***Update: Further research has shown that the use of chemicals in Tobacco is largely if not totally responsible for the negative health effects, rather than the Tobacco itself. Many smokers experience a sore throat, for example, after smoking over ten cigarettes. When the Tobacco is pure, this is not the case. Other issues such as the development of sores in the mouth are consistent with symptoms caused by using toothpaste, indicating an attempt by Tobacco companies to make cigarettes healthier that may have backfired in a way. The use of chemicals in Tobacco is largely to prevent the growth of fungus, just like the use of preservatives in food. The chlorine in bleached paper is responsible for additional chemicals. It is interesting to note that the negative health effects of Tobacco alone may be very small, if not completely negligible.
Widespread attacks against cigarette use in California have been highly popular and increasing in number, in spite of evidence pointing to the importance of Tobacco in fighting antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria and parasites. Indeed, there is evidence that the popularization of Tobacco use was key in fighting the epidemic of tuberculosis that began to dwindle in the mid-20th century. Most side effects coming from the chemicals in cigarettes seem to be minor and dismissable completely by those who choose to smoke; however, natural Tobacco when smoked seems to have no side effects. It can even be uplifting with a healthy feeling like a glass of water, juice, or vegetables. Arguments about how butts can cause fires are debatable, as a cigarette butt dropped into a can of gasoline will not even cause it to ignite. However, orange peels and oranges when exposed to heat can combust, showing that fires can be caused by a multitude of sources. There is also evidence that points to lung cancer being caused by nutritional deficiency which could be higher in smokers, as they were killing the opportunistic infections caused by a weakened immune system.
