Janelle Mallen
Biology 1010
October 15th, 2010
Research Paper
Cigarettes: The Dangers of Smoking
Smoking is the world’s leading cause of preventable premature deaths. Each year more than
four million people die from smoking, and in the U.S. alone, over 400,000 deaths (35-40% of annual
deaths)are smoking attributable deaths (The Price of Smoking, 77). Smoking has been shown to
decrease life expectancy in comparison to a non-smoker. Even though many are aware of potential
health risks involved, people are still partaking with this bad habit; it’s almost as if they aren’t
actually fully aware of what harms they are doing to their body, both long term, as well as short
term. No matter what way you slice it, cigarettes are full of highly addictive ingredients that
cause anything as mild as yellowing of teeth, to death. This paper is setting out to hopefully
open the reader’s eyes to all of the damages this highly addictive habit can do to your health.
What makes up a cigarette?
If one were to read the label on a box of cigarettes citing the ingredients used, you
would not find everything listed – considering there are nearly 600 ingredients contained in one
single stick. According to Brown and Williamson, one of the largest tobacco manufacturers in
the world, there are 599 addictives put into cigarettes (What’s In a Cigarette). While some of
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the ingredients such as Benzoic Acid (commonly found in strawberries, tea, apples, baked
goods, etc…), are not damaging to one’s health, other items, such as arsenic (which is used in
rat poison) and cadmium (used in batteries), are highly dangerous and in large doses, can be
fatal to a human being
(What’s in a Cigarette).
Certain ingredients are
added to create a more
desirable flavor or taste for
the smoker, but many
others are added simply for
the effect of their addictive
nature.
The most toxic and dangerous ingredients involved in creating cigarettes are: Ammoniaused in household cleaners; Arsenic - used in rat poisons; Benzene - used in making dyes as
well as synthetic rubber; Butane- a gas used in lighter fluid; Carbon monoxide- a poisonous gas;
Cadmium- used in batteries; Cyanide - a lethal poison; DDT: a banned insecticide; Ethyl furoatecauses liver damage in animals; Lead - poisonous in high doses; Formaldehyde- used to
preserve dead specimens; Methoprene- an insecticide; Maltitol- a sweetener for diabetics;
Napthalene – an ingredient in mothballs; Methyl isocyanate- it’s accidental release killed 2,000
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people in India; Polonium- a cancer-causing radioactive element (The Shocking Ingredients in
Cigarettes).
The most commonly well known agent in cigarettes would of course be nicotine.
Nicotine is an alkaloid that is found the nightshade family of plants, and constitutes about 0.63.0% percent of dry weight tobacco. Since it functions as an antiherbivore chemical (a chemical
that reduces the impact of herbivores on plants), particularly towards insects, nicotine was
widely used in insecticides. For mammals (such as ourselves), nicotine acts as a stimulant in
lower concentrations and is the main factor responsible for the dependence-forming properties
in cigarettes. Tobacco companies have continued to slowly increase the content of nicotine in
cigarettes, and between 1998 and 2005, the average increase per year was 1.6% (WikipediaNicotine). When smoked, it only takes eight seconds for nicotine to reach the brain, while
heroin injected into the body take twice as long (87).
Addiction
One of the biggest issues at hand with smoking is the addiction factor. Addiction
can be described as “a behavioral pattern of drug uses…the overwhelming involvement with
the use of a drug…the securing of its supply and a high tendency to relapse after withdrawal
(The Invisible Drug, 77). “According to the American Heart Association, nicotine addiction has
historically been one of the hardest addictions to break,” (Wikipedia- Nicotine). Some
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characteristics of nicotine addiction are compulsive use, being physically dependent, and
expressing drug seeking behavior (78). Research has found that seventy percent of people who
smoke (which is about 32,000 people) want to quit smoking, but can’t seem to break the
addiction. Even for those who suffer a heart attack, seventy percent of them continue smoking.
