Causes of smoking
Causes of smoking are different for different groups of people. Some people like to smell cigarette smoke. Others enjoy lightheadedness after taking a cigarette. Some people smoke after meals because nicotine increases the production of gastric enzymes and thus improves the digestion of the food. In other words, if you had a big meal and feel too full, cigarettes will help you return to normal. There are many more causes of smoking, which we’ll discuss in this article.
Why do people smoke? This is a very common question smokers ask. What are the causes of smoking, and why can’t I quit smoking? These are two primary questions you must answer to be able to quit. In this article, you will find answers to these significant questions. You will understand the mechanism of nicotine addiction, and the solution will come to your mind.
What are the causes of smoking, and why are people smoking?
Nicotine addiction is the answer to the question of why people Smoking. Smoking cigarettes is inhaling and exhaling the smoke of a burnt substance that reaches the bloodstream through the lungs. The burnt substance is tobacco, which can be covered in paper, a filter (cigarette), or any other form. Smoking is injurious to health, and it leads to many ailments as well. Christopher Columbus discovered smoking. In 1531, the first-ever cultivation of tobacco was initiated. Cigarette-making machines were introduced in the late 1800s.
I still don’t understand the causes of smoking cigarettes.
People smoke because they feel pleasure and relaxation in doing this or want to look cool, among others. It has become a fashion nowadays. Some teen kids start it by the name of fashion and smoke regularly. Some imitate their friends or relatives. The reason behind most smokers is that they want to release stress from their minds, and they feel comfortable after smoking. In doing so daily, they get addicted to smoking because of the nicotine, which serves as a drug, and they do not easily quit smoking.
Most teenagers start smoking with their group of friends by just experiencing how it feels to puff a cigarette, and in doing so, most of them make it a habit to puff daily. This puffing then leads to inhaling slowly and gradually, becoming proper smoking. It becomes a habit afterward, and such an addictive habit is difficult to control and leave. And that’s why people smoke.
Nicotine: Its functions and addiction—that’s why people smoke cigarettes
Nicotine is a sedative and stimulant chemical compound with the formula C10H14N2, and it is highly toxic. It is found in all types of tobacco. When someone smokes or uses tobacco in any other form, nicotine stimulates the brain cells and tissues, increasing his attention and focus.
Nicotine withdrawal, or quitting smoking, makes a smoker feel uncomfortable and stressed because the amount of nicotine regularly supplied to their body has been stopped. The symptoms of withdrawal include continuous irritation, stress, exasperation, tremors, feelings of depression, uneasiness, and difficulty focusing, and it is the nicotine that makes a person addicted to smoking. The more you smoke, the more you get addicted and the more nicotine your body demands.
When a person takes a puff of a cigarette, the nicotine is inhaled into the body, and the pair of lungs absorb it into the blood, which then goes to the heart and brain, stimulating the cells and tissues to respond more quickly. Hence, nicotine increases the reaction time of the smoking individual. That is the reason that leads to answers from smokers that they enjoy the process of inhaling a cigarette. For a regular smoker, it removes nicotine withdrawal symptoms, which relieves them. There are different stages of nicotine addiction. Some people have a low-level nicotine addiction; some have severe addictions, leading to a strong urge to smoke more and more cigarettes.
Effects of nicotine
The effects of nicotine include a faster heart rate as well as a higher rate of oxygen consumption. It also leads to increased alertness due to the faster rate of brain tissue stimulation. It increases the concentration of the smoker and allows him to have a faster memory.
#1 on the list of causes of smoking cigarettes.
Smoking cigarettes and smoking cigars, however, is not only a result of nicotine addiction; on the contrary, it’s also more about the habit of having something (a cigarette, cigar, or pipe) sandwiched between lips. Just for a second, imagine the smoking process. Smokers grip a cigarette between their upper and lower lips, simultaneously sucking. It looks the same as if a woman breastfeeds a baby.
Look at the picture below:
Because this action was the first in every human’s life, it created the most vigorous habit. Additionally, the act of sucking is not just a habit; it is an instinct that Mother Nature has established, and no amount of pills, patches, or gums can replace it. The instinct is anatomically located deep in the subconscious mind, and it can be altered only by modifying the subconscious region of the brain.
What are the forms of smoking, what are the causes of smoking, and what is nicotine addiction?
Why do people smoke cigarettes?
There are different forms of smoking. A cigarette is the most common form of smoking and is available in different flavors, sizes, and colors. They are exported and imported in bulk quantities. Companies make a lot of money from such stuff. Their production involves different tobacco qualities for different brands. They keep a specific amount of tar and nicotine for specified brands. Some brands contain a high amount of nicotine, while others are just light, but all lead to nicotine addiction.
