Maybe some of you know that Tobacco and tobacco related products date since 6000 BC. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the chief commercial crop is Nicotina tabacum. Tobacco and smoking became very popular during the First and Second World War.

Medicinal uses of tobacco

At first, people have used tobacco for medicinal purposes:

• It was used to disinfect and help ward off disease and fatigue.
• It was used as an anesthetic for the interventions which were frequent at the time.
• If it was mixed with lime or chalk, was used as toothpaste to whiten the teeth.
• The odor of fresh green leaves of the plant, relieves headaches.
• Teas made from tobacco leaves were used against intestinal worms, as a laxative, to induce vomiting, as an expectorant, for fainting and dizziness.
• Tobacco smoke is sometimes blown into the ear to treat earaches.

Types of tobacco

1. Bidis – tobacco wrapped in a tendu or tamburni leaf, and maybe secured with a colorful string at one or both ends. They can be flavored or unflavored.
2. Cigarettes – are a combination of cured and finely cut tobacco, reconstituted tobacco and other additives rolling or stiffed into a paper wrapped cylinder. Many cigarettes have a filter on one end.
3. Cigars, cigarillos and little cigars – are another type of tobacco. Cigars have a higher level of nicotine than cigarettes.
4. Dissoluble tobacco – can be dissolved in the mouth or in the tongue. We do not know how they affect on our health, because they are new products.
5. Electronic cigarettes – is a battery powered device, that contains a cartridge filled with nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. It is a nicotine delivery system. It does not produce smoke.
6. Hookah – is a pipe used to smoke shisha.
7. Kreteks – known as “clove cigarettes” contain a mixture of tobacco, cloves and other additives. They deliver more nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar than concentrated cigarettes.
8. Pipe – you place the tobacco into the bowl and then you lit it.
9. Smokeless tobacco –  chewing tobacco or sniff.

How a cigarette is made?

The most important component of cigarettes is tobacco, which grows in two different varieties:

• Nicotiana tabacum
• Nicotiana rustica

Cigarettes rolling papers use seed flax mixed with paper pulp to produce a thin, flammable paper.

The filters are made of synthetic, cotton like fibers.

Let see what happens step by step:

1. Growing the tobacco.
2. Harvesting the tobacco.
3. Curing the leaf.
4. Moistening and stepping.
5. Sorting and auctioning.
6. Conditioning, aging and blending.
7. Making the cigarettes.
8. Packaging the cigarettes.

Facts about smoking

• On average, the life expectancy of a smoker is 10 years less than a nonsmoker.
• Cigarette smoke contains more than 7000 chemicals, 70 of which are known to cause cancer.
• Nearly 9 out of 10 smokers start before the age of 18 and almost all start smoking by the age of 26.
• Smokers typically inhale 1 mg of nicotine in a single cigarette.
• Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the world today.
• From every person that dies from smoking related diseases, there are 20 more who suffer from at least 1 serious disease associated with smoking.

Tobacco is known for the negative impact in people health. You are a smoker or not you may suffer the consequences.

Tobacco is a mega risk for:

• cardiovascular diseases;
• respiratory diseases;
• different types of cancer.

The mos important and dangerous constituents of tobacco are nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar.

NICOTINE IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE

Smoking can worsen the following conditions:

• kidney damage;
• rheumatoid arthritis;
• eye disease;
• dental diseases;
• diabetes;
• inflammatory bowel disease;
• erectile dysfunction.

How can you quit smoking?

If you want to quit smoking we may show you how. There are several ways to help you quit:

1. Nicotine replacement therapy – there are some therapeutically manageable forms of nicotine like:

• nicotine chewing gums;
• trans-dermal patches;
• nasal nicotine solutions;
• nicotine vapor inhalers.

 2.  Behavioral treatment

• Pshycoeducation;
• Aversion therapy;
• Social support.

Legislation also helps in reducing the use of tobacco. It:

• bans smoking;
• prohibits advertisement, promotion and sponsorship of cigarettes;
• prohibits sale of tobacco to minors;
• prohibits the sale of tobacco near educational institutions;
• controls the % of nicotine and tar in cigarettes;
• imposes health warning labels on all tobacco products.