Some of the symptoms created when trying to quit may include, but are not limited to
the following: craving nicotine, irritability, frustration or anger, anxiety, difficulty concentrating,
restlessness, decreased heart rate, and increased
appetite. In order to avoid these negative effects,
nicotine takes over the brain and tries to control the
smoker by compelling them to smoke (82).
Teens have become victims of addiction as
well. Approximately 2.6 million kids between twelve
and seventeen were addicted to nicotine in 1989. By
1993 the number had jumped to over three million.
57-75% of teens said they had tried to quit, but simply
couldn’t, and another 70% regretted ever starting
smoking (83). Dr. John Slade, M.D., a Robert Wood
Johnson Medical School physician, has found “there is
evidence that it is easier to become addicted to
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nicotine than heroin or cocaine.” Some studies say that it only takes the amount of nicotine in
five consecutive cigarettes to form an addiction - there is a 94% chance of long term nicotine
addiction at this point. Out of the 3,000 teenagers that start smoking on a daily basis, nine out
of ten will end up addicted and smoke for at least 20 years (83).
Secondhand Smoke
Another huge factor many people tend to forget about it secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke kills one person every 6 ½ minutes, including many infants. It affects 87%
of the population, while most are unaware of their poisonous surroundings. Secondhand
smoke is more dangerous than asbestos (which has been found to cause mesothelioma) (The
Invisible Drug, xi). “In 1971, the U.S. Surgeon General first linked secondhand smoke to
disease…a group of investigators published information on the significance of glycoproteins in
tobacco smoke… glycoproteins are known to be the cause of allergic reactions and blood clots,”
(128).
There are several gases in tobacco smoke. To name a few, there is carbon monoxide,
carbon dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, sulfur-compounds, nitrites, hydrocarbons,
ketones, etc… most of these gases are toxic as well as known carcinogens (114). Of these
gases, carbon monoxide poses a large threat in secondhand smoke. Carbon monoxide is the
same dangerous gas that emitted from car exhaust. It has a lethal effect on hemoglobin (the
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molecule in red blood cells that carry oxygen); “exposure to low levels of carbon monoxide
coverts normal hemoglobin to carboxyhemoglobin. When the concentration of
carboxyhemoglobin in the blood reaches three to six percent, the oxygen supply to the heart
muscle is greatly reduced,” (115).
Aside from carbon monoxide and nicotine, secondhand smoke also contains the same
chemicals in mainstream smoke (the smoke is inhaled by the smoker) that cause heart disease:
benzo[a]pyrene, benzene, formaldehyde and toluene. The concentration is slightly less, but still
prevalent. Surprisingly, secondhand smoke is actually more of a health hazard than the smoke
ingested by the actual smoker. “When a smoker draws in a puff of a lighted cigarette, they are
fueling the fire with oxygen which increases the temperature of the burn 200 degrees to 300
degrees. Between puffs, secondhand smoke is smoldering at a lower temperature, and at
slightly increased alkaline conditions.” This in turn gives secondhand smoke more ammonia
and less oxygen, which produces a greater concentration of nitrosamines (126).
Secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), contains a
higher concentration of carcinogens as well, which makes the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) classify tobacco smoke as a human Group-A carcinogen. Carcinogens in this class also
include radon, asbestos, arsenic, and benzene. ETS particles are also smaller in size, which
allows them to reach deeper into the lungs, making it almost impossible for the lungs to
remove them. These small particles can also be especially dangerous with children who have
asthma, and the elderly with emphysema.
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Disease and Death
With any tobacco product, there is a definite dose response relationship. In other
words, the more you smoke, the higher your risk for disease and death. Of the most common
preventable deaths in the U.S., smoking has the highest death toll. Smokers are at risk of
several medical conditions such as: cardiovascular deaths (such as heart attack, aterioclerosis,
and ischemic heart disease), several forms of cancer, lung disease, emphysema, chronic
bronchitis, and smoker’s cough. Of all the possibilities, the leading causes of death from
smoking are (in order of severity): heart disease, lung cancer, lung disease, other cancers, and
stroke.
