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What are influences of culture in society
What are influences of culture in society
What are influences of culture in society
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Tobacco is and always has been a part of American culture. Since the late 1700’s the tobacco plant has had its roots in American soil. And since then, there have been many who chose to speak out against it. According to well known political comedian Jackie Mason, “It is more profitable for your congressman to support the tobacco industry than your life.”There is no question tobacco is harmful to those who ingest it, but a plant that’s been used by mankind for centuries must have some positive and some negative effects. I will research and discuss this highly controversial topic more in depth to persuade America’s youth to think hard of the consequences before lighting up their first cigarette. Firstly, the topic of how tobacco use can have …show more content…
has a very important history which has drastically changed our nation over time. When Europe first discovered the new world and began colonizing the tobacco plant it played a crucial part in America’s agricultural success. At this time tobacco was selling for pennies per pound which contributed to the world’s first tobacco boom created by the American consumer. By the mid 1800’s tobacco had not only increased in price, but was now supporting a large amount of colonist across the Americas. By the 1900’s tobacco production, distribution, and exportation has increased significantly. An example of this sudden surge of tobacco use is certain when, the American Tobacco Company released the details of their exponential stock on the American Stock Exchange which listed tobacco at $25,000,000 in 1890 and by the year 1903 it was listed at over $316,000,000 (ATC). With numbers like those it’s no surprise why America saw an enormous increase in the amount of tobacco products being produced and consumed. Our nation continued to give into the temptation of tobacco until the 1960’s when modern medical science first allowed us to classify the severe health complications tobacco products have on the consumer. Since this scientific breakthrough there has been a drastic change of view by the public concerning tobacco. Figure 2 below is a perfect example of how much American culture has outgrown …show more content…
However there are still some activists dedicated to finding a safe, responsible, acceptable way to use tobacco. According to many experts around the world tobacco has been used by people since at least 1 BC (Tobacco History). If proven correct that would mean tobacco was one of the first plants used recreationally by mankind. Almost a thousand years later the Mayan civilization creates the first pictorial depiction of tobacco use on a pottery vessel. Around 500 years later Christopher Columbus while exploring the new found land documents a meeting with local people where they bring him many gifts including, “Certain type of leaves that gave off a distinct fragrance.”(Columbus) It wasn’t until decades later people across the globe began to realize the substantial effects of this new found plant when smoked. By the 19th century the tobacco plant had its roots in every continent in the world. Due to the massive increase of tobacco production across the world people began to experiment with different uses for the plant. Most importantly, the medicinal use of tobacco’s most prevalent and also most addictive chemical nicotine. Nicotine has been used to treat anything from bug bites to Alzheimer’s disease. A recent report released by Stanford University concluded, nicotine can boost the growth of blood vessels which would help treat diseases like
...g the 1600's, tobacco was so popular that it was even used as money. Over time it was finally realized that the use of tobacco was addictive and more hazardous to ones health than beneficial.
Also, tobacco became a symbol of high class, so we see that many middle class people began to smoke. The demand in Europe for tobacco became very high, causing the production of tobacco in the Americas to increase. Colonies were set up containing large plantations with many slaves to produce tobacco. Tobacco production made the producers very rich, as the cash crop was very desirable. From the use of tobacco in ceremonies for the Aztecs and Mayans to the mass production of the crop in the Americas, tobacco created much change across the world.
Borio, Gene, “Tobacco Timeline: The Twentieth Century 1900-1949—The Rise of the Cigarette.” Chapter 6. 1993-2003.
Living in a world where many prefer to believe what is shown to them, rather than doing some of their own research, can lead to consequences. (Figure 1) Some people believe electronic cigarettes are a safer and healthier alternative to the actual cigarette because of how they are advertised. “Because they [e-cigs] deliver nicotine without burning tobacco, e-cigarettes are purported to be safer and less toxic than conventional cigarettes. Despite these claims, there’s still no real data on the effects of e-cigarettes (positive or negative), yet marketing materials still bill them as a healthy choice” (Worthington emphasis mine). Drug advertisements normally show the beneficial side of
Every year cigarette smoking is responsible for 500,000 premature deaths (Nugel), you do not want to be just another statistic, do you? America’s first cash crop was tobacco. That means that tobacco has been around for a really long time. It was not until 1865, though, that cigarettes were sold commercially. They were sold to soldiers at the end of the Civil War (Dowshen). From then, cigarettes spread like wildfire, and it was not until 1964 that anyone made a stand about the negative effects of tobacco and cigarettes. People start smoking for all different reasons, some to fit in and some to “escape”. Regardless, it is a horrible habit. 3900 children will try their first cigarette today. Amongst adults who currently smoke, 68% of them began at age 18 or younger, and 85% at 21 or younger (American Lung Association). And of all those people, 70% say if they were given another chance they would never have picked up that first cigarette (Tobacco Free Maine). Smoking is responsible for 1 and 5 deaths in the united states, and is the number one preventable cause of death (NLH). Smoking burns and there is no doubt about that, but before one picks up that cigarette, understand the negative effects on not only oneself, but others affected by ones poor choices, like second-hand smoke. Because of smoking cigarettes, many types of cancer, decrease of life quality, and negative health effects have become all too common in the world today.
