What is Tobacco

Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines. It is most commonly used as a recreational drug via smoking.It is a valuable cash crop for many third world countries. Tobacco comes from plants of the genus Nicotiana of the Solanaceae family (nightshade family). The product is manufactured from the leaf and used in cigars and cigarettes, snuff, and pipe and chewing tobacco. Tobacco plants are also used in plant bioengineering, and some of the 60 species are grown as ornamentals. The chief […]

Do Cigarette Filters Help?

Before the 1950s, there was no such thing as a filter-tipped cigarette, people smoked unfiltered cigarettes. At that time, there was a growing perception that cigarettes might be harmful, but there was no proof. Cigarette companies spent a lot of advertising money trying to convince everyone that cigarettes were okay.

That all changed in the 1950s with the release of the first medical studies that conclusively linked smoking and lung cancer. One response to these medical studies was the mass-marketing of the filter-tip cigarette. The idea behind the filter was to screen out tar and nicotine to make the cigarette “safer.” By […]

Why Do People Smoke

When quitting smoking it is important to understand why you smoke. People smoke for the following reasons:

1. Lifestyle Coping Tool : Smoking can be used as a way to suppress uncomfortable feelings and alleviate stress, calm nerves and to relax. It can also be a way of taking time out from a situation.

2. Tranquliser: Smokers with emotional stress or chronic pain often turn to smoking as an attempt to treat pain. There is some evidence that nicotine can soothe pain, mental and physical through working on the pleasure centres of the brain.

3. Feel Good: Nicotine works on the pleasure centres of […]

Social Smoking

Many people smoke socially and it has become quite a trend. People think that if they just have a few cigarettes a week, usually on the weekend, with a drink and friends it is alright and will not affect their health. What many of us may not know is just how hazardous social smoking can be.
Why social smoking is so dangerous?

What is social smoking?

Social smoking is a term used to describe those who smoke occasionally, such as at gatherings on the weekends, when others around them are smoking as well. A social smoker will often light up when enjoying a drink at […]

Some Facts About Nicotine

Smoking fosters a situation of nicotine dependence that usually occurs over a number of years. Withdrawal symptoms can include headaches, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, depression and weight gain. Nearly everybody experiences at least some of these symptoms but they are mostly temporary.

Smoking creates a chemical dependency for nicotine. Nicotine can act either as a stimulant or a sedative, depending on the amount taken. The smoker’s body finds an acceptable level of nicotine in order to experience the pleasurable sensations associated with smoking. Nicotine increases the release of dopamine which is the chemical that causes the sensation of pleasure. The first cigarette […]

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