Nicotine, a Toxic Chemical

Clayton de Haan
SCH3U
Mr. Sikkema
09 September 2023
Word count: 1049
 Many people who become smokers, pick up a cigarette or vape before they are even

eighteen and are addicted to nicotine before they finish high school. Nicotine is a harmful

chemical that is used by twenty-two percent of the world's population. Nicotine is harmful to the

human body in various ways. It has physical effects that include an increased heart rate,

increased alertness, and weight loss and affects the digestive system. It affects the way that the

brain functions because of nicotine-filled brain receptors. It is considered a toxic chemical

because it results in long-term health effects, including cancer, weakening of bones and dental

problems.

There is a variety of physical changes caused by nicotine. Firstly, nicotine increases the

user's heart rate because as an individual is smoking a cigarette, they inhale carbon monoxide.

Because there is carbon monoxide in red blood cells, the blood cells are not able to carry oxygen,

the needed element. Oxygen in the red blood cells is very important for the body to function

properly. The heart will begin to pump more rapidly because the body's blood is not receiving

sufficient quantities of oxygen (Medical News Today). The heart rate will also increase because

blood vessels are constricted (ABIOMED). Nicotine modifies the brain by releasing

neurotransmitters, causing the smoker to become addicted to nicotine. Nicotine is a stimulant,

which is a product that activates the nervous system (Harvard Health). Nicotine will increase the

user's alertness because the nerves are working harder than meant to be. Nicotine targets the

limbic system of the brain. The limbic system is the part of the brain that controls pleasure and

maintains emotions that come with rewards (Harvard Health). When nicotine is used, the limbic

system of the brain is functioning improperly. Additionally, nicotine affects the user's body

weight because it is often used as a substitute for food, fulfills appetite and increases the speed of

the process of breaking down body fat as a source of energy (Medical News Today). Nicotine

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causes stomach acids to move up the user’s esophagus because of a lack of food in the digestive

system. A condition like this is known as heartburn. Another factor that affects the digestive

system is ulcers. Ulcers grow in the smoker's body along the small intestine and lining the

stomach. Helicobacter pylori is a bacteria that will cause infection. Helicobacter pylori is usually

found inside ulcers. If a smoker quits smoking then the ulcers will usually clear up (Johns

Hopkins Medicine).

The relationship between addiction and nicotine is astounding. Smoking changes the

brain. The nicotine that gets in your brain is picked up by receptors. When receptors are

activated, the brain will release a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine makes someone feel

good and starts to motivate them. The longer that an individual smokes, receptors pick up more

nicotine. Some smokers have over a billion receptors filled with nicotine (Mayo Clinic). People

with low levels of receptors can quit smoking without much difficulty. When a smoker with

many nicotine-filled receptors tries to stop smoking, the receptors do not receive nicotine and the

individual will begin to crave cigarettes. The individual will not only have a craving for a

cigarette but “anxiety, irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, depressed mood,

frustration, anger, increased hunger and difficulty sleeping” (MayoClinic) will begin to overtake

the individual. Once a smoker stops smoking they will still have cravings for a cigarette for

several months. Over time, receptors in an individual's brain will go back to normal. During this

time the amount of cravings will slowly decrease. The solution to nicotine addiction is simply

one word: Quit. It is easier said than done, but if an individual stops smoking for twenty minutes,

their heart rate will return to relatively normal. Going without a cigarette for twelve hours will

allow the levels of carbon monoxide (CO) and other toxic chemicals in the bloodstream to return

to normal. If an individual was previously a smoker who was addicted to nicotine and had quit

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smoking for a year, their risk of having a heart attack drops by fifty percent. If an individual can

stay away from nicotine for five to fifteen years, they have relatively the same chance of a heart

attack as someone who has never smoked (MayoClinic).

If an individual were to continue smoking, they would be faced with long-term health

effects such as lung cancer, weakening of bones, and dental problems. Lung cancer is the most

common disease that is directly affected by smoking. According to the American website

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “cigarette smoking is linked to about 80% to

90% of lung cancer deaths.” In one cigarette alone, there are approximately six hundred

ingredients. When the cigarette is burning, more than seven thousand chemicals are present. Of

the seven thousand chemicals seventy chemicals are known to cause cancer. When some of these

products are used in other goods, not including cigarettes, the consumer is warned about

poisonous substances present. Nicotine will speed up uncontrolled cell division of cancer cells.

Nicotine affects an individual's bone strength by fifty percent. For bones to be healthy they need

a particular amount of minerals like calcium and phosphorus and nutrients like vitamin D. The

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, states that smoking reduces the bones’ ability to absorb

the essential minerals and vitamins (The Healthy). Nicotine does similar things to your teeth as it

does to bones. Smoking stains teeth and infects individuals' gums. This disease is known as

periodontal disease. Periodontal disease also will make your gums bleed and cause pain during

chewing.

You can save your body from many types of treatments and pain by not smoking. The

One who created people (God) disapproves of unhealthy habits. He tells us in 1 Corinthians

6:19-20, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,

which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify

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God in your body, and in your spirit, which is God's.” (KJV Bible). God commands us that we

are to uphold our bodies and not do unnecessary things that may harm ourselves or others. Don’t

smoke or use substances that contain nicotine, this will result in a healthier lifestyle.

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 Citations
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www.abiomed.com/patients-and-caregivers/blog/how-tobacco-affects-the-heart-and-blood-vessels
. Accessed 29 Sept. 2023.

Bishop, Shawn. "How Do Smoker's Brains Change in Response to High Nicotine Levels?" MayoClinic,
24 Feb. 2012, newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/smokers-brains-change-in-response-to-hi
gh-levels-of-nicotine/. Accessed 29 Sept. 2023.

Connor, E. (2018, August 22). Does Nicotine Cause Cancer? Healthline. Retrieved September 30, 2023,
from https://www.healthline.com/health/does-nicotine-cause-cancer

Finlay, L., MPA (2022, March 14). Does Vaping Affect Your Bone Health? The Healthy. Retrieved
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Harvard Health Publishing "What a Drag: The Dangers of a Daily Cigarette." Harvard Health Publishing,
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Accessed 29 Sept. 2023.

Kandola, Aaron. "Why Does My Hart Beat Faster After Smoking?" Medical News Today, 27 Feb. 2023,
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"Puffing Away Sadness." Harvard Health Publishing, 24 Feb. 2020,

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he%20active%20ingredient%20in,in%20enhanced%20arousal%20and%20alertness. Accessed 29
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Richards, Louisa. "Is Nicotine an Appetite Suppressant?" Medical News Today, 9 Jun. 2023,
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/is-nicotine-an-appetite-suppressant. Accessed 29 Sept.
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"Smoking and the Digestive System." Johns Hopkins Medicine, 19 Sept. 2020,
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Accessed 29 Sept. 2023.

What Are the Risk Factors (2023, July 31). What Are the Risk Factors Centers for Disease Control and
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