"Why We Don't Use Tobacco"

John I. Edwards

Tobacco is a product prepared from the leaves of the tobacco plant. It is smoked in cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and consumed as snuff, chewing tobacco, and dipping tobacco. "In 2013, almost 55.8 million Americans (21.3 percent of the population) were current cigarette smokers; 12.4 million smoked cigars; more than 8.8 million used smokeless tobacco; and over 2.3 million smoked tobacco in pipes" (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Why don't we?

1) It Harms the Body. "Cigarette smoking accounts for about one-third of all cancers, including 90 percent of lung cancer cases. Smokeless tobacco (such as chewing tobacco and snuff) also increases the risk of cancer, especially oral cancers"
(National Institute on Drug Abuse). According to the World Health Organization, "Smokeless tobacco is a known cause of cancer. In addition, the nicotine in smokeless tobacco may increase the risk for sudden death from a condition where the heart does not beat properly." We are taught to honor and properly use the physical body. "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

2) It Brings Premature Death. According to the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention: "Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States." "Cigarette smoking results in more than 480,000 premature deaths in the United States each year—about 1 in every 5 U.S. deaths—and an additional 16 million people suffer with a serious illness caused by smoking. In fact, for every one person who dies from smoking, about 30 more suffer from at least one serious tobacco-related illness." "The life expectancy for smokers is at least 10 years shorter than for nonsmokers." Remember Hall of Famer, Tony Gwynn, who died last year from cancer in the salivary gland attributed to his habit of chewing tobacco? Life is short is at is (Ps. 89:47; 90:9-10; Jas. 4:14). Why shorten it?
       
3) It Inflicts Harm to Others. "The harmful effects of smoking extend far beyond the smoker. Exposure to secondhand smoke can cause serious diseases and death. Each year, an estimated 88 million nonsmoking Americans are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke and almost 41,000 nonsmokers die from diseases caused by secondhand smoke exposure" (National Institute on Drug Abuse). This goes against the Golden Rule (Mt. 7:12) and love of one's neighbor (Mt. 22:39). Paul said, "Look… every man also on the things of others" (Phil. 2:4). Think of the poor, innocent children suffering with coughing, wheezing, asthma attacks, bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections and other serious health problems related to secondhand smoke!

4) It Is Addicting. Reports of the Surgeon General have concluded that cigarettes and tobacco products are addicting and that "Nicotine is the drug in tobacco that causes addiction." The National Institute on Drug Abuse has revealed, "Electronic cigarettes produce a flavored nicotine vapor that has been shown to contain known carcinogens and toxic chemicals, as well as potentially toxic metal nanoparticles from the vaporizing mechanism." According to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Products, "Current e-cigarette use among middle and high school students tripled from 2013 to 2014." Findings from the 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey show that current e-cigarette use among high school students increased from 4.5 percent in 2013 to 13.4 percent in 2014, rising from approximately 660,000 to 2 million students. Among middle school students, current e-cigarette use more than tripled from 1.1 percent in 2013 to 3.9 percent in 2014—an increase from approximately 120,000 to 450,000 students." "'We want parents to know that nicotine is dangerous for kids at any age, whether it's an e-cigarette, hookah, cigarette or cigar,' said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. 'Adolescence is a critical time for brain development. Nicotine exposure at a young age may cause lasting harm to brain development, promote addiction, and lead to sustained tobacco use'" (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Paul penned, "I will not be brought under the power of any" (1 Cor. 6:18). Instead of addiction to nicotine, how about being "addicted to the ministry" (1 Cor. 16:15)?

5) It Is Costly. In addition to the costs to one's health, the economic cost of tobacco is staggering — more than $300 billion a year, including nearly $170 billion in direct medical care and more than $156 billion in lost productivity due to premature death and exposure to secondhand smoke" (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). According to The American Cancer Society, the average price per pack of cigarettes in the U.S. is $6.36. The health-related costs to you per pack of cigarettes — $35! Now multiply that by the number of packs smoked. Think of all the valuable resources wasted and opportunities missed!

6) It Is a Gateway Drug. According to The National Institutes of Health, "A new study shows how tobacco products could act as gateway drugs, opening the door to use of illicit drugs. Nicotine, the researchers found, makes the brain more susceptible to cocaine addiction. Scientists have long recognized that cigarettes and alcohol raise the risk for later use of illicit drugs like marijuana and cocaine. In a recent national survey, over 90% of adult cocaine users between the ages of 18 and 34 had smoked cigarettes before they began using cocaine."

7) It Wasn't Used by the Lord. Can you see Jesus with tobacco couched in His lip, a pack of cigarettes in His pocket, or a hookah to His mouth? We are instructed, "… Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" (1 Pet. 2:21).

8) It Undermines One's Influence for Good. Does tobacco use make you "a pattern of good works" (Titus 2:6-7) or help you to be "an example of the believers" (1 Tim. 4:12)? Would you want your children or grandchildren to do it? Would you say to another, as Gideon of old, "Look on me, and do likewise" (Judg. 7:17)?

Multitudes of tobacco users have sought to quit and earnestly warned others not to start. While tobacco and nicotine may be good as a pesticide, when it comes to the body, we cast it aside and say, "None inside!"

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