SMOKING AND USING TOBACCO

Who Uses Tobacco and Why? ~42 million Americans currently smoke 2013- over 1 million 12-17 yr. olds are current smokers 38% of 18-25 yr olds smoke 21.5 % of men and 16.5% of women smoked in 2013 Nicotine addiction Nicotine: powerful psychoactive drug The most physically addictive of all psychoactive drugs Reaches the brain via the bloodstream in seconds Loss of control Tolerance and withdrawal

Social and Psychological Factors Established habits or cues trigger urge to smoke Why start in the first place? Risk Factors: Smoking Parent or Sibling Peers Smoke Blue Collar Family Low Income Single Parent Poor School Performance Dropped out of School Positive Attitude About Tobacco Use

Social and Psychological Factors Nearly 90 percent of all adult smokers started before age 18 Average age for starting smokers & smokeless tobacco users is 15 Rationalizing the dangers

Health Hazards Smoke Condensed particles in the cigarette produce a sticky, brown mass called cigarette tar causing emphysema & COPD Contains carcinogens http://www.medicalvideos.org/videos/5275/normal-lung-vs-smoker-lung Nicotine: Impacts cardiovascular health

Carcinogens and Poisons At least 43 chemicals in cigarette smoke are linked to development of cancer Carcinogens directly cause cancer Co-carcinogens combine with other chemicals to cause cancer Poisonous substances-Nicotine 60 mg ingested would kill you. Avg. cigar contains about 120 mg. Carbon monoxide Displaces oxygen in red blood cells Additives 600 -2000 additional chemicals

Nicotine A powerful central nervous system stimulant. Increases respiration Increases Heart Rate Constricts Blood Vessels leading to increased risk of CV disease and stroke.

“Reduced Harm” Cigarettes As of June 2010, federal law prohibited the use of terms such as “light” and “mild” or “low” on packaging Low-tar, low-nicotine, or filtered cigarettes No such thing as a safe cigarette Often smoke more Inhale up to 8 times as much tar and nicotine as printed on the label Less likely to quit

Menthol Cigarettes 70 percent of African American smokers smoke menthol cigarettes African Americans absorb more nicotine and metabolize it slower than other groups Anesthetizing effect of menthol means smokers inhale more deeply and hold smoke longer in the lungs

The Immediate Effects of Smoking Acts on the brain either by exciting or tranquilizing the nervous system Inhibits formation of urine Constricts blood vessels Accelerates heart rate Elevates blood pressure Depresses hunger contractions Dulls taste buds

The Long-Term Effects of Smoking Cardiovascular Disease Coronary heart disease (CHD) Atherosclerosis —plaque build up Myocardial infarction Stroke Aortic aneurysm Lung cancer and other cancers Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Emphysema Chronic bronchitis

Cumulative Effects Males who smoke before age 15 and continue to smoke are half as likely to live to 75 versus those who did not smoke Smokers spend one-third more time away from their jobs because of illness than nonsmokers Both men and women show a greater rate of acute and chronic diseases

Other Forms of Tobacco Use Spit (smokeless) tobacco (website photos) More than 8.1 million adults 9 percent of all high school students Cigar and pipes Popularity highest among white males ages 18–44 with higher-than-average income and education Women smoking cigars in record numbers Clove cigarettes and bidis Twice the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide E-Cigarettes Battery powered device that resembles a real cigarette Has a changeable filter that contains one or more chemicals

The Effects of Smoking on the Nonsmoker Environmental Tobacco smoke (ETS) EPA designated ETS as a Class A carcinogen Surgeon General has concluded that there is no safe level of exposure to ETS

Environmental Tobacco Smoke Mainstream smoke Smoke exhaled by smokers Sidestream smoke Smoke from the burning end of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe 85 percent of smoke in a room comes from sidestream smoke Twice the tar and nicotine; three times the benzo(a)pyrene, carbon monoxide, and ammonia Cigar smoke contains up to 30 times more carbon dioxide

ETS Effects Develop cough, headaches, nasal discomfort, eye irritation, breathlessness, and sinus problems Allergies will be exacerbated Causes 4,000 deaths due to lung cancer Contributes to about 46,000 heart disease deaths each year Nonsmokers can be affected by effects of ETS hours after they leave a smoky environment Carbon monoxide lingers in bloodstream five hours later

Infants, Children, and ETS Children exposed to ETS are more likely to have SIDS Low-birth weight Bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma Reduced lung function Middle-ear infections Lung cancer, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis later in life

Smoking and Pregnancy Doubles risk of miscarriage Increases risk of ectopic pregnancy, premature birth, low birth weight, infant death, behavioral problems, and long term impairments in growth and intellectual development

How a Tobacco User Can Quit Benefits of quitting Options for quitting “Cold-turkey” Tapering Changes to routines Over-the-counter prescription products Support from family and friends Smoking cessation programs Free telephone quit-lines 1-800-QUITNOW