Cigarettes: An Introduction

• Cigarettes are the topic.

Objectives of the study notes

• Discuss cigarettes generally
• Identify parts of cigarettes
• Find out why some people smoke cigarettes

Gateway Drugs

• Cigarettes with Nicotine are considered gateway drugs, along with alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs.

Smoking

• Refers to the inhalation and exhalation of fumes

What is a cigarette?

• A tube-shaped tobacco product
• Made of finely cut, cured tobacco leaves that are wrapped in thin paper
• Includes other ingredients and substances to modify flavor
• Lit and smoked on one end, and the smoke is inhaled, usually into the lungs
• Includes Nicotine
• Contains cancer-causing chemicals harmful to smokers and non-smokers

Nicotine

• Nicotine is a toxic, colorless or yellowish oily liquid
• Primary active constituent of tobacco
• Acts as a stimulant in small doses
• In larger doses, blocks the action of autonomic nerve and skeletal muscle cells.
• A chemical present in tobacco
• When tobacco is smoked, nicotine can be absorbed through the wall lining of the small air sacs in the lungs
• When tobacco is sniffed or chewed, it is absorbed.

Effects of Nicotine on the Body

• Effects of nicotine include dry mouth, mouth sores, gum bleeding and sore throat
• Can cause dry skin, rash, and itchiness
• Leads to headache, dizziness, and sleeplessness
• Can cause nose bleeds
• Can cause heart palpitations and chest pain
• Triggers respiratory issues and coughs
• Increases rates of cancer in the oral cavity, larynx, and throat
• Triggers increased respiratory rate plus lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases
• Causes dependence by increased dopamine release along with increased stroke risk
• Heightens the risk of diabetes and pancreatic cancer
• Causes increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction
• Can create impotence, and/or erection problems alongside infertility and pregnancy complications
• Increases gastric juice production and intestinal activity leading to faster metabolism and potential weight loss
• Results in favored wrinkling and increased sensitivity to cold

What is Tobacco?

• Cultivated tobacco, called "Nicotiana tabacum"
• Tobacco is a member of the nightshade family of plants
• It is a broadleaf native of tropical America
• It is cultivated as an annual

Cigarette Components

• Filters
• Tobacco
• Additives
• Cigarette wrapper

Filters

• Specifically designed to absorb vapors
• Accumulate particulate smoke components
• Prevent tobacco from entering a smoker's mouth
• Provide a mouthpiece that will not collapse as the cigarette is smoked

Other Components

• Inner paper wrapper (plug wrap) and glue - used to wrap the acetate cellulose plug
• Outer paper (tipping paper) - often printed to look like cork, covers the filter plug and attaches the filter to the column of tobacco.
• Certain cigarette filters like Parliament contain charcoal as an additional filtration agent

Additives to tobacco

• Potentially hundreds of additives are mixed with tobacco during manufacturing
• Additives to smoking tobacco include flavorings and humectants
• Used to keep tobacco moist

"Tar"

• "Tar" often referred to is not a black petroleum tar product
• Referred to as the hundreds of substances and additives found in tobacco

Contents of Cigarette Smoke

• Includes carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, nicotine, ammonia, arsenic, and vinyl chloride

Cigarette Wrapper and Glue

• The paper used to wrap the tobacco is generally made form flax or linen fiber
• Manufacturers add various chemicals to the paper
• The added chemicals include salts, monoammonium phosphate and sodium and potassium citrates
• Added chemicals are used to accelerate or control the burning rate

Why Smoke?

• People say that they use tobacco for many different reasons
• Stress relief
• Pleasure
• Social situations
• First step to quitting is to learn why you feel like using tobacco
• Think about why you want to quit

Reasons

• Peer pressure
• Parental influence
• Media influence
• Stress factors

Impacts of Smoking

• Impacts the family
• Impacts the environment
• Impacts the community

Types of Smoke Exposure

• Firsthand Smoke: Inhaled by a smoker
• Secondhand Smoke: Exhaled by a smoker, or released from the end of a burning cigarette
• Thirdhand Smoke: Toxic residue that sticks to surfaces & dust after the smoke clears

Harmful Effects of Tobacco Smoking (Short Term)

• Cough and cold
• Halitosis (Smokers' Breath)
• Increased Blood Pressure and Pulse
• Decreased Stamina
• Oral Changes like Bleeding gums, Tobacco Stains causing black teeth, dry mouth, dental caries, and toothaches

Harmful Effects of Tobacco Smoking (Long Term)

• Stroke
• Lung Disease (Bronchitis & Emphysema)
• Reduced Heart and Lung Function
• Oral Changes like Loose teeth, Gum Recession, Severe periodontitis, Secondary infections such as candidal, and Oral Cancers
• Cancers of various organs
• Infertility and Impotence