Download - Smoking
Smoking – Introduction
Smoking is a practice in which a
substance, most commonly tobacco, is
burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled.
Smoking
This is primarily practised as a route of
administration for recreational drug use,
as combustion releases the active
substances in drugs such as nicotine and
makes them available for absorption
through the lungs.
Smoking
Smoking is one of the most common forms
of recreational drug use. Tobacco
smoking is today by far the most popular
form of smoking and is practiced by over
one billion people in the majority of all
human societies.
Smoking
Less common drugs for smoking
include cannabis and opium. Some of the
substances are classified as
hard narcotics, like heroin.
Smoking
The history of smoking can be dated to as
early as 5000 BC, and has been recorded
in many different cultures across the
world.
Smoking
Early smoking evolved in association with
religious ceremonies; as offerings to
deities, in cleansing rituals or to
allow shamans and priests to alter their
minds for purposes of divination or
spiritual enlightenment.
Smoking
Today medical studies have proven that
smoking tobacco is among the leading
causes of many diseases such as lung
cancer, heart attacks, erectile
dysfunction and can also lead to birth
defects.
Smoking
The inherent health hazards of smoking
have caused many countries such as
Singapore to institute high taxes on
tobacco products and anti-smoking
campaigns are launched every year in an
attempt to curb tobacco smoking.
Smoking - History
The history of smoking dates back to as early
as 5000 BC in shamanistic rituals. Many
ancient civilizations, such as the Babylonians,
Indians and Chinese, burnt incense as a part
of religious rituals, as did the Israelites and the
later Catholic and Orthodox Christian
churches.
Smoking - History
Smoking in the Americas probably had its origins
in the incense-burning ceremonies
of shamans but was later adopted for pleasure,
or as a social tool. The smoking of tobacco, as
well as various hallucinogenic drugs was used to
achieve trances and to come into contact with
the spirit world.
Smoking - History
Aztec women are
handed flowers and
smoking tubes before
eating at a banquet,
Florentine Codex,
1500.
Smoking - History
Substances such as Cannabis, clarified
butter (ghee), fish offal, dried snake skins
and various pastes molded
around incense sticks dates back at least
2000 years.
Smoking - History
Before modern times these substances
have been consumed through pipes, with
stems of various lengths or chillums.
Smoking - History
Reports from the first European explorers
and conquistadors to reach the Americas
tell of rituals where native priests smoked
themselves into such high degrees of
intoxication that it is unlikely that the rituals
were limited to just tobacco.
Smoking - Popularization
In order to meet demands from the old
world, tobacco was grown in succession,
quickly depleting the land. This became a
motivator to settle west into the unknown
continent, and likewise an expansion of
tobacco production.
Smoking - Popularization
Like tea, coffee and opium, tobacco was
just one of many intoxicants that was
originally used as a form of
medicine. Tobacco was introduced around
1600 by French merchants in what today
is modern-day Gambia and Senegal.
Smoking - Opium
In the 19th century the practice of smoking
opium became common. Previously it had only
been eaten, and then primarily for its medical
properties. A massive increase in opium
smoking in China was more or less directly
instigated by the British trade deficit with Qing
dynasty China.
Smoking - Opium
As a way to amend this problem, the British
began exporting large amounts of opium
grown in the Indian colonies. The social
problems and the large net loss of currency
led to several Chinese attempts to stop the
imports which eventually culminated in
the Opium Wars.
Smoking - Opium
In the latter half of the 19th century, opium smoking
became popular in the artistic community in Europe,
especially Paris; artists' neighborhoods such
as Montparnasse and Montmartre became virtual "opium
capitals".
Smoking - Opium
While opium dens that catered primarily to
emigrant Chinese continued to exist in China
Towns around the world, the trend among the
European artists largely abated after the
outbreak of World War I. The consumption of
Opium abated in China during the Cultural
revolution in the 1960s and 1970s.
