How Nicotine Affects The Body
Thursday, February 18th, 2010Ever since it was first used for consumption, tobacco has provided humans with the doses that satisfy their craving for nicotine. Nicotine is the addictive substance that is found naturally in tobacco leaves. Nicotine is possibly the most commonly used addictive drug used in the world. This really isn’t a surprise given it’s long history, heavy marketing campaigns, and sometimes relaxing effects. Nicotine, being the addictive drug of tobacco, isn’t necessarily the most harmful chemical found in tobacco. Is nicotine, by itself, harmful?
Yes. Nicotine is a very poisonous yet addicting chemical. It is defined as a poison and has a lethal dosage of around 60mg, depending on the size of the person, with this number applying to a person of around 150 pounds. Arsenic, which is a main ingredient in rat poison, is lethal at around 200mg. This means that nicotine is three times more toxic than arsenic. How is it that we know these facts but continue to sell nicotine products?
The answer is probably that science hasn’t always been as advanced as it is today. We now have the ability to research the effects of certain drugs, whereas around 1500 A.D. we simply remained ignorant. Perhaps by the time technology was available to speak out against nicotine, tobacco was too widespread of a market to simply shut down. So, rather than shut it down, man decided to regulate it and continue to turn profit.
Nicotine is known to have several effects on the body. When a smokers takes a drag off a cigarette, nicotine is taken into their lungs and absorbed into the bloodstream. Nicotine has been shown to increase blood pressure as well as heart rate. For this reason, nicotine is classified as a stimulant because it generally speeds some of the body’s processes.
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