Interesting Facts about Smoking
In recent years, smoking has become an acute global problem, and it is estimated that there are 1.2 billion smokers worldwide. Many people used to feel that cigarette smoking imparted machismo look to males and sexuality to females. However, these days, smoking is considered a bad habit that is injurious to health of the smoker and to the people around him or her. Cigarettes are the single most traded item in the world, and more than one trillion cigarettes are sold each year.
Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer, and ninth most common cause of death in the world killing approximately 1.25 million people each year. Some cigarettes contain urea, which is also a type of chemical found in urine. Smoking is addictive, and tobacco contains the drug nicotine which can make it almost impossible to kick the habit. Cigarettes contain formaldehyde, arsenic, nitrogen oxide, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, carbon monoxide and 43 known carcinogens.
To add flavor to cigarettes, urea is used, which is also a major component in urine. Most people take up the habit of smoking during their teens, and in addition to alcohol, wearing stilettos, using aftershave, sexual intercourse and drugs, cigarette smoking is seen as the right of passage towards adulthood. Though the sale of tobacco products is highly regulated with legal legislation, it is not illegal to smoke tobacco at any age. To make the nicotine in cigarettes more potent than that of tobacco plant, many different methods of production and active ingredients are involved.
The immune system of smokers works harder each day, and hence their blood contains less antioxidants. Within ten second, the nicotine reaches the brain, and it has is found in all body parts and breast milk. Almost 20% of the cigarette is sugar which most people are unaware of, and effects of burning sugar are also unknown. Cigarette smoking is not illegal at any age, however, sale of tobacco products is highly regulated.
Most smokers start the habit during their teen years, and perceive it as a right of passage towards adulthood. The nicotine content in the most well known cigarette brands is on the rise. In U.S., 22.6 million women and 25.6 million men are smokers, and studies indicate that popularity of cigarette smoking is significantly higher among kids in the age group of 9-11 years. Historically, smoking was a past time of the rich, but now, the worldwide use of tobacco varies by culture, historical era and social class.