Some cigarettes contain flavors like mint, strawberry, chocolate, etc. Some of the most widely used cigarettes are Marlboro, Dunhill, Gold Leaf, etc. Cigarettes are the least banned worldwide, while other stuff is banned in most countries. Cigarettes harm the body and its parts, including the mouth, lungs, esophagus, heart, brain, and nervous system.
Why are people smoking cigars?
Cigars are another form of smoking. It is more harmful than smoking cigarettes because it does not have a filter that blocks most harmful chemicals and poisonous gases. One large cigar contains 40 times more nicotine than a pack of cigarettes. A cigar has a larger quantity of tobacco than a cigarette. The number of people who die from smoking is far less than the number of people who die from smoking cigars.
Why are people smoking hookah or shisha?
Hookah, or shisha, is another form of smoking and, thus, nicotine addiction. It consists of a metallic body and a pipe from which one can breathe in the smoke. The pipe-holder inhales the smoke that develops as the tobacco burns on the top plate. Hookahs have different types, like Mouassal, which uses molasses of tobacco, and another, “Jrak,” which uses rotten fruits to add a sweet taste to inhale. All these kinds of shishas use fermented materials.
Some people use flavors, such as chocolate, mint, strawberry, etc., on the top pot placed on shisha. That pot has an aluminum foil on which the flavor is placed, and holes are made in the foil. Burnt coal is kept on then so that the flavor is heated up, and when someone inhales from the pipe, the flavor comes along, increasing the smoke’s flavor and taste. Shishas cause lip, mouth, and throat cancers a lot. Smoking shisha for an hour or two is equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes. Smoking shisha in a closed room or surroundings causes suffocation and headaches; a person may become unconscious if he keeps sitting for a long time.
Why do people chew tobacco?
Another form is to chew tobacco in the mouth. This is known as smoking without smoke or snuff. It is commonly known as “Naswar” in many countries. It is moist powdered tobacco used mainly by people of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, India, Russia, etc. It is placed beneath the lips, cheeks, and tongue for quite a long time. It is made using water in a cement tub and mixed with sun-dried tobacco. It is included in the narcotics trade in many countries as well.
Different flavors are mixed to create some of this chewing tobacco. This form of smoking releases more nicotine into the body than any other form, so it can be termed the most addictive. Chewing tobacco leads to severe nicotine addiction.
Why are people smoking electronic cigarettes or vaping?
Nowadays, electronic cigarettes are also available for continuous use. A liquid is filled in the cavity, and the electronic cigarette is charged. And when a person puffs it, the liquid heats up, and the smoke goes through his lungs into the blood. They are safer than tobacco cigarettes, but their health problems are uncertain. The main question, “Does vaping cause cancer?” remains unanswered. Extra charging of the device or keeping it at a maximum voltage rating can result in an explosion due to the device’s heating. There have been many cases of explosions of such e-cigarettes.
Passive smoking explains the causes of smoking.
Passive smoking is a term widely used in literature. Instead of smoking themselves, a passive smoker inhales the smoke that other people are exhaling or who are sitting around smoking. Passive smoking is also dangerous for your health. In passive, a person inhales the burning cigarette smoke and exhales smoke. So, it becomes equivalent to smoking.
How to fight nicotine addiction?
Nicotine can be removed from the human body because, after two hours of nicotine intake, the amount of nicotine reduces to half of its quantity. Due to this immediate effect, people feel the urge to smoke more again after some time. But a smoker can fight this urge to smoke and quit smoking by following some proper precautions and procedures. It depends on the period for which the smoker has been smoking cigarettes. The longer the period, the longer the nicotine leaves the blood. People who smoke fewer cigarettes daily can fight nicotine withdrawal more easily than chain smokers. Drinking plenty of water regularly and exercising daily for a specified amount of time can lead to adequate blood circulation, and taking a healthier diet rich in antioxidants can be very helpful in lowering the nicotine level in the blood. Counseling can also be a very good option in which the smoker is continually mentally examined, his psyche is read, and accordingly, precautions are suggested.
Smokers who are more addicted to strong cigarettes or chewing tobacco need to smoke light cigarettes and decrease this use daily because sudden quitting can be dangerous. But most important of all the precautions is the self-intention of leaving this habit, because it is the primary step. Slowly and gradually, precautions, as mentioned above, can be helpful to quit smoking.
Treatment for Nicotine Addiction in Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Addiction Center, a division of the Philadelphia Holistic Clinic, treats patients with nicotine addiction using acupuncture, hypnosis, and natural homeopathic remedies.
Contact our center at (267) 403-3085 to book an appointment with Dr. Tsan and discuss your customized nicotine addiction treatment.