Evolution of Medical Research About Smoking

The latest research shows that smoking tobacco is connected to a lot of health issues that may appear including lung and lip cancer. But this does not seem to convince some people that smoking is bad for their health. Around 20% of adults worldwide are smoking cigarettes every day. Some of them are heavy smokers, smoking over 25 cigarettes per day. Smoking tobacco is not only a habit but also an addiction.

While some people smoke to relax, others smoke when they are in specific environments, for example having coffee with a friend. A few centuries ago, when tobacco was introduced to Europe, no one knew its side effects. So, how has medical research about smoking evolved? How was tobacco discovered, introduced to a new continent, and become a worldwide vice? Find out below.

The Discovery of Tobacco

Tobacco is the common name that some plants from the genus Nicotiana are known by the general public. Even though tobacco mainly has the same appearance (in cigarettes), it is made from several different plants. Tobacco was smoked and chewed by the people living in America starting from around 2,000 years ago. Even though tobacco was growing on the continent for about 8,000 years, it was mainly used during religious or spiritual ceremonies.

However, Christopher Columbus discovered tobacco in his trip to America and introduced the plant to Europe in the 16th century. Since then, tobacco has been cultivated in Europe, nurturing the birth of the tobacco industry. Before the monetary system was introduced, tobacco was used in place of money.

Smoking Tobacco

There are many research papers and studies that show that tobacco was used by almost everyone. There were many types of tobacco planted, so they had a wide variety to choose from. Because it was just a plant that had to be dried, chopped, and smoked, everyone had access to it. Tobacco was smoked by men and women alike, in different settings. But the majority was doing it, from royals to students, employees, and so on.

The Harmful Effects of Smoking Tobacco

Even though tobacco was first planted in Europe in 1531, works of people who said it has negative consequences on people’s health started to appear early. The first anonymous paper appeared in 1602, after only 71 years of tobacco popularity. It has been suggested that those who sweep chimneys have some respiratory problems caused by the nature of their job and that smoking tobacco could have the same effects.

Since 1795, more and more medical research has been conducted on the effects of tobacco on health. There were some illnesses caused by it, such as lip cancer caused by pipe smoking. But from the 1920s, the world experienced a boom in medical research on this topic. A medical paper writing service can confirm that the most conclusive and elaborate medical papers appeared during 1950 and 1960. But even though this medical research was conducted, magazines, newspapers, and other media entities avoided presenting it and informing the general public. This happened due to influence from the tobacco industry. Saying something that will make Big Tobacco look bad and invalidate their products was not acceptable.

The Use of Tobacco

The use of tobacco has increased dramatically during the 20th century. The tobacco industry has utilized promotions that were hard to refuse. Moreover, soldiers in wars received cigarettes for free to boost their morale. As more and more medical research was conducted, the general public found out about the health effects of smoking and the use of tobacco decreased considerably. However, this is not the case for all countries. There are countries in the world where the percentage of heavy tobacco smokers is still high. And this comes with consequences for the health of the individuals, but also the morale of the country.

Health Risks

Nowadays, we have access to all medical research that was conducted on this topic thanks to the internet. Tobacco smoking comes with consequences for the health of an individual. Among the primary risks associated with this habit are lung and lip cancer, as well as many other forms of cancer. Additionally the use of tobacco is linked to heart disease, diabetes, pulmonary diseases, and many more. It has negative effects not only on your physical health but mental health too. Tobacco increases levels of anxiety, tension, and irritability.

Ending Note

Tobacco has been growing on this planet for 8,000 years. Even though it was used only in spiritual rituals, it soon became a habit for about 20% of the adult population. In the beginning, medical research about smoking was scarce. However, with the invention of the internet came easy access to information and people learned more about the negative effects of smoking. The health risks associated with it are many forms of cancer and  mental health issues.

Paul Calderon is a content and essay writer. He collaborates with local magazines and newspapers and writes informative articles on trendy topics. Paul writes about the tobacco industry frequently and encourages people to replace these harmful habits with healthier ones.