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AlexBloss
English4
4/20/16
Mr.Conrad
IsSmokingWorthIt?
BACKGROUND
WithalltheknownrisksfromsmokingTobacco,whatmakesitworthit?Smoking
istheinhalingandexhalingoftobaccoproducts,EarlyamericanIndiansalsoused
tobaccoinspiritualceremonies.IntheearlysixteenthcenturySpanishbeggarsinSpain
fashionedthefirstcigarettesfromcigarbutts.
Cigarettesbegangainingpopularityinthe
UnitedStateswheninventor,JamesAlbertLynchburg,inventedthecigaretterolling
machinein1880.Thisendedtheneedtohandrollandpastecigarettes,thisiswhen
cigarettesbecamesoldmorecommercially.
Addiction
Anythinginlifecanbecomeaddictingbutcigarettesareoneoftheworstthingsto
gethookedon.Smokingissoaddictivebecauseofthelargeamountofnicotinefoundin
cigarettes.Nicotineisanaddictivesubstancefoundintobaccoleaves.Tobaccoisa
plantnativetoNorthAmericaandhasbeenusedasanicotinesourcebyNative
Americansforcenturies.Nicotinepresentwithintobaccoproductscausesphysicaland
mentaleffectsrapidlyleadingtoaddictionandtheusercontinuesusingtobaccodespite
adversehealthconsequencesandusuallyadesiretostop(GALE).Thewidespreaduse

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oftobacco,despiteitsknowndangers,probablyreflectsitslowcostandeasy
availability,itshighlevelofsocialacceptance,untilrecentyears,anditsseemingly
harmless,untilthelongtermeffects.Withtheyoungergenerationbeingmore
impressionable,tobaccouseoftenstartsintheteenageyearsduetocommercialand
socialpressureandcontinuesonbecausethepositivelyreinforcingeffectsofnicotine
thelongtermusersendupkeepsmokingtorelievewithdrawalsymptomssuchas
irritabilityandexhaustion.Smokingistheleadingcauseofpreventabledeathinthe
UnitedStates(GALE).Cigarettesmokershaveahigherriskofdevelopingseveral
chronicdisorders.Theseincludefattybuildupsinarteries,severaltypesofcancerand
chronicobstructivepulmonarydisease(lungproblems).Cigarettesmokingcauses
aboutoneofeveryfivedeathsintheUnitedStateseachyear(CDC.gov).Another
scaryfactiscigarettesmokeisestimatedtocausemorethan480,000deathsannually
(includingdeathsfromsecondhandsmoke)(CDC.gov).
HealthrisksandMythsofsmoking
Itisnomyththatcigarettesarebadforyourhealthandcausecancer.Cigarette
smokecontainsover4,000chemicals,including43knowncancercausingchemicals
(carcinogenic)compoundsand400othertoxins(BTF.gov).Afterhearingwhatisputin
cigarettesIcan'tbelievehowmanypeoplestillsmokethem.Cigaretteuseispretty
muchsmokingyourlifeaway,everytimeyousmokeyourlifeexpectancyshortens.

Scientificevidencehasproventhatsmokingcancausecancerofthelung,

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larynx,esophagus,mouth,andbladdercardiovasculardiseasechroniclungailments
coronaryheartdiseaseandstroke(GALE).

PopularMythsofSmoking
Ihavebeensmokingforyearssoitwon'tmatterifIstop.
Thisisoneofthebiggestmythsoutthere,evenafter30yearsofheavysmoking,once
youstop,within30daysthebodyisalreadybegunhealing.
Smokingmakesyoulookcoolandsophisticated!
Smokingmakesyousmellbad,stainsandrotsyourteeth,givesyousmoker'scough,
andcancer.Alsoitisunpleasantsittingwithpeoplewhiletheysmoke.Secondhand
smokeisjustasdangeroustothepeoplearoundyouasitissmokingyourself.
WhenIstopsmokingIgetfat.
Youwillgainweightifyousubstituteeatingforsmokingsatisfactionandnicotine
withdrawals.Ifyouexerciseorevensubstitutevapeforsmokingtogetoverthenicotine
withdrawals,youwillnotgainweight.
Youonlyhavetoworryaboutlungcancerwhensmokingcigarettes.
Smokingcancausecancerallthroughoutthebodywith:emphysema,bronchitis,heart
disease,highbloodpressure,highcholesterol,cancerofthemouth,larynxand
esophagusdiseases.
Itissafertosmokefilteredmentholorlowtarcigarettes!
SmokerswhouseMentholorlowtarcigarettestendtoinhalemorefrequentlytoget
thenicotinefix,makingthemworseforyou.

