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= Health Risks Involved with Consuming Tobacco =

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Tobacco played a huge role in the advancement of certain areas throughout America. It provided economic growth bringing money, supplies, and even jobs to the people who lived there. Little did they know it would be the number one cause of deaths throughout the world today. In modern times, cigarettes, which are mainly composed of tobacco, cause more deaths than alcohol, AIDS, heroin, and cocaine combined 5. 6

= Background =

Tobacco is a plant that is grown in typically warm climates. This plant can be smoked, chewed, or sniffed through the nose. In ancient times, tobacco was used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, but as times changed, so did tobacco. In the 20th century, cigarette smoking was a mean for social acceptance and even a fashion statement 5. Today, tobacco as well as more than 4,000 chemicals, are made into cigarettes for profit within major cigarette industries. These chemicals are so poisonous that if someone were to eat a pack of cigarettes they could potentially die 4. Some of the chemicals found in cigarettes are nicotine and carbon monoxide. In its purest form, one drop of nicotine on a person’s tongue is extremely lethal 4. However, nicotine is the main reason why cigarettes are so dangerous and life-threatening. 7 8

= Lung Risks =

 In the United States around 80% of lung cancers are caused by cigarettes. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a lung cancer which has no cure. It is the third leading cause of deaths in the United States of America and cigarettes are the common cause of this disease 2 . COPD has two components: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. With chronic bronchitis, airways of the smoker begin to form too much mucus causing the smoker to have long lasting coughs and swollen airways 2 . Severe coughing can lead to high amounts of scar tissue, which eventually results in different types of lung infections. The other component of COPD, emphysema, slowly destroys the ability for a person to breathe. This is because walls between sacks start to break down which is not normal for a person’s lungs. People with emphysema eventually develop pneumonia and will often be tired a lot throughout their days of smoking cigarettes. 9

= Heart Risks =

 Cigarettes can also cause cardiovascular problems which lead to stroke and coronary disease 1 . Smoking causes blood vessels and arteries to be destroyed. This eventually leads to the buildup of fatty material resulting in a heart attack. Since carbon dioxide is in cigarettes there will be lower amounts of oxygen in the body. If there is a low amount of oxygen, the heart will be forced to pump harder to produce the oxygen the body needs 1 . The heart also works harder when nicotine in cigarettes causes increased adrenaline which results in high blood pressure.

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= Risks on Non Smokers =

In the United States, more than 480,000 deaths are related to smoking cigarettes. Forty-one thousand of these deaths are a result of second-hand smoke 1. Second-hand smoke, also known as passive smoke, is the smoke released from cigarette smokers. This smoke is just as dangerous as smoking a cigarette and sometimes can even be worse. People who live with smokers are 20-30% more likely to develop lung cancer 2. Second-hand smoke is especially dangerous to women and babies. A woman who experiences second-hand smoke may potentially have problems becoming pregnant. If the woman does become pregnant, the child could have a number of birth defects. These birth defects could range from frequent ear infections to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) 1. SIDS occurs when infants slowly stop breathing unexpectedly and eventually pass away 1. The CDC states that chemicals in cigarettes interfere with the brain’s function to control the way people breathe. This causes infants who suffer second-hand smoke to develop SIDS.

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= References =


 * 1) Betobaccofree.hhs.gov/index.html. //US History Department of Health and Human Services//. Web. 10 Dec. 2016
 * 2) “Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking.” //Centers for Disease Control and Prevention//. 1 Dec. 2016 Web. 11 Dec. 2016.
 * 3) “Health Risks of Smoking Tobacco.” // American Cancer Society // . 12 Nov. 2015. 11 Dec. 2016.
 * 4) Jacobs Marjorie. “From the First to the Last Ash: The History, Economics, and Hazardous of Tobacco.” // Community Learning Center // . 1997. Web. Dec. 8 2016.
 * 5) Kozlowski, Lynn. Abrams, David. “Obsolete Tobacco Control Themes Can Be Hazardous to Public Health: The Need for Updating Views on Absolute Product Risks and Harm Reduction.” // BMC Public Health // . 24 May. 2016. Web. 8 Dec. 2016.
 * 6) @https://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/640/HealthConditions/Skeleton-Cigarette-Smoking.jpg
 * 7) @https://nolavape.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/pure-menthol-tobacco-e-Juice.jpg
 * 8) @http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/hems/asthma/images/cigarette_chemicals.jpg
 * 9) @http://k945.com/files/2012/04/aint-nobody-got-time-for-that.jpg?w=600&h=0&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89
 * 10) @https://www.deathtodiabetes.com/resources/Diabetic-Complications-Heart-Attack.jpg
 * 11) []