Tobacco is a plant, which can be consumed in four different ways: sniffed, licked, smoked or chewed. This has been among us for thousands of years, where indigenous people and other populations already consumed it by the inhalation method, that is, smoking.
In turn, the Smoking It is an addiction or dependence on tobacco, considered one of the most addictive diseases and with a greater probability of contracting complications due to the damage it causes to health. According to a study, in developed countries this disease is the main cause of premature death that can be avoided.
Due to this, we wanted to create an article with precise and detailed information, in order to contribute to informing people about the damage it causes and how to avoid it.
Discover everything about smoking
La tobacco dependence It is a health problem that not only affects tobacco users, but also the people around them (in the case of smoking), the babies of pregnant women who cannot give up cigarettes, among others. Furthermore, it is not only a danger to health, since the smoker's pocket is also one of the most affected.
The main drawback is that it is an addiction that produces more diseases, most of which tend to be chronic or serious and, in addition, it is consumed in the vast majority of countries in the world. Although each country has regulated its advertising, the age of consumption and the places where smoking is allowed.
What are your causes?
The main cause is the nicotine, which is psychoactive and although they have not yet found a relationship with the diseases caused by tobacco and the substances used in cigarettes, it is responsible for generating dependence and physical addiction, that is, it is the body that needs consume the substance.
On the other hand, also the habit or custom and the social factor They play an important role in the causes that encourage people to smoke or use tobacco. An example of the habit is the cigarette used after eating for digestion; while the social factor refers to smoking when with friends, at parties or other events, among others.
However, the reasons why a person can start smoking are varied. According to various investigations, more than half of smokers started before turning 18 years of age; which means that the problem is latent in young adolescents.
This may be mainly due to the fact that this stage is one of the most difficult, where adolescents are not clear about the consequences of their actions or it is simply an act of rebellion. For example, at this age it is possible to consider smoking for the following reasons:
- Parents or representatives of young people consume tobacco, which makes them interested or curious in trying it.
- The friendship group starts smoking and invites the young man to try.
- Social environments are full of people who smoke, something they may notice and decide to try so as not to feel “out of the loop.”
On the other hand, it is possible to find other causes that could cause an individual of any age to start smoking, such as:
- Genetic predisposition.
- Influence generated by the media.
- Influence by advertising.
- Self medication.
- Disinformation.
- Reduce or prevent stress.
However, none of the causes should be enough to carry out an act that damages our health, our wallets, and affects the non-smoking people around us. Therefore, if you are affected, we recommend that you go to the section treatments to quit tobacco.
Symptoms of tobacco dependence
Smoking, like other diseases such as alcoholism, presents symptoms that make it evident that a person consumes tobacco excessively.
- There is a great need to consume tobacco.
- Difficulty quitting smoking.
- Cough, bronchitis, or wheezing in the chest.
- General fatigue
- Cold extremities.
- Symptoms presented by diseases caused by tobacco dependence.
If a person presents any of these symptoms, they most likely have a problem with tobacco. Additionally, it is easy to tell if a person smokes just by smelling their breath or hands.
What diseases does tobacco addiction cause?
As we mentioned, there are many diseases that can be caused by tobacco dependence, among which we find different types of tumors, such as those of the lip, pharynx and mouth, stomach, esophagus, bladder, kidney, trachea, pancreas, larynx, among others. ; as well as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
For this reason, we reported the data presented by the WHO, which ranks smoking as the first chronic and addictive disease that causes premature death in several countries in the world.
What type of smokers exist?
There are different types of smokers: negative, hedonistic, chronic, drug dependent and passive. All of them with their own characteristics, but they are related to inhaling tobacco smoke.
- The negative is one who only uses cigarettes as if it were a relaxation method, which is usually in complex situations.
- The chronic person is someone who usually smokes a large amount of tobacco without being aware of the damage they are doing to themselves.
- The hedonist only smokes occasionally, that is, he has control of the substance. Plus, he enjoys every cigarette.
- The drug addict, as his name indicates, is one who is addicted and dependent on the substance to a greater degree than everyone else; who cannot be without cigarettes and can constantly smoke one after another. This would be located at the top of the smoking scale.
- Lastly, there is the passive, who does not smoke cigarettes but inhales the smoke produced by the combustion of tobacco since he is surrounded by smokers. As a curious fact, these tend to be the most affected of all types of smokers.
Smoking treatment
To cure a chronic illness like this, you must first be aware of the damage it causes and that the individual is dependent physically, mentally, or both. Once the problem is accepted, different types of treatments for tobacco addiction: nicotine substitute, group or individual therapies and medication.
- Nicotine replacement is a treatment in which nicotine is delivered through another route, such as with skin patches. This will decrease the symptoms of withdrawal syndrome and also reduce the individual's dependence on tobacco to achieve give up smoking more easily.
- Smoking can also be treated with medications, which will help replace nicotine, avoid withdrawal symptoms and quit tobacco due to the elimination of physical dependence.
- Finally, there are also group or individual therapies, which will help the patient treat the psychological dependence on tobacco.
If you liked the entry, we invite you to spread it on your social networks to make the information known to everyone. If everyone does their part, we will surely be able to ensure that more people are informed about this devastating disease and perhaps at some point, achieve the goal of eliminating tobacco from society.