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Kinnick Dahlstrom

Deborah Strehle

CCP English 1201

May 21 2021

Why People Smoke

Throughout history drugs played a large role in mankind. This ranged from your local

pub where people gather to have themselves a drink of a cold brew beer once in a while, to the

deep black market where kilograms of these substances are transported, traded, and sold around

the world unbeknownst to the government and even federal law. As seen, drugs have silently

impacted the entire world on a scale greater than man can imagine.

Why do you think people smoke? You’re probably going to say because they’re addicted

right? When looked at from another view of another person’s, smoking can be seen as horrifying,

bad, and disgusting. Many people judge others based on what they see and this is mainly due to

them knowing the “by the book” definition of smoking. It's simple, smoking is caused because

you’re addicted, you don’t do it for fun, you do it because you feel the intense need to. Although

this is correct there’s a lot more that goes into it than just “because they’re addicted.”

To start this off, we'll be talking about the first thing people think of when the word

“smoking” is read, which is cigarettes/vapes. When a cigarette is pulled from the container and

lit, thousands of chemicals already present in the tobacco leaves . Instantly a chemical named

C₁₀H₁₄N₂ or widely known/familiar as “nicotine” is instantly inhaled and gains entry into the

body of the smoker. Normally there are only 9 milligrams of nicotine in a single U.S cigarette. 8

milligrams of this nicotine is burned and is released into the air however a milligram of nicotine

remains. Although you may be saying that only a milligram isn’t that much, nicotine is unable to
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be processed/released from the body. This means that over time more nicotine will build up more

and more and the only way to get it removed is through medical treatment. Continuing with the

smoking process, as the leaves of the tobacco are burning chemicals are released through smoke

into the air as smoke. This smoke is inhaled when you’re using the cigarette, which is mostly

caught through the filter of the cigarette but a small amount of tar is caught in your mouth. This

tar has a brownish color which is the reason for the yellowish coloration in smokers’ teeth as it

builds up and stains your mouth from constant smoking.

After this is complete the nicotine makes its way into your lungs which then similarly to

oxygen will deposit the nicotine into the bloodstream. Along with this tar from the cigarette is

left behind in the lungs, as this is done over and over again the abundance of tar develops lung

cancer. Along with many other chemicals in the smoke that is inhaled (ammonia/hydrogen

cyanide) which can also lead to lung cancer and can irritate the bronchial tubes. Anyways as

nicotine is riding in your bloodstream it will eventually reach your brain. This is where the main

changes occur. When nicotine reaches the brain it will attach itself to the brain (mainly

receptors). These receptors in your brain also control signals to send to nerves which are spread

throughout the body. These nerves are still being researched today by scientists but it has been

determined that a drug named dopamine is released throughout the brain especially throughout

areas that control pleasure or motivation. These areas will go on to cause the feeling that is the

reason why smokers smoke. Along with this the effects of nicotine ingestion vary between

everyone. For some it may vary depending on the particular mood the person is in, their history

with nicotine, their bodily functions’ reaction, and the actual amount of nicotine ingested. The

only facts observed and noted from nicotine ingestion is increased blood pressure, increased

heart rate, constriction of the arteries, and the stimulation of the central nervous system. Lastly,
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when nicotine is ingested especially on a daily basis the body will gain a substance tolerance for

it. This means that the more you smoke, the more smoking you’ll need to do/nicotine to ingest to

achieve the desired dopamine feeling that smokers want.

Now other than cigarettes/nicotine there are other drugs that can be referred to by

smokers. Another famously well known drug is a medical herb named cannabis sativa.

