Tobacco Ms. Meade Health 10

TOBACCO  1 st puff you may feel ill; but after just a few tries, using tobacco is no longer a choice, because of tobacco’s active ingredient, nicotine.  Nicotine has similar effects as cocaine and heroin.  Nicotine meets the criteria of a highly addictive drug- a potent psychoactive drug that induces euphoria

NICOTINE  Serves as a re-enforcer of its use in that it leads to nicotine withdrawal when absent.  Two very potent issues; it acts as a stimulant in small doses, then a depressant in larger doses by inhibiting flow of signals between nerve cells  In even larger does, nicotine is a lethal poison  Nicotine in the bloodstream acts to make the smoker feel calm  Nicotine reaches the brain in 6 seconds.  u24OxgQ u24OxgQ

What's in a Cigarette?  There are approximately 600 ingredients in cigarettes. When burned, they create more than 4,000 chemicals. At least 50 of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, and many are poisonous.  Many of these chemicals are also found in consumer products, but these products have warning labels. While the public is warned about the danger of the poisons in these consumer products, there is no such warning for the toxins in tobacco smoke.

Here are a few of the chemicals in tobacco smoke, and other places they are found:  Acetone – found in nail polish remover  Acetic Acid – an ingredient in hair dye  Ammonia – a common household cleaner  Arsenic – used in rat poison  Benzene – found in rubber cement  Butane – used in lighter fluid  Cadmium – active component in battery acid  Carbon Monoxide – released in car exhaust fumes

Chemicals in tobacco smoke cont’d  Formaldehyde – embalming fluid  Hexamine – found in barbecue lighter fluid  Lead – used in batteries  Napthalene – an ingredient in moth balls  Methanol – a main component in rocket fuel  Nicotine – used as insecticide  Tar – material for paving roads  Toluene - used to manufacture paint

Why are all these chemicals put into the cigarette by the cigarette company?  There are many reasons: Taste To keep the cigarette burning The ammonia contributes to the release and absorption of the nicotine making the cigarette more addictive Reduces some compounds that make the smoke too harsh. The industry makes cigarettes that are easy to smoke and more attractive to more people in order to increase the size of the market.

The following irreversible health effects have been proven to be associated with smoking: (after as few as five years of smoking)  Retardation in the rate of lung development and lung function—i.e., decreased lung reserve—in childhood and adolescent smokers, as well as a markedly increased risk of developing COPD.  Cancer risk: 75 percent of ex-smokers show DNA changes suggestive of tumor development; 50 percent or more of lung cancers are now being diagnosed in ex- smokers.  Circulatory impairment to the heart, brain, and legs.  Visual impairment and loss.

Irreversible health effects of smoking  Vocal-cord polyps (growths) and hoarseness.  Bone mineral loss (osteoporosis), hip fractures, and spinal arthritis.  Serious health consequences for children born to smoking mothers.  Premature facial wrinkling and graying of the skin after as few as five years of smoking. 

Smoking cessation timeline – the health benefits over time  In 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse rate decrease, and the body temperature of your hands and feet increase.  Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. At 8 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood decreases to normal. With the decrease in carbon monoxide, your blood oxygen level increases to normal.  At 24 hours, your risk of having a heart attack decreases.  At 48 hours, nerve endings start to regrow and the ability to smell and taste is enhanced.

Smoking cessation timeline – the health benefits over time  Between 2 weeks and 3 months, your circulation improves, walking becomes easier and you don’t cough or wheeze as often. Phlegm production decreases. Within several months, you have significant improvement in lung function.  In 1 to 9 months, coughs, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease as you continue to see significant improvement in lung function. Cilia, tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs, regain normal function.  In 1 year, risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack is reduced to half that of a smoker.  Between 5 and 15 years after quitting, your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.

Smoking cessation timeline – the health benefits over time  In 10 years, your risk of lung cancer drops. Additionally, your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decrease. Even after a decade of not smoking however, your risk of lung cancer remains higher than in people who have never smoked. Your risk of ulcer also decreases.  In 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack is similar to that of people who have never smoked. The risk of death returns to nearly the level of a non-smoker.