Why are Cigarettes Bad for You?
It is a well-known fact that cigarettes are bad for one’s general health, but how many people know why they are so bad for us?
Studies have proven that smoking has a negative effect on almost every organ of the body. It is also the number one preventable cause of early diseases and deaths.
The tobacco used contains carbon monoxide, a harmful substance that is also produced by car exhaust fumes. If too much carbon monoxide is inhaled your organs will become starved of oxygen and will not function correctly. Tobacco also contains tar, a sticky brown substance which will coat the lungs and have a negative impact on one’s breathing.
Since tobacco starves your organs of oxygen, which they need to function properly, there are no health benefits associated with smoking. This was not always the case. Back in the 1930s smoking was seen as good for one’s general health, but thanks to medical reports published in the 1950s and 1960s it was confirmed that tobacco is harmful for humans.

How Big is the Issue in Ireland?
The cigarette issue in Ireland had reached the point that the government had decided to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes and tobacco products from Ireland. This law was enforced during May of 2020. Tobacco products with flavours have been banned since 2004, but the ban of menthol cigarettes came quite later. Smoking was also banned fully at the workplace, enclosed public spaces, restaurants, bars and education facilities. The issue was so prevalent that around 28% of the Irish population were smokers.
It seems as if the final straw pushing the Irish government in favour of banning tobacco-based products was when Ireland was spending 1 billion euros a year just on health services for smokers. This was not sustainable and the Irish knew it. Two-thirds of the population were in favour of this ban, even 40% of the smokers themselves were in favour of it.

Ways to Solve the Cigarette Issue
A great, and healthier alternative to using cigarettes would be to use nicotine pouches. Hundreds of people have bought nicotine here in the form of pouches that are tobacco-free. Nicopods work in the same way that traditional snus does. Portions will be placed into small bags which would be placed under your upper lip.
The key difference between snus and nicopods is the fact that nicopods do not contain any tobacco whatsoever. This makes nicopods the perfect alternative to cigarettes as no tobacco is being consumed by the user. This is achieved by using a mix of plant-based cellulose fibre to replace the tobacco. Thanks to this plant-based mix, nicopods are a great replacement for cigarettes as none of the harmful effects caused by tobacco can be found in nicopods.