Otherwise known by many names going by pot, weed, and marijuanna. Although this drug can

be used for medical purposes it is widely used to achieve the special “dopamine” feeling that

smokers love. Similarly to cigarettes/nicotine this drug can be smoked and vaped but another

factor this drug has is that it can be consumed. This form is widely known as edibles which are

pieces of food (particularly pastry) with deferred amounts of cannabis mixed into them. The first

process which is similar to nicotine, involves smoke being inhaled which contains very similar

chemicals but the main difference is a drug named THC. This drug is found in cannabis and is

the main reason for its medicinal purposes and is the main reason for its consumption. This drug

when entered into the bloodstream and eventually into the brain will attach itself onto receptors

into the brain which lead to nerves throughout the body. This then causes a dopamine release

inside the brain and a euphoric mood to be present in the body. The difference between THC and

nicotine is the effects that it presents in the body, instead of the calming sensation of nicotine,

THC is a psychiatric drug. When THC affects the body symptoms include heightened senses,

hallucinations, general loss of normal mental functions. Basically speaking it kinda makes you

go crazy or insane. But along with these effects THC can calm pain and relieve symptoms of

anxiety or seizures which is the sole reason for its use in the medical field.

Another process of ingesting cannabis is the consumption of it as stated normally through

foods infused with this drug known as edibles. These cause the edibles when consumed to be
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broken down by your digestive tract but will eventually end up with THC ending up in the

bloodstream and eventually to your brain. The only difference is the fact that this level of THC is

a lot stronger now that part of the THC isn’t lost to the burning of the chemicals when you

smoke it. Finally these effects tend to take longer to be shown now as you must wait for your

digestive tract to fully digest the edibles breaking down the foods until THC is left.

Effects of THC on the body include memory problems and processing information,

balance or coordination (slower/sluggish), lowered pressure in the eyes relieving symptoms of

glaucoma, slower or weakened immune system, faster heart rates and blood flow, slower

digestion or weaker digestion, and various pain reliefs throughout the body.

This drug isn’t as addictive as nicotine but is shown on little cases to cause addictiveness

amongst users. Along with differences this drug is illegal in 24 states and is more accessible to

minors. A study was shown that shows out of the kids aged 12-17 6.7% of those tested were

regular users of marijuanna. Lastly many studies have shown that marijuanna doesn’t in fact

have a high chance of killing you. This is most likely due to the absence of tar when smoking

which is the main cause of lung cancer.

Next up is a highly addictive illegal drug named C21H23NO5 otherwise known as heroin.

Heroin is a fine grated powder produced from the seeds of various poppy plants and is

particularly made in parts of Africa and Mexico.This drug can be snorted, smoked, and even

injected.

Even though this drug is highly illegal and is hard to get by. This drug is highly addictive

even when taken in small amounts. Luckily only 1 in 10 people who have overdosed on this drug

have actually died. Still nonetheless being addicted to any drug can change your life in various

bad ways.
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In order to take the drug you can either smoke it, eat it, snort it, and inject it into yourself.

Most people tend to favor the injection as it causes the symptoms to arise immediately and

maintain the most feeling you can get. When heroin is smoked, eaten, or snorted the effect takes

a lot longer to show up and is weakened by the access that is broken down when you smoke/eat

it. When it is smoked similarly to nicotine and marijuana a large portion of heroin is lost by

burning. When it is eaten/snorted you may drop some and your digestive tract will be sure to

break down some of the heroin as well. When you inject heroin into yourself if no mess is made

that means all of the drug is getting into your bloodstream which results in the highest amount

getting to your brain. This is done by dissolving the heroin in water, however there is a more

complicated method when using a different more stronger type of heroin called “black tar

heroin.” This type of heroin is produced in Mexico and resembles tar as it is a dark, sticky putty

which has to be refined and then injected. This is a lower type as when refined becomes a fine

brown powder which has the same effects as regular white heroin.

Anyways when heroin is injected, snorted, eaten, or smoked it involves the same process

as the other drugs leading to the drug entering the bloodstream. As heroin enters the bloodstream

it will react by solving and creating morphine which has the same chemical makeup of

endorphins which is responsible for you feeling stressed out. When they reach the brain the

morphine will attach to the opioid receptors but instead of inhibiting the nerves following the

receptors, the morphines will shut off the nerves. This leads to painlessness throughout the body.