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Smokingcigarsandchewingtobaccoissaferbecauseyoudon'tinhale!
Cigarsandchewingtobaccoareactuallyworsethantraditionalcigarettesastheyhave
moretobaccoandisusuallymorepotent.ChewTobaccoisworseforyoubecauseyou
canseethesignsoforalcancerquicker.Thecancercanaffectyourlips,trachea,and
rotyourteeth
Smokingismychoiceanditonlyaffectsme.
Thedangersofsecondhandsmokearewelldocumented.Secondhandsmoke
accordingtotheNationalCancerInstitutemakesnonsmokersmoresusceptibleto
asthmaattacks,earinfections.andotherrespiratoryproblems.Secondhandsmoke
killsanestimated35,000to65,000nonsmokers,eachyear.Upto62,000willdiefrom
heartdiseaseand3,000willdiefromlungcancer(health.umd.edu).
SafeAlternativestosmoking
Therearesaferalternativestosmokingcigarettesthatarebetterforyourhealth.
Forthosethatwanttoquitandnotgetcancer
butgetnicotinewithdrawals,theyhavenicotine
patches,mints,andgum.Buttheyarealso
addictiveandcostsaddupfast.Toeliminate
yourchanceofgettingcanceryouhavetostop
smokingcigarettes,

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butyoudon'thavetostopsmokingaltogether,youcanswitchtovapor.Vapingisa
goodalternativetosmoking,youburnjuiceorVegetableglycerinwithflavoringinstead
oftheTar,Arsenic,butane,lead,andFormaldehydefoundincigarettesmoke.Theonly
thingtheyhaveincommonisthatyoucangetjuicewithnicotineinit.Smoking
traditionalcigarettesmakeyousmellbad,havebadbreath,androtyourteeth.Vapor
hastheexactoppositeeffectsonyou,yougainafruityodor,yourbreathsmellsbetter,
andithasnoharmfuleffectsonyourteeth.Youdon'tknowSmokersBreathuntilyou
havehadafullconversationwithsomeonethatjustsmokedacigarette.Thestenchcan
beunbearabletosomepeopleandcanbeeasilyrecognizedfromfaraway.Someof
theoldcigaretteadvertisementswouldmakesmokinglooklikethecoolthingtodo.But
tomostnonsmokersitisveryunattractiveseeingyousmokeacigarette.Whenyousee
someoneisaddictedtothemitshowsasenseoflackofselfcontrol.Vapingcanbe
addictiveevenwhenyou'renotburningnicotinejuice.Itisaddictingdoingtricks,youwill
findyourselfBlowingOsforhoursuntilyourfaceinnumb.Thereisagrowing
competitivesceneforvape.TheyhaveCloudCompetitionsandtrickcompetitions
aroundtheworld.Withtheminimalharmfuleffectsandanentertainingpastime,vaping
isonlygoingtogrowmoreandmore,especiallywithyouthbecomingveryinterested.
Vapingmayhavemoreofaupfrontcostbutinthelongtermitsavesyoumoney.
Comparedtocigarettesmoke,vapingisalotmoreenjoyableinalmosteveryaspect.
Youcanvapeprettymuchanywherelikeinsidebuildingsandcarswithoutthestench
lingeringfordays.

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cigarettesmoke.Alsoyougetalotbiggersmokeclouds.Alsoinsteadofhavinga
smokerscologneyoujustsmellfruitywhenvaping.Lastlyvapeismoreofasocial
thingtodoasitisaloteasiertoshareandnoncancercausingsoanyonecantryit.
Conclusion
Inconclusiononceyou're18yearsoldit'syour
decisiontosmokeornot.Butifyoudecidetostart
tryingcigarettesoutyouneedtoknowtherisksand
sideeffects.Firstthreemainhealthproblemsare
Addiction,CancerandRottingteeth.Youwouldthink
afterpeoplehearingthattheywouldwanttostopbut
alargeamountofthepopulationstillsmoke.YoumustacquireSelfcontrol,because
cigarettesarenotworthit.Everycigaretteshortensyourlifeexpectancy.It'snotfairto
yourbodyorotherstogetaddictedtocigarettes.You'renotonlyhurtingyourself,
Othersaroundyouareexposedtosecondhandsmokewhichalsogivesthemariskof
gettingcancer.Nothingpositivecomesoutofsmokingcigarettesandthelongterm
effectsaretooserioustoignore.Anotherthingtothinkaboutishowyouwanttolook
andsoundwhenyouareoldandagrandparent.Againthedecisionisyours,thereal
questionisdoyoucareaboutyourfuturehealth?Ifyoudo!Thendon'tgetsuckedinby
thecigaretteadsandstaystrong,smokingisnotworthit.

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WorksCited
Feature,RichardTurboWebMD."AlternativesforGivingUpCigarettes."
WebMD
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WebMD,2005.Web.09May2016.

Mcdowell,RandalJ."NicotineAddictionandYourHealth."
NicotineandTobacco

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ddiction
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Danker,KathyE."SmokingAddiction."
WelcometotheUniversityHealthCenter|University
HealthCenter
.UniversityHealthCenter,2009.Web.09May2016.
Graffs,MandyE."HealthEffectsofSecondhandSmoke."
AmericanLungAssociation
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AmericanLung,2016.Web.09May2016.
McMant,TylerL."18WaysSmokingAffectsYourHealth."
Smokefree.gov
.NationalCancer
Institute,n.d.Web.09May2016.
"Nicotine."
DrugsandControlledSubstances:InformationforStudents.

Ed.StaceyL.BlachfordandKristineKrapp.Detroit:Gale,2010.
StudentResourcesinContext
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2016.