Chapter 20 Tobacco

Lesson 1 – Tobacco Use – A High Risk Behavior Why Young People Start Smoking Teens feel insecure in social situations They think smoking will make them look older Peer Pressure View it as a passing habit Don’t think the negative effects are immediate They think it will be easy to quit

Troubling Facts Every day 6000 teens start smoking and 3000 teens become regular smokers 9 out of 10 teen smokers continue to smoke in adulthood 1/3 of the people who begin smoking as teens die from smoke-related causes About 2.6 million packs of cigarettes are sold to minors every day

What Is In Cigarettes Nicotine – addictive drug in cigarettes Forms a physiological and psychological dependence Is a stimulant – drug that increases the action of the central nervous system Is a deadly poison used as an insecticide

What Is In Cigarettes Tar – thick, sticky, dark fluid produced when tobacco burns Responsible for the flavor of a cigarette Paralyzes or destroys cilia Several substances in tar are known as carcinogens (cancer causing agents) There are at least 43 cancer causing agents in every puff of smoke

What Is In Cigarettes Carbon monoxide – colorless, odorless, poisonous gas that passes through the lungs into the blood Same gas from automobile exhaust that is fatal when inhaled in large quantities Unites with hemoglobin in red blood cells which prevents them from carrying oxygen needed for cell energy

Other Forms of Tobacco Pipe tobacco and cigars Specialty cigarettes More likely to get mouth cancer because of high levels of tar Specialty cigarettes Prepared with tobacco and other ingredients Contain more carcinogens than regular cigarettes

Lesson 2 What Tobacco Does To The Body Causes diseases of the respiratory and circulatory system Tobacco smoke can harm a fetus and lead to low birth weight and other health complications Being in the presence of cigarette smoke puts a person’s health in jeopardy

Effects On The Smoker There are short and long term effects Effects on the Respiratory System Chronic bronchitis – cilia becomes useless which causes a build up of tar. This results in chronic coughing and mucus secretion Emphysema – destruction of tiny air sacs in the lungs in which oxygen is absorbed into the body. Can cause a person to use 80% of their energy to breathe.

Effects On The Smoker Effects on the Respiratory System Lung Cancer – leading cause of cancer deaths among males. Lung cancer begins as bronchi are irritated by smoke. Cilia are destroyed and extra mucus can’t be expelled. This causes the smoker to cough. Cancerous cells grow in these conditions

Effects On The Smoker Diseases of the Circulatory System Nicotine makes the heart work harder, and speeds up the pulse Smoking constricts blood vessels which cuts down circulation Nicotine contributes to plaque build up in blood vessels. This leads to arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. These conditions lead to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes

Effects on Nonsmokers Passive smoke – inhaled by nonsmokers and remains in a closed environment after the smoker is through smoking Mainstream smoke – blown off by the smoker Sidestream smoke – comes from burning tobacco These types of smoke cause eye irritation, headaches, coughing, more frequent ear infections, and asthma attacks At least 3000 people annually die of lung cancer caused by second hand smoke

Rights of the Nonsmoker Express your preference that people not smoke around you Choose smoke free areas in restaurants or find establishments that do not allow smoking

Smoking During and After Pregnancy Parents who smoke contribute to at least 6200 deaths of children each year 2800 deaths of low birth weight babies occur every year 1100 deaths result from respiratory infection Smoking during pregnancy contributes to small fetal growth, prenatal death, and stillbirth

Smoking During and After Pregnancy Smoking can effect intellectual development, and behavioral characteristics Addiction can occur and carbon monoxide prevents oxygen flow to the fetus Children of smokers are twice as likely to suffer from poor health as those of nonsmokers

Smokeless Tobacco Tobacco sniffed through the nose or chewed Over 12 million regular users Many users start between the ages of 13 and 15 Many teens believe it is safer than cigarettes Negative effects – addiction, mouth sores, brown teeth, mouth cancer, damage to the digestive system

Dangers of Smokeless Tobacco Smokeless tobacco users secrete more saliva which is swallowed and damages the digestive and urinary systems Irritation from direct contact causes leukoplakia (thickened, white, leathery appearing spots in the users mouth that can develop into cancer) Oral cancer strikes 30,000 Americans annually. Only 50% of victims survive longer than 5 years

Dangers of Smokeless Tobacco Gum disease and early tooth loss Bad breath Discolored teeth Decreases the ability to smell and taste

Did You Know Smokeless tobacco sends ten times the carcinogens in the blood as cigarettes A can of snuff contains as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes From 1991 -1997 the number of women cigar smokers tripled to about 400,000 2 of the most common causes of oral cancer are drinking alcohol and smoking cigars. Together they are even more deadly.

Lesson 3 – Choosing to be Tobacco Free There are many successful approaches to stopping smoking For success, the smoker has to see the need to quit, make a commitment, and take steps to do so The addicted user has to find a technique that works for them

Strategies for Quitting The user has to be aware that there will be a withdrawal period Symptoms – nervousness, moody, difficulty sleeping The user may choose to reduce nicotine intake gradually Use different type filters Nicotine substitutes (gum, patches, nasal spray)

Benefits of Quitting Improve Cardiorespiratory endurance Breathe easier Reduces chances of heart disease Improve overall health Saves money