THE EFFECT OF DRUGS ON THE BODY 293 



smoking, but tobacco is the favorite wherever it can be ob- 

 tained. The effects of tobacco, however, are of a more serious 

 nature than those produced by the beverages. The alkaloid, 

 nicotine, which it contains, is deadly poisonous in very small 

 quantities. The use of tobacco diminishes the irritability of 

 the cells and therefore produces disorder in practically all the 

 tissues of the body. It has an especially injurious effect upon 

 the action of the heart. It also retards the growth of new cells 

 and its use in youth often results in a stunting of bodily growth. 

 Its effects upon the nervous system may be seen in the tremb- 

 ling hand and unsteady gait of the tobacco user. In adult 

 life, tobacco may possibly be indulged in with little harm, but 

 even then, it is an expensive luxury which once taken up forms 

 a habit that often inconveniences its votaries. So well known 

 are the effects of tobacco upon children that many States 

 forbid its sale to minors. Cigarettes appear to be no more 

 harmful than cigars except for the fact that their small size 

 and cheapness make them more easily accessible to the begin- 

 ner. Boys who are learning to smoke should understand 

 that many employers discriminate against the cigarette 

 smoker and often refuse to employ him at any price. This 

 fact, alone, should be sufficient to cause those who hope to rise 

 in the world to abstain from tobacco. Those who use tobacco 

 are nearly always slower mentally than those who do not use it. 

 252. Alcohol. Unlike other drugs, alcohol is not derived 

 from any particular plant, although it is a plant product. It 

 is formed by the activities of yeast on sugary solutions whereby 

 the sugar is broken up into carbon dioxide and alcohol. 

 When taken into the system in small quantities, alcohol is 

 oxidized like other foods, but in larger amounts, it acts as a 

 narcotic whose effects are especially felt in the nerves which 

 control the arteries and capillaries. When first taken, it may 

 produce a sensation of warmth and pleasant lightness of feel- 

 ing, but its effects are soon felt in the brain which it may 

 stupefy to such an extent as to render its victim insensible. 



