Phillip Leveque has spent his life as a Combat Infantryman, Pharmacologist, Toxicologist and Physician.
(MOLALLA, Ore.) - Almost everybody knows that nicotine is that which makes cigarettes the lethal drug which they are. A recent article in the Oregonian newspaper stated that nicotine caused certain diseases.
Tobacco in cigarettes causes a very high number of deaths from lung cancer but death is NOT caused by nicotine.
The culprit is TOBACCO TAR which has little to do with the effects of nicotine. For example nicotine skin patches and oral preparations to get users away from smoking do NOT cause any kind of cancer for that matter.
If you are paying attention you’re probably asking “what is going on”?
Nicotine is a very unusual stimulant drug. It does this stimulation by a round about means. Acetylcholine (ACH) is one of the main body hormones or messengers. It stimulates most nerve to nerve and nerve to muscle functions in the body.
How nicotine functions in the body is to mimic ACH especially in the adrenal gland where both cause the release/secretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline which are THE natural body stimulants and which “meth” and amphetamine are both chemical cousins and much more effective.
Adrenaline works mostly on the heart and brain as stimulants and noradrenaline works mainly on the skin to cause blood vessel constriction and the skin gets pale.
Burning tobacco in particular produces Carbon Monoxide which can be lethal. It also produces Cyanide which most people will recognize as a poison.
The worst part of Tobacco Tar is that it is very irritating to the Lung System causing Bronchitis with infections and Emphysema which wrecks the lungs normal function of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide exchange.
Smoking tobacco does cause lung cancer and also cancer of the lip, mouth, vocal cords, and throat but it is probably not nicotine which does it.
Hot smoke is certainly involved but it is almost certainly not nicotine itself.
In a final summation it is probably not nicotine which is causing disease and cancer but it is the tars produced by burning tobacco and inhaling the smoke.
Thousands if not millions of my World War Two comrades died from cancer caused by 5 cent a pack cigarettes given by tobacco companies.
HOORAH FOR MY FELLOW COMBAT VETS!
**********************************************************
Got a question or comment for Dr. Leveque?Email him: Newsroom@Salem-News.com
More information on the history of Dr. Leveque can be found in his book, General Patton's Dogface Soldier of WWII about his own experiences "from a foxhole".Order the book by mail by following this link: Dogface Soldier
If you are a World War II history buff, you don't want to miss it.
Watch for more streaming video question and answer segments about medical marijuana with Bonnie King and Dr. Phil Leveque.
Click on this link for other articles and video segments about PTSD and medical marijuana on Salem-News.com:Dr. Leveque INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES
Nicotine and Lung CancerSalem-News.com