The Smoke Clears--An Analysis of The Insider: Cigarettes

THE FACTS

Smoking has been proven to cause lung disease, heart disease, and cancer. The main addictive property of cigarettes is nicotine, which is an alkaloid formed in plants and is also used as an organic pesticide. The nicotine found in tobacco is closely related to the nightshade family, which is a series of flowers and plants that are toxic. Nicotine gives the smokers the rush and keeps them addicted; this can appear in the form of raising heart rate, enhanced alertness, and a sense of euphoria. The nicotine attacks the feel good receptors in your nervous system and gives you a sense of reward. Studies show that some tobacco companies raised the amount of nicotine in their cigarettes as much as ten percent between the years of 1998 and 2004.

In 1994, the top seven American tobacco companies submitted a list of chemical additives that are put into their cigarettes and other tobacco products. All of these chemicals were approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration, but no studies had ever been done to determine the ill effects of these chemicals when used. There are over 599 chemicals inside a cigarette and over 4,000 chemicals emitted when lighting one. Tobacco companies are not required to list their ingredients on their packaging or disclose what chemicals are used and in what quantities. Studies found that one cigarette can contain dangerous chemicals such as ammonia, ethyl alcohol and arsenic, which is a poison used to kill rats.

The tobacco companies’ goal in making their cigarettes more addictive is to make it harder for the user to quit, thus buying more cigarettes and their company making more money. One method of upping the addictiveness is adding sugar to the tobacco; they claim that it gives their cigarettes a better flavor. Victor DeNoble, a tobacco industry scientist, argues that this will make the cigarettes more addictive. This was discovered through doing studies with rats.

There is a fleeting effect of nicotine that causes it’s consumers to buy and smoke cigarette after cigarette. In some cases 20 to 40 a day in heavily addicted smokers. Sometimes the nicotine in one cigarette is enough to start the addictive process; the small amount can produce long lasting changes in dopamine production. Dopamine is a hormone that helps to control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. If consumers begin to feel anxious, frightened, or angry they smoke a cigarette and the nicotine immediately sends a transmitter to that part of the brain helping it to feel calm and fulfilled.