Topic > From cure to poison: the negative effects of tobacco

Tobacco is a plant containing nicotine, cellulose, ammonia and proteins, whose leaves are dried and fermented to make it suitable for human consumption. Tobacco products come in many forms such as cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snuff, pipe tobacco, soluble tobacco, and water pipes (hookahs). There are numerous chemicals present in tobacco (also created by its combustion) that are very harmful. Smoking cigarettes can also worsen the condition of people with Crohn's disease. Low- and middle-income countries experience the highest number of tobacco-related deaths. Approximately 880,000,000 of the world's 1.1 billion smokers come from these regions. In Yemen, more than 14,400 people die every year from tobacco-related diseases. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Nicotine is an addictive substance and is the reason why people buy tobacco products and that is why they find it difficult to quit smoking or other similar methods of getting nicotine into their system. Nicotine is a relaxant and also helps increase alertness. Nicotine amplifies heart rate and therefore blood pressure and can directly influence the formation of excess blood clots (thrombosis) and atheroma (fatty deposits and accumulation of scar tissue on artery walls) in smokers. Users of tobacco products can die at relatively young ages and can deprive their families of income, increase health care costs and even delay economic development. According to an online article from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking products containing tobacco cause about nine out of ten cases of lung cancer. Furthermore, it causes other cancers in addition to lung cancer, such as those of the liver, bronchi and trachea, bladder, colon and rectum, kidneys, mouth and throat, esophagus, cervix and blood (leukemia acute myeloid), pancreas, kidneys and renal pelvis. larynx and stomach. The WHO defines tobacco as “the leading cause of preventable death in the world”. Cigarette smoke contains more than four thousand chemicals and at least seventy or more of them are carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) in every breath. These chemicals move into the bloodstream where they can easily travel throughout the body with access to every organ in the body. There is a risk that some of these chemicals will damage DNA, an important component of the human body that encodes and controls the production of various substances and new cells. Damaged DNA can cause faulty coding and thus the proliferation of cells forming a tumor can occur. Initially, a tumor is benign (in one place), but over time, due to overgrowth, it becomes malignant (it breaks off and can spread throughout the body). Smokeless tobacco products can also cause cancer. Products such as chewing tobacco cause cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and pancreas. In e-cigarettes, a liquid containing nicotine, flavoring agents and other chemicals is heated and forms an aerosol. People who use e-cigarettes inhale this aerosol into their lungs. Even if there is no smoke from secondhand smoke, nearby people can also inhale the aerosol when the user exhales. Therefore, they can also absorb the harmful chemicals and be affected as much as consumers. As stated by the WHO in a recent fact sheet published in 2018, “tobacco kills up to half of its users” and more than seven billion people die, of which more than sixbillions of people died due to direct tobacco use and the remaining people, approximately nine hundred thousand people (non-smokers), died due to exposure to second-hand smoke. Major tobacco producers such as China, India and Brazil, there is a possibility that children from low-income families are often employed in tobacco farming to earn money. In India, according to the Child Labor Act, 1986, (later amended in 2016- CLPR Act) prohibits the employment of minors. It is considered to be a “cognizable criminal offence” to employ a child for any type of work. More importantly, these children, in addition to being employed illegally, perform dangerous jobs. These children are at risk of contracting green tobacco disease (GTS) from handling wet tobacco leaves. The nicotine contained in these leaves is absorbed through the skin causing nicotine poisoning. Children and adolescents, being more sensitive to chemicals, will face more serious health risks than adults. Prolonged absorption of nicotine can hinder brain development. The prefrontal cortex is one of the last parts to mature and is susceptible to stimulants. This can cause mood disorders, memory problems, attention problems, and impulse control. Tobacco products and its use can certainly reduce the quality of people's lifestyle. The treatments for these diseases are expensive, the person's health is obviously not in good condition and he will not be able to live "normally" and is destined to suffer. They will also hurt the people around them. Sick children and people between the ages of 18 and 60 (a middle age range to represent the working population) will definitely affect the working population. They cannot work efficiently, are more likely to make decisions that can have a negative impact on them and their