Tobacco-use a modern epidemic

 Smoking kills 37,000 Canadians every year  Smoking is the #1 cause of preventable death in Newfoundland and Labrador: ◦ 1,000 deaths every year  20% of all deaths  90% of all preventable deaths  Half of all smokers will die from their addiction, losing, on average, years of life

 21% of youth in grades 5 through 9 have tried any type of tobacco product  The average age for a Canadian youth to start smoking is 12  Much lower in Aboriginal Communities  85% of smokers start BEFORE age 16  Girls are more likely to start smoking than boys The Young Smoker

 4,700 – 7,000 Canadians, including over 100 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians die each year from exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)  ETS increases your chance of lung cancer by 25% and heart disease by 10%. It also increases risk of leukemia and cancer of almost every organ and system in the human body (ETS) and Disease

 Cost of 1 package of Cigarettes: $7.09  Pack-a-day smoker: $ per year I’ll quit after university (5 yrs) $12, I’ll quit when I have kids (10 yrs) $25, I smoked my entire life, never got around to quitting… (40 yrs) $103,514.00

2003 estimated annual costs: $79 million in direct health care costs $139.2 million lost productivity, years of life & employer absorbed costs budget revenue: $93 million cigarette taxes

Takes 7 seconds for 1/4 of the nicotine to go straight to the brain. Causes your brain to release a chemical called Dopamine. It's Dopamine that gives you a false sense of well-being, and soon the body wants more and more Dopamine on a regular basis. This is the beginning of an addiction. 80% of young people who try 2 cigarettes or more go on to battle a life-time of addiction.

 Addiction – Tough to quit!  Something to do with your hands  Stimulation – nicotine stimulates  Don’t know how to quit  Other reasons?

 Health  Stinks, bad breath, yellow skin  Family/Friends  Too much money!  Peer pressure (fewer smokers)  Fewer places to smoke  Don’t like it anymore – sick of it  Others…

 Form a plan – decide on the best approach for you.  Two ways to quit 1. All at once 2. Cutting back  Based on the way you want to quit there are a lot of tools out there to help you.

 The 4D’s – Drink water, deep breathe, delay and do something different  Brush your teeth, chew gum  Eat breakfast first, have snacks for daily cravings  Notice where you smoke and who you are with and change accordingly.  Cut back on coffee, caffeine and anything else that triggers you to smoke  Ask a health care provider about patch, gum, pill  Exercise, eat right, pick up a hobby  Stay positive! You can do it!  Get support from the community

 Patch  Gum  Nicotine Inhaler  Smokers ’ Helpline  Internet Resources  t   Teacher,  School Counselor,  Nurse, Doctor,  Friend/Family  “ Kick the Nic ” Group Program  Quit for Life Call the Smokers Helpline