Safer Smoking Alternatives To Help You Kick The Habit Today!

For those that don't know, cigarette smoking is the inhalation of smoke from the burning of tobacco wrapped in thin paper, also known as a cigarette.

Casual smoking is the act of smoking only occasionally, usually in a social situation or to relieve stress. A smoking habit is a physical addiction to a tobacco additive (nicotine). Many health experts will now argue that habitual cigarette smoking is a psychological addiction as well as a physical addiction with serious health consequences.

As per the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) cigarettes and smokeless tobacco should be considered nicotine delivery devices. Nicotine, the active ingredient in tobacco, is inhaled into the lungs, where most of it stays. The rest passes into the bloodstream, reaching the brain in about 10 seconds and dispersing throughout the body in about 20 seconds.

Depending on the circumstances and the amount consumed, nicotine can act as either a stimulant or tranquilizer. This can explain why some people report that smoking gives them energy and stimulates their mental activity, while others might report that smoking relieves anxiety and relaxes them. My wife used to smoke because she said he relaxed her, while my mother used to smoke to help her stay awake.

The initial "rush" results partially from nicotine's stimulation of the adrenal glands and resulting release of epinephrine into the blood. Epinephrine causes several physiological changes. It temporarily narrows the arteries, which in turn raises the blood pressure, which then raises the levels of fat in the blood, and increases the heart rate and flow of blood from the heart.

Some researchers think epinephrine contributes to smokers' increased risk of high blood pressure. Because the 2 most important women in my life were both smokers, I needed to do my own research. Now I'm inclined to agree with the researcher's findings.

Nicotine, by itself, is said to increases the risk of heart disease. However, when a person smokes, he or she is ingesting a lot more than nicotine. Smoke from a cigarette, pipe, or cigar is made up of many additional toxic chemicals, including tar and carbon monoxide. Tar is a sticky substance that forms into deposits in the lungs, causing lung cancer and respiratory distress. Carbon monoxide limits the amount of oxygen that the red blood cells can convey throughout your body. Also, it may damage the inner walls of the arteries, which allows fat to build up in them.

Besides tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide, tobacco smoke contains 4,000 different chemicals. More than 200 of these chemicals are known be toxic.

Can you imagine that at one time it was considered "cool" to pollute your body with these toxins? The sad thing is when you smoke, you're not just hurting yourself, you're hurting others as well. Perhaps even your loved ones.