Experiencing the death of a loved one is never easy, especially when the cause is something self-inflicted, such as cigarettes. Imagine if that loved one was your parent or even worse, your own child. Now, imagine watching the demise and physical incapacities that transpire while you see them deteriorate right in front of you. Feel the anger that would coarse through your veins if you were to see an add that glamorized such deadly instruments, particularly once you realize that the areas being marketed are lower class. Cigarettes are legal killers that cripple many individuals and families alike. They are a highly addictive substance that benefit no one. I am against cigarettes in every capacity as I have dealt with the effects of it on a personal level. Cigarettes leave a distaste in the mouth literally and figuratively. I am also a firm believer that
Smoking cigarettes is a detrimental practice not only to the smoker, but also to everyone around the smoker. According to an article from the American Lung Association, “Health Effects” (n.d.), “Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., causing over 438,000 deaths per year”. The umbrella term for tobacco use includes the use of cigarettes, cigars, e-cigs and chewing tobacco. While tobacco causes adverse health consequences, it also has been a unifying factor for change in public health. While the tobacco industries targets specific populations, public health specifically targets smokers, possible smokers, and the public to influence cessation, policies and education.
One of the newest trends in America is an alternative to smoking called “Vaping”. There are many advocacy groups that are currently petitioning and fighting legislature that would make this new trend illegal. Many claims have been made stating that vaping is more dangerous than smoking traditional big brand tobacco. There are also arguments that there have not been enough studies to prove that vaping is less harmful than conventional smoking methods, which is not the case however. Vaping has been around since the early 1960s and has proven to be healthier than its tobacco cousin, the cigarette. Currently the United States Government is trying to pass a law that would ban the production, distribution, and sale of many vape products. This ban would make it so the big brand tobacco companies would once again be the number one source for nicotine. I strongly believe that vaping is a safe alternative method to smoking that will reduce many medical risks and diseases associated
In recent years, smoking has started to take over the lives of many teenagers. The number of teenagers smoking has increased dramatically in the last several years. This is a major problem because smoking can lead to sickness and major diseases that can lead to death. Teens tend to participate in this while out of the presence of an adult figure. Although teens should not be smoking in the first place, an adult figure should be around to help insure that their children are doing the right things, even when they are behind sealed doors with their peers. Teenagers as they mature become a model for younger children and when they set the example of smoking can ruin their respectable image to the children that look up to them.
One of the biggest problems with society today is children and young adults are turning to electronic cigarettes for a source to nicotine. It is understood that some people might think that electronic cigarettes are better for people but here is why they are not. Electronic cigarettes have the same consequences as normal cigarettes with very few differences, such as in electronic cigarettes there is no tobacco and there is no carbon monoxide. Some might not know what is really in electronic cigarettes. Many people don’t know that there are over seven thousand chemicals and cartridges in these devices. Smoking electronic cigarettes has the same effects as normal cigarettes; they as well have been known to cause cancer and other diseases. Here is why electronic cigarettes are just as bad for the human body as
Although it is beneficial for the economy for the production of tobacco products, it is extremely risky to use the product. According to researchers, second-hand smoke is terrible for everyone in the world who walks by someone who is exhaling. In the article by Robert Proctor “Why ban the sale of cigarettes? The case for abolition” states that cigarettes are the “most deadly object in the history of human civilization”.... ...
People take drugs, tobacco and alcohol for different reasons and some is a result of their background, for leisure and so forth. These uses pose a threat to the health and well-being of adolescents. Adolescents and young adults in their 20s are at the highest risk for illicit drug use. For some drug users, use that begins in adolescence continues well into adulthood. “Addiction is a developmental disease; the earlier an adolescent begins drug use, the more likely their use will progress to become serious abuse or addiction (Johnston, 2012)”. There for earlier exposure is the major impact in addiction and dependence to some extent.
But unfortunately I have no choice in most public patios. One says passive smoking but I want rather call it involuntary smoking .
Smoking cigarettes is a very deadly addiction that, unfortunately, affects 42.1 million adults in the United States and 6.4 million children. The reason why so many people get addicted to cigarettes is because of nicotine. Medicinenet.com says that nicotine is “made by the tobacco plant or produced synthetically”. Nicotine has powerful pharmacologic effects (including increased heart rate, heart stroke volume, and oxygen consumption by the heart muscle), as well as powerful psychodynamic effects (such as euphoria, increased alertness, and a sense of relaxation). Nicotine is also powerfully addictive.”
One person dies every six seconds due to a tobacco related disease, which results in a shocking amount of ten deaths per minute. Tobacco is one of the most heavily used addictive products in the United States. Tobacco contains over 4,000 chemicals; approximately 250 are dangerously harmful to humans. Smoking is a major public health problem. All smokers face an increased risk of lung cancer, cardiovascular problems and many other disorders. Smoking should be banned due to the many health risks to the user, second hand related smoke illness, and excessive cost.