Smoking: Substances and equipment
The most popular type of substance that is
smoked is tobacco. There are many different
tobacco cultivars which are made into a wide
variety of mixtures and brands. Tobacco is often
sold flavored, often with various fruit aromas,
something which is especially popular for use
with water pipes, such as hookahs.
Smoking: Substances and equipment
The second most common substance that is
smoked is cannabis, made from the flowers or
leaves of Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica.
The substance is considered illegal in most
countries in the world and in those countries
that tolerate public consumption, it is usually
only pseudo-legal.
Smoking: Substances and equipment
Other than actual smoking equipment, many other items
are associated with smoking; cigarette cases, cigar
boxes, lighters, matchboxes, cigarette holders, cigar
holders, ashtrays, silent butlers, pipe cleaners, tobacco
cutters, match stands, pipe tampers, cigarette
companions and so on. Many of these have become
valuable collector items and particularly ornate and antique
items can fetch high prices at the finest auction houses.
Smoking – Health Effects
Male and female smokers lose an average of
13.2 and 14.5 years of life, respectively. At least
half of all lifelong smokers die earlier as a result
of smoking. The risk of dying from lung cancer
before age 85 is 22.1% for a male smoker and
11.9% for a female current smoker, in the
absence of competing causes of death.
Smoking – Health Effects
Smoking is a risk factor in Alzheimer's
disease. While smoking more than 15
cigarettes per day has been shown to worsen
the symptoms of Crohn's disease, smoking
has been shown to actually lower the
prevalence of ulcerative colitis.
Smoking - Psychology
Most tobacco smokers begin during
adolescence or early adulthood. Smoking
has elements of risk-taking and rebellion,
which often appeal to young people. The
presence of high-status models and peers
may also encourage smoking.
Smoking - Psychology
Because teenagers are influenced more
by their peers than by adults, attempts by
parents, schools, and health professionals
at preventing people from trying cigarettes
are often unsuccessful.
Smoking - Psychology
Sigmund Freud, whose
doctor assisted his
suicide because of
oral cancer caused by
smoking.
Smoking – Film
Since World War II, smoking has gradually become less
frequent on screen as the obvious health hazards of
smoking have become more widely known. With the anti-
smoking movement gaining greater respect and
influence, conscious attempts not to show smoking on
screen are now undertaken in order to avoid
encouraging smoking or giving it positive associations,
particularly for family films.
Smoking – Film
Smoking on screen is more common today
among characters who are portrayed as
anti-social or even criminal.
Smoking – Economics
Estimates claim that smokers cost the
U.S. economy $97.6 billion a year in lost
productivity, and that an additional $96.7
billion is spent on public and private health
care combined. This is over 1% of
the gross domestic product.
Smoking – Economics
A male smoker in the United States that smokes
more than one pack a day can expect an
average increase of $19,000 just in medical
expenses over the course of his lifetime. A U.S.
female smoker that also smokes more than a
pack a day can expect an average of $25,800
additional healthcare costs over her lifetime.
Smoking – Consequences
• Heart– Your heart begins to beat faster as soon as you light up, as much as
10 to 25 beats per minute. The mixture of nicotine and carbon
monoxide in each cigarette you smoke temporarily increases your
heart rate and blood pressure, straining your heart and blood
vessels; is directly responsible for at least 20% of all deaths from
heart disease; that’s because smoking is a major cause of coronary
artery disease; causes fat deposits to narrow and block blood
vessels which leads to heart attack. Smokers are also two to four
times more likely to develop coronary heart disease.
Smoking – Consequences
• Lungs
– Smoking causes injury to the airways and lungs,
leading to a deadly lung condition. Smokers are
more likely than nonsmokers to have upper and
lower breathing tract infections. Smoking is related
to chronic coughing, wheezing, and asthma among
children and teens. Smoking is related to chronic
coughing and wheezing among adults.
