Tobacco today is a multi-billion dollar business and the number one cause of preventable death in the US; however, its origins were more innocent. Originating in the Americas, tobacco is made from a green plant grown in warm climates. Native Americans highly regard tobacco as a way to promote physical, spiritual, emotional, and community well-being. Tobacco was an offering in spiritual ceremony and given as a gift to other people as a sign of respect or exchange for help or guidance. In some cultures, the smoke from burned tobacco was believed to have the purpose of carrying thoughts and prayers to the spirit world.² 

Tobacco originated in the Americas. When the Americas were colonized by the Europeans in the 16th century, tobacco became accessible to the rest of the world through international trade routes, and since then, has played a large role in cultures and the economy worldwide.³

Despite the tobacco industry contributing greatly to the US and world economy, people’s appetite for tobacco began to change in the late 1900s when negative health effects were discovered. The decrease in usage holds true here in Colorado:

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Big Tobacco

In 2013, the top 6 tobacco companies’ profits totalled $44.1 billion, which was equivalent to the combined profits of 8 major US companies in the same year: The Coca-Cola Company, Walt Disney, General Mills, FedEx, AT&T, Google, McDonald’s and Starbucks. The combined profits of these 6 leading tobacco companies was more than the whole country of Denmark’s revenue in 2012 ($315.16 billion).⁶

It is important to understand that the tobacco industry is an oligopoly, meaning these 6 companies have complete control of the industry and it is next to impossible for new companies to join and compete with them. Without competition, these companies are able to profit. A lot. Meanwhile cigarette smoking kills more than 480,000 Americans each year, with more than 41,000 of these deaths from exposure to secondhand smoke.⁷ In addition, smoking-related illness in the United States costs more than $300 billion a year, including nearly $170 billion in direct medical care and $156 billion in lost productivity.⁸

Why people use it¹⁴

• Stimulation - it’s an “upper;” can make you feel good and alert
• Stress Relief - dopamine causes feelings of pleasure
• Weight loss - can reduce a person’s appetite
• Self-medication - for some, it is a way to lessen symptoms from illnesses that cause tension and pain, including mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety disorders

Youth may smoke to look mature and cool, to “fit in,” to experiment and for excitement because it’s perceived to be going against authority.

Who's really using Tobacco in CO?

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Smokable: Cigarettes, Bidis, Kretek, Cigars

Initial high: makes you “feel good” and alert at first, can be followed by dizziness, lightheadedness, dehydration, nausea, coughing, moodiness, stress

Vaporized: Hookah, E-Cigs, Vaporizers, Vape pens

Initial high: smoke passes through water before inhalation and can be held in lungs longer, flavorings can make the taste/smell more appealing, causes an initial relaxing and pleasant feeling, similar effects to smokables, like cigarettes

Chewable/Smokeless: Chew, Dip, Snuff, Dissolvable tobacco, Snus

Initial high: rapid absorption of nicotine through the mouth into the bloodstream, takes longer to reach the brain, increases heart rate and blood pressure, constricts blood vessels, feeling tired possible after use

Chemicals in Tobacco

Cigarettes contain roughly 600 ingredients, 7,000 chemicals when burned, and 70 potentially cancer causing chemicals.⁹ To name a few:

• Acetone – found in nail polish remover
• Arsenic – used in rat poison
• Cadmium – active component in battery acid
• Hexamine – found in barbecue lighter fluid
• Tar – material for paving roads

Nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes:¹⁰

• Nicotine is absorbed through the skin and the mucosal linings in the nose, mouth and lungs. For smokeless tobacco, nicotine is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and skin. Then, it travels through the bloodstream to the brain, stimulating adrenal glands to produce adrenaline, which increases heart rate and blood pressure while constricting blood vessels. Smokeless tobacco and cigarettes result in the same amount of nicotine intake, even though smokeless takes longer to produce an effect.
• Nicotine also stimulates the production of dopamine (a neurotransmitter that controls the brain's pleasure center).
• Nicotine only stays in the human body for a few hours which is why people who smoke regularly have frequent withdrawal.

Smokeless tobacco has at least 28 potentially cancer-causing chemicals.¹¹

Vaporized tobacco, such as e-cigs, contains nicotine and has tested positive for cancer-causing chemicals:

• The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has found that even those labeled as tobaccoless have trace amounts of nicotine.
• The FDA has not proved vaporized forms as safe or an effective way to quit smoking.
• Much of the chemical makeup of vape is unknown and thus possibly dangerous.¹²

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Second-hand smoke:
the combination of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and the smoke breathed out by smokers still contains more than 7,000 chemicals, hundreds of which are toxic and about 70 that can cause cancer and other diseases mentioned above.

Third-hand smoke: infants, children and nonsmoking adults may be at risk of tobacco-related health problems when they inhale, ingest or touch surfaces or fabrics containing thirdhand smoke, which has led to policy efforts for smoke-free environments.

• 16 million+ people already have at least one disease from smoking.
• 20 million+ Americans have died because of smoking since 1964.
• In the US, tobacco kills more Americans than AIDS, alcohol and other drugs, car accidents, murders, suicides and fires combined.

Tobacco regulation typically depends on state and local laws

In Colorado, it is a criminal violation for a minor (under the age of 18) to purchase or attempt to purchase any tobacco product. It is considered a class two petty offense and violators are subject to a $100 fine.