, through the use of a control, and low and high concentration of tobacco extract it was determined that cigarette extract inhibits the process of phagocytosis in cells. This was then compared to the ciliotoxic effects of cigarette smoke on the lungs and the hypothesis was supported after the drop in phagocytosis of high and low concentrations after ten minutes. It can be determined that cigarette smoke does have a direct effect on the difficulty of breathing and overall living of life.

The addiction to tobacco, nicotine, and smoking is something the humans have embraced and battled since the early 1800’s. With more and more people falling into the habit and becoming addicted, many detrimental health effects on the body caused people to question what was going on and what was causing these negative reactions in the body. Soon enough, the healthy and “cool” cigarettes that everyone was smoking became the face of lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, birth defects, and many other deadly bodily reactions. In the early 2000’s electronic cigarettes (ECs) were developed by a Chinese pharmacist that hoped to allow smokers to maintain their nicotine addiction, but limit or end the harmful and detrimental effects of tobacco on the body, due to his father’s death of tobacco-attributable lung cancer.1 A typical EC consists of a rechargeable lithium battery, a heating tool called an atomizer, which vaporizes a humectant (typically propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and/or polyethylene glycol 400). The humectant contains liquid nicotine. When the smoker inhales, the heating tool is activated by an airflow sensor, and the nicotine is vaporized.1 2

The severity of the health problems that come from smoking e-cigarettes are that we are still unaware of what exactly do these electronic devices contain. At it is stated in the article “Drug Facts: Electronic Cigarettes” that they contain different amounts of nicotine, flavoring, and other unknown chemicals. With these unknown chemicals, we are unaware of what can be the consequences or risks are with long-term consumption of using e-cigs. There are over “400,000 deaths each year in the United States” at a cause from smoking and inhaling nicotine; yet the worst risks are the development of cancer and heart diseases (Drug

Subsequently, e-cigarettes are known to be dangerous at any rate, because they contain toxic chemicals such as lead, formaldehyde, propylene, and many more which are all popular for initiating cancer (SCOPE, 31). More importantly, people exposed to secondhand smoke released (as vapor) from e-cigarettes should take extra precaution, because the vapor contains many carcinogens, as mentioned earlier, all a factor of cancer (www.lung.org, 2015). Be

“ The true face of smoking is disease, death and horror – not the glamour and sophistication the pushers in the tobacco industry try to portray ”. – David Byrne. Smoking has been an habit in teenagers and adults for a very long time and it is well known that it is harmful for them as well for the environment. Technology has advanced, and now there are electronic cigarettes, called E-cigarette, which are devices with battery that carry nicotine heated aersosol in a fashion that imitates common cigarettes, while carrying lower levels of toxins than a conventional lit cigarette. They can be used indoors, which allows smokers to get their fix wherever and whenever they want. A study from NBC News (Leshae) shows that electronic cigarettes are a technique for smokers to try quitting their addictions. Manufacturers consider that e-cigarattes are healthier than normal tobacco cigarattes, since smokers are inhaling vaporized nicotine rather of carcinogen-filled smoke. However, according to a Thomas Jefferson University Alumni article, some reseachers have found harmful ingredients in certain e-cigarettes, such as ethylene glycol poisoning, a primary ingredient in brake fluid and antifreeze. E-cigarettes mey seem like a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, nevertheless there is some research that proves the contrary and we still don’t know its long term effect.

In the past decade e-cigarettes industry has been growing quite rapidly. E-cigarettes were first created as a better alternative to the conventional tobacco cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. However, in todays society they have become a very popular commodity. Likewise, they are mostly used for mere pleasure and not what its original purpose was. Originally the sole purpose of e-cigarettes was to help wean their users off of the unhealthy drugs we all know as the conventional tobacco cigarettes (Dockrell, 1). But are they really the healthier alternative? Absolutely not. E-cigarettes are extremely unhealthy, used as a gate-way substitute, and also affect others who aren’t even directly using it!