Smoking – Consequences
• Cancer
– Lung cancer is just one of the serious health risks
caused by smoking. Men who smoke are ten
times more likely to die from lung cancer than
non-smokers. Smokers are also susceptible to
cancers of the larynx, mouth, esophagus,
bladder, pancreas, kidney, cervix and stomach.
Smoking – Consequences
• Eyes– Smoking causes physical changes in the eyes that can
threaten your eyesight. Nicotine from cigarettes restricts the
production of a chemical necessary for you to be able to see
at night; smoking increases your risk of developing cataracts
and macular degeneration Research has shown that smokers
are about three times more likely to develop cataracts; a
gradual thickening that develops in the lens of the eye.
Smoke can also cause serious irritation for those who wear
soft contact lenses
Smoking – Consequences
• Nose and Throat– Irritating gases in cigarette smoke, such as formaldehyde,
ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and others, can cause serious
irritation to the sensitive membranes in the nose and
throat. The results: a runny nose and the proverbial
smoker's cough. Continued exposure can produce
abnormal thickening in the throat lining, a condition, when
accompanied with cellular changes, that has been linked
to throat cancer.
Smoking – Consequences
• Mouth– Stained yellow teeth, bad breath and an acute loss in your
sense of taste are just some of the less serious
consequences of smoking. Smoking as well as the use of spit
tobacco or "chew" can also contribute to cancer of the lips,
gums and throat. Smokers have more oral health problems
than non-smokers, like mouth sores, ulcers and gum disease.
You are more likely to have cavities and lose your teeth at a
younger age. You are also more likely to get cancers of the
mouth and throat.
Smoking – Consequences
• Skin– The blood vessels in the skin constrict when you light up,
limiting the amount of oxygen the skin gets. "Smoker's
face" is a condition long-term smokers suffer from. Deep,
dark lines around the eyes and the corners of the mouth,
for starters. The skin may also appear gray in color, and
facial features may appear gaunt. Not a pretty sight. One
study shows that nearly half of all smokers get smoker's
face.
Smoking – Consequences
• Male Reproductive System
– Smoking increases the risk of erectile
dysfunction - the inability to get or keep and
erection. Toxins from cigarette smoke can
also damage the genetic material in sperm,
which can cause infertility or genetic defects
in your children.
Smoking – Consequences
• Female Reproductive System– Women who smoke have a harder time getting pregnant and
having a healthy baby. Cigarette smoking increases the risk
for infertility, preterm delivery, stillbirth, low birth weight, and
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The nicotine in
cigarette smoke reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the
fetus. Smoking can also lead to early menopause, which
increases your risk of developing certain diseases (like heart
disease).
Smoking – Consequences
• Breast Cancer
– Research is finding a connection between the
risk of developing breast cancer and smoking.
Smoking – Consequences
• Bones
– Smokers have a higher risk of developing
osteoporosis, a condition that involves bone
thinning. The loss of bone tissue, more prevalent
among women, can result in an increase of bone
fractures and an increased risk for hip fracture
than women who never smoked.
Smoking – Consequences
• Blood– Smoking causes your blood pressure rises by about 10 to 15 percent.
High blood pressure means you have an increased risk of heart attack
and stroke. Smoking not only affects the pressure, but it also damages
the blood itself. Carbon monoxide (CO) is created and ingested - so
much that smokers have about 4 to 15 times the amount of CO in the
body than non-smokers. Carbon monoxide also is the same stuff that
comes out of your car's tailpipe. When you smoke, it stays in your
bloodstream for about six hours. This harmful chemical compound does
its best to rob every cell in your body of oxygen, something cells need to
function.
Smoking – Consequences
• Digestive System– Smoking can harm all parts of the digestive system,
contributing to such common disorders as heartburn and
peptic ulcers. Smoking increases the risk of Crohn's disease,
and possibly gallstones, which form when liquid stored in the
gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone-like material.
Smoking also damages the liver. Smoking also affects the
way the liver operates, particularly in terms of how it
processes alcohol.