Types of Cancer
Any cancer is a bad cancer. The fact that there are several different forms a smoker is at
risk of is a bit overwhelming. Lung cancer is probably one of the more well known cancers
related to smoking. According to Dr. Carlo
Croce of Thomas Jefferson University, “one
or more of the 60 carcinogens in tobacco
smoke may damage the FHIT gene, which
then initiates lung cancer,” (141). Out of all
lung cancer cases, smoking is responsible
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for 87-90%. It is the number two killer of smokers, and one of the most lethal kinds of cancer.
Most infected with this disease are never cured and only 10-20% of the affected survives longer
than three years (142). The age you begin smoking also plays a part in the risk factor to getting
lung
cancer. “If you start smoking before age 19, you are more likely to die from lung cancer. If you
start smoking in your 30’s, you are more likely to die from a heart attack,” (143). People also
need to understand there is no genetic protection for smokers – whether your grandmother
smoked a pack a day for 50 years cancer free, it doesn’t mean you’re off the hook too.
Laryngeal, Oral, and Esophageal cancer are also largely associated with smoking. 81% of
laryngeal, 92% of oral (lip, tongue, mouth and pharynx) and 80% of esophageal cancer deaths
are due to smoking. “Nicotine is caustic to the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, and stomach,”
(144). Cancer of the bladder is not far behind, with 60% of the diagnosed related to smoking.
“Damage to the DNA in bladder cells, especially mutations in the guardian angel gene, have
been linked to bladder cancer.” Tobacco use destroys the guardian angel, which increases the
smoker’s risk.
Smoking While Pregnant
When a woman who smokes is pregnant she has a choice: quit, and have a healthy
baby, or continue and potentially harm your not-yet-born child. Sadly, 28% of smokers
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surveyed, admitted they were pregnant and still smoking. About one million unborn children
every year are exposed to tobacco smoke from their mothers. Smoking also raises the risk of
prenatal death by about 20-40%. A few weeks before and after birth is the most often when
this occurs.
Cigarettes have been found to be even worse than cocaine for a fetus (the Invisible
Drug, 161). Of all the negative issues involved in smoking during pregnancy, some of the
biggest long term side effects include mental development problems. Speech, intelligence,
language, behavior, and attention span are all linked to development problems, and 30% of all
mentally retarded children are due to mothers who
smoked during pregnancy (161). The amount of
cigarettes consumed by the mother may also make
a difference as to the likelihood of her child being
affected by these problems. A woman who
smoked five cigarettes a week would increase her
risk of having a retarded child by 50-60%, while
women who smoked at least a pack a day, rose
their chances to 75%.
I’ll try and explain the biological side of what really happens during pregnancy to a fetus
whose mother continues smoking. Due to the nature of cigarettes, the fetus is deprived of
oxygen and nutrients it so desperately needs during its gestation period. Essentially, the
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nicotine is choking the placenta, and carbon monoxide causes oxygen starvation (162). Toxins
in tobacco smoke flow from the mother’s blood into the fetus, and it can damage these delicate
fetal cells.
Though it is blatantly apparent by this point that the fetus can be harmed by a mother
smoking while pregnant, many do not realize the mother herself is actually in more danger,
than a woman not pregnant who smokes. “Researchers in Finland found that pregnant
mothers who smoke die at a rate 2.3 times higher than women smokers who are not,” (162). A
high incidence of death from cancer of the breast, esophagus, tracheas, bronchus, and lung, as
well as heart disease was found among pregnant women, over non-pregnant women. While
women may make the decision to quit, they must keep in mind, secondhand smoke can affect
their baby as well. They should remove themselves from areas near smokers as much as
possible to help promote a healthy pregnancy to ensure their child’s health.
Infants and Secondhand Smoke (ETS)
Prenatal as well as postnatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke can be
devastating to a child’s health. From pregnancy through grade school, children are constantly
at risk of being affected by secondhand smoke (ETS). Research has found that 22% of babies
born to non-smoking mothers are still exposed to secondhand smoke (183). Mothers who are
surrounded by smoke inhale it, and pass it along to their child. While the levels of carcinogens
are lower than if the mother had been a smoker, there is still enough to affect their unborn
babies. The carcinogens can DNA adducts, which are found to increase the risk of cancer (183).
