Smoking

Introduction and Prevalence of Smoking

  • Smoking is the practice of combusting a substance and inhaling the resulting smoke.
  • The most common substance used for smoking is dried tobacco leaves rolled into cigarettes.
  • Other forms of smoking include smoking pipes and bongs.
  • Smoking is primarily used as a route of administration for psychoactive chemicals.
  • Active substances inhaled through smoking include nicotine, THC, morphine, and cocaine.
  • Smoking is one of the most common forms of recreational drug use.
  • Over one billion people globally practice tobacco smoking.
  • The majority of smokers are in developing countries.
  • Less common drugs for smoking include cannabis and opium.
  • Cigarettes are the most popular form of smoking, followed by pipes, cigars, bidis, hookahs, and bongs.

Health Effects of Smoking

  • Smoking has negative health effects on various physiological processes.
  • Smoking tobacco is a leading cause of diseases such as lung cancer, heart attack, COPD, erectile dysfunction, and birth defects.
  • Diseases related to smoking cause approximately half of long-term smokers to die prematurely.
  • Second-hand smoke is responsible for 600,000 deaths globally among non-smokers.
  • Many countries have implemented measures to discourage smoking, such as high taxes, anti-smoking advertisements, and support for quitting.

History and Perception of Smoking

  • Smoking dates back to at least 5000 BCE for shamanistic rituals.
  • Ancient civilizations used incense burning for religious rituals.
  • Smoking tobacco and hallucinogenic drugs were used for achieving trances and spiritual contact.
  • Smoking was introduced to Sub-Saharan Africa through trade routes and was practiced using water pipes.
  • The perception of smoking has varied over time and across different cultures.
  • Smoking was initially associated with religious ceremonies and spiritual enlightenment.
  • In the last decade of the 20th century, smoking began to be viewed negatively in Western countries.
  • Smoking has been seen as both sophisticated and vulgar, holy and sinful, and a panacea and a deadly health hazard.
  • The negative perception of smoking has led to measures to discourage its use in many societies.

Tobacco Control and Increase in Lung Cancer Rates

  • Increased reporting and improved methods of diagnosis contributed to the awareness of the harmful effects of smoking.
  • Research in the 1950s and subsequent reports confirmed the link between smoking and lung cancer.
  • Smoking rates in the United States declined over time, while tobacco consumption continues to rise in developing countries.
  • Russia, Indonesia, Laos, Ukraine, Belarus, Greece, Jordan, and China are among the top consumers of tobacco.
  • Increase in lung cancer rates was noted in the UK and US by the 1930s, and the cause was confirmed in the 1950s.

Other Substances Smoked and Health Effects

  • Crack cocaine became popular in the 1980s, and recent years have seen an increase in the consumption of vaporized heroin, methamphetamine, and PCP.
  • Psychedelic drugs such as Changa, DMT, 5-Meo-DMT, and Salvia divinorum are also smoked.
  • Smoking is one of the leading preventable causes of deaths globally, causing over 8 million deaths annually.
  • Second-hand smoke is responsible for 1.2 million deaths annually, including non-smokers.
  • Smoking-related diseases have a significant impact on public health, including lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
  • Smoking is strongly associated with periodontitis, low birth weight babies, preterm birth, and oral cancer.

Smoking Mentions

https://alternix.com/pages/medical-information-disclaimer
https://alternix.com/blogs/news/quitting-smoking-can-nicotine-pouches-help-you-kick-the-habit
https://alternix.com/blogs/news/the-best-nicotine-pouch-brands
https://alternix.com/blogs/news/understanding-nicotine-strengths-in-pouches
https://alternix.com/blogs/news/nicotine-pouches-vs-snus-difference-between-snus-and-nicotine-pouches
https://alternix.com/blogs/news/the-benefits-of-nicotine-pouches
https://alternix.com/blogs/news/what-are-nicotine-pouches

Smoking Data Sources

Reference URL
Glossary https://www.alternix.com/blogs/glossary-of-terms/smoking
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking
Wikidata https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q662860
Knowledge Graph https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/02vxs3q
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