You smoke? Check what you know about this addiction [QUIZ]

It has been known for years that cigarettes are one of the most harmful stimulants, and yet one in seven people in the world still use them! What is really the most harmful about them? What are the effects of this addiction? Whether you smoke or someone close to you, read the article and then test your knowledge in a quick quiz!

Before you start playing with the quiz, we have a handful of information that will interest not only smokers, but also the environment they suffer. Some may surprise even specialists.

1. Cigarette smoke contains tar and toxic substances, such as: tar, radioactive polonium, nickel, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, DDT and carbon monoxide
2. The smoker becomes addicted to nicotine, a chemical that is also found naturally in small doses in eggplants, tomatoes and potatoes
3. Alternatives to cigarettes, such as e-cigarettes and tobacco warmers, do not produce tar because instead of burning, they only heat the liquid or the tobacco
4. You can find more up-to-date information on the TvoiLokony home page

The smoker is addicted to nicotine, but it is killed by smoke and tar

For our health, it is best not only not to smoke at all, but also not to be around smokers. By smoking even one cigarette, we introduce a huge dose of toxic substances into the body. So although people smoke because of nicotine addiction, they die from the poisons in the smoke. This tragic paradox was observed in the 70s by an outstanding British psychiatrist and addiction specialist, prof. Michael Russell. Today his words have been confirmed by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Taking a drag on a cigarette, we inhale about 7 with the smoke. chemicals, 93 of which are toxic or potentially toxic. And as if that was not enough, as many as 70 carcinogenic effects have been confirmed. The pleasure of smoking can therefore be paid for with lung, laryngeal or stomach cancer.

The dangerous tar substances contained in cigarette smoke are a mixture of tar, radioactive polonium, nickel, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, DDT, which is a component of rat poison, and high concentration of carbon monoxide. The same carbon monoxide called the silent killer. All this is released when tobacco is burned at a very high temperature – 800 degrees C.

We can observe tar substances in the form of a deposit resembling a sticky brown goo. The smoker feeds it to his body through the lungs, and it builds up in the respiratory system causing irreparable damage.

1. The Pole lives three years shorter than the average European. “Our nation is dying out”

Of course, the harmfulness of smoking has been talked about for years. Unfortunately, the words of caution reach us poorly. The CBOS report from 2019 says that 26 percent of people smoke. adult Poles, i.e. about 8 million people. Every fifth citizen of our country smokes regularly, and every twentieth occasionally.

So why is it so hard to break free from addiction? Because we are addicted to nicotine. A substance that occurs naturally in eggplants, and in smaller amounts also in tomatoes, potatoes and cauliflower. Nicotine has stimulant properties, it can increase heart rate and blood pressure. Hence the special ban on smoking for pregnant and breastfeeding women and people with heart disease, severe hypertension or diabetes. Interestingly, nicotine itself is not a carcinogen. We will not find it on the list of these substances in the INCHEM online database, which is co-created by the World Health Organization.

Alternatives to traditional cigarettes do not burn tobacco

Many people, although they try very hard, fail in the fight against addiction. Their advice is through tested alternatives to cigarettes that do not burn tobacco or produce smoke. It is for this reason that they significantly reduce the smoker exposure to toxic substances.

These are tobacco heaters and e-cigarettes. Their advantage is also that they do not produce tar and ash, and the content of toxins in their aerosols is much lower than in cigarette smoke. Although both products are recommended as a replacement for traditional cigarettes, they are not completely safe. Therapists call the transition from smoking to tea lights and e-cigarettes a harm reduction method, stressing the need to choose standardized and certified products.

1. Nail diagnosis. What diseases can we learn about?

Why did the experts like them? Because they are based on electronic devices that do not burn tobacco at all. The heaters only heat it up, and a special liquid is heated in the e-cigarette. As a result of this process, an aerosol containing nicotine is released.

The growing interest in alternatives to cigarettes meant that representatives of science took care of them. The research is carried out by manufacturers of warmers and e-cigarettes, as well as independent research centers or government institutions, e.g. from the USA, Great Britain and Germany. Tests of alternative products have shown that they may be less harmful than cigarettes. However, before using them, make sure about their source and certification method.

See also:

1. Is one cigarette a day addictive? Checking!
2. Prof. Gałecki: harm reduction as an opportunity for unrepentant smokers
3. Smoking is a disease!
4. Harmless e-cigarettes are a myth [EXPLAINED]
5. E-cigarettes increase the risk of COVID-19 in young people

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