What is smoking? What components does it consist of? Where does it come from? What does it look like? Many questions. Let's go in order.
Smoking is a type of domestic drug addiction, the most common form of which is, that is, smoking tobacco; It also finds medicinal use - a form of taking certain medications, for example, for bronchial asthma. (TSB) Here they are! Drug addiction and not a cent less! From here on in a little more detail. And for starters, it would be nice to understand the terms.

Cigarette butt is a mineral with a high content of nicotine (Ni) and stench (Wo). The development of O. deposits (the so-called “ashtrays”) is carried out in the morning, using the open-pit method.

Addiction

Drug addiction is a disease that occurs as a result of the use of narcotic drugs that cause euphoria in small doses and stupefaction and narcotic sleep in large doses. (Greek Narke - numbness + Mania - madness, passion, attraction). It is characterized by an irresistible attraction to taking drugs, a tendency to increase the doses used, the formation of mental and physical dependence. As the disease progresses, the addict’s personal changes and changes in his motivational structure increase, manifestations of social and mental degradation are noted, and signs of physical distress appear: somato-vegetative disorders, early decrepitness. Suicide is common in this group of people. (Clinical psychology. Dictionary)

Even if you do not pay attention to special, incomprehensible terms, the main characteristics of drug addiction can be found in its very name. This:
. Euphoria from use
. Addiction.
. Personality degradation.
Moreover, each sign follows from the previous one.

Euphoria?

“One of the clear signs of drug addiction is an uncontrollable desire for intoxication, euphoria achieved through taking a narcotic substance. As the disease progresses, the ability to experience euphoric sensations (euphoric effect) decreases and desire is determined only by the need for the drug as a necessary condition for a relatively satisfactory physical and mental state.

Substances that do not cause euphoria are not abused and do not lead to addiction. The more pronounced the euphoric effect of a substance, the sooner the formation of addiction occurs” (TSB).

So that. Drug addicts often talk about euphoria. They have special words for her, such as “high”, “coming” and others. By and large, euphoria is a sharp change in state up the pleasure scale that occurs immediately after taking a drug. In short, this is the root cause.

Its features are contained in the definition itself:
1. Change of state from “-” to “+”
2. Sharpness, steepness of a given change
3. There is no gap in time, that is, the onset of consequences immediately, in a matter of minutes and even seconds after the drug is introduced into the body.

What is remembered is not even the state of “high” itself, but the transition from one state to another. It's a kind of psychological roller coaster ride. The strongest emotions arise not in static conditions, but in conditions of a sharp jump up the scale. Such a transition requires a lot of resources and is extremely rare in life. This happens, for example, when winning a sports competition, completing a complex and lengthy process (defending a diploma, passing an exam, etc.), or receiving good news.
The drug “relieves” the addict from the need to perform complex actions to achieve euphoria, firmly associating this incomparable feeling with himself.
It's simple: the rules have been changed, a straight path has been laid. Very captivating.

Brief history

- Ahh! Are you a historian? - Berlioz asked with great relief and respect.
“I am a historian,” the scientist confirmed and added to neither the village nor the city: “Tonight there will be an interesting story at the Patriarch’s!”

M. Bulgakov “The Master and Margarita”

First about drugs. Drugs have been known to people for several thousand years. Drugs were used by people of different cultures, for different purposes: during religious rituals, to restore strength, to change consciousness, to relieve pain and discomfort.

Already in the pre-literate period, we have evidence that people knew and used psychoactive chemicals - drugs: alcohol and plants, the consumption of which affects consciousness. Archaeological research has shown that as early as 6400 BC. people knew beer and some other alcoholic drinks. Obviously, fermentation processes were discovered by accident (grape wine, by the way, appeared only in the 4th-3rd centuries BC). The first written evidence of the use of intoxicants is the story of Noah's drunkenness from the Book of Genesis. Various plants were also used to cause physiological and mental changes, usually in religious rites or during medical procedures. An example is use in the Middle East in 5 thousand BC. “cereal of joy” (apparently, the opium poppy from which drugs are made). Around 2700 BC In China, hemp was already used (in the form of an infusion, like tea): Emperor Shen Nung ordered his subjects to take it as a cure for gout and absent-mindedness. Stone Age people knew drugs such as opium, hashish and cocaine and used these drugs to alter consciousness (during religious rituals) and in preparation for battle. On the walls of the burial complexes of the Indians of Central and South America there are images of people chewing coca leaves (one of the ways of taking cocaine), dating back to the middle of 3 thousand BC.

As a result of the Crusades and the travels of Marco Polo, Europeans became aware of opium and hashish, widespread in the East. Later, the travels of Europeans (mainly the British, French, Portuguese and Spanish) to America brought new discoveries. The main drugs brought to Europe from America were cocaine (from South America), various hallucinogens (from Central America) and (from North America). Research has shown that there was a two-way exchange between cultures. The birthplace of the coffee tree is Ethiopia. Europeans became acquainted with the coffee drink in the 17th century; sailors brought coffee beans to South America, which is now the world's main coffee producer. Let us add that alcohol obtained as a result of distillation came from Europe to America, and hemp appeared in Chile in 1545.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, there were virtually no restrictions on the production and consumption of drugs. Attempts were sometimes made to reduce or ban the use of certain substances altogether, but these were short-lived and generally unsuccessful. For example, tobacco, coffee and tea were initially met with hostility by Europe. The first European to smoke tobacco, Columbus's companion Rodrigo de Jerez, was imprisoned upon arrival in Spain because the authorities decided that the devil had possessed him. There have been several attempts to outlaw coffee and tea. There are also cases where the state did not prohibit drugs, but rather promoted the flourishing of their trade. The best example is the armed conflicts between Great Britain and China in the mid-19th century. They are called the Opium Wars because English traders brought opium into China. The opium trade declined and eventually ceased only in the early twentieth century, when a worldwide campaign began to allow the drug to be used only for medical purposes (as painkillers).

In the twentieth century, almost the same drugs were used in Europe and America. Interestingly, many new or well-forgotten old drugs were introduced first in the United States, and then they spread to other countries, so that America seemed to set the tone in international drug use.
A moral prohibition was imposed on drug abuse in all societies, including primitive ones; with the advent of the state, the fight against their illegal production, distribution, and trade begins, since drug addiction harms not only the patient, but also society as a whole.

Tobacco

Business is tobacco (proverb)

Laika and Strike are American dogs who were the first to smoke a cigarette in space.
Encyclopedia of "Red Burda"

Tobacco does not contain the third sign of drug addiction - it does not lead to pronounced personality degradation. Therefore, apparently, in everyday tradition it is not customary to classify it as a drug. And that is why it is still sold in stores (mainly in products, of course, but also in its pure form). But other signs are present, although not so pronounced: euphoria and dependence. Perhaps, thanks to this, doctors, following their own medical logic, long ago classified tobacco among a host of drugs and not very politely called all smokers household drug addicts. It’s a complicated term, but God bless it.
I think it would be useful to learn some facts from the history of tobacco.

Tobacco is a plant of the nightshade family. Tobacco grows wild in America and Australia. Arriving in America in 1492, Christopher Columbus and his companions became the first Europeans to smoke. Tobacco was brought to Europe as a miracle drug that calmed, relieved headaches and fatigue. (on behalf of the Frenchman J. Nicot, who first imported tobacco into France in 1560) is an alkaloid found mainly in the leaves and seeds of various types of tobacco (tabaco - Spanish) - a liquid with an unpleasant odor and a burning taste.

At the beginning of the 17th century, tobacco began to be cultivated in Holland, a little later in England, then in Germany. In Russia, tobacco became widespread thanks to Peter the Great, who quickly realized the strategic value of this addiction for the state treasury. In 1697, Tsar Peter granted the right to exclusive trade in tobacco in Russia to an English company for six years for 20 thousand pounds sterling. Moreover, the amount had to be paid in advance. There are about 70 varieties of tobacco: Maryland, Virginia, Oriental, curly, Chinese and others.

