Introduction
In writing on the cause and effect of smoking we will examine the issue from the point of view of temporal precedence, covariation of the cause and effect and the explanations in regard to no plausible arguments. It is first required to show that the cause happened before the effect which is evident from an example of inflation being a cause for unemployment. It is felt by some that when there is inflation it results in overall reduction in economic activities, which increases cost for employers and hence they have to lay off workers. But some economists believe that they are both interrelated in the sense that if there is an increased workforce there will be higher demand for goods and services which in turn will increase the prices. This would increase costs and the same situation will arise when employers will have no option but to lay off workers. Hence it is difficult to establish a causal relationship in regard to several issues which is also true in the case of smoking. For example in most cases of people who leave smoking, the cause is not the anti-smoking campaigns but the several instances of people who suffer from diseases relating with smoking habits. So here we have an example of the effect being the cause of leaving smoking.
Discussion
While examining the causes of smoking, several combinations of reasons are accountable for the habit and most often results from levels of esteem in individuals in relation to the surroundings and atmosphere they live in. Smoking can initially start amongst youngsters due to peer pressure, inadequate skills to cope with pressure as also the curiosity to try what smoking is all about. People also take to smoking due to familial patterns of addiction. An effect of smoking is the mental stimulus that is experienced with inhaling of tobacco smoke and which is taken by many as getting mental relief and peace during stressful situations. Hence to reduce stress people smoke, which becomes the cause of smoking, but eventually when a person becomes addicted to the habit, it becomes stressful to leave in view of the addiction. So here we have an example of a cause becoming an effect and an effect becoming a cause. But in general terms and more specifically there are several causes of smoking which eventually lead to addiction in the habit and the effects prove to be very harmful to the individual’s health and wellbeing.
Most people who are predisposed to the habit of smoking are often burdened with emotional and mental pressure leading to stress levels that become difficult to get over. Such people are extra dependant on others and exhibit very low levels of tolerance against frustration. This leads them to further indulge in smoking to relieve the stress and to remove loneliness which may enable them to temporarily experience mental peace and some excitement. This way they feel that the boredom and depressions can be removed with smoking. Experimentation with smoking may be a result of peer pressure in that when one sees that several friends and colleagues are smoking, why not he also be a party to the same enjoyment, as is inferred by him. Sometimes people take to smoking in anticipation of removing physical pain, which although is not very widespread.
Cigarette smoking is the most popular form of smoking and can result in horrific diseases. Smoking damages the lungs which creates complications in breathing and coughing. Over the long term, smoking can further damage the tissue of the lungs which may cause cancer and related fatal illnesses. A secondary effect of smoking is the adverse impact on the heart which is indirectly caused due to the damage to the lungs since sufficient oxygen cannot be provided to the blood supply due to which the heart is overburdened in working harder to supply oxygen to the entire body. This causes the blood pressure to increase and ultimately may lead to heart attack. Hence it can be seen how smoking can cause harm to the body in a number of ways.
Conclusion
People who smoke cigars do not develop complications of the lungs and heart since they do not inhale the smoke, but they suffer from other problems in the mouth and throat. The initial effects of smoking cigars are the destruction of the glands in the mouth and nose that play the role of taste and smell. The worst that can happen to a cigar smoker is that he ultimately reaches a stage where he cannot differentiate between good and bad smells and is at big risk of contracting cancer of the mouth and gums. Such smokers are also at risk of suffering from cancer of the throat which means loss of the voice box implying that the person will never be able to speak again.
References
- Effects of Smoking.
- Smoking – The health effects, 2003, BBC News
- William M K, Establishing Cause and Effect, 2006, Research Methods Knowledge Base