Facts
& Effects
Facts
& Effects
Facts & Figures --- Harsh but
true
Facts & Figures --- Harsh but true
Very surprising to know that the revenue generated by the Tobacco Industry world wide is less than the amount spent on curing the diseases caused by tobacco.
Then why do these Tobacco companies exist ??
Companies find it a growing and highly profitable business (ROI - 100%)
They provide employment to masses (5.5 million)
Government realizes a very large amount of Tax from them ($25 billion)
In few countries like Japan government itself has a stake in Tobacco companies
But why do people smoke ??
Tobacco is positioned as a path to adulthood
Amongst women smoking symbolizes liberation in a modern society
People are easily duped by the effective marketing carried out by these companies
The pharmacological effects of nicotine calms nerves and reduces stress.
One single cigarette shortens
the life by 6 minutes
5 Titanic
(~11000 people) sink everyday
$25
billion be spent on advertisements every year to dupe the poor
$50
billion be spent curing diseases arising due of tobacco
160
million mandays go waste in smoking
80,000
non-smokers die every year bacause of second hand smoking
A large
area of fertile land be used for tobacco production when so many people are
dying of starvation
Nicotine
Nicotine is a poison. Swallowing two or three drops of pure nicotine can kill an adult. When used as a concentrated insect spray, nicotine is 10 times more toxic than DDT. Voluntary agreements with the tobacco industry ensure that the amount of nicotine in Australian made cigarettes is limited to 1.4 mg.
It takes 7.5 seconds for nicotine to act on the brain after inhaling cigarette smoke. The initial effect is stimulation followed by a relaxed feeling about half an hour later. The absorption of nictine and its distribution to the brain and other body organs and tissues is very rapid. Regular intake is needed to maintain a certain level of nicotine in the body.
Nicotine causes the narrowint of blood vessels,in turn affecting circulation and causing blood pressure to rise. Just one or two cigarettes will cause a significant increase in heart rate, a rise in blood pressure and a decrease in circulation in body extremities like fingers and toes. This is why regular absorption of niotine through smoking cigarettes may increase the possibility of hear attack in people with chronic heart problems and can initially contribute to these problems.
Tar
Tar is also relaease - in the form o fparticles in the smoke - when a cigarette burns. It is the main cause of lung and throat cancer in smokers and also aggravates bronchial and respiratory disease.
Tar and other elements in tobacco smoke reduce the flexibility of the small air sacs in the lungs. It is this effect which causes "smokers cough", shortens of breath and wheezing. The yellow staining of the fingers and teeth of smokers is also caused by tar.
An average smoker, on one packet a day, inhales more than a cup of tar from cigarettes each year. The benefits of switching to low tar cigarettes are limited when compared to quitting. Studies show that smokers who swithch to low tar brands tend to smoke more cigarettes or inhale more deeply.
Carbon monoxide
Carobon monoxide is an odourless, colourless and very toxic gas. It is found in car exhaust fumes and smoke from fires as well as tobacco smoke. Smoking cigarettes causes a greater concentration of carbon monoxide in the lungs that breathing polluted air.
When blood reaches the lungs, and exchange of gases takes place - the body gets rid of carbon dioxide and takes in more oxygen. Bloood takes up carbon monoxide more readily than oxygen, and in a smoker this means that the blood leaves the heart with less oxygen to supply the cells of te body. High levels of carbon monoxide in the blood are typical o fpeople who smoke. These increase the risk of developing circulation problems, such as hardening of the arteries and coronary heart disease.
Other chemicals
Smalll amounts of more than 4,000 other substances can be found in cigarette smoke, including some which are toxic and 42 which have been identified as being carcinogenic (causing cancer). Some of the substances found in cigarette smoke are acetone, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide.
The effects of smoking vary from person to person. For example, they depend on the person's gender, health, working environment and hereditary factors.
Immediate effects
increased pulse rate
temporary rise in blood pressure
acid in the stomach
kidneys produce less urine
brain and nervous system activity stimulated then reduced
weaker appetitie, taste and smell.
paralysed cilia (small, hair like filaments that line the airways and lungs)
decreased blood flow to body extremities like fingers and toes.
diziness; nausea; watery eyes.
Long term effects
shortness of breath; coughing
stains on fingers and teeth
narrowing and /or hardening of blood vessels , particulary in the heart and legs.
increased risk of respiratory infections e.g. colds, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis.
increased risk of emphysema (a chronic, progressive lung disease)
increased risk of heart attack and coronary heart disease.
increased risk of cancer of lungs, mouth , larynx, pharynx, oesohagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas and cervix.
increased risk of stomach ulcers.
increased risk of peripheral vascular disease due to decreased blood flow in blood vessels in the legs.
speeds up some of the physical signs of ageing , such as dry skin oand wrinkles.
affects female fertility; women who smoke are more likely to be infertile or take longer to conceive than women who do not smoke.
ingibits the development of Parkinsons Disease.
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