The idea to produce cigarettes arose from the London cigar and tobacco merchant Philip Morris in the early 50s of the last century, when he saw an officer, a participant in the Crimean War, rolling a “cigarette”. At the beginning of the 20th century, a tobacco product called the “American blend” was born - a combination of Burley, Bright and Turkish tobaccos. On its basis, new women's Marlboro cigarettes were created in 1924. This famous brand was originally intended for women and only in the 50s it was reoriented towards men. At the same time, they came up with a new (now traditional) disposable packaging in a hard pack. In 1975, Marlboro cigarettes became the best-selling brand in the world.

Camel cigarettes appeared in 1913. They were produced by a company created in 1875 by R. J. Reynolds as an enterprise for the production of chewing tobacco. In the 20s and 30s, Camel was the N1 brand in the USA.

In Russia, along with smoking tobacco, snuff has become widely used. In Catherine’s era, and much later, many St. Petersburg residents preferred imported snuff: Spanish, French or German. But even then, in the second half of the 18th century, local tobacco began to successfully compete with it. The main one among the local varieties was Ammersford tobacco - in Russia it was called shag.

Before the October Revolution, snuff was quite regularly supplied to the capital's stores. Until the 1810s, smoking tobacco was inferior in popularity to snuff. During the reign of Alexander I, the pipe and cigar began to vigorously displace the snuff box from the everyday life of city residents. The appearance of cigarettes made a real revolution in the domestic tobacco industry.

The first mention of cigarettes is found in a circular of the Russian Ministry of Finance dated April 29, 1844. At that time, dozens of factories were engaged in the production of cigarettes, not to mention countless small handicraft workshops. By 1860, the number of enterprises reached 551. By the end of the 19th century, the concentration of production increased: the number of enterprises was halved, and the production of tobacco products increased tens of times.

In 1914, the first major Russian tobacco monopoly, the St. Petersburg Trade and Export Joint Stock Company, arose. The organization included 13 tobacco factories in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and Feodosia and produced 56% of the tobacco products produced in Russia. By the beginning of the twentieth century, tobacco trade had become one of the most profitable commercial enterprises; several large factories operated in Moscow.

The First World War led in Russia, as in many European countries, to a cigarette boom; tobacco became a mandatory part of soldiers' and officers' rations. After the 1917 revolution, tobacco factories were nationalized. During the Civil War of 1918-20, production decreased. The pre-revolutionary level of tobacco production was reached only in 1928, when new equipment was introduced, for example, machines for packaging cigarettes and shag, and industrial fermentation of tobacco was organized. In 1927, the world's first tobacco fermentation plant was built in Krasnodar.

During the Great Patriotic War, production facilities were evacuated to the east of the country, and on their basis factories were created in the Volga region, the Urals, and Siberia, and enterprises in Central Asia were expanded. By the beginning of the 50s, factories destroyed during the war were restored on a new, more advanced technical basis. Over the next two decades, the average annual capacity of tobacco factories increased from 2.9 to 7.9 billion units. In the 1980s, the tobacco industry repeated the fate of the entire domestic industry. Liberalization of the economy meant fierce competition and the absence of government orders; some enterprises went bankrupt, others were corporatized and privatized.

Currently, the Russian tobacco market continues to develop. The wholesale market for tobacco products in Russia in 2005 was estimated at more than $10 billion. In the same year, the capacity of the Russian tobacco product market was about 335 billion pieces. in the amount of 210 billion rubles..

Smoking is harmful!

Smoking is a way of obtaining nicotine by inhaling combustion products of tobacco. Just everything. That is, smoking is the process of consuming nicotine. The process is harmful, no matter how you look at it.

Moving directly to the essence of the problem, I believe that we still need to start with the very harmfulness due to which, strictly speaking, the identified problem takes place. We will return to it later and look at it in more detail. In the meantime, I just want to repeat once again: smoking, so to speak, is harmful, and it is impossible to get away from this fact. This annoying, tedious and disgusting fact, unfortunately, has long been established by medicine and is not subject to appeal. It's a pity that we really understand this only later than smoking becomes a part of our lives. But from the moment we realized this, we can no longer get rid of the annoying feeling of our own inferiority. It’s good if there hasn’t been a single attempt to quit smoking, then you can confidently be mistaken in the fact that you can quit at any time at your own discretion. But if you tried, but it didn’t work out, you get the feeling that you were deceived - for some reason you are forced to do nasty things. Moreover, you are forced to want it. It sounds surreal: “forced to want,” but that’s exactly what it is.

It was as if the good boy had turned into a nasty dwarf. It was as if a beautiful girl had turned into a witch. And now they are bewitched: they laugh in a bad voice, participate in some incomprehensible rituals, worship the wrong gods and generally look somehow not very attractive.
Smoking tobacco is perhaps the most common deviation from the norm of all such deviations. This is a socially acceptable version of irrational behavior.

Currently, there are at least two forces acting in diametrically opposite directions. One of them is the power of reasonable indignation of society, which has realized the danger posed by tobacco and is organizing a systematic and targeted attack on the position of tobacco producers in the world. This force is gaining momentum in socially prosperous, economically developed countries. And the second is the strength of the economic interests of tobacco companies. It should not be underestimated, although, of course, it cannot compare with the power of state propaganda. But on her side, people's attachment to tobacco is tobacco addiction. This is a very serious ally, so we will conditionally assume that both of these forces basically balance each other. And if the tobacco business loses some positions in the civilized world, then it is trying with all its might to regain these very positions in the still uncivilized world, increasing expansion efforts and investments in third world countries.

Accordingly, one can take either an optimistic or pessimistic position in relation to the dynamics of a given struggle (or have no position at all, which is even more common). Without going into statistical calculations, I would still like to think that light will conquer darkness. Just as literacy overcomes illiteracy, just as prosperity replaces poverty, so a healthy lifestyle will sooner or later become the flag under which the advanced strata of society will act, forming a new fashion and attracting an increasing number of supporters to their side.

Why don't you and I become the vanguard of this procession?

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How did smoking originate? The question is very interesting. The history of tobacco smoking is usually associated with the name of Christopher Columbus. At one time, he delivered tobacco to Europe along with gold from Spanish sailors, who were addicted to smoking by local aborigines. The history of smoking is truly colossal. It is generally accepted that tobacco cultivation began in Central America around 6000 BC. Indians smoked pipes filled with leaves for several centuries before Columbus discovered America. They not only smoked, but also chewed tobacco.

The culture of smoking among the Mayan and Aztec priests was elevated to a cult. Tobacco was considered a plant of “male spirits”, patrons of warriors and hunters. They drank tobacco juice, believing that it gave warriors strength, anger and fearlessness. The Indians brewed potions from the plant, made ointments and treated various diseases with it. Part of the religious rituals was the fumigation of idols by the priests. Smoking pipes with tobacco was the privilege of shamans and tribal leaders.

Tobacco in European countries

The first Europeans to master smoking and spread tobacco consumption were the Spaniards. They, extensively engaged in trade, brought this plague of the 20th century to many countries. And now, a hundred years after the discovery of America, tobacco was already grown on the plantations of Spain, England, and Italy. The erroneous belief about the healing properties of tobacco made it popular first among the nobility and then among the poor. From the first days of the advent of tobacco, the church and clergy were ardent opponents of smoking. An anti-tobacco movement arose, whose ranks included not only scientists and doctors, but public figures. Over time, doctors begin to become convinced of the dangers of smoking. The number of diseases is increasing, and cases of tobacco poisoning are becoming more common. Scientists in many countries are beginning to study the consequences of smoking and are coming to conclusions about the undoubted harm of smoking. The authorities and the church are beginning an active fight against smoking. Smokers were punished, brutally executed, impaled, walled up in walls, but nothing helped.

