By the beginning of the seventeenth century, small plots of tobacco had become large plantations. .
Today we have discovered what elements make up tobacco. There are thousands of things in tobacco; the most important of these are tar, carbon monoxide, and nicotine. Tar is only delivered by smoking tobacco; chewing tobacco and snuff do not deliver tar into a person's body. Carbon monoxide affects hemoglobin in the bloodstream, and retards the bloods ability to carry oxygen. Nicotine occurs naturally in the tobacco leaves. Nicotine is labeled as a stimulant, but some increased activity in the brain relaxes many muscles in the body. .
When nicotine is inhaled into the lungs it passes directly into the bloodstream. Within ten seconds nicotine reaches the brain. Nicotine acts as a transmitter and increases the receptors in the brain. Some of the receptors stimulated by nicotine are located on the adrenal gland. This causes a release of adrenalin in the body. This increased nerve activity can cause cells to become dependant upon nicotine to function normally.
Cocaine is also a stimulant. In the sixteenth century, explorers in South America witnessed tribes using the leaves of the coca plant to increase stamina and relieve feelings of fatigue and hunger. The coca plant didn't gain popularity until after the Civil War. Doctors started using coca as a stimulant and convinced others to practice the use of coca. People eventually started using coca for many things. Cocaine was widely used as a local anesthetic during surgery. Cocaine was also used as a cure for "nervous" disease. Cocaine was even used to treat people's allergies. When snorted cocaine clears the sinuses and thought. .
When cocaine is absorbed into the body, it constricts the blood vessels. Cocaine also raises the user's blood pressure, dilates the pupils, and increases heart rate. When snorted cocaine can cause nosebleeds and a deviated septum.
