Smoking has become a big problem these days. Everyone knows that it is harmful, yet many continue to smoke. Nicotine contained in cigarettes, even in small doses, has a detrimental effect on the body. The problem is that not everyone understands what nicotine is and exactly how it affects human he alth. Let's deal with this issue!
General characteristics
So nicotine is an alkaloid found in plants of the nightshade family. The largest amount of this substance is observed in tobacco, but there are 66 other crops that contain it to a lesser extent. Small amounts of nicotine are even found in vegetables such as tomatoes, bell peppers, potatoes and eggplant.
In dry tobacco, nicotine can be from 0.3 to 5% by weight. Its biosynthesis occurs in the roots, and its accumulation occurs in the leaves. Nicotine is a colorless, oily liquid. It boils at 247.6°C and darkens very quickly when exposed to air. At a temperature of 60-210 °C, nicotine partially dissolves in water. And at temperatures below 60 and above 210 °C, it mixes well with water.
Name"nicotine" appeared in honor of Jean Nicot, who was the French ambassador to the Portuguese court. In 1560, he sent Queen Catherine de' Medici some tobacco as a remedy for migraines. In addition to migraines, they have been treated for rheumatism, asthma, toothache and wounds.
Nicotine and humanity
Since time immemorial, people have been smoking. The world history of tobacco has more than a thousand years. In Russia, for example, tobacco appeared only under Ivan the Terrible. An active fight against nicotine addiction began only at the end of the last century. And so far, an unhe althy lifestyle is winning, taking more and more people. The huge army of smokers brings profit to the tobacco companies. And despite all the measures that are taken in he althcare organizations, in most countries, tobacco remains the most common and affordable drug.
Using nicotine
Nicotine is consumed in three ways: smoking, chewing and inhaling tobacco. The substance tends to be rapidly absorbed through the mucous membranes of the mouth, the alimentary canal and the lungs. In addition, nicotine can enter the body through the skin, even intact. Once in the body, the substance spreads very quickly through the blood. 7 seconds after inhaling tobacco smoke, it enters the brain. Nicotine is eliminated to some extent from the body for at least two hours. In general, only a small proportion of the nicotine contained in tobacco leaves is inhaled during smoking. The fact is that the main part of the substance burns out. The amount of poison absorbed by smoking depends on the type of tobacco and onthe presence of a cigarette filter. When chewing or sniffing special tobacco, much more nicotine enters the body.
Consequences
Once in the body, the substance affects the acetylcholine receptors. In low concentrations, it activates the activity of receptors. This leads to an increase in the level of the hormone adrenaline in the blood. The release of adrenaline speeds up the heartbeat, increases blood pressure, speeds up breathing and increases blood glucose levels.
To the question of whether nicotine is harmful, the answer is simple: definitely harmful. Although in our time, hardly anyone will doubt it. In general, nicotine is a real poison. It severely affects both the central and peripheral nervous systems. The substance acts especially strongly on the ganglia of the autonomic nervous system. In this regard, it belongs to the class of so-called ganglinar poisons. Large doses of nicotine that enter the body depress and paralyze the nervous system, as well as stop breathing, which soon leads to cardiac arrest. The lethal dose for humans averages 0.5-1 mg/kg.
Despite its strong toxicity, low doses of nicotine act as a psychostimulant. It affects mood in different ways for different people. Causing the release of adrenaline and glucose, the poison causes excitement of the whole organism. From a subjective point of view, this brings a feeling of relaxation, peace, as well as a slightly euphoric state. Some smokers experience a decrease in appetite and an increase in metabolic rate, which canlead to weight loss.
Using nicotine repeatedly, a person becomes physically and psychologically dependent on it and returns to it all the time. Long-term use of nicotine causes the development of such problems as visual impairment, damage to the stomach and intestines, arterial hypertension, hyperglycemia, tachycardia, atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction and heart failure. Together with tar, nicotine can contribute to the development of lung cancer. And those men who smoke for many years are at risk of impotence.
