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Cigarettes have been around for a long time – Discover the history
Although its existence has lasted for at least ten thousand years before Christ, by the Indians of Central America, who used tobacco in the form of cigarettes in religious rituals, cigarettes are considered the most addictive drug that
alcohol. This is due to nicotine, present among the more than 4500 substances found in it.
Its manufacture began in 1840 and, forty years later, with the creation of a machine capable of rolling a large number of cigarettes per minute, it made it popular. Studies about its use causing addiction appeared in the mid-20th century.
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See what Nicotine does to its users
Nicotine interacts with neural receptors, which release substances such as dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin and beta-endorphin, presenting an immediate sensation of pleasure to the user. It reaches the brain within twenty seconds, which increases the likelihood of an individual becoming dependent much faster than other drugs. The Crisis or Withdrawal Syndrome is much more severe, and can be felt minutes after the last “drink”, which ends up making it very difficult for a smoker to stop using cigarettes.
Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ammonia, benzene, toluene, tar, formic acid, acetic acid, lead, cadmium, zinc, nickel, among many other substances, as mentioned above, are found in cigarettes.
Individuals who use cigarettes increase their risk of developing health problems, the most common of which are: cancer, coronary disease, poor blood circulation, pulmonary emphysema, chronic bronchitis, strokes, ulcers, osteoporosis, impotence, cataracts and thromboangiitis obliterans , a disease that occurs only among smokers, which obstructs the arteries of the extremities and causes tissue necrosis.
Are people who don't smoke, but live with smokers, also at risk?
People who live with smokers also run health risks, becoming passive smokers, as many of these substances are released into the air.
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Among other problems presented by cigarettes are: the pollution of domestic environments, the felling of trees and burning in favor of planting tobacco and the manufacture of firewood to supply furnaces to dry the leaves, soil contamination through the use of pesticides and causing countless fires, caused by the incorrect disposal of their “butts”. In this way, it is already being considered one of the biggest public health and environmental problems faced by society.
How many smokers are there in Brazil and the world?
The numbers are very impressive, there are currently 1.2 billion smokers worldwide – 38 million live in Brazil.
