Tobacco industries in Indonesia : The Health Chalengge

Dear blogger ;

Continuing the articles regarding tobacco industries in Indonesia, let's set back and review the health challenge that smoking cause to our body.

Many articles and information regarding how danger smoking to our health can be found everywhere. Here, we would like to discuss it from chemistry point of view.

Let's talk about smoke that produce from a cigarette. This smoke is a universal danger because one that not smoke can be a victim as become a passive - smoker.

Smoke contain a lot of benzo[a]pyrene molecule. This substance is carcinogen ( cancer induce agents ). The dangerous of this substance had been studied back to 1666 in Great Britain.

Actually benzo[a]pyrene it self can't cause cancer. When it enter the human body, our system of metabolism added a molecule of oxygen to one of benzo[a]pyrene molecule branch. The purpose of this action actually to convert the substance to become diol epoxide that much more easier to dilute in the water and can be easily remove via our urinary system.

But unfortunately, even when become diol epoxide, the body can't dispose it. Even worse, this substance manage to enter the nucleus of human cell and messing with our DNA. The way they messing with our DNA is to interact with Lewis Base at our DNA chain.Many scientists report that the area of P53 of our DNA chain is the victim. This area also easily to mutate. The P53 is known as a tumor suppressor DNA. When it mutated, the risk of our body to have tumor/cancer is increased.

Further research found that many of lung cancer victim cases, had a mutated P53 DNA.
So become a passive smoker can cause you a lung cancer.

Many country now had a strict rules regarding smoking at public place. This is important since the risk of illness should only taken by the one who smoke.

Regards ;