About tobacco
Friday 30 May 2008
Saturday 31st is the World Health Organization’s No Tobacco Day. n2k looks at some of the facts and myths surrounding tobacco and investigates the new smokeless cigarette.
What is tobacco?
Tobacco is a green, leafy plant that is grown in warm climates. After it is picked, it is dried, ground up, and used in different ways.
What is nicotine?
When tobacco is smoked or chewed, nicotine goes into the bloodstream. It goes from the bloodstream straight to the brain in seconds. The nicotine is what our bodies become addicted to.
Nicotine is a stimulant so speeds up the nervous system and can make you feel like you have more energy. It also makes the heart beat faster and raises blood pressure. However when the effects wear off it can make you feel moody and you reach for more tobacco. So the addiction starts!
According to experts, the younger you are when you start smoking, the more likely you are to become strongly addicted.
What’s in a cigarette?
As well as tobacco it is also said that there are 4,000 other chemicals in cigarettes a large number of them know to have poisonous properties.
Are light cigarettes better for you?
Many light cigarette smokers will inhale more deeply, take longer or more puffs to satisfy their craving for nicotine. They are at the same risks of smoking-related health problems as regular cigarettes. So the short answer is – no!
Are rollies better for you?
Robert West, professor of health psychology and director of tobacco studies at the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Uni recently spoke in the press about the idea that rollies might be better for you. He said,
“'This belief continues despite evidence that those who roll their own cigarettes end up with higher levels of tobacco in their lungs than those who smoke manufactured cigarette.”
Although it may seem healthier and more ‘organic’ rollies can in fact be worse for you!
What about smokeless tobacco?
Many people think smokeless tobacco (also known as dip, chew, or spit tobacco and snuff) is safe. However smokeless tobacco can cause gum disease and sores in the mouth that never heal. Eventually it could cause cancer in your mouth, your throat, and even your stomach! Sucked tobacco or inhaled tobaccos, including a new smokeless cigarette, again carry the same risks and are also highly addictive.
Just like cigarettes, smokeless tobacco is addictive because it has nicotine. It stains your teeth a yellowish-brown colour. It gives you bad breath. It can make you dizzy, give you the hiccups, and even make you throw up. Yuk.
Want to quit?
If you do smoke and want to quit though there’s plenty of help available to you.
- Call the NHS Smoking Helpline for free on -
0800 169 0 169 - Order free DVD from 0800 917 6699 for details of how the NHS services available to help you quit.