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The first year of a child’s life can be extremely affected by ETS; between 1,900 and 5,600
babies in the U.S. will die because their mothers smoke. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)
is the second largest cause of infant death in America, and is three times more likely to affect
babies of mothers who smoke (183). Of the 10 million children under the age if six who are
exposed ETS through the home, public places, and in vehicles, they may suffer from:
Two million doctor visits for coughs
2.2 million cases of middle ear infections
150,000-300,000 cases of respiratory infections for babies
Three million lower respiratory tract infections for children
15,000 hospitalizations for lower respiratory tract infections
35% more influenza
436,000 bronchitis and 190,00 pneumonia for children under five
26,000 newborn admissions to intensive care units
Increased risk of brain tumors
Lung development is also a huge problem associated with ETS in children. Children
exposed for five years have a 10% decrease in lung function growth (185). Decrease in lung
function also accounts for more frequent respiratory infections, and makes the risk of asthma
two times more likely. It is estimated that some 4.8 million children have asthma in the U.S.
Part of the logic behind this is that environmental tobacco smoke acts as a trigger for asthma.
It causes inflammation, excess mucus, bronchial constriction, wheezing, coughing and difficulty
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breathing (185). Even if your home is smoke free, the catalyst remains in many places outside
the home, so be aware!
The Female Smoker
Men and women have not always been created equal. When it comes to the effects of
smoking, this happens to be the case as well. It seems more women are dying from tobacco
related illness than men. 125,000 women die from tobacco related diseases every year, and
unfortunately, women are starting to smoke at a faster rate (157).
Heart disease is one disease affects women more than men. Age is a factor as well: for
smokers age 35-44, the risk for women was 7.1, and only 2.3 in men. The Copenhagen City
Heart Study also found a larger impact on the heart health of women, in a study finding that the
relative risk for women was 9.4, while the men were still much lower at 2.9 (158).
The risk of breast cancer is also increased for women who smoke. “Women who smoke
two packs a day have a 25-75% higher risk o dying from breast cancer than women who don’t,”
(159). After studies were done, it was discovered that the carcinogens in tobacco smoke (both
mainstream and secondhand) cause breast cancer in animals. The carcinogens apparently may
concentrate in the mammary ducts for long periods of time, which give them ample time to
mutate the breast cancer genes BRCA 1 and 2 (159).
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Osteoporosis can also be an issue for the female smoker. Osteoporosis is a
degenerative disease that causes the bones to become less dense, which in turn makes them
more fragile with age. Cigarettes may reduce bone strength as well, which can lead to spinal
deformity. “These circumstances are compounded by the fact that older women who smoke
are weaker and have poorer balance, and have an increased risk of fracturing the vertebrae,
forearm or hip,” (160).
It’s Never Too Late
Although there are several side effects to smoking, it is possible to decrease your risks
after quitting. In as short as 20 minutes after leaving cigarettes, your blood pressure and her
rate drops; 24 hours: your risk of heart attack drops; 48 hours: smell and taste returns to
normal; 2 weeks: lung function increases 30%; 1 month: cilia grows back in the lungs; 1 year:
risk of heart disease reduces 50%; 5 years: lung cancer risk reduces 50%; 5-15 years: risk of
stroke reduced to same as nonsmoker; 10 years: lung cancer risk drops to same as nonsmoker
and risk of other cancers reduces; 15 years: risk of heart disease reduced to same as
nonsmoker.
Works Cited
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-shocking-ingredients-in-cigarettes.html#
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/sci_tech/features/health/tobaccotrial/inacigarette599.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine
The Price of Smoking
The Invisible Drug
Photos:
1. http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/lung-cancer.jpg
2. http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID13539/images/quitSmoking.gif
3. http://hettler.com/Joy/story.graph.teen.smoking.gif