The innocuously tiny cigarette kills about 440,000 people in America each year. To make it more horrifying, it is said that one-fifth of all American deaths are due to smoking. Cigarette smoking can cause various kinds of cancers, emphysema, cardiovascular disorders, and finally death. In fact, 30% of all cancer deaths are directly associated with cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking also increases chances of heart attacks. A person who has already had a heart attack may have the second one faster if smoking continues.
Analysts have found cigarette smoke to contain at least 4,000 chemicals. The major addictive chemical in cigarettes is nicotine, which is found in the leaves of the tobacco plant. Nicotine is known to be highly addictive and it creates a stimulating effect on the nervous system. However, it also increases the heartbeat, raises the blood pressure and reduces appetite. Nicotine can be as addictive as cocaine or heroin. Sixty milligrams of pure nicotine placed on a person’s tongue can immediately kill the person. Cigarette smoke also contains hydrocyanic acid, or prussic acid, an extremely toxic poison.
Some of the other mischief-mongers in cigarette smoke are ammonia, benzene and tar. Ammonia enhances the addictive and stimulating properties of nicotine. Benzene is a hydrocarbon and proven carcinogen, as is tar. Tar is the black sticky substance which is also used for road construction. In cigarette smoke, it can paralyze the cilia (the small hair-like locomotive organs with which the lungs push out intruding particles). A chain smoker would empty about one cupful of tar into the lungs in a year. Cigarette smoke also contains the highly poisonous metal cadmium, which wreaks havoc with the liver, kidneys and brain.
Addiction to cigarettes usually occurs in a person’s youth. It is difficult, but not impossible, to wean a person away from nicotine addiction. The primary step is definitely determination on the part of the smokers themselves. There are groups like Nicotine Anonymous, the American Legacy Foundation, the Nicotine Cancer Institute, etc. which work with the smoker in order to defeat the addiction. Chain smokers suffer some symptoms of relapse when they suddenly stop smoking. There are several rehabilitation centers that help a person cope up with the withdrawal symptoms of giving up smoking.
Giving up smoking is difficult but not impossible. There are 36 million Americans to date who can proudly say that they have quit smoking.
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