The Surgeon General Has Determined
Smoking tobacco products has been around for thousands of years, it’s nothing new. Humans first came into contact with tobacco about 18,000 years ago when migrant Asiatic people first crossed the Bering Strait and spread across the continents, where tobacco is now native (Gately). Yet it seems that the past 40 years have brought about more debates on smoking cigarettes than ever; debates as to whether smoking causes lung cancer and even death. Though there is a debate, the Center for Disease Control approximate 443,000 deaths are attributed to tobacco use annually (Adhikari). Current smokers should stop smoking because most professionals discourage smoking and say that it is hazardous not only to health, but also to the environment and can be financially straining.
In the early 1900’s, smoking cigarettes had become almost a required practice, and the norms of etiquette reflected its importance (Brandt). Anywhere one would go, a cigarette was sure to be there. This means that for the past hundred years (and more) cigarette smoke has been polluting the air around us, adding up to the massive amount of pollution that has resulted from the smoke emmited from cigarettes. Smoking cigarettes is extremely bad for the environment and is one reason why people should not smoke or quit smoking. The amount of smoke emitted from the countless cigarettes smoked daily greatly affects the environment and the air that we breathe. These cigarettes contain over four thousand chemicals which are exhaled and released into the air and the atmosphere. Since approximately twenty two percent of North Americans are smokers, and the percentage goes much higher in developing countries, there is a massive amount of pollution being released into the air every day (Taylor). Along with polluting the precious air that is essential to life on this planet, smoking also harms the water that we drink and the ground that we walk on. Cigarette butts are a deadly cause of land pollution. Tossed into gutters and on the shoulders of roads, if they do not first cause a fire or are eaten by wildlife, cigarette butts will likely travel through storm drains and enter our watershed, where they can travel all the way to the ocean. Because cigarette filters are specifically designed to accumulate toxins, each cigarette butt can contain up to sixty known human carcinogens including arsenic, formaldehyde, chromium and lead (“Cigarettes”). Recently, an “eco-friendly” cigarette called the E-Cigarette was released, claiming that they free the environment from the chemicals regularly found in regular cigarettes and the trash created by cigarettes (Hall). E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that generally contain cartridges filled with nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. The electronic cigarette turns nicotine and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the smoker. Though many smokers may think that E-Cigarettes may be an escape from the harms of nicotine addiction, the FDA has recently announced that a laboratory analysis of electronic cigarette samples has found that they contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze (DeLancey). These chemicals are being inhaled by the smoker and then exhaled into the air, which is essentially no better than normal cigarettes. Contrary to popular belief, there is no environmentally safe way to smoke.
Many smokers will say “Why should anyone care if I smoke? If I’m hurting anyone it is just me.” Those smokers would be dead wrong. Second, and now third hand smoke are the cause of about 46,000 deaths a year. That means that 46,000 innocent people that don’t smoke are dying due to the ignorance of smokers (“Secondhand”). Non-smokers who breathe in secondhand smoke take in nicotine and other toxic chemicals just like smokers do. The more secondhand smoke one is exposed to, the higher the level of these harmful chemicals in the body (“Secondhand”). It isn’t fair that those who choose not to smoke are still affected by smoking. Many states have enacted a smoking ban in public places. This reduces the exposure of secondhand smoke to some, but what about the children whose parents smoke in the house? Secondhand smoke causes premature death and disease in children that are exposed to it. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and asthma. Smoking by parents causes respiratory symptoms and slows lung growth in their children (“Secondhand”). Along the same lines as secondhand smoke, thirdhand smoke; the new term being used to describe the invisible yet toxic brew of gases and particles that cling to smokers hair and clothing (Rabin). Again, children seem to be at greatest risk of being affected as they inhale these particles from clothes, rugs, draperies etc. A commonality between those affected by smoke is children. Children are the most vulnerable and usually the most commonly affected by second and thirdhand smoke. Once a smoker decides to quit smoking, they must give their house and car a thorough cleaning to rid the couches, rugs, drapes, blankets and other porous surfaces of the thirdhand smoke.
Another reason not to smoke is that it can be a big financial burden. Current smokers should consider their family finances and what cutting cigarettes out would do for the family. Adults in families that are more affluent are less likely to be current smokers than those in families that are poor (“Status”). This means that families that are already struggling to get by are spending money on cigarettes instead of more important things like health insurance. The most popular cigarettes today are Marlboros. The cost of a pack of Marlboros in Maryland is $6.10 including tax. Most smokers smoke about a pack a day which adds ups to $2,226.50 a year out of millions of people’s pockets and into the pockets of tobacco companies. In 2006 approximately $83.6 billion was spent on cigarettes in the United States (“Use”). Also, it has been proven that smokers earn anywhere from four to eleven percent less than nonsmokers. It’s not just a loss of productivity to smoke breaks and poorer health that takes a financial toll; researchers believe smokers are perceived to be less attractive and successful as well (“Facts”). This could mean that a smoker doesn’t get a job simply because of the fact that they smoke, therefore negatively affecting their family finances. All of this because of cigarettes.