As stated, heroin isn’t taken more so for the high, but instead for the relief of pain and numbness.

Along with this there is a release of dopamine causing a high to come with the injection.

Along with pain relief, the main reason for taking heroin isn't really for the high, but

rather the calming that comes with it. When heroin is taken you can make the worst possible
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place be the best. This is why many homeless people use heroin all the time, as it calms them and

can let them get some rest while in their condition. Basically speaking heroin just relaxes you,

and gets rid of pain. Lastly heroin doesn’t really cause health problems, the most common way

of dying from heroin is if you fall asleep and forget to breathe (which can happen as your nerves

are being muted).

So now you’re probably wondering how a person is susceptible to addiction. Sometimes

it isn’t even their fault for them taking the drug. To start, addiction is when you first take a drug,

this causes your brain and body to develop a tolerance for said drug which in return will result in

a greater amount of the substance to be needed to reach the state of dopamine similar to last time.

This can happen many ways, for the first is just regular smoking in which you decide to

purchase or somehow manage to obtain these drugs and ingest them yourselves. This is one of

the more common cases of gaining addiction to any substance (drugs/alcohol).

Next is from second hand smoking or passive smoke as people say. This involves a non-

smoker being near a smoker who is using the substance. When the fumes from said cigarette or

wrap that is being smoked rise into the air, keep in mind that the nicotine/thc that was burned up

is still inside those fumes. If these fumes were to be breathed in there is still a possibility of the

person who has never smoked still having the chemicals go into their bloodstream which will

end in the same effects. If the second hand smoker just happens to like this feeling and find it

addictive, that is a case where someone who never decided to smoke happened to gain an

addiction towards a substance they never chose to take.

Third, there is for medical reasons. This can be mainly done with marijuanna or opium,

where a person who was under medical care happened to be put under some stress due to some

damage caused by whatever put them in the hospital in the first place. In this case the hospital
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would prescribe them medical marijuanna, maybe some painkillers similar to opium, or maybe

ever give the patient these medications as they were unconscious. This could easily result in an

addiction for the patient when they are out of the hospital as they may experience the body

withdrawal symptoms of not experiencing the drug in a while.

Fourth, there is if they were forced to do it. Across the states there are many cases of peer

pressure, whether its parents, friends, bullies, or older siblings there were probably many cases

where someone was forced into doing something they didn’t want to do (which is smoking). This

can be indirectly or directly forcing them. For directly it's simple, if they threatened or made

them smoke it themselves. For indirectly this can be peer pressure, hinting at doing it, or mainly

bad mentoring.

Lastly there is simply by accident. Let's say you are drinking a beverage, and that

beverage happens to contain a small amount of a substance in it. This doesn’t make it your fault

but now due to someone else’s mistake you now have to deal with the addiction that comes with

it. Along with this there are many other possible scenarios to be drawn and some scenarios that

probably happened but it all is meant to show that addictions can come by accident.

Next up is why it's so hard to quit smoking. For starters, this isn’t just an emotional level

as addiction can mess with your senses, emotions, physical structure and mentality. Under many

investigations even the strongest wills and smartest minds are susceptible to addiction.

For the changes, nicotine changes moods especially with the release of dopamine which

is said to be an amazing feeling by users. For senses you have marijuanna which can change

eyesight, make you crave things, make you hear things that aren’t there. For mentality all of

these drugs change your minds on a neurological level as stated morphine, THC, and nicotine
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attach themselves to your brain’s receptors physically changing your mentality by

sending/blocking neurons sent through your veins.

For the susceptibility. Many people famous, smart, and poor are susceptible to smoking.

You could in a situation just like the people who you’re judging. For example some of the

greatest minds out there were smokers. One of these big personalities is Steve Jobs or otherwise

known as the creator of Apple. One of the greatest minds out there that influenced the world

today. Second is Bill Gates or the creator of one of the biggest softwares that control almost all

of society today. This only shows that smoking and addiction is just as hard to quit as people

describe it as.

