ABSTRACT

Although a great deal of thought and effort has been devoted to the smoking habit, very little evidence exists concerning the relative role played by pharmacological and psychological factors. Since the smoking of hundreds of millions of people throughout the world now constitutes a recognized serious health problem, it is of some importance to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this habit. It might be well to define what is meant by smoking. Smoking is the inhalation into the mouth and respiratory system of the volatile products of combustion of burning tobacco.