Effects and signs of use
The first doses of nicotine cause nausea and vomiting. If you continue to smoke, adaptation will begin, and these reflexes will disappear. Perhaps a slight excitation of the whole organism. As a rule, there is relaxation of skeletal muscles and tremor of the hands. The smoker has a reduced reaction time, but improves attention and short-term memory. In addition, when smoking, anxiety disappears and appetite worsens. However, all positive processes are quickly replaced by opposite ones when the concentration of a substance in the body drops.
Nicotine poisoning is expressed by the following symptoms: nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, salivation, increased heart rate and blood pressure, confusion, decreased vitality, general weakness.
Nicotine poisoning is rare. As a rule, children who try to smoke as much as adults are poisoned. Help for poisoning is simple: open access to freshair, protect the respiratory tract from vomit, wash your face with cold water. In case of poisoning, you need to take care of the airway and prevent biting the tongue.
External signs of smoking - the smell of tobacco from the mouth and hands, as well as yellowed fingers from the filter.
Sad statistics
The majority of smokers doubt that tobacco smoke has a bad effect on the body, arguing that their condition allegedly does not worsen when smoking. However, statistics more than eloquently prove the opposite. Every 10 seconds, one person dies from smoking worldwide. To date, as statistics show, tobacco kills about three million people worldwide every year. In the future, according to all forecasts, this figure will increase to 10 million. There are skeptics who say that, compared to the entire population of the earth (about 6 billion), 10 million is a small number. But for smokers, each of whom is at risk of falling into those 10 million, this is a significant risk. If this trend continues, eventually tobacco will kill about 500 million people living today. And this is already 9% of the total population of the Earth. Since 1950, smoking has killed 62 million people - more than died during the Second World War. It has been proven that tobacco causes 6% of all deaths and about 3% of all diseases. Moreover, the sad numbers are growing every day, and by 2020, 12% of deaths worldwide are predicted.
Where is nicotine used
Nicotine is a very strong neurotoxin that hasdetrimental effect on insects. Therefore, it was previously actively used as an insecticide. Today, nicotine derivatives, such as imidachlorpid, are used for the same purpose. The American Heart Association has come to the conclusion that smoking addiction can be recognized as one of the most problematic today, since it is not easy to get rid of it. I wonder what insects would think of people if they knew that people voluntarily use the same poison with which they are poisoned?
Benefits of nicotine
All scientific communities, without exception, argue that nicotine is the most dangerous toxin and drug. Nevertheless, it is no secret that many plant alkaloids, including drugs, are used as medicines. So maybe nicotine is good too?
Today, many products are being released that are designed to replace cigarettes and, as a result, give up nicotine completely. Among them are plasters, chewing gum and so on. These products contain the same nicotine as in cigarettes, but in a smaller amount. In a number of countries, work is underway on a method of using this alkaloid as a means for the treatment and prevention of diseases such as attention deficit disorder, Alzheimer's disease, herpes zoster, Parkinson's disease and intestinal ulcer. Therefore, it is possible that in the near future there will be at least some benefit from nicotine. After all, as they say, everything is poison and medicine, and only the dose is the determining factor.
Electronic cigarettes
Now it has become fashionable as an alternative to smokinguse so-called electronic cigarettes. They are a small inhaler in which liquid with nicotine is heated and evaporated. The purpose of such cigarettes is, firstly, to use purified nicotine (in liquid, diluted form) and, secondly, to gradually stop smoking. Liquid for cigarettes can be made at home, it consists of several ingredients, one of which is the so-called “weaving” nicotine - a concentrated solution of a substance. It is mixed with flavors and water. The concentration of the poison can be varied by the smoker, and it is possible to gradually switch to liquid for cigarettes without nicotine.
Many will ask: "Why smoke it?" The fact is that smoking is not only an addiction to nicotine, but also a habit to occupy oneself with something. Therefore, for those who cannot quit this muck just like that, you can do it smoothly by replacing a simple cigarette with an electronic one.
Conclusion
So, we are once again convinced that smoking causes irreparable harm. But besides nicotine, cigarettes contain a lot of harmful substances. Therefore, it is better to learn to please yourself with other things and depend on something more pleasant, for example, on love, as in the song "Former Nicotine". We wish you good he alth!
