The Effects of Tobacco :: Papers

The Effects of TobaccoThe locoweed of tobacco became prevalent early in this century. The production of flue-cured tobacco, the development of cigarette rolling machines, and a public wellness concern over tuberculosis germs being spread through the cuspidors associated with blubber and chewing tobacco, all contributed to an increase in cigarette smoking.As smoking became more common, health problems emerged which seemed to be related to smoking. In the 1950s, sir Richard Doll, a British researcher, studied the smoking habits of more than 34,000 physicians and found a strong correlational statistics between smoking and affection. Throughout the 1950s, research data on the personal effects of tobacco on human health hazard of sufficient immenseness in the United States to warrant appropriate remedial action. Since then, each sawbones normal has spoken out against smoking the current Surgeon General proclaims smoking to be the number one preventable cause of disease and death. M edical science is in general agreement that use of tobacco endangers ones health.Lung Cancer was the first health effect to be linked to smoking. Subsequent research has linked tobacco usage to core group disease, emphysema, and several other forms of cancer. Recent research has even suggested harmful effects to unborn children of smokers and to those non-smokers exposed to the side-smoke of smokers.One of the benefits of a free society is the independence of choice for adults, so long as this freedom does not impoverish other persons of their freedom The decision to smoke might appear to be one of those choices, since it is usually through that the health risks of smoking are borne generally by the individuals making the choice.Factors that complicate the simplicity of this argument are 1) smoking is a fond custom and when one person smokes, other persons in the area are exposed to the smoke. 2) Adult smoking habits provide a powerful modeling which affects the habits of child ren and youth. 3) Society must bear some of the social cost (increased insurance premiums and various tax burdens) of death and disability brought closely by the use of tobacco.The tobacco plant is believed to have originated in the western Hemisphere. The cultivated species most often grown for North American and European tobacco products is Nicotiana tabacum. The leaves of the plant are prepared for smoking, chewing, or sniffing. In addition nicotine tobacco contains over 19 know carcinogens (most collectively known as tar) and more than 2,000 chemicals.Prior to European influence in the Americas, tobacco was used by the Indians of Mexico and Peru for ceremonies, medicinal purposes, and to alleviate Error bookmark not defined.