E-cigarettes have exploded onto the scene in the past three years. Whole stores dedicated to these devices have opened their doors to the public and business is thriving. E-cigarettes are battery-charged devices that have an atomizer, or heating element, in them to vaporize liquid nicotine. The user is able to inhale this vapor and get the nicotine without the other 4,000 chemicals present in tobacco cigarette smoke (Schroeder). Nicotine is a chemical that is produced by the tobacco plant. People have discovered that by smoking the leaves of a tobacco plant the nicotine in the leaves is delivered into the bloodstream. Nicotine by itself is not an awful drug as far as drugs go, although it is highly addictive, it is the tar in cigarettes that does so much damage. Tobacco use remains the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S. with 480,000 Americans dying prematurely from tobacco related disease. Kicking this habit remains difficult for most (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Mark Twain once wrote “It’s easy to quit smoking, I’ve done it hundreds of times.”

Electronic cigarettes are considered to be “a gateway drug,” which means one is more likely to use tobacco or a different drug after being exposed to nicotine from a traditional cigarette or additional harmful substances (Griffin). “A 2011 study by Eric R. Kandel and colleagues at Columbia University found that nicotine exposure increased mice’s sensitivity to cocaine’s rewarding effects via an epigenetic pathway; if the same holds true in humans, nicotine could serve as a gateway to the abuse of other substances (Volkow).” In other words, once one has allowed their body to be exposed to nicotine, in any form, they would be more likely to be involved with drugs or other harmful substances because of the addiction habits that can form just from their start in nicotine (Volkow). Even the flavor ingredients used in the vapor are not safe to inhale, though many manufactures would like to say different. The FEMA GRAS, or Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association Generally Recognized as Safe, status of the “vape juice” is a deceptive statement in that, it applies to food, but not inhaled substances ("E-cigarettes and Lung Health"). The side effects involved with those who ‘vape’ regularly are still not widely known but we do know that that the withdraw symptoms include depression, anxiety, lack of focus, and over all reckless behavior

Despite various claims via online websites and advertisements, electronic cigarettes are not a safe alternative to regular cigarettes. Often advertised as having no dangerous chemicals, many people would think that they are completely safe because of these misleading ads. However, electronic cigarettes still have toxic chemicals inside of them, and even more that are created when smoking them. The biggest reason cigarettes are addictive is because of a drug called “nicotine” inside of them. This drug creates a feeling of pleasure in the brain, but it is short lived, turning that pleasure into irritability and eventually addiction. Besides nicotine, e-cigs also have other ingredients such as aldehydes (which kills cells around the mouth and throat), nitrosamines (which can cause lung cancer), and even some metals. Because of these dangerous chemicals that are still present in electronic cigarettes, they are not a safe alternative to cigarettes, the presence of nicotine being the biggest reason.

Smoking is the single highest cause of preventable death in America and puts users at significantly greater risk for disease compared to the rest of the population. Tobacco use costs the U.S. more than 289 billion dollars annually in medical expenses and lost productivity (Surgeon General, 2014). The problems associated with smoking are due in part to its addictiveness. Nicotine is the addictive substance found in tobacco and its chemical dependence is as strong as heroin, cocaine, or alcohol (CDC, 2014). Getting all smokers to quit entirely is not realistic due to nicotine’s addictive characteristics.

Schaller et al, they had different results of nicotine exposures. The results of e-cigarettes’ nicotine exposure were similar, the average nicotine exposure being 13.56% of the conventional cigarette. However, they identified some metals with higher, lower, and same level. Four metals like sodium, iron, aluminum, and nickels were detected higher. While other two metals, potassium, and zinc were at a lower level than the conventional cigarettes (GCRC 10-11). The experts used the number of substances in the mist of vapor from e-cigarettes as a measurement to conduct this study. While being supported by the German Cancer Research Center, a group of experts performed the sample study to measure the secondary exposure by the e-cigarettes (GCRC 1-2).

According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015), cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year, or 1 of every five deaths. In 2015, about 15 of every 100 U.S. adults age 18 years or older currently smoke cigarettes. However, this is a decline from nearly 21 of every 100 adults back in 2005. One reason for the decline is due to smoking cessation programs developed within our communities. These programs are helping smokers to quit their habit, and improve their health and lifestyle. Let us look at what it takes to make a smoke cessation successful within ones’ community.

Tobacco leaves that defends the plant against insect attacks. Nicotine affects the nervous system."(Mccuen 1997) Nobody wants that in his or her bodies. But people still light up every day knowing well enough that the tobacco smoke will kill them eventually or cause permanent damage to their bodies. The reason is because the nicotine in the cigarettes is very addictive, let me tell you from my personal experience that it is very addictive. As time goes by a person tolerance goes up. "Tolerance of nicotine begins with the first does of nicotine, people