Lastly it is very painful to overcome an addiction mentally and physically. When drugs

are taken away forcefully users can get very angry, psychotic, and lose their sense of sanity as

the drugs are practically brainwashing them to always want that feeling of euphoria which the

drugs can bring them. They will go to many lengths to retain that feeling that they’ve lost as that

is essentially what addiction is like, you’re unknown of what you’re doing until after you’ve

done it. For physical pain is the withdrawal symptoms that come with the drug loss. Withdrawal

symptoms come into effect as you take drugs more and more. These daily doses of such a

changing substance will cause your body to adapt and get used to that substance constantly being

taken. All of a sudden when this substance just disappears and no longer enters the body daily

your body reacts to it as a substance it was used to isn’t constantly flowing through the

bloodstream anymore. These symptoms range from sweating and teary eyes, to seizures, and

insomnia.

Now that we’ve covered how drugs enter your system, types of drugs there are, and

addiction and what it means. Let's take a look at the history of drugs to modern day. To start let's
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just establish that drugs have been with mankind since the start. Evidence shows that even back

to the earliest civilization that people were consuming some type of psychiatric ingredient or

narcotic. In 10,000BC there was evidence of cannabis plants and tobacco. These will go on till

about 4200 BC when opium seeds from the poppy were being chewed in Asia. Next up is 4000

BC when Egyptians discovered beer and wine. 1000 BC, temples were made to “mushroom

gods” which is another psychiatric drug similar to cannabis. Now fast forward as coffee

distributions and beer is fought over during the 1000s to 1900s with some slight restrictions of

opium. Now from the 1900s to now drugs are industrialized on a greater scale with the research

of ecstasy, LSD, and Cocaine. Now, drugs have become even more a part of our society then

ever which would explain the large population of drug users.

Now, before you go off and judge someone about their smoking habit take a moment and

think about how that person got in that situation, who else is in that situation, and why it’s so

hard for them to get out of that situation. Who knows what could’ve happened for them to get

there.

For starters maybe they weren’t even the ones that chose to smoke. This could’ve had

many other starters for their addiction. For first, maybe it was unintentional and they might’ve

had second hand smoke being around a family member or friend. Second, maybe they were in

the hospital and they were forced to take the drugs in order to ease the pain. Third, they could’ve

grown up in a bad place and they might’ve been forced to take the medicine by another. Lastly,

maybe they were drugged and just so happened to gain an addiction. Chances are, you could’ve

been in the exact same position as those you are looking down upon as junkies or maybe you

have been in the same position as them.

Next up, if they did choose to take the drugs themselves and just happen to start an

addiction that they have trouble getting out of. Look at who else is also in their situation.

Geniuses, masterminds, world renown people have been known to smoke. Maybe even a loved

one of yours was a smoker too, or maybe they still are. Along with this there are approximately

1.5 billion others out there around the world who smoke. Datas show that of the entire world

adult population, 19% of them are smokers. Along with the 19% of adults there are probably

children that smoke too. This means that 1 out of every 5 people you see were probably smokers.

Next time take into account when you want to judge someone based on their addiction that there

is around 1 fifth of the population as well.

Thirdly, take into account their situation. For one that drug could be the last thing that the

person has left for their happiness, or comfort. It's said that most homeless people smoke not to

feel the euphoria, but to ease the stress of being in the cold for the night and to calm them down

as they struggle to live in such a devastated life which was most likely not their fault. Also, think

about how hard it is to get past an addiction which can be hard on you mentally and physically as

stated before.

Finally, why are you looking down on smokers in the first place. We should all be treated

with kindness as you don’t know what it's like from their perspective. Nonetheless they should

be seen as equal and nothing less. Next time when you see a smoker, take a second and think

about their situation, and how you can help. That is why people smoke.

.
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Kinnick Dahlstrom

Deborah Strehle

CCP English 1201

May 21 2021

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