Cigarettes

**The risks of smoking a cigarette**

Cigarettes are small cylinder like shapes of paper, with finely cut tobacco in them. They are ignited at one end and inhaled from the other (Britannica, Encyclopedia) (Ed). Some common brands of cigarettes are Marlboro, Newport, Camel, Winston and on the rise of popularity are the electronic cigarettes (Preachinpreach).

I chose to research this specific topic of cigarettes because many of my family members who have smoked in their younger years, or are smoking now have developed many of the harmful diseases that cigarettes can cause.

Cigarettes have as many as 7,000 different chemicals in them. As many as 30% of all coronary heart disease (CHD) deaths in the United States each year are attributable to cigarette smoking, with the risk being strongly dose-related. Smoking also nearly doubles the risk of a stroke. Inhaling even one cigarette a day can increase the chance of a person getting lung cancer, or having a heart attack (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Besides increasing the risk of heart disease, smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. More than 480,000 deaths are attributable to smoking in the United States each year. It is the reason why 90% of people die from lung cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Other smoking health risks

Smoking a cigarette also has many other health risks and here are a few:

·         Cardiovascular Disease

·         Heart Disease

·         Stroke

·         Lung cancer/ Any type of cancer

·         Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

·         Damages Blood vessels in result of increasing the chance of a blood clot

·         Causes High Blood Pressure

·         Can cause your teeth to be stained, Can turn the fingers yellow

·         Harm skin by destroying its elastic fibers and weakening its ability to repair itself (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

**E-Cigarettes**

Some Important ingredients that are in cigarettes that are not in E-cigarettes are Formaldehyde, Arsenic, Benzene, Vinyl Chloride, Hydrogen Cyanide, Carbon Monoxide, lead and tar. Tar leaves a sticky, brown residue on your lungs, teeth and fingernails. An investigation of two disposable-cartridge brands – BLU and NJOY – and half a dozen different brands of e-cigarette flavors found high levels of flavoring chemicals in the liquids. The challenge with studying the safety or possible harms of e-cigarettes is that many of the potential health concerns would show up over the long-term rather than the short-term, and e-cigarettes simply haven’t been around and used widely for long enough to determine what those might be (Satel).

In a study formed by the journal Tobacco Control, the researchers measured the amount of flavor chemicals present in 30 e-cigarette fluids, including popular flavors such as bubble gum, cotton candy, chocolate, grape, apple, tobacco, menthol, vanilla, cherry and coffee. They found that the flavoring chemicals comprised anywhere from 1 to 4 percent of the e-cigarette liquids, equivalent to about 10 to 40 mg/mL.(Satel).

Electronic Cigarettes are $150 for starter kit, which includes consists of a battery, charger and atomizer. Then one will need the eLiquid. All of the atomizers and tanks are refillable with eLiquid, also know as cartridges. The eLiquids are $5-10 for replacement cartridges (ECigsHQ (Producer).

Benefits of smoking the electronic cigarettes are:

· E-cigarettes do NOT have that distinctive odor- Scent from cigarette smoke gets into, and clings, to just about anything it comes in contact with – hair, clothes, your car – anything. Not only does the odor cling, many consider cigarette smell offensive and avoid close contact.

# ==· Electronic smoking is MUCH cheaper than traditional cigarettes

· E-cigarettes are much safer- “burning” tobacco, not to mention using an open flame to light it, traditional cigarettes by default pose serious fire hazards. Cigarettes are in fact the #1 cause of fire-related death in the United States and 7 other countries. Worldwide, fires started by lit cigarettes constitute 10% of all fire-related deaths.

· Health- put you at a higher risk of a whole host of conditions, including stroke, heart attack, lung cancer, throat cancer, pneumonia, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, and countless others.

· Social-Over the years, smoking has increasingly been viewed negatively by society at-large for a variety of reasons.

(Ever Smoke).

Smoking cessation is learning how to stop smoking. There are many ways that people can try and stop. One way is nicotine patches, or pills. Chantix is a popular pill that people take to stop the urges for nicotine.

The impact of that smoking has on one’s body is outrageous. It causes a shorter lifespan for a person and can cause disabilities. Therefore, having to get help for the rest of one’s life. It damages more than one organ at a time, and will cause damage somehow to one’s body. It might not be right away, but in the long run something will not work properly causing that person to live a shorter life.

All in all smoking is very harmful for one’s body. If one is going to smoke cigarettes, then researchers highly recommend smoking E-cigarette vaporizers because they are healthier and safer for one’s body. No studies have found that E-cigarettes have caused anyone to develop heath risks.

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**References**

Britannica, Encyclopedia. (Ed.) November 9, 2014. Cigarette.  *Encyclopedia Britannica Online*. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/117732/cigarette

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014). Health effects of cigarette smoking. 800-232-4636. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data\_statistics/fact\_sheets/health\_effects/effects\_cig\_smoking/.

Chantix,. "How CHANTIX® (varenicline) Works | Safety Info." *How CHANTIX® (varenicline) Works | Safety Info*. Retreived from http://www.chantix.com/how-chantix-works?source=google&HBX\_PK=s\_smoking%2Bcessation&o=23119569%7C166373525%7C0&skwid=43700006194219306&src\_id=CHW10027585.

ECigsHQ (Producer). (2012, June 14). The doctors discuss electronic cigarettes. *YouTube* [Video Podcast] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ7q36Q8ItQ

Eversmoke,. (2014). 5 LEADING BENEFITS ELECTRONIC SMOKING HAS OVER TRADITIONAL CIGARETTES. Retrieved from http://www.learn.eversmoke.com/5-benefits-over-cigarettes.html

Preachinpreach.. 2015. *Top Ten Best Cigarette Brands.* Retreived from http://www.thetoptens.com/cigarette-brands/