Nicotine Health, Medicine, Nursing Essay Research Paper (Essay Sample)

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Nicotine Impact on Human Health
Nicotine is a chemical content rich in nitrogen, and different types of plants produce it. Human beings mainly extract the content from tobacco plants. It is possible to produce nicotine synthetically. The substance is not harmful to the human body but it is addictive, and it exposes people to the adverse impacts of tobacco addiction. Statistics show that the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States is smoking (Siegel et al. 1574). The use of tobacco has a long history, and it has an addictive substance known as nicotine which gets into the human body through different means, but the addiction is treatable under proper medication and counselling.
The tobacco plant is the primary source of nicotine, and it acts a stimulant and medicine for a long time. The vegetation is native in native to the Americas, and it is unknown how it spread to the rest of the world. Christopher Columbus discovered the tobacco plant on his maiden visit to the Americas. Smoking was rapid in the 17th century as people had access to cigars and pipes. The introduction of tobacco in Europe attracted a divided view. Some Europeans considered tobacco medicinal while others viewed it as addictive and toxic. In 1880, a machine that produced paper cigarettes in masses emerged, and it led to the growth of the tobacco industry (Hanafin & Clancy 8). It resulted in the emergence of companies manufacturing cigars across the globe. The plant has been used since 1763 as an insecticide. Wilhelm Posselt was the first chemist that successfully removed nicotine from tobacco and termed it as posionous. By the late19th century, lawmakers had identified the harmful effects of nicotine. There are many studies still ongoing on tobacco plant with attention on the impact of nicotine.