A cigarette is made by taking dried tobacco and rolling it in a paper tube. When the rolling maching was introduced in 1881, a mass number of cigarettes could be manufactured at one time. A single cigarette contanins four thousand ingredients. Among these ingredients:
Studies have shown that nicotene is an addictive chemical. Everyone knows that nicotene is in a cigarette. What people do not know is that nicotene affects the region of the brain known as the nucleus accumbens. The nucleus accumbens is the part of the brain that affects emotions and thoughts. When a person smokes, the nucleus accumbens releases a feel good chemical called dopaime. The brain releases the chemical when the feeling is rewarding. That is the effect nicotine produces when people smoke. This in turn is one of the reasons why nicotine is addictive and why people want to keep smoking.
There are other chemicals other then nicotine in a cigarette. There are more than forty human and animal carcinogens in a cigarette. These carcinogens chemicals could cause cancer. Ammonium is one of the human carcinogens found in a cigarette. It is mainly used in conjuction with nicotine for that added kick. The process of combining nicotine and ammonium is calledfree basing.Carbon Monoxide is also a human carcinogen found in cagarettes. Carbon Monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that is given off when a person smokes. It is dangerous because it "reduces the bloods ability to carry oxgen". Some smokers experience chest pains and fatigue by breathing in low levels of carbon monoxide. Breathing high levels of carbon monoxide could cause flu-like symptoms and then if the intake of high levels of carbon monoxide continues the results could lead to death.
Did you know that Hydrogen Cyanideis a byproduct of cigarette smoke? This fact puts smokers and non-smokers at risk. This volatile, colorless to blue liquid is used to make dyes, plastics,and pesticides. "Breathin small amounts of hydrogen cyandide may cause: headaches, dissiness, weakness, nausea, and vomiting. "Breathing large amounts of hydrogen cyanide may cause: gasping, irregular heartbeats, seizures, fainting, and rapid death.
All of these chemicals together could cause an addiction that met never be broken. Everyone knows that smoking is addictive. Some people think that people become addicted because they want to. That statement is wrong. An addiction to smoking takes place in a small part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens. When the body is satisfied the brain gives of a chemical called dopaime. Out of thirty-five million people who try to stop smoking only seven percent succeed in remaining smoke free. Why is that? Well there are several factors.
A person could be genetically inclined to become addicted to nicotine. According to Bierut, a Washington University geneticist, "genes make small contributions to nocotine and alcohol addiction". In a study of the genetic factors addiction among twins more than "17,500 if twins that where reared together accounted for 56% of the variance in regular tobacco use". The same study of twins that where reared apart accounted for 60% of the variance of regular tobacco use". This means that two people with the same DNA could have a gene that could make them become addicted to nicotine. Further research shows that women find it more difficult to stop smoking men. Nicotine is just partially to blame. According to Dr. Kenneth Perkins "women smoke less for nocotine and more for non-nicotine effects like the smelling of tobacco.