How tobacco got to Russia

Smoking in Russia began in the 16th century. Tobacco was brought to Russia by English merchants during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Smoking was not popular in Rus' for long. Tsar Mikhail Romanov banned various types of smoking. After the fire in 1634, when almost all of Moscow burned down, measures were tightened up to the death penalty. The ban was lifted by Peter 1, who himself was a passionate smoker. He legalized the sale of tobacco and established tobacco factories. Snuff was very popular in Rus', and later smoking a pipe and cigars became fashionable. Smoking in Russia is becoming a profitable business for traders and brings a lot of money into the state treasury. The tobacco industry is booming.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the number of people smoking increased catastrophically. Smoking becomes part of the image of famous actors and politicians. But around the same time, the results of scientific research on the dangers of smoking are increasingly being published. In the 1980s, taxes on tobacco products increased in Europe and the USA. All tobacco advertising is being removed from television. Attitudes towards smoking around the world are beginning to change.

Myths and facts about smoking

Beautiful myths about smoking:

1. Smoking reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease - doctors categorically refute this claim. On the contrary, tobacco has a detrimental effect on brain activity.
2. The definition of light cigarettes is a minor evil. You get the same harm, just at shorter intervals.
3. Smoking calms the nerves - a myth: tar and nicotine do not relax, but inhibit areas of the nervous system. If nicotine had a calming effect, it would become the cheapest antidepressant.
4. Cigarettes with a filter are less harmful - another lie, the filter traps large smoke particles and allows small ones to pass through, which contain more carcinogens.
5. Hookah is safer than cigarettes - also a myth; The duration of one session is 20-40 minutes, such smoking is equivalent to 40 smoked cigarettes.
6. Cigars are not as harmful as cigarettes: one cigar contains the same amount of tobacco as one pack of cigarettes.
7. It is important for a woman not to smoke during pregnancy - a myth. Women's eggs are never renewed, unlike men's sperm, which are renewed every 2.5 months. Therefore, all the time that a woman smokes, she poisons her eggs.

Nicotine is an alkaloid of plant origin.

In terms of the severity of drug addiction, cigarettes are in third place after heroin and cocaine, this is the reality.

Any drug destroys brain activity and has a detrimental effect on all human organs.

Huge lands in the best climatic conditions are allocated for tobacco crops. Huge amounts of wood are cut down and burned to warm the land sown with tobacco. Tons of premium paper are wasted. Hundreds of thousands of workers and scientists work in this field. British scientists, after conducting research, came to the conclusion that society loses more than it gains from the production of tobacco products and taxes on them.

Undeniable, interesting facts about smoking:

1. Tobacco is a plant of the nightshade family; this family includes tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes.
2. Tobacco smoke contains chemical compounds that destroy the genetic code of cells and cause the formation of cancer.
3. According to the World Health Organization, every 4 cigarettes sold is counterfeit.
4. The Kingdom of Bhutan has had a ban on smoking in public places since the 17th century.

The words “cigarette” and “health” are incompatible with each other, and the consequences can be very irreversible, and a person at any age should know about the dangers of smoking. Nicotine is a powerful toxin that gradually destroys the cells of the bronchopulmonary system, and then the entire body. Therefore, realizing the colossal harm of smoking, it is important to finally get rid of this destructive addiction and carry out a number of preventive measures to completely remove toxic substances.

What is smoking

This bad habit is a global problem of our time, as it is rapidly becoming “younger” every year. The number of men who smoke is constantly growing, and the female body is often characterized by such a deadly addiction. Tobacco smoking is equated to alcohol addiction, since in both cases a person can die from fatal diseases. In recent years, many people have become aware of this problem and are quitting smoking, but the younger generation still strives to “try everything.”

How many harmful substances are in a cigarette?

Useful information to note for heavy smokers: one cigarette contains about 4,000 chemical compounds, 40 of which are poisons hazardous to health. These are carbon dioxide, arsenic, nicotine, cyanide, benzopyrene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, hydrocyanic acid. After arbitrary inhalation of tobacco smoke (this concerns the health of passive smokers), pathological processes also predominate in the body, which are provoked by radioactive substances such as polonium, lead, and bismuth. This chemical composition is what makes tobacco harmful.

Why is smoking harmful?

The chemicals contained in cigarettes can be fatal to humans if they enter the body for a long time. Thousands of people die every year from destructive addiction at a relatively young age, and even more are susceptible to chronic cough, bronchitis, obstructive pulmonary disease and other diseases with unexpected clinical outcomes. Therefore, it is important to promptly treat tobacco addiction and the consequences of its prevalence in a person’s life.

The harm of smoking on the human body

During the period of prolonged exposure to nicotine, all internal organs and systems suffer, since smokers’ blood is enriched not with oxygen, but with toxic substances. This pathological condition favors atherosclerosis and becomes the main cause of most cardiovascular diseases. However, health problems do not end there; the presence of bad habits contributes to a decrease in intellectual abilities and more.

For men

The first thing to note is that nicotine can have a detrimental effect on the potency of the stronger sex. Men who smoke for a long time do everything to personally experience erectile dysfunction before the age of 40. For a full-bodied and active representative of the stronger sex, this is a tragedy, so you should not bring your own body to the point of the appearance of these pathologies. In addition to heart disease, health problems may include:

• Chronical bronchitis;
• pneumonia;
• BPH;
• oxygen starvation of tissues (hypoxia);
• tuberculosis;
• progressive retinal dystrophy;
• decreased visual acuity and hearing;
• deterioration in the appearance and structure of the skin;
• exacerbation of nervous diseases;
• chronic cough;
• gradual yellowing, destruction of tooth enamel;
• malignant tumors.

For women

These pathologies are partly characteristic of the female body if a representative of the fairer sex smokes. Nicotine in high concentrations causes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and does not exclude the presence of diagnosed infertility. Smoking kills gradually, but first it turns a woman into a disabled person. If we talk about diseases of the respiratory tract, nicotine is not limited to such a pathological process. Cigarettes cause harm to the body on a large scale, and here are the clinical pictures that occur:

• nicotine contributes to miscarriage in early pregnancy;
• the presence of a smoker’s lingering cough becomes the norm of everyday life;
• smoking increases the risk of myocardial infarction and cerebral stroke;
• negative consequences extend to the skin and contribute to its aging;
• there is a change in voice timbre, a dry cough is constantly bothering you;
• smoking can result in lung cancer;
• nicotine can cause deep depression;
• smoking causes mental disorders that are prone to relapse;
• under the influence of nicotine, gastric vessels become pathologically narrowed, peristalsis is disrupted;
• Cigarettes cause serious damage to the structure of nails, hair, and teeth.

For the child's body

Teenagers also “dabble in cigarettes,” not understanding how they may suffer from the negative effects of nicotine in the future. Smoking increases the risk of developing chronic diseases, and the health consequences can be the most irreparable - death from lung cancer at a relatively young age. Drinking alcohol and smoking causes the following pathologies in adolescents:

• a cigarette reduces intellectual abilities and significantly inhibits psychomotor functions;
• the consequences of smoking cigarettes for schoolchildren are accompanied by the risk of diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems;
• the harm of cigarettes becomes the main cause of cancer, the formation of tumors not only in the bronchopulmonary system;
• if a teenager becomes addicted to such a drug, the consequences affect the physical and mental state;
• bad habits disrupt metabolism, increase body weight, and contribute to the development of obesity.

Diseases from smoking

Understanding how smoking affects the human body, it is important to know all the existing diagnoses that a smoker may personally encounter at a young age. Less, but also noticeable, harm from hookah smoking. If a person constantly smokes, he must understand that he can be overtaken by the following chronic diseases with the most unexpected clinical outcome:

• Chronical bronchitis;
• emphysema;
• malignant lung tumor;
• vascular atherosclerosis;
• myocardial infarction;
• obliterating endarteritis;
• impotence and frigidity;
• pulmonary embolism;
• congenital deformities of the child;
• extensive pathologists of the gastrointestinal tract;
• diagnosed infertility;
• pneumonia.

Cancer

Smoking is harmful to health, and colossal. Nicotine, with prolonged exposure, provokes cell mutation and promotes the formation of malignant tumors. The problem is aggravated by a genetic predisposition to this kind of pathology. Oncology is fatal, and a person can die at a young age. The disease brings physical torment and mental suffering, and the pathological process cannot always be stopped. Therefore, it is important to explain to your child in early childhood why smoking is harmful.

