Tobacco Cause Lung Cancer example essay topic

There are over 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke. 43 of these chemicals are carcinogenic (cancer causing). Tar is present in tobacco and is very dangerous; it can stain teeth, fingernails and lung tissue and contains benzo pyrene which triggers tumour development. Another chemical that is present is carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide is fatal in large doses and binds to haemoglobin which decreases the level of oxygen attached to haemoglobin and therefore the heart has to work harder to get oxygen to other parts of the body. Nitrogen oxide is in tobacco smoke and damages the lungs. It also causes emphysema. Hydrogen cyanide stops the cilia working properly and therefore the poisonous chemicals in tobacco stay in the lungs. Ammonia is another chemical found in tobacco and also damages the lungs. Tobacco also contains metals and radioactive compounds that are carcinogenic.

Smoking tobacco causes irritation of the trachea and larynx. It causes reduced lung function as the bronchi and bronchioles become swollen and narrower and excess mucus in the passages. Smoking also prevent the lungs to cough out and clear poisonous substances which results in lung damage and irritation. Tobacco smoke can also cause raised blood pressure and heart rate. It also causes tightening of the blood vessels in the skin which causes a drop in skin temperature.

Smoking prevents blood from carrying oxygen and produces a stickier blood more prone to clotting. In addition it damages the lining of the arteries and there is an increased risk of stroke and heart attack due to blockages of the blood supply. The physical effects of smoking include dizziness, nausea, watery eyes and appetite, taste and smell are weakened. The smoker may also experience shortness of breather, persistent coughs, reduced fitness, yellow stains on fingers and teeth. They may also experience more colds and flu then non-smokers and find it harder to recover from illnesses. Smoking can also cause impotence in men and women can become less fertile.

People who smoke tend to have facial wrinkles appearing much earlier and in general look older than non-smokers. People with asthma have extra sensitive or hyper responsive airways. The airways react by narrowing or obstructing when they become irritated. This makes it difficult for the air to move in and out. Smoking doesn't cause asthma but smoke irritates the airways and causes them to narrow and increase the risk of having an attack. Emphysema is a lung disease that reduces the ability of the lungs to expel air.

Damage occurs to the bronchioles and since the lungs loose their elasticity they become less able to contract which prevents the alveoli deflating and therefore the next breathe is taken with extra air in the lungs and the extra air takes up space that the fresh air could take up and deprives the body of the oxygen required. Cigarette smoking is the main cause of emphysema as tobacco causes the lungs to produce defensive cells but these cells destroy proteins which enable the lungs to expand and contract. Lung cancer is abnormal cells in normal lung tissue. Tobacco contains carcinogenic chemicals which destroy normal tissue in many organs including the lungs resulting in cancer. Not only does tobacco cause lung cancer but can also cause mouth, throat, bladder, colon, rectum, pancreas and cervix cancer. The government of Australia tries to discourage the use of tobacco and have established a national tobacco campaign.

Quit is the name of the campaign and they use television commercials, radio advertising posters etc. to put off tobacco smokers from smoking it. (see picture below). The West Australian government has also established several other programs to discourage smokers and made laws to prevent people smoking in public areas such as restaurants, shopping centers, and gaming venues. They have also implemented mandatory health warning on cigarette packets and have put a tax on cigarettes which makes them more expensive. In third world countries the government hasn't implemented any of these things and that's why tobacco companies direct their advertising there. Tobacco companies in Australia aren't allowed to advertise directly. However they advertise indirectly by making movies and television programs with people smoking.

In Australia approximately 30% of men and 27% of women are regular smokers. Over the past twenty years, Australians' attitude towards smoking has changed, quite dramatically. In that time, smoking has moved from a socially acceptable practice, to being quite strongly objected to by most people. The medical profession is generally against smoking.

They council and advise smokers and discourage smokers by displaying posters around their practices. The Australian Medical Association also advertise to discourage smokers. A main cause of smoking in teenagers is caused by peer pressure. Teenagers that start smoking are more unlikely to quit than older people that smoke..