Smoking is the habit where burned tobacco or cannabis is inhaled. Smoking is mostly practiced for recreation purposes. Smoking mainly involves smoking of cigarettes. Other methods that are employed for smoking tobacco include use of pipes as well as cigars. Smoking is considered as the most common method of recreation drug use.
Tobacco smoking is considered as the leading method of smoking. Other forms of drugs that are also smoked include cannabis and opium. The habit of smoking is approximated to have started as early as 5000BC and was practiced by different societies across the world. Smoking in early generations was usually being done for religious ceremonies, cleansing rituals as well as offerings to deities.
Nowadays, people smoke mainly for recreation reasons. There are many reasons why people smoke nowadays. However, these reasons can be divided into three main categories; psychological social, physical and cultural reasons. The physical causes that trigger smoking concern the human body. Since nicotine that is contained in cigarette is an addictive substance, the bodies of those who smoke feel the urge to take it in as it has a calming effect. In many cases, such people smoke whenever they feel jaded lonesome or anxious.
Just a little amount of nicotine is known to make the body of the smoker get energized and improve attentiveness when absorbed by the lungs or intestines. The calming as well as the stimulating effect that accompanies smoking tobacco is linked to the nicotine present in tobacco that stimulates the brain and some nerves that increase the heart rate, blood pressure subsequently, increasing respiration.
Cultural Influences
In many cases, the media which includes the newspapers, television and radio stations has associated smoking to glamour pleasure and adventure. As a matter of fact, most classic movies present smoking as positive and strong cultural images. Moreover, we are all subject to advertising that intentionally upholds the habit of smoking and makes positive relations with brands. Unfortunately, these images do not show the negative effects of smoking (Psychological Effects of Smoking 3).
Social Influences
On the other hand, social influences are highly attributed with peer pressure which is a social ill that is hard to defy. When one has a friend who smokes, he/she is likely to be influenced into the habit if not careful. Consequently, it becomes very hard to quit the habit as it may seem awkward as it may be seen as condemnation of their routine. As a matter of fact, smoking strengthens the friendship between smokers.
Psychological causes
There are various psychological reasons that can lead to smoking. For instance, the universal desire for expression is a major reason why some people smoke. Smokers claim that smoking of cigarettes helps in enhancing one’s mood.
Some studies indicate that it is true that smoking of cigarettes causes some calming effects in additional to stimulating effects. The effects of cigarettes smoking varies with the amount of nicotine present in the blood stream. Most smokers have realized that the effects of smoking cigarettes depends on the quantity of nicotine present in the blood stream.
Subsequently, smokers either take shorter or longer puffs in order to realize the desired effects. Smoking is associated with a feeling of euphoria, calmness as well as a perception of performance enhancement. Studies show that smoking really causes improvements in performance. The enhancement in reaction and processing time after smoking cigarettes results because of nicotine that is present in a cigarette which is a psychomotor stimulant.
Unfortunately, the enhancement effects of cigarette smoking is known to last only for a short time, although smokers continue to smoke believing that they will continue receiving the enhancement effects from cigarettes. Some people continue smoking as a result of the psychological addiction that is associated with nicotine that is present in cigarettes. Those people that have smoked for a long period continue their smoking practice as a means of relieving their stressful situations.
When smokers are tired, they opt to smoke in order to receive the stimulating effects from cigarettes. The psychological effects that are associated with smoking are the one that makes smokers to experience a lot of challenge while stopping the smoking habit. Although the physical effects disappears fourteen days after stopping smoking, the psychological smoking effects are known to last for years after quitting smoking (Psychological Effects of Smoking 5).
Effects of Smoking
Despite the high rate of smoking that is witnessed in the contemporary world. Smoking is associated with various adverse effects. For instance, smoking of tobacco is known to cause gum diseases, yellowing of teeth as well as teeth decay. Similarly, the tar that is contained in tobacco is very dangerous.
The tar is known to cause discoursing of teeth as well as triggering throat cancer. Smoking is highly attributed with narrowing of the blood-vessels which subsequently trigger high blood pressure and stroke. Nicotine that is present in tobacco increases the pulse rate of the heart that overworks the heart. Similarly, tobacco smoking is associated with carbon monoxide that results to accumulation of cholesterol deposits in the artery blood vessels that cause blood pressure and eventually stroke.
Equally, lack of blood circulation in limbs as a result of accumulation of cholesterol in the blood vessels can lead to amputation. Smoking of tobacco triggers bronchitis. This is because smoke from tobacco possesses hydrogen cyanide and other dangerous chemicals that attack the lining of the bronchi; consequently, inflaming it’s lining that increase the probability of someone contracting bronchitis (Harmful Effects of Smoking par. 2-4).
Apart from health related issues, smoking is also linked to some negative social effects. Smoking is known to strain social interaction between the smokers and non-smokers. The bad smell that is associated with smoking puts off many non-smokers from establishing close relations with smokers. Similarly, the health effects that are associated with secondary smoking also put off non-smokers.
Nevertheless, the contemporary generation has adapted appropriate smoking habits, nowadays, smokers do not smoke in public areas, but smoke in isolated places in order to prevent exposing non-smokers to the dangerous effects that are associated with secondary smoking.
Moreover, smoking has been noted to make some people to steal. Stealing in order to get money to buy cigarettes happens to those smokers that are already addicted to smoking and are not earning to afford money to buy cigarettes (Harmful Effects of Smoking par.6).
People smoke due to various reasons that range from social; cultural as well as psychological. Smoking is known to have very detrimental health consequences. For instance, smokers are more vulnerable to suffer from cancer, blood pressure, stroke as well as bronchitis. Thus, people ought to be well informed about the dangers of smoking and those that are smoking, but willing to stop smoking being assisted according.
Works Cited
”Harmful Effects of Smoking.” Ciggyfree. n.p., 2011. Web.
“Psychological Effects of Smoking.” Gumactions. n.p., 2004. Web.