Smoking is a subject that is painful to discuss. Trying to convince people to stop is also extremely difficult. Still, I owe it to my readers to write about the dangers of this habit and what disease and suffering it can cause. What has happened to us in the last decades? Smoking, tobacco and sheesha (the water pipe) were once seen as offensive and unacceptable in our society and within the family circle. The few who dared to smoke did so furtively.
With “modernization,” however, the powerful and politically influential tobacco industry has made smoking almost universal; the industry has used persuasive marketing, enticing packaging and extensive promotional campaigns. Through advertising, the tobacco industry has managed to instill in the minds of consumers, young and old, that smoking is a sign of modernity, of the latest fashion, of advancement, adventure, independence and power — always associating smoking with the beautiful, the rich and the famous.
By targeting and exploiting the young, they guarantee themselves customers for at least 20 years; a smoking youth makes an addicted adult. One pack of cigarettes per day costs the smoker SR5 which adds up to SR1,875 a year.
A study done in November 2004 in the United States showed how a pack of cigarettes really costs the smoker and society some $40 per day; this is taking into account the cumulative costs of lifetime medical care, taxes, social security, lost earnings due to disabilities caused by smoking and lost pensions due to smoke-related early deaths. With the complacent assistance of governments and nations, the industry and other businesses which profit from tobacco have succeeded in jeopardizing the health of smokers and non-smokers, and polluting the environment, putting profit above human interest. All medical research and evidence point to nicotine and smoking as damaging to human health; they contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular problems, coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, premature birth, addiction and finally, painful death to smokers — to say nothing of the financial burdens of illness plus the agony to their families.
In order to understand the evils of smoking or chewing any form of tobacco, we must know what tobacco is, how it is prepared and how it destroys health and life.
The tobacco plant, nicotiana tabacum, is native to the Americas and came to Europe after the discovery of the New World. The Red Indians used it for its healing psychic powers to overcome depression and mood swings as well as to improve memory. Nicotine is the healing yet toxic and addictive substance in tobacco. It is so toxic that if ingested or injected in tiny doses, it induces tremors, vomiting, stomach pains, weakness and headaches, while reducing the heart rate and pulse. In its pure form, nicotine can be paralytic to the central nervous system or even lethal.
As for cigarettes, they are harmful at different levels and at a slow pace. Sugars, syrups, liquorice, flavors and chemicals are often added to enhance taste and create different blends. Filters are added to the cigarette, supposedly to reduce the hazardous effects of nicotine but in fact they may do more harm to the smoker as he or she inhales more deeply to compensate for the nicotine reduction.
What really makes tobacco smoking dangerous is three toxic chemicals: nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide. I would like to remind you that tobacco is also heavily sprayed with pesticide and insecticide. All these chemicals plus the thin paper wrapping are inhaled and absorbed into the body. Nicotine stimulates the heart and the central nervous system by increasing heartbeat, constricting blood vessels and raising blood pressure which reduces oxygen and blood circulation in the body. Nicotine is found to be addictive as it reaches the brain via the bloodstream within seven seconds of inhalation, giving a feeling of calmness and relaxation. Tar in tobacco leaves a dark glutinous substance on the lining of lungs which is a carcinogen and which may result in lung cancer. As for carbon monoxide, it is a lethal gas similar to the exhaust emitted by automobiles. It decreases the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, rendering the smoker breathless.
Apart from raising the risk of cancer and heart disease, smoking leads to emphysema, a deadly pulmonary disease that causes the lungs to shrink, leaving the affected smoker gasping for air and oxygen. Smokers are also more susceptible to viral infections and other respiratory disorders.
Women smokers have been found to produce less estrogen, the female hormone; smoking prompts the liver enzymes to break down estrogen, exposing female smokers to heart disease, early aging, fractures and osteoporosis. Smoking also interferes with hormones that regulate cells and organs, increasing the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and affecting the body’s metabolic rate and the way it handles fat. It also raises hormones that lead to insulin resistance which upset sugar levels in the blood. Pregnant smokers should also be aware that smoking deprives their fetuses of nutrients and oxygen. Thus, infants of smoking parents may be born smaller and suffer health hazards that require neonatal intensive care.
Finally, smoking upsets the chemistry of the immune system and suppresses the function of certain substances that fight malignant cells, leaving the body prey to chronic diseases, infections, allergies and cancers. Smoke-related cancer is not limited to the lungs, larynx, tongue, lip and mouth but also appears in the digestive system, kidneys, penis and uterine cervix. Yes, it does sound strange; nicotine has been found in the uterine cervix of smokers and nonsmokers due to secondhand smoke, thereby prompting simple viruses to become more cancer-causing and leading to suppressed immunity to fight cancer-causing infections and toxic agents.
Smokers often argue that smoking is their own affair and that they alone bear the consequences. Untrue. Nonsmokers are affected as I have just explained above. Secondhand smoke influences people’s health in the workplace, restaurants, on airplanes and in public areas. I am sorry to say but smokers are selfish; not only do they harm themselves but they also harm you and me, the nonsmokers, polluting our air and environment. What we should do is strive for smoke-free public areas with cleaner air. This would in turn decrease smoke-related diseases, save the life-long expense of cigarettes, and reduce high medical expenses. Don’t we say in both Arabic and English: “Prevention is better than cure”?
(Mariam Alireza is a holistic science specialist. Send comments to [email protected].)