The harm of smoking to others

Giving up bad habits is not only beneficial for your health, but also a benefit for others. The harm from smoking cigarettes is felt by passers-by and close relatives who have to regularly come into contact with a heavy smoker. Nicotine in tobacco smoke causes increased heart rate, heart rhythm disturbances, coughing and even severe asthma attacks. When faced with secondhand smoke, here's what you should be especially wary of:

• risk of spontaneous miscarriage (for pregnant women who smoke);
• reduced fertility;
• depression;
• redness, irritation of the eyes;
• dry throat, sore throat;
• attacks of coughing, choking;
• decline in performance.

Consequences

The harm of smoking is obvious after the first cigarette, as a sore throat, unpleasant odor, and dry mucous membranes appear in the throat. This is just the beginning; in the future, changes in the body may become irreversible. Here's what heavy smokers should be especially wary of:

• increased concentrations of fatty acids and cholesterol in the blood;
• increased risk of sudden death;
• development of cardiac ischemia in women;
• increased risk of developing atherosclerosis.

Death

Statistics for Russia report that up to 3,000 people of different ages die annually from passive smoking. If a child has smoking parents, then about 2,700 newborns and children in the first year of life die from sudden death syndrome. Up to 62,000 people die annually from extensive pathologies of the myocardium and cardiovascular system. The collected facts are not consoling, so before you light another cigarette, it is important to always remember such shocking statistics.

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Attention! The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials in the article do not encourage self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and make recommendations for treatment based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

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Cyanide, arsenic, formaldehyde, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocyanic acid, etc. Cigarette smoke contains radioactive substances: polonium, lead, bismuth. Nicotine is equal in toxicity to hydrocyanic acid.

Harm of smoking

A pack of cigarettes a day is about 500 x-rays of radiation per year! The temperature of a smoldering cigarette is 700-900 degrees! The lungs of an experienced smoker are a black, rotting mass. After a puff, nicotine reaches the brain within 7 seconds. Nicotine causes vasospasm, which results in disruption of oxygen supply to tissues. Spasm of small blood vessels makes the skin wither. Harm of smoking Another reason is that there is an unpleasant odor from the mouth, teeth turn yellow, the throat becomes inflamed, and the eyes turn red from the constant irritation of smoke. Throughout the world, nicotine is a legal drug; addiction develops from it, just like from heroin and other hard drugs, but its insidiousness is that this happens unnoticed and for a relatively long time. Our smoking citizens annually smoke 265 billion cigarettes per year, this is about 1800 cigarettes per capita and this figure continues to grow every year.
The harm of smoking is that it causes three main diseases: lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, coronary disease. It has long been proven that tobacco is the cause of death from lung cancer in 90% of all cases, from bronchitis and emphysema in 75% and from heart disease in approximately 25% of all cases. Approximately 25% of regular cigarette smokers will die prematurely due to smoking. Many of this number could live 10, 20 or 30 years longer. Those who die as a result of smoking will lose an average of 15 years of their life.
Smoking causes terrible harm Thus, smokers are 13 times more likely to develop angina pectoris, 12 times more likely to suffer from myocardial infarction, 10 times more likely to develop stomach ulcers and 30 times more likely to develop lung cancer.
There is no organ that is not affected by tobacco: the kidneys and bladder, the gonads and blood vessels, the brain and liver.
The lethal dose for an adult is contained in one pack of cigarettes if smoked at once, and for teenagers - half a pack.
Smoking is bad for your heart, so the heart rate of a smoker is 15,000 beats per day higher than that of a non-smoker, and the delivery of oxygen to tissues and especially the brain is significantly reduced, since the vessels are narrowed, plus carbon monoxide, which better “clings” to hemoglobin and does not give red blood cells carry oxygen. This explains why schoolchildren who smoke are significantly behind non-smokers.
Harm of smoking One more thing: in recent years, scientists have been paying close attention to substances that cause cancer. These primarily include benzopyrene and the radioactive isotope polonium-210. If a smoker takes smoke into his mouth and then exhales it through a handkerchief, a brown stain will remain on the white fabric. This is tobacco tar. It is especially high in cancer-causing substances. If a rabbit's ear is smeared with tobacco tar several times, the animal will develop a cancerous tumor.

The harm of smoking for women

Smoking is especially harmful for women , so at the first puff the throat feels sore, the heart rate increases, a nasty taste appears in the mouth, a cough appears, dizziness, nausea and possible vomiting. All this is a manifestation of the body’s protective reactions. But a smoker who follows the “new fashion” actively suppresses the body’s protective functions and continues to take puffs. With each new puff, the body gives in and becomes poisoned, the protective reactions fade away and the smoker does not feel discomfort. With each new pack, the smoker becomes more and more addicted to nicotine. A young girl cannot help but notice that she develops a cough (especially in the morning), hoarseness of voice, bad breath, skin becomes flabby, teeth turn yellow and in general the girl looks older than her peers, nevertheless she continues to smoke, although she tries reduce the harm from smoking , switching to light and “female” (thin) cigarettes. But nicotine addiction has already been formed, and the body begins to demand its dose of nicotine, and the girl has to smoke 2 “female” packs instead of one regular pack in order to get her dose of nicotine. Tobacco companies have known this for a long time, which is why they took such a step and released imaginary harmless cigarettes, although the harm turns out to be even greater and the income from sales is also greater. Smart advertising companies make smokers believe that it is less harmful, although this is all a hoax! Many girls also notice that a cigarette reduces stress, this makes them even more dependent on a cigarette; people who smoke do not know how to deal with stress in any other way.
Due to the harm of smoking, the incidence of inflammatory diseases in women increases, which leads to infertility. The German gynecologist Bernhard, having examined about 6 thousand women, found that infertility was observed in 42% of smoking women, and in only 4% of non-smoking women. Tobacco causes 96% of miscarriages and 1/3 of premature babies.
Tobacco destroys those who smoke, those born to smokers, and those around smokers.
Women who smoke, as a rule, age early and experience premature puberty.

The harm of smoking and the human psyche

Studies have confirmed the fact that people with mental disorders are prone to smoking. It was found that people with mental disorders smoke 40% more than those without mental disorders. Doctors are confident that smoking and mental disorders mutually reinforce each other.

The harm of smoking to others

About the dangers of smoking for others More and more data is becoming available. As a result of passive smoking, 3 thousand people die annually from lung cancer, up to 62 thousand from heart disease. 2.7 thousand children die for the same reason as a result of the so-called sudden infant death syndrome. The risk of contracting not only lung cancer, but also some other types of this terrible disease increases significantly.
The risk of spontaneous miscarriage increases. If expectant mothers are exposed to tobacco smoke, they are more likely to give birth to children with various defects, primarily neuropsychic, as well as low weight (9.7-18.6 thousand such newborns per year).
It has been established that more than 50 components of tobacco smoke are carcinogenic, 6 have a detrimental effect on the ability to bear children and the overall development of the child. In general, inhaling tobacco smoke is much more dangerous for children. Thus, passive smoking annually causes asthma in 8-26 thousand children, bronchitis in 150-300 thousand, and from 7.5 to 15.6 thousand children are hospitalized, and from 136 to 212 of them die.
A survey of more than 32 thousand passively “smoking” women, which was carried out by specialists from Harvard University, showed that women who are regularly exposed to tobacco smoke at home and at work are 1.91 times more likely to suffer from heart disease than those who do not inhale it.
If a woman smokes passively only occasionally, the incidence rate decreases
up to 1.58.
According to data compiled by the American Heart Association, smoking in the home has a very negative impact on children who have high blood cholesterol levels. Cigarette smoke reduces their level of so-called good cholesterol, which protects against heart disease.

Smoking is a habit that is disgusting to the eyesight, unbearable to the sense of smell, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs.

“For them, for the Slavs, there is no hygiene, only vodka and tobacco” A. Hitler

Even if Hitler knew and well understood the dangers of smoking and imposed it on the Slavs, today the Slavs drink, smoke, and use drugs exclusively themselves, after watching an advertisement or being influenced by others.

