Recently, we hear a lot about the harm of tobacco products and the risk of cancer. Are cigarettes truly that dangerous? Historical and scientific researches reveal that tobacco, as a plant, has many healing properties. For instance, tobacco leaf extract is used in medicine and cosmetology. It has rejuvenating, anti-inflammatory, healing, restorative, and anti-irritant effects. It is effective in the early stages of treating serious diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer.
So, what is the problem?
Let’s see.
Tobacco products come from the leaves of the “Nicotiana tabacum” plant, it’s a part of the solanaceae family. Thing is, there are many chemical additives (over 400) that are several times more toxic than cigarettes. Here are just 9 of them:
• Nitrobenzene
• Arsenic
• Formaldehyde
• Hydrogen cyanide
• Polonium-210
• Phosgene
• Carbon dioxide
• Hexavalent chromium
• Vinyl chloride
What about nicotine? It’s present in tobacco products. This alkaloid (similar to other psychoactive substances like cocaine and heroin) has a psychostimulant effect on the body and can cause physical and mental addiction.
Reference: Do you want to know the level of nicotine addiction? Take the Fagerstrom test by answering 6 questions honestly. https://evidence.am/calcs/nicotinetest
Manufacturers of tobacco products constantly update their range to stay competitive in the face of anti-tobacco policies and the fight for a healthy lifestyle.
Types of tobacco products and their uses
Tobacco products are primarily intended for smoking:
1. Papirosa consists of a hollow cardboard tube with a thin paper tube filled with tobacco, the cardboard tube is the cigarette holder.
2. Cigar is made from rolled tobacco leaves.
3. Cigarette is a paper tube filled with tobacco, a filter, also contains activated carbon and cellulose fiber granules.
4. Cigarillos resemble cigars but are filled with crushed tobacco like cigarettes.
5. Hookah is a mixture of chopped or torn leaves with added molasses (sugar syrup), glycerin, different preservatives, and flavorings.
6. Handrolled cigarettes, also roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes.
7. Tobacco pipe is a “cocktail” of fermented, mixed, aromatic tobacco materials that are divided into fibers.
8. Shag tobacco includes crushed tobacco leaves, stems, and seeds. It’s known for its shaggy texture, higher nicotine content, and sweeter taste.
9. Beedis are exotic Asian hand-rolled cigarettes, which consist of chopped leaves mixed with herbs and spices, wrapped in paper, and tied with a string.
10. Kreteks are hand-rolled Indonesian cigarettes filled with raw tobacco, cloves, and spices.
11. Heated tobacco sticks IQOS and TEEPS are innovative types of tobacco made from the “dust” of Virginia, Burley, and Oriental 3 tobacco species, along with other ingredients (propylene glycol, glycerin, salt nicotine, and a polymer derived from food starch).
Reference: In order for all the aromas, ingredients, and flavors to blend, the readymade mixture should be stored and/or heat-treated.
Smokeless products that contain tobacco raw materials are divided into the following types:
1. Snus (crushed wet tobacco leaves, emulsifier, salt, soda, and flavorings) and naswar (tobacco or shag, dried fruits, lime or ash, vegetable oil, and sometimes liquorice).
2. Chewing tobacco, a mixture of pressed tobacco leaves and stems, salt, sugar, preservatives, and flavorings (such as honey, syrups, spices, rum).
3. Snorted or snuffed tobacco, made from ground tobacco mixed with different substances, contains 28 different carcinogenic compounds.
Reference: Snus and naswar are officially banned due to their highly inebriating effects.