Perhaps the most important reason not to smoke or to quit is the effect on one’s health. Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States (“Use”). Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, from the heart to the lungs. In the heart cigarette smoking causes reduced circulation by narrowing the blood vessels and puts smokers at a higher risk of developing peripheral vascular disease (“Use”). Peripheral artery disease is a common circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to limbs. When one develops peripheral artery disease, extremities don't receive enough blood flow to keep up with demand of blood (Harms). This can turn the simple task of walking into an excruciating endeavor. In the lungs, smoking causes lung diseases like emphysema, bronchitis, and chronic airway obstruction by damaging the airways and alveoli of the lungs. Smoking has also been found to cause bladder, cervical, esophageal, lung, kidney, stomach and uterine cancer (“Use”). Tobacco companies have “light” “ultra light” and “mild” cigarettes which contain less nicotine than regular cigarettes - with the implication that they are less harmful to smokers' health. Tobacco manufacturers have been redesigning cigarettes since the 1950s. These “light” cigarettes have had the following alterations: Cellulose acetate filters (to trap tar), highly porous cigarette paper (to allow toxic chemicals to escape), ventilation holes in the filter tip (to dilute smoke with air), and different blends of tobacco (“Light”). Many smokers see this as a way to “safely smoke”. However, a recent study has proven that these “healthier” cigarettes deliver nearly as much nicotine to the brain. Though not as harmful as full flavor cigarettes, light cigarettes have nicotine levels of 0.6 to 1 milligrams, while regular cigarettes contain between 1.2 and 1.4 milligrams (Wheeler), again proving the point that there is no healthy or safe way to smoke. So why smoke at all?
At one point in time, smoking cigarettes was a social norm and accepted by all. But in this day and age, smoking is looked down upon and thought to be “nasty” and “repulsive” by most people. Now, twenty-one states across the United States have one hundred percent smoke-free workplaces and bars and people are finally starting to crack down on the effects of smoking on humans. Years of research have shown that current smokers should think about the effects that smoking has on not only their own health, but the health of the ones they love, the environment and family finances. Though quitting is a great obstacle to overcome, millions of people have quit smoking and it is possible with the support of family and friends and a dedicated attitude.
Works Cited
Adhikari, B. "Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Productivity Losses --- United States, 2000--2004." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 14 Nov. 2008. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5745a3.htm
Brandt, Allan M. The Cigarette Century: the Rise, Fall, and Deadly Persistence of the Product That Defined America. New York: Basic, 2007. Print.
"Cigarettes: Toxic Trash." Californians Against Waste. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/cigarettes/toxic_trash
"Current Cigarette Smoking Status." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S Department of Health and Human Services, Aug. 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hdi.htm
DeLancey, Siobhan. "FDA and Public Health Experts Warn About Electronic Cigarettes." U.S Food and Drug Administration. 22 July 2009. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm173222.htm
Gately, Iain. 2001. A Cultural History of How an Exotic Plant Seduced Civilization. New York, NY: Grove Press.
Hall, Randy. "Electric Cigarettes." ArticleSlash. 24 Mar. 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. http://www.articleslash.net/Health-and-Fitness/Alternative/549793__Electric-Cigarettes-Smoke-Wherever-You-Like.html
Harms, Roger. "Peripheral Artery Disease." Mayo Clinic. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/peripheral-arterial-disease/DS00537
""Light" Cigarettes and Cancer Risk." National Cancer Institute. National Cancer Institute, 28 Oct. 2010. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/light-cigarettes>.
Rabin, Roni. "A New Cigarette Hazard: ‘Third-Hand Smoke’." New York Times 01/02/09: n. pag. Web. 5 Dec 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/health/research/0
"Secondhand Smoke." American Cancer Society . N.p., 11/09/10. Web. 5 Dec 2010. <http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/secondhand-smoke>.
"Smoking and Tobacco Use." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 13 Sept. 2010. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/index.htm
"Smoking Facts." Your Finish Rich Plan. 21 May 2009. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. http://yourfinishrichplan.com/blog/2008/05/21/smoking-facts-tips-stopping-quit-smoking-symptoms-harmful-effects/
Tayor-Cassan, Jessica. "How Smoking Affects Our Environment." AboutMyPlanet. 29 Aug. 2007. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/environment/smoking-affects/
Wheeler, Mark. "'Light' Cigarettes versus Regular Cigarettes." Medical News Today. 29 Sept. 2008. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/123333.php
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