The use of tobacco products has been a controversial tissue for many years. During the 1550’s, European physicians declared that tobacco should be used only for medicinal purposes. The puritans in America considered it a dangerous narcotic, During the 1960’s scientist established that smoking tobacco products, especially cigarettes, could cause lung cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. Some cigarette manufacturers reacted to the medical findings by reducing tar and nicotine content of cigarettes.
Doctors say that these measures have not eliminated the dangers of smoking. A health warning is now included on all packages and cartons of cigarettes. Long before Columbus sailed to the new World in 1492, American Indians smoked tobacco in pipes. Columbus brought some tobacco seeds back to helped people to relax. In 1560, a French diplomat named Jean Nicot from whom tobacco derives its botanical name Nicotiana introduced its use in France.
Commercial production began in North America in 1621 after an English colonist named John rolfe brought some tobacco seeds from South America to Virginia. The Virginia soil and climate proved excellent for its growth. Most of the tobacco grown in the American colonies was exported to England until the Revolutionary War in 1775.
Manufactures in the United States then began to produce smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco and snuff for domestic use. Spaniards and some other Europeans began to smoke hand rolled cigarette making machine was invented. In India, hand rolled cigarette were available much before the Europeans and the Americans stumbled upon tobacco seeds.
Tobacco
Are you in love with lady Nicotine? How much is she making your wife green with envy? Her warm kisses could lead you slowly, steadily towards a deadly disease like cancer. It has been revealed that nicotine present in two packs of cigarettes, if injected into the body, is enough to kill instantly. The reason why smokers do not drop dead after smoking two packs is that they inhale nicotine in small doses – seven to ten pulls for a cigarette. The body quickly metabolises the substance. There is normally a trait of addiction. After prolonged use, smokers develop tolerance to nicotine, they become dependent. They suffer withdrawal symptoms when they do not get it.
There is the story of “Vish Kanya”. Girls used to be maintained in the olden days by powerful kings the same way they maintained armies to protect their kingdom. They would select the most beautiful girls of their kingdom as children. They were given training and all facilities for education, teach them good manners, and familiarise them with the rudiments of dance and music. Besides, they would also be given a small dose of cobra poison. The dose was very small, and not enough to kill.
They slowly increased the dose as tolerance grew. As time passed they would become immune to large doses to the point that a bite from deadly cobra would not kill them. The girls grew in enchanting environment and their role was to allure the strongest enemies and make them the weakest. These kings used these trained beauties to kill their enemies. The enemy who could not be tackled in any other way was put in the hand of these enchanting, preying girls. One intimate relationship was enough to subdue and kill them.
In a similar vein, lady nicotine takes you in her embrace although it does not kill you so fast. It takes 20-30 years to develop diseases like cancer, heart clutches cannot shake her off easily inspite of repeated efforts. A patient suffering from lung cancer walked into a consultant’s chamber. After a thorough examination he was given the bad news that he had developed a carcigenous disease and it had been due to his prolonged smoking.
He was advised to stop smoking and was told bluntly that if he did not, he would have six months to live. The stubborn patient walked out the consulting room, to the side walk, took out his pack of cigarettes and the match box, pulled out one cigarette from the pack and put it to his lips and lit it, took a deep puff and marched away to the great surprise of the doctor who was watching all this from behind the curtains.
The addicts find it difficult to tear themselves away from their habit. Cigarette smoking generally starts when teenagers in schools or colleges, start puffing to prove their maturity. This acquaintance turns into a deep friendship in a short time. A puff is taken just for fun’s sake, in a matter of time it becomes a necessity. Sometimes, in moments of stress it becomes necessary to tide over the psychological distress or to enjoy the moment fully, he takes out a cigarette.
A person becomes addicted to nicotine as he inhales it. With every puff of the cigarette, in 20-30 years time he is prone to be in the grip of cancer, heart diseases, bronchitis, or peptic ulcer. So by the time you cross 40, you are already in the grip of one of these deadly diseases. In America 34,000 people die every year due to smoking one sixth of total deaths are attributed to smoking.
What happens when you puff a cigarette? The toxic fumes reach the brain within six seconds, twice as fast as when a person is injected with heroin, and faster than any other drug. Nicotine causes the heart to beat faster – much faster, blood vessels thicken and can lead to spasms, blood pressure, heart diseases.
The pulse rate increases. Free fatty acid pours into the blood. Smoker tend to get a lower level of high density lipoproteins in the blood which are required to protect against the coronary heart diseases. The first step in preventing a heart disease is to pull down the shutters on cigarette buyers. Excess cigarette smoking causes osteoporosis (weakening of the bone).
According to Dr. Steven R. Cummings of the University of California School of Medicine 10 to 20 percent of hip fractures can be attributed to cigarette smoking. At first, the impact of nicotine sharpens thinking. It looking as if learning and the memory job are done better after this contact. But soon the smokers feel tired and let down, their heart rate slows down , blood pressure drops, the mind loses its keen edge. In small doses nicotine causes tremors and n large doses convulsions.
The vomiting reflex both in brain and stomach is kindled by nicotine. It has an antidiuretic effect. In the intestines initially it stimulates. It explains why so many smokers depend on the first smoke of the day for their bowel regularity. Later doses, however slow down all the digestive process.
There are many types of smokers. Some who need a cigarette only every other hour or so. These nicotine peak and valleys in their blood. Those who pick cigarette every half have a consistent nicotine. This is the main aim of heavy smokers addicted to smoking. Approximately half of the excess mortality attributable to cigarette smoking lead to heart diseases. There is twice the risk of myocardial infarction and heart diseases then among non-smokers. Among the young, the risk is high.
The risk declines, dramatically, with the cessation of cigarette smoking. Within three years, after giving up smoking, the risk reduces and becomes almost equal to that of non-smokers.