Cigarette: A Factor Affecting Human Life

A Research Paper presented to Mr. Mark E. Manzano English Teacher

By:
Manny Manuel Dan Marshal Mina April joy Cuello Lizen Fae Adona Precy Roqueta

February 28, 2012

Cigarette: A Factor Affecting Human Life

I.Introduction
A.Definition B.History

II.Causes of cigarette smoking III.Effects of cigarette smoking IV.Conclusion V.Bibliography

Cigarette
A cigarette is a cylindrical roll of shredded or ground tobacco that is wrapped in paper or another substance that does not contain tobacco. Many manufactured cigarettes also have filterson one end that are intended to trap some of the toxic chemicals contained in cigarette smoke.1 The earliest forms of cigarettes were largely indistinguishable from their predecessor, the cigar. Cigarettes have been attested in Central America around the 9th century in the form of reeds and smoking tubes. The Maya, and later the Aztecs, smoked tobacco and various psychoactive drugs in religious rituals and frequently depicted priests and deities smoking on pottery and temple engravings. The cigarette and the cigar were the most common methods of smoking in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central and South America until recent times. The South and Central American cigarette used various plant wrappers; when it was brought back to Spain, maize wrappers were introduced, and by the 17th century, fine paper. The resulting product was called papelate and is documented in Goya's paintings La Cometa, La Merienda en el Manzanares, and El juego de la pelota a pala (18th century). By 1830, the cigarette had crossed into France, where it received the name cigarette; and in 1845, the French state tobacco monopoly began manufacturing them. Leading cigarette brands would always find retail outlets,but numerous makers of minor brands,pipetobaccos,cigars,and snuff feared that their products might not in the future be able to reach their relatively small markets for lack of adequate distribution links between factories and smokers.pipe makers shared this anxiety.2 In the English-speaking world, the use of tobacco in cigarette form became increasingly

1Lorraine H. Marchi,Merriam-Websters Concise Dictionary(U.S.A:MerriamWebster,Inc.,1998),p.114. 2CigaretteEncyclopedia Britannica.1985 Ed.,p.283

Causes of cigarette smoking Peer pressure. This is the single biggest reason why teenagers start smoking.Feelings of stress and fatigue.3 The nicotine certainly makes one feel relaxed, but this comes at a painful price of addiction.Growing up in a house or environment where people regularly smoke.Experiencing a total lack of discouragement against smoking.Ignorance about all the disadvantages and risks of smoking cigarettes.4 It is now known that cigarette can be cause by a variety of factors acting either singly or in concert.This include a wide variety of chemical substances,vanous types of ionizing radiation,and various classes of viruses.This knowledge has accrued from composite of epidemiologic studies of cancer in humans and from experimental studies in laboratory although.5 much is known about how cancer is cause,the precise mechanism or group of mechanisms involved continues to elude researchers. Effects of cigarette smoking The effects of smoking on human health are serious and in many cases, deadly. There are approximately 4000 chemicals in cigarettes, hundreds of which are toxic.The ingredients in cigarettes affect everything from the internal functioning of organs to the efficiency of the body's immune system. The effects of cigarette smoking are destructive and widespread.6 Cigarette smoking has been shown to contain numerous compounds that are known to cause cancer in experimental animals and that appear to be strongly linked to human cancer, especially lung cancer.7 In addition ,tobacco smoke has been implicated in the causation of
3https://www.wikpedia.com 4 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cigarette 5Causes of cigaretteEncyclopedia Britannica.1984 Ed.,p.137 6www.google.com 7Effects of cigaretteEncyclopedia Britannica.1984 Ed.,p.136

cancer of the mouth ,and to a lesser extent the esophagus ,pancreas ,biliary system and urinary bladder. Cigarette also has been shown to contain a number of cocarcinogens ,substances that appear to enhance the effect or carcinogens when administered concomitantly.

Toxic ingredients in cigarette smoke travel throughout the body, causing damage in several different ways Nicotine reaches the brain within 10 seconds after smoke is inhaled. It has been found in every part of the body and in breast milk.Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells, preventing affected cells from carrying a full load of oxygen.Cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) in tobacco smoke damage important genes that control the growth of cells, causing them to grow abnormally or to reproduce too rapidly.The carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene binds to cells in the airways and major organs of smokers.Smoking affects the function of the immune system and may increase the risk for respiratory and other infections.There are several likely ways that cigarette smoke does its damage. One is oxidative stress that mutates DNA, promotes atherosclerosis, and leads to chronic lung injury. Oxidative stress is thought to be the general mechanism behind the aging process, contributing to the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and COPD.The body produces antioxidants to help repair damaged cells. Smokers have lower levels of antioxidants in their blood than do nonsmokers.Smoking is associated with higher levels of chronic inflammation, another damaging process that may result in oxidative stress.

Conclusion

I therefore conclude that cigarette smoking is very dangerous to our health. Smoking is a habit which individuals find difficult to quit. Many people make preparations for months in their effort to get rid of the habit, making painstaking plans to eliminate their dependence on nicotine. However making an effort to give up the habit of smoking all on a sudden is far more likely to yield satisfactory results.Spontaneous efforts to end the habit of smoking have a greater rate of success in comparison to planned attempts made by individuals to give up the habit. This can be attributed to the fact that prior planning gives rise to tension, making it difficult for smokers to kick the habit. Giving up the habit of smoking is one of the most crucial things that an individual can probably do. Quitting smoking ensures a longer and better life. People who quit smoking have reduced risks of suffering a heart attack, stroke or cancer. Pregnant women who give up smoking enhance the likelihood of having healthy baby.

In order to quit smoking individuals should prepare themselves for the move. It is imperative that one should get support for their endeavor to quit smoking. One should learn new skills and behaviors in order to give up smoking for good. One should obtain medication and utilize it properly. A person should be ready to face tough situations or a relapse. With a view to quit smoking one should fix a quit date. An individual should also make an attempt to alter ones surroundings by removing the entire stock of cigarettes along with ashtrays in the home. A person must also prohibit others from smoking in ones home. It is advisable to assess past efforts in giving up smoking and take into consideration what worked and what did not.

Bliography
Effects of cigaretteEncyclopedia Britannica.1984 Ed. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cigarette Causes of cigaretteEncyclopedia Britannica.1984 Ed Cigarette,Encyclopedia Britannica.1985. Marchi,LorraineH.Merriam-Websters Concise Dictionary.U.S.A.:MerriamWebster,Inc.,1998 www.google.com www.wikpedia.com