Smoke Abuse, and How to Stop (scientific essay)

Introduction: Tobacco use is the most popular form of substance abuse used by us teenagers worldwide. The question is, why? Tobacco use has so many harmful affects that you don’t know. However, smoking has become one of the most popular drugs put out there for teenagers to use, and yes, tobacco is a drug. Teenagers like us, must become aware of what cigarettes are made of, and the terrible harm that smoking can do to our well being. How Nicotine Works: Nicotine causes chemical or biological changes in the brain. This effect is called psychoactive and although it is less affected than heroin or cocaine, the strength of the addiction is just as  strong. It is a 'reinforcing' drug, which means that users desire the drug regardless of the damaging effects. For example, in research conducted in 1994, only 50% of smokers who suffered a heart attack managed to quit smoking even though their doctors advised them to. Unexpectedly, 50% of all regular smokers die as a result of smoking. Nicotine addiction is a physical dependency. Withdrawal symptoms are severe and most smokers cannot quit on their first attempt. Its because the human body builds a tolerance to nicotine and the effect of the drug is reduced over time. As a result, regular smokers can inhale greater amounts of smoke and therefore greater amounts of toxins, without showing immediate effects. Nicotine is extremely poisonous if consumed in large amounts and most people feel sick and dizzy the first time they smoke. These negative affects are quickly overcome. Over time the body builds a tolerance to nicotine, resulting in an increase in the amount of cigarettes smoked.
Nicotine in the Body: Cigarette smoke is acidic and therefore nicotine is absorbed through the lungs. Human lungs are very efficient in absorbing nicotine which then moves through the bloodstream and into the brain and other organs of the body. It takes only 10 seconds for nicotine to reach the brain after being inhaled. This causes several physiological reactions. It also increase in heart rate and blood pressure and constriction of blood vessels causing a temperature drop in the hands and feet. Why We Should Not Smoke (Short Term Effects):
Tobacco smoke consists of tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide and other gases. The amount of nicotine and other substances that is absorbed through the lungs depends on how much of the smoke is inhaled. Nicotine is a stimulant and users feel that tobacco helps them relieve boredom, tiredness and also helps them reduce stress and anxiety. The effects are almost immediate but fade quickly, which encourages constant use. Some people may experience nausea and dizziness when they inhale tobacco smoke. While the user may believe that the smoking is helping their emotional stress and anxiety, they are only harming themselves in the long run. Many users of tobacco are also worried that if they do quit they will be subject to weight gain. The media has brought upon the thought that being as thin as models on magazine covers is healthy (see Eating Disorders) , but on the contrary this is very unhealthy, another reason to stop smoking! Gaining weight is not a health problem, it is the thinness and the smoking that will cause the harmful effects.		.
Why We Should Not Smoke (Long Term Effects): ·         More than 144,000 women die every year from smoking-related diseases. ·         Smoking causes 20 percent of all deaths in the United States each year. ·         Lung cancer has become the leading cause of cancer death among women (this has increased nearly 400% in the past 20 years). Smoking can cause: ·         Diminished or extinguished sense of smell and taste. ·         Frequent colds, smoker's cough, and chronic bronchitis. ·         Gastric ulcers. ·         Increase in heart rate and blood pressure. ·         Premature and more abundant face wrinkles. ·         Emphysema, heart disease, strokes. ·         Cancers of the Mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, lungs, pancreas, cervix, uterus and bladder. ·         Among teenagers, smoking increases problems from asthma, and the respiratory problems associated with smoking are more pronounced in asthmatics. Asthma has been found to be more common in 11 to 16 year-olds who smoke, and the progress of asthma throughout childhood and early adulthood does not improve as greatly in smokers than in non-smokers. (Also see Statistics, below) Quit Smoking: There are now more former smokers (26%), over the age of 15, than current smokers (25%). The most common reason given for quitting smoking is concern about future personal health. Other reasons for quitting were life-style changes, cost of cigarettes, having a baby, and smoke-related illness or death of a friend or family member. Conclusion:
The most serious health hazard of tobacco for youth is addiction and its long-term effects. Although lack of research makes it difficult to say with certainty how quickly nicotine addiction develops in young tobacco users, an evidence indicates that most smokers become addicted while still in teenage years. This addiction results in an increased risk of developing and prematurely dying from tobacco-related diseases. The more a person smokes/the longer a person smokes, the more likely they are to suffer from sicknesses. Smoking releases epinephrine, a hormone which creates physiological stress in the smoker, rather than relaxation. The addictive quality of the drug makes the user feel he must smoke more to calm down, when in effect the smoking itself is causing the agitation. Therefore tobacco is likely to cause physical and psychological dependency in a short space of time if it is smoked regularly. Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have smaller babies and run a bigger risk of losing the child. This is why it is strongly encouraged to STOP SMOKING! When you stop, the chances of developing cancer and heart disease is immediately decreased. After a number of years, the risk of a person who has stopped smoking is the same as a person who has never smoked. However, it is even more strongly encouraged to not even start. If you never start you are not putting yourself in danger, and you do not have to put yourself through trouble. 2013 National Survey of Smokers for Ages 12 and Older (in percentage) Drug Time Ages Ages Ages Period 12 or Older 18 through 25 26 or Older Cigarettes (any use) Lifetime [62.8] 61 [68.6] Past Year [26.1] 42.3 24.9 Past Month [22.1] 33.5 21.9 Smokeless Tobacco Lifetime 18 20.4 18.9 Past Year 4.6 [9.4] 3.7 Past Month 3.2 [5.4] 3