| All the warnings such as "Cigarette smoking is | | | | US alone, there are about 450 billion cigarette sticks |
| addictive" and "Cigarette smoking is dangerous to | | | | being consumed by around 58 million smokers every |
| one's health" that we hear almost every day | | | | year. This figure is believed to increase in the coming |
| throughout our lives are geared to serve one thing-- | | | | years. Official estimates and records indicate that |
| reducing smoking. There are even some extra | | | | cigarette smoking as a vice is higher among men than |
| versions such as "Smoking is harmful for pregnant | | | | women. Not only that, the habit can be acquired at a |
| women." Smoking is probably rated as one of the | | | | very early or young age. More than 80 percent of |
| oldest vices known to humanity. The earliest account | | | | adult smokers confess that they started smoking even |
| of tobacco smoking can be traced back to the | | | | before the age of 18. In a survey conducted in the |
| discovery of European explorers who reached the | | | | mid-1990s, it was found that the fraction of teenage |
| Western hemisphere as early as in the 1500s. There, | | | | smokers in the United States of America had risen |
| they found the Native Americans smoking tobacco | | | | from one-quarter to one-third of the smoking |
| leaves that are stuffed inside pipes. After successfully | | | | population. |
| colonizing the whole area, the Europeans discovered | | | | The most important benefit people get by smoking |
| the true potential market value of tobacco and turned | | | | tobacco cigarettes is the ability to reduce and relieve |
| tobacco production into a full fledged industry. Upon its | | | | stress and tension. Some others are of the opinion that |
| commercialisation, tobacco was introduced to Europe | | | | smoking helps them relax and ease their minds in a big |
| and they were introduced into smoking. The habit of | | | | way, especially, during emotionally charged situations. |
| smoking later became part of the unique European | | | | Some take along with them the habit because of |
| culture as well. After Europe was introduced to the | | | | forceful influence from their peers, acquaintances, or |
| practice of smoking in the 1600s, the tobacco industry | | | | even family members, particularly through their smoker |
| has been expanding wider and wider in terms of gross | | | | parents. Smoking is not devoid of its bad effects. |
| profitability due to the continuing patronage from | | | | About 4,000 plus chemicals are contained in the |
| people who are smokers. | | | | smoke of a cigarette stick. Most of these chemicals |
| Nowadays, cigarette smoking constitutes the most | | | | are carcinogenic in nature or have the capacity to |
| common form of smoking. Pipes are still there in | | | | induce cancer, while some are very toxic in nature. |
| existence, but only very few people are using it these | | | | Smoking increases the risk of acquiring and dying from |
| days. There are tens of hundreds of tobacco cigarette | | | | chronic diseases like bronchitis and emphysema. It also |
| brands available in the tobacco market all over the | | | | doubles the chances of smokers dying from diseases |
| world. Tobacco cigarette smoking has managed to | | | | affecting the heart and arteries. |
| develop a very large following down the years. In the | | | | |