Smoking

Paper Summary:

The paper stresses on the harmful effects of tobacco smoking including the major diseases and disorders associated with it. It discusses how cigarettes are harmful to the smoker himself and also impose a drain on the economy that far outweighs the benefit they provide. It examines the chemical makeup of the leading cause of death in the United States and analyzes the large sums of health care costs and productivity losses related to smoking. It also looks at the legal stance of smoking and how no law in the United States of America punishes smokers for causing the death of another through second hand smoke although some states have taken steps to restrict smoking in public places.

From the Paper:

"How is a cigarette harmful? A typical cigarette contains four thousand chemicals, two hundred of which are known poisons, and forty-three carcinogens, or substances that cause cancer. Some of the poisons in cigarette smoke include acetone, the chemical used in nail-polish remover, nicotine, an extremely addictive chemical found in insecticide, benzene, a petrol additive, ammonia, a chemical used in toilet cleaners, and arsenic, the main ingredient in rat poison ("Harmful Chemicals" n. pag.). When a cigarette is lit, the tobacco catches on fire and produces a hot, noxious smoke, filled with such poisons, that is inhaled by the smoker. This smoke fills the lungs and deprives the brain of oxygen, and the burning temperature of the smoke causes damage to cells in the lungs and other places, opening the door for cancer to set in. Naturally, the poisons in the smoke have an adverse effect on the health of the smoker. Lung cancer, emphysema, coronary heart disease, stroke, and larynx cancer are a few of the numerous illnesses caused by cigarette smoking (Howell 26-27)."

More papers on Smoking:

• Essay # 137850 : "The Effect of Smoking"
• Analytical Essay # 144402 : "Smoking Bans"
• Essay # 84612 : "Smoking Cessation Partnership Program"
• Analytical Essay # 114718 : "Effects of the Smoking Ban in Tennessee"

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