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( Tobacco smoking)
Tobacco smoking is the inhalation of smoke from burned dried or cured leaves of the tobacco plant, most often in the form of a cigarette. People may smoke casually for pleasure, habitually to satisfy an addiction to the nicotine present in tobacco and to the act of smoking, or in response to social pressure. In some societies, people smoke for ritualistic purposes. According to the WHO about one-third of the world's male population smokes tobacco.[2] Tobacco use by Native Americans throughout North and South America dates back to 2000 BC. The practice was brought back to Europe by the crew of Christopher Columbus. Tobacco smoking took hold in Spain and then was introduced to the rest of the world by trade. Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. Tobacco has been growing on the northern continents since about 6000 BC and began being used by native cultures at about 3000 BC. It has been smoked in one form or another since about 2000 BC. There are pictoral drawings of ancient Mayans smoking crude cigars from 1400 BC.[citation needed] Tobacco smoke contains the psychoactive alkaloids nicotine and harmane, which combined give rise to addictive stimulant and euphoriant properties. The effect of nicotine in first time or irregular users is an increase in alertness and memory, and mild euphoria. Nicotine also disturbs metabolism and suppresses appetite. This is because nicotine, like many stimulants, temporarily increases blood sugar levels. Medical research has determined that tobacco smoking causes lung cancer, emphysema, and cardiovascular disease among other health problems.[3][4] The World Health Organization reported that tobacco smoking killed 100 million people worldwide in the 20th century and warned that it could kill one billion people around the world in the 21st century.[5][6] Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco consumption. Because of the curing process, the smoke is relatively mild, unlike cigar, roll-your-own or pipe tobacco. Cigarettes also contain a number of additives, particularly to enhance taste. Cigarettes are smoked by some with a cigarette holder. (See also Beedi).
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Tobacco smoking Subcategories
Tobacco smoking Articles
The Addiction To Smokeless Tobacco And The Easiest Way To Break It by Alan Densky
The addiction to smokeless tobacco is easily as deadly as the addiction to smoking cigarettes. In fact, most experts think that it is even more insidious. Part of the problem is that sports heroes have glamorized the use of chew. Many have started th...
Breaking Your Cigarette Addiction With NLP by Alan Densky
Breaking the smoking habit may be a necessity in our times, because smoking has been banned from eateries and other public places. In fact, it is the intelligent thing to do for more reasons than good health alone. This commentary explores the very b...
Why are cigarettes so addictive? by Ramas Rankin
CIGARETTES CONTAIN the drug nicotine. This drug stimulates dopamine release and elevates dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is known as the master addiction molecule and high levels in the brain reinforce drug abuse. Nicotine also stimu...
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