company, and can put a strain on the development of that country's economy. There are also other problems besides these health risks. For example, illicit trade in tobacco products can cause economic and security concerns around the world. Again, according to the WHO online factsheet, an estimated one in ten cigarettes or tobacco products consumed globally is illegal, and this illicit market is supported by small-time dealers and organized criminal networks. Tax avoidance and evasion undermine the power of tobacco control policies. Examples of such activities could be legal actions such as purchasing tobacco products in regions where the tax imposed on such products is lower (lower tax jurisdiction) or even illegal activities such as manufacturing and smuggling. evasion. For example, ITC, the largest cigarette manufacturer in India, has mentioned in an article that the exchequer (treasury) loses more than Rs. Annual revenue of 13,000 crore (USD 1,866,930,000) from cigarette tax evasion. This value does not take into account revenue losses on other tobacco products, which would increase the amount of revenue losses. Total productivity losses caused by smoking in the United States each year have been estimated at $151 billion. Such events may affect the reputation of companies and countries and could prevent or affect trade and possible relationships with other companies or countries. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of a country is destined to decrease, negatively impacting the economy. Poor economic development can lead to inflation (increase in the cost of goods but decrease in the purchasing value of money), increasing people's cost of living. Large-scale inflation can cause unemployment, preventbusinesses to make large investment decisions and promote hoarding (in fear of a price increase) which will only lead to a further increase in prices and could cause an imbalance in international trade due to price fluctuation. It can also impact exchange rates. For this reason, an attempt by people to emigrate may also occur. Despite all these complications, tobacco has not been banned. There are reasons why tobacco products are also considered health or economically beneficial. It has been found that patients suffering from ulcerative colitis find smoking useful because it relieves the disease. There are also studies that say smokers are less likely to develop Parkinson's disease. Although unhealthy, smoking has been linked to weight loss as it reduces appetite and can be beneficial for obese people, which can be considered beneficial for them. Although this reason does not seem humane, it has been said that smoking saves on pension costs in case of premature death of smokers. Historically, tobacco has been used to relieve persistent headaches and colds, as an antidiarrheal, pain reliever, and to heal burns. There have also been cases in which it has been used for therapeutic purposes against fever, to aid digestion. It has been used as an antiseptic for ringworm, superficial ulcers, itching, and athlete's foot. An article in the British Medical Journal in 1889 stated that smokers are less likely to contract typhus and diphtheria and can generally resist infections. In another article in The Lancet from 1913, experiments were mentioned showing that tobacco smoke can eradicate the cholera bacterium (comma bacillus). According to a study conducted in 2013, there is no correlation between passive smoking and cancer. This is evident from their comment: "A large prospective cohort study of more than 76,000 women confirmed a strong association between cigarette smoking and lung cancer, but found no link between the disease and secondhand smoke." Similarly, a 2014 study in Colorado states that “the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (due to smoking) has decreased dramatically, regardless of anti-smoking ordinances.” Apart from this, the sale of tobacco increases the country's revenue. In the United States, e-cigarette sales have increased over the years, but between 2014 and 2015 alone, e-cigarette unit sales grew by 14.4%! Additionally, sales of e-cigarette liquid refills and pre-filled e-cigarette cartridges have also increased. Especially in high-income countries, sales of tobacco products generate huge tax revenues and increase employment in the tobacco industry. In China, the tobacco industry is responsible for up to 7.4% of government revenue collected. In 2013, in the United States, the amount generated by tobacco taxation was approximately $43.9 billion. In 2018, Philip Morris International (an American multinational) was the world's largest tobacco company with revenues of approximately $29.6 billion, demonstrating how much economies depend on the tobacco industry to help finance government spending . In 2003 alone, there were over 100 million people working in the tobacco industry. Over the years, with the increase in demand, the number of workers is expected to grow. In 2013 in the United States, 13,570 people worked in the tobacco manufacturing industry alone. The tobacco industry provides employment and this will help (even if very little) the development of the country's economy. Uneducated people in developing countries do not have opportunities to do jobs.