Cigarette Terms

By: Zirah Sardoma

Cigarette smoking has technological terms that readers need to know to raise awareness and here are some of them:

Green leaf – A type of tobacco leaf which is harvested before it is ripe. It’s graphical origin was from South America. It is said to be for recreational use.

Cancer – Often referred to in the singular but there are many different forms of cancer. It is caused by uncontrollable cell growth which leads to a tumour and can spread to other areas of the body. Many types of cancer are caused by smoking such as lung, throat, stomach, kidney, oesophagus and stomach. It is also called Malignancy, which is referred as the abnormal growth of cells. There are more than 100 types of cancer.

Addiction – A physical and/or mental state in which you are dependant on a substance or activity, and have no control over that state. It is a condition where a person ingests a substance in an activity

Cilia – Fine, hair-like structures in the lungs which help them to remove fluid and other substances. But tar in cigarette smoke causes them to become rigid which prevents them from doing their normal function. This leads to the development of bronchitis, emphysema and lung cancer. is an organelle found in eukaryotic cells. Cilia are slender protuberances that project from the much larger cell body. There are two types ofcilia: motile cilia and nonmotile, or primary cilia, which typically serve as sensory organelles.

Kidney cancer – A form of cancer which develops in the tissues of the kidneys. There are several causes of kidney cancer which include smoking.

Mainstream smoke – A type of smoke which is inhaled by the smoker as they puff on a cigarette. It is the smoke that comes from yourself as a smoker that can lead you to diseases.

Passive smoking – Also known as second hand smoke: the inhalation of another person’s smoke. Smoke that came from another person, whether your relative or simply your mate at public place in which you inhaled the smoke they releases.

Second hand smoke – Another name for passive smoking: this is smoke breathed out into the environment which is inhaled by a non-smoker. There is evidence to show that it leads to a range of disease such as heart disease and cancer.

Tar – A black, sticky substance found in cigarettes. Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation

Tobacco – Herb in which the leaves are cured and then prepared, ready for chewing or smoking. It contains a wide range of substances which includes nicotine.

Varenicline – Also known as Champix. A drug designed to help with stopping smoking. It reduces both the symptoms and cravings caused by nicotine withdrawal

References: http://www.medic8.com/healthguide/smoking/glossary.html