Why Tobacco Causes Cancer?

Tobacco is supposed to be the most preventable cause of cancer. With regard to the number of years of research, there is a clear connection between the two. As per the predictions made by several experts, by the time we step into the year 2020, people in India are going to have a staggering record of 1.5 million deaths each year as a result of tobacco.

There is neither any such thing as safe product of tobacco nor there is any safe limit for tobacco. Tobacco in all forms, including cigarettes, chewable tobacco, beedis, pipes, hookah and cigars cause harm to the body even if they get consumed in smaller quantities.

Different Types of Tobacco and How Do They Cause Cancer -
There are different types of tobacco, which after consumption, can lead to the development of cancerous cells in the body. They include:

1. Smoking Tobacco: Different smoking variety of tobacco is cigarettes, cigars, hookahs and beedis. The Tobacco smoke consists of more than 7000 chemicals, including toxic ones like arsenic, nickel, methanol, cyanide, acetylene and cadmium. 70 out of these chemicals are carcinogens and more than 250 of them are extremely toxic in nature.
2. Smokeless Tobacco: Smokeless Tobacco generally comes in the form of chewing tobacco, found in gutka, pan masala or just loose leaves. There are minimum of 20 known carcinogens, in the smokeless form of tobacco.

How Does It Cause Cancer?
Multiple harms are caused to the bodies of those who consume tobacco in any form. As and when a puff is taken from a cigarette, the following problems occur:

1. One’s heart rate and blood pressure goes up instantly.
2. There is an immediate rise in the level of carbon monoxide in the blood.
3. Over a period of time, the lungs get damaged, thus hampering their function.

As time progresses, it tends to cause damage to the immune system, leading to the mutation of genes. The carcinogens in the tobacco act as irritants, which over a period of time cause damage to the DNA. Hence becoming a primary reason behind cancer.