Smoking is injurious for all
April 8th 2011 00:10
Smoking can be of many types which range commonly from cigarettes, beedis and hookah to cigars. Whatever the form may be, smoking is injurious to health – for both the active and passive smokers. This is a slow poison which kills one from the inside and often causes cancer of the lungs, throat and mouth.
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Smoking in many parts of the world is banned and in some other parts, it is illegal to smoke in public places. However, smoking prevails as one of the most sold fast moving consumer goods or consumer packaged goods all over the world.
Cigarettes are the most common form of smoking with the highest reach. They have a long paper pipe holding crushed tobacco inside, often with or without a filter at the end. Many countries see their citizen smoking cigarettes from the tender age. Earlier, cigarettes used to be smoked by kings and queens and used to symbolize royal status. This is also called as faggot, meaning a smaller cigar in French.
Cigars are the next common thing that a regular smoker smokes. These are bigger in size and are the present symbol of status across the globe. These are thicker, longer and rawer than cigarettes but are costlier too. Only the rich from all over can afford to smoke a cigar and occasional smokers would prefer to smoke a cigar to establish a status onus. The tobacco used for preparing cigars is different than that used for other smokes and is widely grown in South American and Asian countries.
Many historical figures, including King Edward VII, Fidel Castro and his comrade Che Guevera, Sigmund Freud and Winston Churchill used to smoke cigars regularly. The President of United States, Ulysses S. Grant used to smoke cigars heavily and was diagnosed with oral cancer consisting of malignant squamous cell carcinoma, and later he died of it.
One other form of smoking is beedi, also known as poor man’s cigarette. According to Wikipedia, a beedi “is a thin, South Asian cigarette filled with tobacco flake and wrapped in a Tendu leaf tied with a string at one end.” This originated in India and its smoking is widespread in various parts of South East Asia. In India and other South East Asian countries, beedi is smoked more than cigarettes. This also contributes to most deaths due to cancer, since it generates more nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar that go inside one’s lungs.
Of late, beedi has seen its acceptance widely in Europe, Middle East and parts of America where people are preferring beedis over cigarettes, due to its availability and cost effectiveness. A research has also shown that since a beedi is small in length it generates lesser harm than a regular cigarette and provides equal amount of satisfaction to the smoker.
Another method of tobacco which is very common in India, Middle Eastern and other Asian countries is the hookah. Wikipedia defines hookah, ‘also known as a waterpipe’ as ‘a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) instrument for smoking in which the smoke is cooled and filtered by passing through water.’ This is very common in places where the older generation still likes to smoke in a hookah.
A recent research tells that young Americans are smoking lesser cigarettes these days; however, hookah smoking is an increasingly popular sport among them. There are lots of hookah bars that have opened recently to cater to the growing want. (Source)
The aim of this article is not only to make you aware of the various and common forms of tobacco available for smoking that are widely used around the world but also to tell that smoking is injurious to health. I will write more about the bad that smoking can bring in my future posts.
The bottom line stays that smoking any form of tobacco or rather tobacco in any form is harmful to health which can cause cancer and ultimately death. It is advised to keep yourself and your family and friends away from smoking.
Image Sources: Cigar, Cigarette, Hookah and Beedi
Mayan Priest Smoking from a Smoking tube
Cigarettes are the most common form of smoking with the highest reach. They have a long paper pipe holding crushed tobacco inside, often with or without a filter at the end. Many countries see their citizen smoking cigarettes from the tender age. Earlier, cigarettes used to be smoked by kings and queens and used to symbolize royal status. This is also called as faggot, meaning a smaller cigar in French.
Cigar and accessories
Many historical figures, including King Edward VII, Fidel Castro and his comrade Che Guevera, Sigmund Freud and Winston Churchill used to smoke cigars regularly. The President of United States, Ulysses S. Grant used to smoke cigars heavily and was diagnosed with oral cancer consisting of malignant squamous cell carcinoma, and later he died of it.
Indian Beedi
Of late, beedi has seen its acceptance widely in Europe, Middle East and parts of America where people are preferring beedis over cigarettes, due to its availability and cost effectiveness. A research has also shown that since a beedi is small in length it generates lesser harm than a regular cigarette and provides equal amount of satisfaction to the smoker.
Another method of tobacco which is very common in India, Middle Eastern and other Asian countries is the hookah. Wikipedia defines hookah, ‘also known as a waterpipe’ as ‘a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) instrument for smoking in which the smoke is cooled and filtered by passing through water.’ This is very common in places where the older generation still likes to smoke in a hookah.
Indian Hookah
A recent research tells that young Americans are smoking lesser cigarettes these days; however, hookah smoking is an increasingly popular sport among them. There are lots of hookah bars that have opened recently to cater to the growing want. (Source)
The aim of this article is not only to make you aware of the various and common forms of tobacco available for smoking that are widely used around the world but also to tell that smoking is injurious to health. I will write more about the bad that smoking can bring in my future posts.
The bottom line stays that smoking any form of tobacco or rather tobacco in any form is harmful to health which can cause cancer and ultimately death. It is advised to keep yourself and your family and friends away from smoking.
Image Sources: Cigar, Cigarette, Hookah and Beedi
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