The harm of smoking is obvious, smokers themselves understand this, but maybe it’s time to quit?

The number of smokers has exceeded 1.3 billion people and continues to grow. And this despite the fact that almost 5 million people die from smoking every year. No war or epidemic can cause such damage to humanity as a cigarette. But people persist in paying millions of dollars for something that is killing them.

Nobody enjoys their first cigarette. After smoking, unpleasant sensations appear: dizziness, nausea, cough. But if for some reason a person decides to continue smoking, then the body gets used to nicotine and other components of tobacco smoke. During the first months, smoking can cause mild euphoria, mobilize internal resources, or, conversely, calm you down. But over time, these sensations disappear. Nicotine, although it is a poison (toxin) in nature, is included in the metabolism. Simply put, the body gets used to the fact that this substance is constantly in the blood. When its concentration decreases, the nervous system signals that it is time to replenish reserves. Then the desire to smoke another cigarette arises. Most often, it takes 1 year from the first cigarette to the formation of nicotine addiction or tobacco addiction.

How does smoking affect the human body?

Tobacco smoke consists of 4000 components. The most famous of them are nicotine and tar. But other components are no less dangerous: poisons, radioactive substances, heavy metals. Don't rely on a cigarette filter to protect you. Even the most modern of them capture only 20% of the substances contained in smoke.

How do harmful substances enter the body?

When you take a drag, the temperature at the tip of the cigarette reaches 800 degrees. Under such conditions, dry distillation of tobacco occurs. This means that the inhaled air, passing through a layer of heated tobacco, carries with it volatile substances and tiny solid particles. They enter the mouth, trachea, bronchi and the alveoli of the lungs with the air flow. Due to the fact that tobacco smoke is an aerosol of small particles, they quickly reach the most remote areas of the respiratory system. Through the wall of the alveoli, penetrated by blood vessels, harmful substances easily penetrate the blood and spread throughout the body. So, 8 seconds after the first puff, the brain already feels the effect of nicotine.

Components of tobacco smoke	Their effect on the body	Consequences of exposure
Nicotine – one of the most powerful drugs, a toxic alkaloid that causes addiction on a par with heroin. This poison is the plant’s natural defense against being eaten by animals.	It affects acetylcholine receptors, resulting in an increase in the release of adrenaline. This substance causes: acceleration of the heartbeat, constriction of blood vessels, rapid breathing, increased blood pressure, and activation of metabolic processes. It has a stimulating effect on the nervous system: concentration and performance increase, short-term memory improves, anxiety disappears, pleasure centers in the brain are stimulated. But after 20 minutes, the concentration of nicotine in the blood begins to decrease. This is accompanied by inhibition of brain function and suppression of thought processes. The smoker's acetylcholine receptors become accustomed to stimulation by nicotine. Its absence in the blood causes discomfort.	The first reaction is brain stimulation, increased concentration and reaction speed, moderate euphoria. Then the excitement gives way to inhibition: inhibition of thinking, weakness of skeletal muscles, trembling in the hands. Smokers' brain cells die faster than other people. There is a theory that nicotine can cause schizophrenia. From the cardiovascular system: heart attack, stroke, aortic aneurysm, arterial hypertension, arrhythmia, coronary heart disease. Digestive system: poor circulation leads to gastritis and peptic ulcers, the formation of gallstones. Cancerous tumors. Nicotine changes the DNA structure of cells and causes cancer. Nicotine leads to the development of mental and physical dependence.
Tobacco tar consists of aromatic substances and resin.	Contain substances that cause mutations in cells, leading to the formation of malignant tumors. Resins condense and are deposited on the teeth, oral mucosa, vocal cords, bronchial walls and alveoli of the lungs. They disrupt the functioning of the ciliated epithelium, which is responsible for cleansing the bronchi, and damage the alveolar sacs. Soot particles make the lungs susceptible to infectious diseases. Resins inhibit the functioning of the immune system. It does not effectively destroy bacteria and malignant cells.	Cracks and yellowing of tooth enamel. Hoarseness of voice, cough. Bronchitis and emphysema. The likelihood of pneumonia and tuberculosis increases. Malignant tumors of the larynx, esophagus, lungs.
Carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide)- a product of burning tobacco. It makes up 8% of tobacco smoke and is 200 times more active than oxygen in being absorbed by hemoglobin.	In smokers, carbon monoxide combines with the blood, taking the place of oxygen and causing oxygen starvation. The brain suffers the most from lack of oxygen. Carbon monoxide has a toxic effect on nerve cells and disrupts the passage of nerve signals through them. To provide the organs with oxygen, the heart works harder. Gradually it increases in volume and wears out.	Memory deterioration, decreased intelligence, exacerbation of mental illness, headaches, decreased sensitivity. Angina pectoris, arrhythmia. Myocardial infarction, cardiac asthma. Damage to the walls of the coronary arteries supplying the heart leads to heart attacks. Pneumonia.
Carcinogens: benzene, cadmium, aminobiphenyl, beryllium, arsenic, nickel, chromium.	They penetrate the cell and damage the genetic material contained in the nucleus. As a result, the risk of the formation of malignant cells, which give rise to cancerous tumors, increases. Penetrating through the placenta, they cause mutations in the fetus.	Cancer of the lip, tongue, larynx, esophagus, stomach, lungs. Physical and mental abnormalities in a child.
Hydrocyanic acid(hydrogen cyanide) is a toxic substance that interferes with the absorption of oxygen in tissues.	Impairs the supply of oxygen to tissues, disrupting its transmission from hemoglobin to the cell. Has a toxic effect on the nervous system. Together with ammonia, nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde, it disrupts the functioning of the ciliated epithelium of the bronchi, which is responsible for the self-cleaning of the respiratory tract. This leads to the accumulation of tobacco tar in the lungs.	Mental abilities deteriorate. Increases the risk of heart attack. Emphysema.
Arsenic- deadly poison.	Has a toxic effect on the kidneys, digestive and nervous systems. Damages the genetic material of cells, causing mutations and the development of malignant tumors.	Abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation. Loss of strength and muscle weakness. Cardiovascular failure. Depression of the central nervous system, deterioration of thinking and memory. Cancerous tumors.
Radioactive components: lead-210, polonium-210, potassium-40, radium-226, thorium-228 and cesium-134.	They are absorbed into the blood and spread throughout the body, becoming an internal source of radioactive radiation. Radioactive isotopes contribute to cell mutation and the appearance of cancerous tumors. In the first trimester of pregnancy, they cause abnormalities in the development of the fetus.	They provoke asthma. Toxic effects on the kidneys. May contribute to the development of toxic nephropathy. Makes bones brittle, leading to osteoporosis and an increased risk of fractures. Abortion. Cancerous tumors.
Free radicals very active oxygen molecules lacking one electron.	Once in the body, they take an electron from the molecules that make up the cells of the body, thereby damaging them and causing oxidative stress.	Premature aging of the skin, other organs and tissues. Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease. Heart disease, atherosclerosis, phlebitis, thrombosis. Chronic lung diseases. Cancerous tumors.
Nitrosamines highly toxic nitrogen compounds that are formed from tobacco alkaloids.	They change the structure of the DNA molecule and lead to the growth of cancer cells.	Malignant tumors of the thyroid gland, esophagus and lungs.

The main danger is that most of the substances found in tobacco are not eliminated from the body, but accumulate in it. Thus, the more cigarettes you smoke and the longer your smoking history, the more harmful ingredients affect you. For example, if you smoke for more than 10 years, the likelihood of lung cancer and adenoma increases 5 times. Therefore, the sooner you give up this harmful habit, the higher the chance of maintaining health.

What are the harms of smoking?

Deterioration of skin condition. Tobacco smoke contains a large number of free radicals. They damage the molecules that make up skin cells, leading to premature aging. Vasospasm, which occurs 30-90 minutes after smoking one cigarette, disrupts skin nutrition and slows down collagen formation by 40%. Due to a deficiency of elastic fibers, the skin takes on a flabby, wrinkled appearance and a grayish tint.

