Introduction
Tobacco smoking has been used all over the world for hundreds of years. Tobacco is a plant that contains the stimulant drug, nicotine, which can be found in the leaves of the plant. Tobacco can be smoked in many forms, including cigarettes, cigars and through pipes. It may also be chewed or inhaled as a powder. Since the 1800's smoking became more frequent due to the development of machinery. This technology allowed for the tobacco to be easily made into cigarettes in mass production. By the 1960's smoking increased dramatically and reached its peak. However, in 1964 the first general surgeon's report was released outlining the dangers of smoking. Many antismoking campaigns took place and following this there was a decrease in the amount of people who smoked. Smoking has been found to cause cancers, due to the carcinogenic properties contained within the cigarette. The chemicals within cigarettes have also been found to diminish the capacity of the lungs and damage many organs within the body. Smoking has also been found to affect women's health in areas such as pregnancy and menopause. Over the years, the dangers of smoking have become more apparent, although many people continue to smoke for various reasons.
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