English 112 Sample Research Notes

Research Notes

Research Topic: Health risks from smoking

Research Question:
1. Why are cigarettes harmful?

Disease
Direct quote from livestrong.com
Of all the deaths caused by cancer, 30 percent are due to smoking. The most common cancer caused by smoking is lung cancer, which is also one of the hardest cancers to treat, says the American Cancer Society. Even worse, smoking has been linked to several other cancers, including cancers of the larynx, oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, cervix, kidney and bladder, as well as acute myeloid leukemia.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/264458-facts-about-why-smoking-cigarettes-is-harmful/
4/5/12

Other Health Problems
Paraphrased from cancer.org
Smoking plays a major role in causing heart disease, aneurysms, bronchitis, emphysema, and stroke. Smoking can weaken blood flow to the arms and legs this is called peripheral vascular disease or PVD.

http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/TobaccoCancer/CigaretteSmoking/cigarette-smoking-who-and-how-affects-health
4/5/12

Paraphrased from livestrong.com
Cigarettes are harmful because they are addictive. According to the surgeon general nicotine addiction is as addictive as heroin and other drugs. Trying to stop causes withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms are described by the National Cancer institute as depression, anxiety, restlessness, and weight gain.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/264458-facts-about-why-smoking-cigarettes-is-harmful/
4/5/12

Direct quote from about.com
When the chemicals in cigarettes are inhaled, they put our bodies into a state of physical stress by sending literally thousands of poisons, toxic metals and carcinogens coursing through our bloodstream with every puff we take. And those chemicals affect everything from blood pressure and pulse rate to the health of our organs and immune system.

http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/chemicalsinsmoke/a/chemicalshub.htm
4/5/12

Research Question
2. What chemicals are in cigarettes?

Direct Quote from stop-smoking-programs.org
The chemicals in cigarettes and tobacco smoke make smoking harmful. Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 different chemicals.At least 50 are known carcinogens (cause cancer in humans) and many are poisonous.

http://www.stop-smoking-programs.org/chemicals-in-cigarettes.html
4/5/12

List of some harmful chemicals from stop-smoking-programs.org

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Benzene (petrol additive)	A colourless cyclic hydrocarbon obtained from coal and petroleum, used as a solvent in fuel and in chemical manufacture - and contained in cigarette smoke. A It known carcinogen associated with leukaemia.
Formaldehyde (embalming fluid)	A colourless liquid, highly poisonous, used to preserve dead bodies - also found in cigarette smoke. Known to cause cancer, respiratory, skin and gastrointestinal problems.
Ammonia (toilet cleaner)	Used as a flavouring, frees nicotine from tobacco turning it into a gas Often found in dry cleaning fluids.
Acetone (nail polish remover)	Fragrant volatile liquid ketone, used as a solvent, for example, nail polish remover Found in cigarette smoke.
Tar	Particulate matter drawn into lungs when you inhale on a lighted cigarette. Once inhaled, smoke condenses and about 70 per cent of the tar in the smoke is deposited in the smoker's lungs.
Nicotine (insecticide/addictive drug)	One of the most addictive substances known to man, a powerful and fast-acting medical and non-medical poison. This is the chemical which causes addiction.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) (car exhaust fumes)	An odourless, tasteless and poisonous gas, rapidly fatal in large amounts The same gas that comes out of car exhausts The main gas in cigarette smoke, formed when the cigarette is lit
Others	Arsenic (rat poison) Hydrogen Cyanide (gas chamber poison)

http://www.stop-smoking-programs.org/chemicals-in-cigarettes.html
4/5/12

Research Question
3. How many deaths a year are attributed to smoking?

Paraphrased from cdc.gov
There are estimated to be 443,000 deaths attributed to smoking. This includes second hand smoke. This is just in the USA. I could not find any credible facts on what this figure would be worldwide.

http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/osh.htm
4/5/12

Direct quote from cdc.gov
Exposure to secondhand smoke—sometimes called environmental tobacco smoke—causes nearly 50,000 deaths each year among adults in the United States.Secondhand smoke causes 3,400 annual deaths from lung cancer.Secondhand smoke causes 46,000 annual deaths from heart disease.

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/tobacco_related_mortality/
4/5/12

Direct quote from cdc.gov
Coupled with this enormous health toll is the significant economic burden of tobacco use—more than $96 billion a year in medical costs and another $97 billion a year from lost productivity.

http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/osh.htm
4/5/12


Research Question
4. What is being done to prevent smoking?

Paraphrased from smoking-quit.info
President Obama raised the taxes on cigarettes to try to discourage people to continue to buy cigarettes.

http://smoking-quit.info/what-is-being-done-to-reduce-tobacco-use
4/5/12

Direct Quote from smoking-quit.info
Obama signed the strictest anti-tobacco law to date in the U.S., the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. It gives the FDA greater authority to regulate the ingredients in tobacco products, severely restricts marketing campaigns, and calls for more explicit warnings.

http://smoking-quit.info/what-is-being-done-to-reduce-tobacco-use
4/5/12