Smoking, in today’s world, ideally refers to smoking a cigarette or sometimes a cigar. However, since 5000 BC this practice has been around. It existed mainly in African and Indian cultures as rituals in various ceremonies. Over the years it has developed from in the first place natural plant stems and leaves to pipes to now handy and simple cigarettes.

A temporary feeling of goodness felt is the main reason why a lot of people smoke. The substance giving this feeling may vary but tobacco is the most favorite substance. Tobacco comes from the leaves of the plants belonging to the species Nicotiana. The chemical nicotine is what makes smoking tobacco enjoyable and addictive. In addition to this, marijuana is also used,; commonly flavored with tobacco or herbal fruits.

An increasing amount of youth start smoking at ages as young as 18 and continue smoking into their adulthood. This growth in recent years can be associated with the attractive advertisements of mainly cigarettes. Developing countries contribute the most smoking teenagers because of the lack of awareness of the health risks linked with smoking.

As a result of long periods of smoking, the chemicals in the tobacco smoke bank on the lungs, with time, turning into a tumour, resulting in lung cancer. Smoking is responsible for majority of lung cancer deaths. The quick growth in the number of deaths due to smoking related lung cancer has to lead to many campaigns to stop smoking. Even packets of cigarettes now hold health warnings claiming that smoking is harmful to health.

Many countries have banned smokingin public areas in attempts to completely stop smoking. In airports, special smoking rooms are allocated for smoking persons. These attempts are to not only stop smoking people of the habit, but to reduce passive smokers. Passive smokers are greatly affected too as they do not have the advantage of the filter found in almost all cigarettes. This has lead to many objections by passive smokers to stop smoking, not only in public areas, but to stop smoking in general.

It could be said that the campaign to stop smoking is growing as fast as the tobacco industry. Things like nicotine patches, different types of treatments are now available to help people quit the habit and to stop smoking. Usually it takes a heavy smoker a few years to stop smoking completely, but with the help of these instruments the period taken to stop smoking can be much quicker.

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