WHY SMOKING IS MORE DEADLY AND ADDICTIVE THAN IT WAS 50 YEARS AGO
It comes as no surprise to anyone that cigarettes are bad for you, but this week it has come to light that cigarettes have actually been getting more dangerous for you than ever.
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has produced a revealing infographic which lays out exactly how cigarettes have changed in the last five decades.
They analysed a recent american report on how cigarettes have changed in the last 50 years. They found that cigarettes today pose an even greater risk of disease than those sold in 1964, when the first warning about the health dangers came from the Surgeon General in the U.S.
HOW CIGARETTES HAVE CHANGED
The addictiveness of cigarettes has also been increased by raising nicotine levels. The report claims that manufacturers also add ammonia, which increases the speed which nicotine is delivered to the brain.
The first tactic was to make cigarettes smoother and easier to smoke. They did this in a couple of ways:
- Adding sugars - which increase the addictive effects of nicotine and make it easier to inhale tobacco smoke.
- Adding Levulinic acid - this makes the tobacco smoother and makes for a easier throat hit.
- Added chemicals to expand the lungs - making it easier for smoke to get into the lungs
But cigarettes didn't just become easier to smoke, they became more addictive as well:
- Increased Nicotine - compared to 50 years ago the amount of nicotine has increased significantly
- Adding Ammonia - this speeds up how fast nicotine gets to the brain, creating a more addictive experience straight away.
- Ventilated filters - helps the smoke to draw more smoke with each puff and more nicotine into the body
All these changes though came at a price, and made cigarettes more deadly.
- Tobacco specific Nitrosamines - some cigarette companies are producing blended tobacco (to cut costs) which have because of their nature contain higher amounts of carcinogens
The charity claims this was also done to help children start smoking and make it easier to smoke. They point to the fact that not only are cigarettes filled with more nicotine but have made themselves much easier to puff on.
While this is obviously extremely difficult to prove in any way the fact that cigarettes have changed and become more addictive can't be denied. The report found that smokers today have a much higher risk of lung cancer than smokers in 1964. The new Surgeon General’s report attributed smokers' increased risk of lung cancer to “changes in the design and composition of cigarettes since the 1950s.”
No wonder that people are moving to the e-cigarette, where there are no tricks, no carcinogens, just Propylene Glycol (used in cakes), Glycerol (used in gum and sweets), Flavouring and nicotine, so you know exactly is in your e-cigarette.
If you want to make the switch and want to try an e-cigarette then you are in luck as you can try the SMOKO E-Cigarette for FREE!
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