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.

Cancer

Lung cancer is the largest cause of cancer deaths. 85 percent of it is due to cigarette smoking. A cigarette smoker is 10 times more at risk than the non-smoker. After contracting lung cancer, a smoker will not live for more than 5 years. For instance, a person who smokes two packets a day inhales deeply. He starts early and is at greater risk of getting lung cancer. Cancer deaths begin to increase rapidly after the age of 35, proving that it takes approximately 20 years between exposure and manifestation of tumour. A person who takes alcohol along with his cigarettes runs five times more risk and is likely to develop cancer of the oral cavity, larynx and oesophagus. Chewing tobacco or snuff have been linked to cancer of cheek and gum.

The frequent use of pan masala can cause sub-mucous fibrosis. Dr. V.P. Goyal of Meerut Medical College adds that most sufferers, young men and women, who use different brands of pan masala, initially as a fashion, later become addicted to it. The frequent use of pan masala causes the inner skin of the mouth to become hard.

Chest disease

Most of the cigarette smokers get cough, commonly called smoker’s cough. Later it develops into bronchitis and emphysema. By the age of sixty, they develop some degree of emphysema. They have short breath. This is why sportsmen are asked not to smoke as smoking decreases their efficiency. Cessation of cigarette smoking helps in the reversal of the process.

Risk for women

Modern women are willing to do the work men do, they take all responsibilities and pressures of men. They pay the price for it. The number of heart attacks among women has increased.

The risk factor depends upon the number of cigarettes smoked. In India, few women smoke. So they run a lesser risk. Smoking affects pregnancy. Smoking mother’s children are smaller in weight, length and head circumference. There is a higher infant mortality rate than among non-smoking mothers. A study days congenital birth diseases are more prevalent in the urban population. In urban areas the incidence is one out of 156 (0.64 per cent) births, while it is one out of 170 birth (0.59 per cent) in the rural areas. Tobacco smoking chewing and betel leaf chewing found to be factors responsible. Adulterated food and a polluted environment also take a heavy toll in the urban population. This study was conducted on 42,000 births in Calcutta by a group of gynaecologists, and obstetricians. Mothers who smoke and use oral contraceptive increase the risk of cardio-vascular disease by 30 times.

Peptic Ulcer

Smokers fall prey to peptic and gastric ulcers more frequently. Their healing rate also slows down. Tobacco is a cash crop. Millions of people are employed in growing tobacco and manufacturing cigarette all over the world. Tobacco companies earn billion of dollars as profits. The economy of several countries on the export of tobacco. Politics has been revolving around tobacco production for centuries. Tobacco, is part of American history. It financed the American revolution. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were of the view that to attack tobacco was to attack the foundation of America itself. The tobacco industry has spent millions to prove that tobacco smoking is harmless and used all subterfuges to hide the facts. As a lot of money was being collected as taxes by many nations nobody seemed to be in too great a hurry to ban smoking even though they knew it was injurious to health.

In 1957 smoking was conclusively first associated with lung cancer. In 1965 the U.S. Government prescribed that cigarette packets should carry labels warning the users against its possibility of causing cancer due to smoking. In 1969 the U.S. Government banned cigarette advertisement on the television. The U.S. surgeon general report which was released on 24th February 1986, there could also be a link between smoking cigarette and cancer of stomach and cervix.

The study showed that those who chewed tobacco stood four times as much risk of getting cancer as those who did not. The study of the environment effects of cigarette smoke on non-smokers was sufficient to project this as a public health hazard. The smoker’s wife has more risk of getting cancer. And their children run the risk of getting bronchitis.

Filters in the cigarettes were introduced to attract female smokers, by offering them a cigarette whose end did not get soggy. Now, low-tar cigarettes are being provided to reduce the risk. A tar yield of 37 mgm in 1954 brought down to 14 mgm in 1982. Unfortunately this decline in tar yield was not matched with the drop in the incidence of cancer. Many veteran smokers compensated the decline in the yield of tar by increasing the number of cigarettes smoked per day or smoking more deeply thus exposing themselves to more smoke and for a longer period.

How to stop smoking

The best method to stop smoking is to stop it abruptly, and stop it for good. Often it is difficult but most practical. Initially you will feel irritable, and be in a bad mood. You may even develop nausea and stomach upset. You may cough more than usual as your lungs would have to function without swirling smoke. Do not sit back and feel miserable. Go ahead do something which was not of a routine kind or go for a long walk, wash your car, look after your garden, fly a kite or just do one of the relaxing exercises. When you get the craving for a smoke try an alternative like a cold glass of juice or a chewing gum. Reward yourself in small ways on each achievement. The craving for a cigarette will subside considerable after seven days. It takes from 6 months to one year to lose the craving completely. When you finally give up smoking, it will benefit you in many ways: your appetite will improve, your food will taste better, your complexion will be clearer, your breath will be sweeter and you will not inflict lethal smoke on your neighbours.

A few hints when you know you are smoking too much and find it difficult to give up. First, taper it down, cut the number of cigarette smoked per day, do not inhale deeply, smoke only half cigarettes and throw away the rest. Smoke cigarettes containing less tar. Changer over to pipe, cigar or hukka. It is less injurious. Getting to how levels of nicotine makes it easy to give up. The American Cancer society confirms that smokers of low nicotine brands are giving up at a rate higher that the other smokers (16 percent for men and 35 percent for women.) fix a target and decide upon a day when you will stop smoking completely. Announce it to your friends and relations. The awareness that smoking is bad for health has come in a big way. Per capita consumption of cigarette has come down to the lowest level in most countries including the tobacco growing U.S. since 1957. Overall smoking in the U.S. had declined from 42 percent in 1965 to 32 percent in 1986.

Cigarette smoking is like a non-verbal communication. Refusing an offered cigarette may sometimes be taken as a slight. Smoking is supposed to help to eliminate slowly a negative feeling. It helps to cope with stress. You may be using cigarettes for stimulation or, may be, even for sedation or to go to sleep. It becomes a psychological need. Keep a diary, note you peak period when you have the greatest craving. This diary will help to tide over the difficult period. If you have cut down on cigarettes, the craving will also reduce and when you stop it completely you will not face a great upheaval. In fact, many ex-smokers have mentioned that they hardly felt ill effect at all. Now they feel how easy it was: they feel more healthy and have a bigger zest for life. Physicians can play an important role in this. Most smoker claim that they will quit smoking if told to do so. It is an experience that at least one third will try to quit when told to do so. Unfortunately 2/3 of smokers have never been told my their physicians to quit the habit or stop it completely.

Relapse

Many among those who have give up, start smoking again due to stressful moments or while on a holiday. Do not fool yourself by imagining that you can begin by smoking one cigarette without getting hooked. Do not feel guilty if you have a relapse. You are not superhuman. Think of it as a temporary phase, an isolated event which you can put behind you. It is a matter of trying harder more sincerely and trying it all over again. This time you will succeed. A cigarette has been defined as a piece of paper at one end of which there is fire and at the other there is a fool.