Development of caries. The flow of hot air with resin particles damages tooth enamel. It turns yellow and becomes covered with microcracks. Gradually, the cracks increase in size and bacteria and acids penetrate into them, destroying the deeper layers of the tooth and causing caries. This leads to the fact that 45% of smokers over 65 years of age are missing teeth. Among non-smokers this figure is 2 times lower.

Inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system. Tobacco smoke, saturated with caustic particles, irritates the mucous membrane of the mouth, larynx, trachea and bronchi, causing its atrophy. It becomes thin and performs its protective functions worse. The villous epithelium, which is supposed to remove foreign particles and microorganisms, does not cope with its task. The lungs become clogged, creating favorable conditions for bacteria to multiply. Therefore, smokers often suffer from bronchitis and pneumonia. Thus, 90% of people who have smoked for more than 7 years suffer from “smoker’s bronchitis.”

Chronic pulmonary emphysema. Tobacco tar is deposited in the small bronchi and alveoli of the lungs. This substance leads to cell destruction. The small bronchioles collapse and when you exhale, the pressure in the lungs increases sharply. The walls of the alveoli become thinner and collapse, leading to the formation of cavities. The lung tissue ceases to be elastic and stretches, which leads to an increase in the volume of the chest. Gas exchange in the lungs is disrupted. They do not sufficiently enrich the blood with oxygen, and the body experiences oxygen starvation. According to statistics, 9 out of 10 people with emphysema are smokers. The disease develops over 10-15 years if you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day.

Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum. Smoking reduces the production of saliva, which partially neutralizes the effect of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Tobacco smoke causes the secretion of digestive juices in the stomach and small intestine, even when there is no food there. Active substances corrode the mucous membrane of the digestive organs, leading to the appearance of erosions. These minor injuries do not heal, but turn into ulcers due to deterioration of blood supply and decreased immunity. Therefore, gastric ulcers occur 2 times more often in smokers than in their peers.

Poisoning of the nervous system. Nicotine is a poison that has a toxic effect on the nervous system. This toxin affects the nervous system: the brain and the cells of the intermediate nerve ganglia, which control the functioning of internal organs. Nicotine disrupts the passage of nerve impulses from the brain to organs and muscles. This leads to a decrease in all types of sensitivity. Smokers do not sense taste and aroma as clearly, their sense of touch is impaired, and they often experience chills. Violation of nervous regulation leads to digestive disorders: constipation and painful intestinal spasms.

Stroke. In smokers, the risk of ischemic stroke (associated with poor circulation) increases by 2 times. This is the result of a sharp narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain or blockage of one of them by a blood clot. Weakness of blood vessels and a short-term increase in blood pressure during smoking cause a rupture of a vessel, accompanied by hemorrhage in the brain - hemorrhagic stroke. It occurs 4 times more often in people who smoke than in their peers.

Cancerous tumors. Carcinogenic components of tobacco smoke penetrate the blood and spread throughout the body. They damage the DNA of cells. Such cells with altered genetic material become the basis of a cancer tumor. Suppression of the immune system leads to the body producing insufficient killer cells. Their task is to recognize and destroy mutated cells. In smokers, this mechanism of protection against cancer is impaired, and they often become victims of cancer. So 90% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Cancer often affects other organs: lips, larynx, esophagus, stomach, liver, kidneys, prostate, rectum, pancreas and thyroid glands.

Osteoporosis. Tobacco toxins stimulate the production of two proteins that are responsible for leaching calcium from bones. These substances activate osteoclast cells, which are responsible for the destruction of old bone tissue. Therefore, in smokers, bones are destroyed faster than they are restored.

Vascular dysfunction. Under the influence of tobacco combustion products, the walls of blood vessels become dense, insufficiently elastic, brittle and covered with cracks. The content of cholesterol in the blood increases, which is deposited on the walls in the form of atherosclerotic plaques. They narrow the lumen of the vessel. The likelihood of a blood clot and inflammation of the vein wall around it increases. The rupture of a blood clot can cause sudden death. The narrowing of the coronary vessels that supply the heart causes the development of coronary heart disease and heart attack.

Obliterating endarteritis. In smokers, blood flow in the extremities is reduced by 35-40%. The reason lies in chronic vasospasm and the deposition of atherosclerotic plaques on the walls of blood vessels. In addition, disruption of the conduction of nerve impulses leads to a decrease in sensitivity. The disease begins with rapid fatigue and intermittent claudication. Later, deprived of blood supply and innervation, the tissues die and gangrene begins.

Slow wound healing. Poor blood circulation and decreased metabolism lead to the fact that skin cells do not divide actively enough. As a result, wound healing occurs more slowly. It has been noticed that smokers have a 50% greater width of the scar formed at the site of surgical sutures.

Blurred vision and tearing caused by the irritating effects of tobacco smoke and optic nerve atrophy. With increased sensitivity, smokers may experience swelling of the eyelids. Constriction of the vessels of the eyeball disrupts the functions of the retina, leading to the death of its cells, which negatively affects visual acuity.

Sexual problems. Premature ejaculation, decreased potency, deterioration in sperm quality - these problems are associated with impaired blood supply to the genital organs. Due to vasoconstriction and damage to the arteries, blood flow to the penis is impaired, which reduces the quality of erection. The sperm of smokers are not motile enough and are less capable of fertilization, as they have been exposed to nicotine and other substances. If the fusion of the egg and the sperm damaged by nicotine does occur, then the fetus is less likely to attach to the wall of the uterus.

What are the social and psychological reasons for smoking?

Thanks to films, the image of a brutal man or femme fatale is inextricably linked with smoking. During adolescence and adolescence, young people strive to make the same impression. They are trying to increase their social status with the help of this “attribute of adulthood.” In addition, young people are not convinced by the data on long-term health consequences. Therefore, the army of smokers is mainly replenished by people under 21 years of age.

Sociologists conducted research to identify the social and psychological reasons for smoking. Young people were asked “Why did you start smoking?” Opinions were divided approximately this way.

Curiosity 40%. The thought periodically arises in the minds of most non-smokers: “What kind of pleasure does a smoking person get, what sensations does he get?”
Desire to join the company - 20%. A person is driven by the fear of becoming an outcast in a smoking company. This applies to both groups of teenagers and adults who have joined a new team. It seems that the most important issues are resolved in the smoking room. And whoever does not smoke remains outside of public life.
Peer pressure - 8%. Peers who smoke often encourage them to “try it” and ridicule those who do not smoke.
Stress relief - 6%. The life of teenagers is full of stress, internal conflicts and quarrels with others. Their nervous system is not yet stable and young people resort to smoking to relax.

Psychologists who study nicotine addiction identify a number of other socio-psychological reasons.

1. Self-affirmation in the eyes of peers, the desire to become cooler.
2. The desire to be an adult. Prove your “maturity” to yourself and others.
3. Extra fun. They start smoking in a comfortable situation: on vacation with friends, drinking alcoholic beverages.
4. Nothing to do with myself. Smoking helps pass the time and replaces computer games.
5. Make an impression and meet expectations. To create a tough guy image, young people have to smoke.
6. According to Freud, smoking is a consequence of “oral fixation.” Up to a year, all pleasant moments are associated with sucking. If for some reason you deprive him of a child, then psychological trauma remains for life and oral fixation occurs. An adult who has experienced such a situation continues to suck a pen, bite his nails or smoke.
7. The pleasure of the process, playing with a cigarette, the opportunity to purchase beautiful accessories: ashtrays, lighters, releasing smoke in rings.
8. Increased concentration and performance. The first 15-20 minutes after smoking a cigarette, the brain works more productively. Some use this effect to improve performance.
9. Conditioned reflex. For some, taking a break from work, drinking alcohol, or drinking coffee may be associated with smoking. A person reaches for a cigarette only in these situations.
10. Fear of gaining weight. Smoking activates metabolism. Therefore, people who try to lose excess weight at any cost resort, among other things, to smoking.
11. Lack of awareness about the dangers of smoking. So most young women do not know how dangerous smoking is for their future offspring.
12. Heredity. There is a theory that if a mother smoked during pregnancy, then her child, as he matures, will be prone to smoking, as he constantly experiences a lack of nicotine.

