Let's Define Smoking
?Smoke, in general terms, means a vaporous system made
up of small particles of carbonaceous matter in the air, resulting
mainly from the burning of organic material such as wood, coal and other
such products. But we are here not concerned with 'smoke', but with
'smoking', or in particular 'tobacco smoking'.
Smoking, in simple
words, means drawing and exhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar, or
pipe. Tobacco smoke contains a stimulant, 'nicotine' which is as highly
an addictive drug as heroin or cocaine. In the long run, nicotine forms
a strong physical and psychological dependence on it. Dependence is
strongest when tobacco smoke is inhaled into the lungs and with time it
increases the speed and quantity of nicotine absorption.
Different forms of smoking, apart from the usual one are smoking
bidis, hookahs and clove cigarettes, and also chewing tobacco. But these
different forms of smoking carry the same risk as cigarettes, cigars or
pipes.
But, is nicotine that highly addictive? The answer is
'yes'. Why? When taken in small amounts nicotine creates a pleasant
feeling which makes the smoker want to smoke more. Moreover, when a
smoker tries to quit, he suffers from physical withdrawal symptoms such
as nervousness, headaches and trouble sleeping. It also affects the
chemistry of the brain and central nervous system. Ultimately the smoker
finds it hard to quit.
Medical research has proven that smoking
is a major contributing factor towards many human health problems such
as cancer, emphysema, cardiovascular disease and other disorders.
If
you sit to jot down the effects of smoking you are sure to come up with
all the negative things. It is a habit which makes the smoker it's
slave. Once acquired it is hard to quit and once quit it is easy to
regain. So, it is always better to stay away from it as much as possible.