Tobacco

Tobacco is a plant genus of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family.

Christopher Columbus introduced the tobacco plant to Europe from the Bahamas in the 15^th century. Starting in the 17^th century the smoking of tobacco became increas­ing­ly widespread. Tobacco was first smoked in a pipe. The industrial production and marketing of tobacco in cigarette form began in the mid-19^th-century.

Good to know …

• Nicotine rapidly leads to dependence — also among children and adolescents. Most consumers become addicted.
• Many of the health con­se­quences of smoking are primarily caused not by the nicotine but by the tobacco smoke. This is a complex mixture of more than 5000 agents, including many toxic and car­cino­genic substances. There is no ​“safe” smoking dosage.
• Regular smoking reduces life expectancy by an average of 10 years. Anyone giving up smoking can at least partially reverse the hazardous health impact. The sooner this occurs, the greater the recon­ver­gence with the state of a non-smoker.
• Passive smoking as well can cause or exacerbate disorders and illnesses. For example, there is an increased risk of respiratory tract diseases, cardiac diseases, stroke and lung cancer. There is no ​“harmless” threshold for tobacco smoking. This means that even ​“a little” smoke in the open air can be dangerous. Accordingly, the existing smoking bans primarily aim to protect non-smokers against the con­se­quences of passive smoking.

Are shishas less harmful than cigarettes?

• A shisha (waterpipe) mainly entails smoking aromatised tobacco (apple, mango, chocolate, etc.).
• The effects and risks are similar to cigarettes consumption.
• The harmful substances in the smoke are not filtered out by the water. Higher dosis of nicotine is being absorbed.
• Where the shisha tobacco contains nicotine (there are nicotine-free products), smoking a shisha also bears the risk of developing nicotine dependence.

Is the E‑cigarette an alternative to smoking tobacco?

• Electronic inhalation products (E‑cigarettes/​E‑shishas) create steam, without combustion, which is then inhaled.
• There are fillings (“liquids”) with and without nicotine.
• On the whole, fewer harmful substances are released during vapor­i­sa­tion than during the combustion of tobacco, although there are still no long-term studies of the health risk.
• The E‑cigarette can help heavy smokers change their habits.
• The biggest health benefit is achieved by neither smoking nor ​“vaping”.
• Especially children and adolescents who have not previously smoked cigarettes or other tobacco products can be led astray into smoking products containing nicotine by allegedly harmless E‑cigarettes/​E‑shishas.

Does stopping smoking automatically lead to weight increase?

In the first few months after the last cigarette, former smokers put on an average of 2–4 kg.

There are two reasons for this:

• Nicotine ​“burns” approx. an extra 200 calories per day. If the body is no longer receiving nicotine, the basal metabolic rate (daily calorie requirement) declines, fewer calories are required.
• In addition, the appetite-suppressant effect of nicotine is no longer present. Con­fec­tionery or foodstuffs containing sugar are then frequently used as a ​“substitute grat­i­fi­ca­tion”. If one consumes fruit and vegetables instead and takes regular exercise, there is no need to fear weight increase becoming a problem. Even someone who really does put on a few pounds – the health benefits of stopping smoking make up for it
  many times over!

Aufhören lohnt sich!

• No matter how much one has smoked or for how long:
• After just a few hours the body’s oxygen supply is improved.
• After 24 hours there is a reduced risk of heart attack.
• After 2–3 days, the sense of smell and taste improves.
• After 2–3 weeks there are improve­ments in circulation and lung function
• As the years pass without smoking, the risks of stroke, lung cancer and other cancers decrease.

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There is no such thing as a risk-free consumption of legal and illegal drugs!

When consuming any legal and / or illegal drug, the sub­jec­tive­ly perceived effects depend on various factors (how consumed, dose, age, gender, environment, mood as well as experience and expectation).

Consumption of any drug can result in addiction.

The consumption of legal and illegal drugs is to be discouraged:

• During adolescence (physical and mental development)
• When driving and during other activities requiring a ​“clear head” (e.g. sport, when operating machinery, …)
• At the workplace / at school
• During pregnancy and breast­feed­ing
• If there are previous medical conditions

Particular care is also required:

• If the quality of the product is unknown and cannot be checked
• In the event of combined use, e.g. alcohol and other drug
• When medication is taken at the same time