Smoking ban law

On February 23, 2013, Federal Law No. 15-FZ “On protecting the health of citizens from the effects of environmental tobacco smoke and the consequences of tobacco consumption” was adopted. He is called upon:

• protect non-smoking citizens from the effects of passive smoking;
• protect young people from the temptation to join the ranks of smokers;
• help those who already smoke to get rid of the bad habit.

This law successfully fulfills its mission. Cigarette consumption has already decreased by 8%. Experts claim that the document will save 200 thousand lives a year. And this, you see, is a significant figure.

What methods are used to combat smoking, according to the law?

• Ban on smoking in public places, which came into force on June 1, 2014. Smoking is prohibited in workplaces, in areas where teaching, treatment and various services are provided. The ban applies to trains, platforms, stations, airports, restaurants, clubs, beaches, playgrounds, stairwells of apartment buildings, and places of trade. Smoking a cigarette is allowed only in specially designated areas or rooms equipped with ventilation. Although such restrictions caused a storm of indignation among the smoking part of the population, they still helped to significantly reduce the number of cigarettes smoked.
• Rising prices for cigarettes. Minimum prices for cigarettes have been established and excise taxes on tobacco products have increased. The government believes that a standard pack of cigarettes should cost at least 55 rubles in order for the demand for them to decrease significantly.
• Marking on a pack of cigarettes. Each pack must contain truthful information about the content of nicotine and other harmful substances, as well as one of the warning labels about the dangers of smoking. They are placed on the front side and occupy 50% of the area. The inscription on the back of the pack must occupy at least 30%.
• Information fight against smoking. Education should be carried out in the family, at school and at work, as well as in the media. The goal is to teach people to take care of their health and provide comprehensive information about the dangers of smoking.
• Ban on tobacco advertising. Commercials and promotions aimed at promoting smoking or any brand of tobacco products are prohibited. Smoking is prohibited in films and programs for children. But in programs for adult audiences, smoking scenes should be accompanied by captions with anti-advertising.
• Medical assistance aimed at combating nicotine addiction. Doctors are required to diagnose smokers with psychological and physical dependence on nicotine. It is the duty of the health worker to explain to the person what risks he is exposed to and help him get rid of the bad habit.
• Restriction of trade in tobacco products and prohibition of illicit trade. Tobacco products can now only be sold in stores or trade pavilions. It is prohibited to place packs of cigarettes on display. Instead, there should be an alphabetical list indicating prices, but without product logos or other advertising elements. It is prohibited to sell cigarettes one hundred meters from educational institutions. Trading is prohibited at train stations, service enterprises, in premises occupied by authorities and organizations working with youth.
• Protecting children from tobacco use. It is prohibited to sell cigarettes to minors. Therefore, the seller has the right to demand a passport to ensure that he is not committing a crime.

There are various types of liability for violating this law. For example, for smoking in the wrong place you will have to pay a fine of up to 50 thousand rubles. But if your health was harmed due to non-compliance with the law, then it is possible to demand compensation from the culprit.

How to quit smoking?

E-Sigs

Electronic Cigarette– a high-tech device that simulates the smoking process. Its main parts:

• light indicator – imitates the fire of a cigarette;
• battery that powers the cigarette;
• steam generator - a spraying device that creates steam;
• a replaceable cartridge that contains a liquid that determines the taste of the vapor. One cartridge replaces a pack of regular cigarettes.

When you take a puff, air flows through the steam generator and produces aromatic vapor made up of tiny particles of smoking liquid. Its advantage over a regular cigarette is the absence of tobacco combustion products: tars, carcinogens. In addition, those around you do not suffer from tobacco smoke.

Electronic cigarettes are considered by some to help people quit smoking. It can help reduce physical dependence on nicotine. In the initial stages, e-cigarette liquid with a high nicotine content is used. After some time, it is replaced with another liquid with a lower nicotine content. Thus, they are gradually switching to nicotine-free filler.

Negative aspects of electronic cigarettes

Experts say that these devices are no less harmful than traditional tobacco products. It is possible that they are much more dangerous than expected.

Facts about the dangers of electronic cigarettes:

To create liquids, synthetic components and flavors are used that penetrate deep into the lungs. Regular inhalation of such substances can lead to bronchial asthma and other undesirable consequences.

It has been proven that vapor contains glycerin and its esters, propylene glycol, combustion products of flavorings and substances emitted by the materials from which the cigarette is made. These components are harmful to health, they have a toxic effect on the body and cause kidney pathologies.

Smoking is a bad example for children. They don't care what their parents smoke. Therefore, there is a high risk that children will become addicted to this bad habit.

WHO experts propose banning the use of electronic cigarettes until serious clinical trials are carried out and a law regulating their production is finalized.

In Russia, from June 1, 2013, the sale of electronic cigarettes is prohibited in accordance with the smoking ban law. These devices fit the description of “imitation tobacco products” and are therefore subject to the ban.

Medicines to help you quit smoking

Drug name	Mechanism of action	Reception scheme
Nicotine-like drugs for the treatment of persistent physiological nicotine dependence
Tabex (Cytisine)	The drug contains a substance of plant origin – cytisine. It activates the respiratory center, increases adrenaline levels and excites the nervous system. Tabex has a nicotine-like effect. This allows you to alleviate unpleasant symptoms after quitting smoking, improve concentration and improve performance without cigarettes. Cytisine binds to the same receptors as nicotine. Therefore, if you smoke while taking the drug, nicotine remains in the blood in an unbound state and causes unpleasant sensations: nausea, dizziness. This makes you want to quit smoking completely.	For the first three days, take 1 tablet 6 times a day, every 2 hours during the daytime. They take a break at night. The less you smoke during this period, the better your health. 4-12 days of treatment - 5 tablets per day. One every 2.5 hours. 13-16 days – 4 tablets, with a break of 3 hours. 17-20 – 3 tablets per day. One at an interval of 5 hours. Days 21-25, 1-2 tablets per day. If it is not possible to reduce the craving for smoking, then treatment is suspended and repeated after 2-3 months.
Lobelin	Lobeline is a plant alkaloid obtained from Indian tobacco leaves. It has the same stimulating properties as nicotine, but without the harmful properties. Lobeline binds to nicotine-sensitive receptors and reduces the withdrawal syndrome that occurs after quitting cigarettes. It reduces irritability and headaches and improves performance.	Take 10-15 drops or 1 tablet 4-5 times a day. The course of treatment is 7-10 days, in some cases it can be extended to 3 weeks. For long-term treatment, the drug is used 2-3 times a day.
Gamibazin (Anabasine)	A substance of plant origin similar in properties to nicotine. Stimulates the respiratory and vasomotor centers in the brain. The active ingredient, anabasine, is found in leafless barnyard grass. It connects to nicotine-sensitive receptors. Therefore, in order not to cause poisoning, it is necessary to stop smoking during treatment.	Pills. Days 1-5 – 8 tablets per day. Dissolve under the tongue. Days 6-12 – 6 tablets per day. Subsequently, every 3 days the dose is reduced by one tablet. The total duration of treatment is 25 days. Chewing gum. This form can be used if you decide to quit smoking immediately or to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke. For the first 5 days of treatment, 1 rubber band 4 times a day. It must be chewed and placed behind the cheek. When the bitterness and tingling sensation passes, chew the gum a little and place it behind your cheek again. Thus, nicotine will be released in small portions. Every 3-4 days the dose is reduced by 1 gum. The course of treatment is 12 days. Film. The film is glued to the gum or inner surface of the cheek. For the first 3-5 days, use 4-8 films per day. From the 5th to the 8th day 3 times a day. Then the dose is reduced every 4 days. The course of treatment is 15 days.
Nicotine patch Nicorette Analogues: nicotine patches Nikoderm, Nicotrol, Habitrol, Nikquitin.	The patch consists of a translucent synthetic material and contains nicotine. Its use allows you to get rid of withdrawal syndrome. Eliminates sleep disturbances, increased appetite, irritability, decreased attention. In order to get rid of addiction, it is necessary to gradually reduce the dose of nicotine. For this purpose, 3 types of patches are available with high, medium and low nicotine content.	For people with high nicotine dependence (up to 2 packs of cigarettes per day), the following regimen is recommended: Nicorette 25 mg – 8 weeks. Nicorette 15 mg – 2 weeks. Nicorette 10 mg – 2 weeks. Those who smoked 1 pack a day are recommended to start treatment immediately from step 2. The treatment regimen for patches from other manufacturers is similar. The patch is applied to clean, dry skin in the morning and removed in the evening. In order for nicotine to be absorbed smoothly, there should be no thick hair on the skin.
Nicotine-free drugs are used in people with less than 5 years of smoking experience
Champix	The active substance blocks receptors, making them insensitive to nicotine. As a result, a person stops enjoying smoking. There are unpleasant sensations associated with intoxication of the body.	Days 1-3: 1 tablet at a dosage of 0.5 mg. 4-7 days: 2 tablets of 0.5 mg. From day 8 you must stop smoking. From this moment on, take 2 tablets (1 mg each) for 11 weeks.
Wellbutrin (Bupropion) (Zyban)	An antidepressant used to combat nicotine addiction. It has a stimulating effect on the psyche, accelerates the release of energy in cells, increases libido, and promotes weight loss. It also relieves anxiety and depression that can accompany quitting smoking.	From the 1st to the 7th day, 1 tablet after meals. After this, take 2 tablets per day. Duration of treatment is 7-9 weeks.

