Introduction to Smoking
- Smoking is the practice of combusting a substance and inhaling the resulting smoke.
- The most common substance used for smoking is dried tobacco leaves rolled into cigarettes.
- Other forms of smoking include using smoking pipes or bongs.
- Smoking is primarily used to administer psychoactive chemicals that are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream.
- Common substances inhaled through smoking include nicotine, THC, morphine, and cocaine.

Prevalence and Types of Smoking
- Smoking is one of the most popular forms of recreational drug use.
- Over one billion people globally practice tobacco smoking, with the majority in developing countries.
- Cannabis and opium are also sometimes smoked, but their use is less common.
- Cigarettes are the most common form of industrially manufactured smoking products.
- Other smoking implements include pipes, cigars, bidis, hookahs, and bongs.

Health Effects of Smoking
- Smoking has negative health effects on various physiological processes, especially respiration.
- Tobacco smoking is a leading cause of diseases such as lung cancer, heart attack, COPD, erectile dysfunction, and birth defects.
- Long-term smokers have a significantly higher mortality rate compared to non-smokers.
- Second-hand smoke also contributes to the death toll, causing 600,000 deaths globally among non-smokers.
- Many countries have implemented measures to discourage smoking, such as high taxes, anti-smoking advertisements, and support for quitting.

History of Smoking
- Smoking has been practiced since at least 5000 BCE for shamanistic rituals.
- Ancient civilizations, including Babylonian, Chinese, and Israelites, used incense burning for religious purposes, which later evolved into smoking for pleasure.
- Smoking tobacco and hallucinogenic drugs were used to achieve trances and connect with the spirit world.
- Cannabis smoking was common in the Middle East before tobacco, and it became an integral part of Muslim society and culture.
- Smoking practices, including the use of pipes and water pipes, spread through trade routes to different regions, including Sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas.

Changing Perceptions of Smoking and Tobacco Control
- Smoking has been viewed differently throughout history and across different cultures.
- It has been seen as holy and sinful, sophisticated and vulgar, a panacea and a deadly health hazard.
- In the last decade of the 20th century, smoking became increasingly viewed negatively, especially in Western countries.
- The negative perception led to the implementation of measures to discourage smoking, such as restrictions on advertisements and public smoking.
- Smoking's impact on health and society continues to shape public opinion and policies.