Home | Health | Addiction & Abuse | Alcoholism | Tobacco & Alcohol Facts

Tobacco & Alcohol Facts

by Adam Smith

Overview

Tobacco

4a9c34d7-cc4a-f111-c5a5-88821ea595a0300400

Tobacco and alcohol are two of the heaviest regulated products that are available on the market. These products have both been proven to cause health problems, however, they remain quite popular with consumers. While these products certainly have their differences, they are quite similar in many ways.
Alcohol

Alcohol is the by-product of fermentation. Fermentation occurs when yeasts consume sugar and release carbon dioxide and alcohol. All forms of alcohol, whether it is beer, wine or liquor, use this process to create ethyl alcohol. Alcohol acts as a depressant upon the nervous system which can affect your mood and reaction times. Alcohol content within beverages is commonly referred to as "proof". The proof of alcohol is two times the percentage of ethyl alcohol within the product.

Tobacco

Tobacco comes from the leaves of the tobacco plant. This leaves are harvested, dried and crushed. Once processed, these leaves become the main component of cigarettes, cigars and smoke-less tobacco products. It has been proven that tobacco can cause up to 19 different types of cancer and can give you bad breath, discolored teeth, gum disease and more. Tobacco contains many ingredients which include arsenic, cyanide, formaldehyde and nicotine.
Addiction

Both alcohol and tobacco are extremely addicting. Tobacco contains nicotine which can cause addiction to tobacco products. While everyone is different, people can become addicted to tobacco in as short a time as a few months. When trying to quit using tobacco products, the withdrawal symptoms can make one feel sick and irritable. Alcohol can become addictive after continuous and extreme use. Alcoholics can develop withdrawal symptoms that includes irritability, nausea and headaches.
Availability

While alcohol and tobacco are available in all 50 states, it is heavily regulated. Most states require that tobacco consumers are 18 years or older and all states require that alcohol consumers are 21 years and older. Laws governing the sale of alcohol vary by state. Some states are allowed to sell it in gas stations and grocery stores while other states limit sale to licensed distributors.
Taxes

Alcohol and tobacco products are subject to increasing taxes. The taxes on alcohol and tobacco vary by each state. These taxes have been steadily increasing for many years and are used to fund alcohol and tobacco addiction prevention programs, fill gaps in state budgets and more. Taxes not only create revenue for states, but they also help curb the use of alcohol and tobacco. Tobacco products in particular have become so expensive that they now cost too much for many people to purchase.