Remember that all of the drugs listed are medications, have contraindications and can cause side effects. Therefore, be sure to consult with your doctor which remedy and in what dosage is right for you.

Psychological help to quit smoking

90% of smokers try to get rid of nicotine addiction on their own. To do this, it is enough to make a firm decision and create sustainable motivation for yourself.

Think about which of the consequences of smoking scare you most. There are a lot of them:

• Gangrene and leg amputation;
• Cancerous tumors;
• Lung decomposition;
• Sudden death due to stroke or heart attack;
• Asthma and bronchitis in children who become victims of passive smoking.

Write on one half of the sheet a list of unpleasant consequences that await a smoker. On the other half is a list of “bonuses” that you will receive by quitting smoking: beautiful skin, white teeth, fresh breath, healthy lungs... Place this piece of paper so that it is always visible and keeps you motivated.
Get yourself a piggy bank. Set aside the amount you spent on smoking every day. Periodically give yourself nice gifts with the money you save.

Don't look for signs of withdrawal symptoms. Studies have shown that the likelihood of developing withdrawal syndrome is not that high. If you nevertheless notice that your memory has deteriorated and it has become more difficult to concentrate, then take tincture of ginseng or eleutherococcus. These natural stimulants, no worse than nicotine, activate the nervous system and metabolic processes, and in addition will help to quickly cleanse the body of toxins.

Who can help in the fight against nicotine addiction?

For individual or group psychotherapy, you can contact a drug treatment clinic or a psychologist who specializes in addiction recovery. Statistics say that psychotherapeutic assistance increases the chances of success by 1.5 times.

Get help from a psychotherapist for free possible in state and municipal medical institutions. A prerequisite is a referral from your attending physician from the clinic. In addition, free consultations are available at rehabilitation centers.

Paid consultations can be obtained from public medical institutions without a referral. And also in non-state psychiatric and psychoneurological institutions and with a private practicing psychotherapist.

Many effective psychological techniques have been developed to help people quit smoking.

1. Methodology of Vladimir Zhdanov

   The technique is known as “Four Stinking Breaths.” Its goal is to cause a lasting aversion to smoking. To do this, you need to taste the tobacco smoke and chew it.

   When you want to smoke, do not inhale the smoke into your lungs, but hold it in your mouth. Throw back your head, close your nose, and chew the smoke intensively with your mouth closed. After 20 seconds, a nasty taste will appear in your mouth. Continue chewing for another 10 seconds and then push the smoke into your lungs. Unpleasant sensations and the urge to cough will appear - this is due to the activation of receptors that are designed to protect you from tobacco smoke. To consolidate the result, take 2 more puffs of “chewed” smoke.

   Fourth inhale – inhale with full lungs. After this, cough out the smoke, tensing your abdominal muscles. Then write down on the packet the date and time you took 4 stinky breaths. After this you can't smoke. If the desire to inhale becomes irresistible, then repeat the technique of chewing smoke.

   Video lectures by Professor Zhdanov help strengthen motivation. They act in two directions: they clearly demonstrate the harm from smoking and create the necessary psychological mood.

2. Allen Carr "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking"

   The technique was developed more than 30 years ago. Statistics say that every year it helps 1 million people quit smoking. The purpose of the technique is to help a person quit smoking without exerting willpower, drugs or other aids.

   The essence of the technique is outlined in the book of the same name. This method can be briefly described in 2 points.

   1. Make a firm, conscious decision that you will never smoke again.
   2. Enjoy your new life and don't get depressed.
   The book shows in a very well-reasoned way why you should quit smoking and what benefits you get by making a choice in favor of a healthy lifestyle. This helps get rid of doubts and temptations to smoke the “last cigarette.”
   
3. Smoking code

   This method is based on hypnotic suggestion and bio-electrical influence on the subconscious. Coding helps develop a conditioned reflex against smoking.

   The purpose of coding is to instill in a person an aversion to smoking. Coding is carried out by psychologists and psychotherapists. In some cases, priests and traditional healers use this method.

   You can only code a person who has already decided to quit smoking. In the event that he came following the persuasion of relatives, then the effect of coding will be short-lived. Another condition for successful coding is the qualifications of a specialist.

   Hypnosis and acupuncture help enhance the effect on the psyche. Some people use the placebo effect successfully. The patient is told that after he has taken a mega-effective drug, he will never have the desire to smoke again. And although the capsule may contain ordinary sugar under the guise of medicine, the idea that there is no longer any craving for tobacco is firmly rooted in the mind.

4. Neurolinguistic programming. Swing technique

   This technique is based on reprogramming the subconscious. Its goal is to create in the subconscious a vivid image of what you want to become. It is suitable for almost all people and helps to get rid of different types of addiction at the same time. NLP is used by psychologists, but you can get rid of bad habits yourself.

   The swing technique consists of five stages.

   Stage 1. Answer the questions.

   • Why do I smoke?
   • How does this change my life?
   • What benefits does smoking bring me?
   Stage 2. Determine the motive for quitting smoking.
   • What will I achieve by quitting smoking?
   • What benefits will it bring me if I quit smoking?
   Stage 3. Formation of a negative image of the “starting key”

   Imagine a not very pleasant picture associated with smoking. For example, a yellow bony hand holding a cigarette.

   Stage 4. Formation of a “positive image”

   Imagine a positive picture of yourself proudly telling your friends that you managed to overcome your addiction.

   Stage 5. Changing images.

   Imagine a negative image, and then replace it with a positive one. Take a short break and repeat the exercise. Gradually increase the pace of changing pictures. You can accompany them with a wave of your hand or a snap of your fingers. The positive image should become more and more vivid in your mind, and the negative one should dim until it completely disappears.

5. Acupuncture

   This anti-smoking technique was developed more than 40 years ago by Chinese neurosurgeon H.L. Venom. It is based on the fact that smoking is a conditioned reflex - the path that a nerve impulse travels in the brain. When nervous excitement once again passes along this path, the desire to smoke arises.

   The goal of acupuncture is to eradicate this reflex. By influencing reflex points on the auricle or wrist, the specialist interrupts the passage of impulses along the reflex path.

   The sessions should be conducted by an experienced reflexologist. Duration of sessions is 20-80 minutes. To obtain lasting results, some people need 2 sessions, while others need 10-20.

Remember that the only condition that will allow you to quit smoking once and for all is your firm and conscious desire to get rid of this bad habit. If you are determined to get rid of addiction, then success will definitely await you!

Smoking code