Causes of Tobacco Use and its Effects on Human Health: A Comprehensive Review

Tobacco use is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It affects not only children and adolescents but also adults and the elderly. The detrimental effects on human health include psychiatric disorders, a tendency to use other illicit drugs, infertility and more. It also harms foetuses and infants when used by pregnant and lactating mothers. Complications of pregnancy caused by maternal smoking include placenta previa, placental abruption, premature rupture of membranes, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage and an increased risk of abnormal bleeding during pregnancy and delivery. Babies born to women who smoke throughout pregnancy are more likely to be small for gestational age and there are chances of stillbirth, neonatal respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, transfer to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and admissions for more than seven days. Intrauterine death, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and neonatal infections can also occur. Nicotine secreted into breast milk has adverse effects on the newborn. In the elderly, tobacco use is more likely to cause cognitive impairment, dementia and other sensory disabilities, as well as loss of function, mobility and independence. It also causes age-related diseases such as osteoporosis and breast cancer in elderly women. Major causes of death in the elderly due to tobacco use include cardiac, cerebrovascular and respiratory diseases. It increases the risk of myocardial infarction, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer in the elderly and is associated with poorer wound healing. Hence, the integration of tobacco cessation programs into routine health services is very important.