Even though numerous studies have proven that tobacco has adverse effects on human health, millions of people are still not ready to quit. They refuse to let go of cigarettes, despite harming themselves as well as the people around them. At the same time, recent smoking statistics show that as many as 68% of Americans are willing to quit. Yet, they’re unable to make the final step. So what is it that actually makes smoking so irresistible, and why does this old addiction still remain unsolved, despite our awe-inspiring technological advancements? Read on in Smoking: Why it Appeals to Millions of People Worldwide with extended infographic.
Well first let’s see what hides behind all that hot air and smoke, and why people start smoking in the first place. According to the comprehensive smoking infographic below, the most common reasons for starting to smoke are peer pressure and rebellion against the parents. Believe it or not, more than 27% of high schoolers in the US smoke tobacco regularly! So it’s easy to see that smoking starts early in life, during a most sensitive period of human development.
Other reasons for smoking are stress relief and enjoyment in the ritual itself. Many people admit that they smoke because of the “enchanting smell” of tobacco rising through the air.
Types of Smoking
Experts sometimes have different opinions when it comes to the classification of tobacco use. However, the most common types of cigarette consumption are; regular, occasional and social.
This reveals the nature of tobacco usage, which comes in many forms. In a way, this is one of the alluring elements of smoking a cigar, thinking that you have the freedom to choose. Yet, research shows that “safe smoking” is an illusion and a dangerous one. That said, passive smoking can also be added to the list. Of course, this category is almost as harmful and hazardous as the other types. To be precise, statistics show that secondhand smoking claims more than 41,000 people every year!
The Most Prominent Effects of Tobacco Use
The most harmful component of tobacco is nicotine, a highly addictive stimulant. Nicotine is a substance that leaves similar effects on the body as popular drugs do. In other words, this chemical will boost your levels of adrenaline and dopamine.
Of course, there are other components in an average cigar, such as tar. Likewise, carbon monoxide in the smoke can have adverse effects on humans. But what exactly happens when we smoke for an extended period? For starters, the lungs take the most considerable toll. Reduced lung capacity is the least dangerous of effects. But of course, lung cancer stands on the opposite side of the spectrum.
On top of that, cigarette consumption can increase the odds of clot formation, cause higher blood pressure, and increase heart rate. The risk of Type 2 diabetes also grows with tobacco use, as well as the chances of suffering a brain aneurysm.
Cigarettes and smoking can also reduce sperm count and cause infertility. Not to mention the fact that bad breath, stained teeth, (yellowed fingers even!) and gum disease will decrease your chances with the opposite sex in the first place.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, smoking does not have many redeeming features to it. Nonetheless, people who enjoy the use of tobacco refuse to acknowledge these facts. Of course, such behavior is an expected side-effect of addiction, and smoking is one of the most addictive compulsion diseases on the planet.