… So What If I Smoke? … (Facts You Need To Know) A PowerPoint Presentation and Discussion Guide by Physicians For A Smoke-Free Canada November 1999

…Smoking Isn’t That Bad… Or Is It? Smoking is the single biggest cause of preventable death in Canada Nicotine (in tobacco) is as addictive as cocaine or heroin Tobacco smoke doesn’t just harm the smoker … it harms everyone who breathes it in

Why Should I Worry About Something That Is Legal? Tobacco may be legal, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe Tobacco is the only commercial product on the market that will kill you if used as intended Many of the chemicals in tobacco products are heavily regulated or banned from all other products

But Everyone Smokes... Don’t They? The truth is: Less than 1 in 3 Canadians over the age of 15 smoke One half of these smokers want to quit at any given time Most Canadians do not smoke, either at work or at home

Everyone Has To Die Sometime...But Not Like This Smoking kills 45,000 Canadians each year, more than alcohol, traffic accidents, AIDS and homicide combined

Everyone Has To Die Sometime...But Not Like This Smoking related illness and death can occur at any age. The young man in this photo started smoking at age 13. He died at age 34 from lung cancer brought on by smoking.

Is Smoking Relaxing … Or Just Addictive? Withdrawal from nicotine can cause irritability stress tension Non-smokers will not feel relaxed if they try to smoke - most will feel nauseous Only smokers use cigarettes to “relax”

What Does Addictive Mean? A Difference in Brain Chemistry Tobacco directly affects your brain, as shown in these brain scans The smoker’s brain - on the bottom left - has been tricked into “liking” smoking - and “needing” tobacco to feel normal. Non-Smoker Smoker

Do You REALLY Understand... What Can Happen If You Smoke? Tobacco stains your teeth gives you bad breath contributes to gum disease and tooth decay can lead to cancer of the mouth, gums, lips, etc.

Do You REALLY Understand... What Can Happen If You Smoke? Tobacco smoke clogs arteries and veins cuts off oxygen supply gangrene may result (Buerger’s Disease) impotence may result heart attacks and strokes may occur

Do You REALLY Understand... What Can Happen If You Smoke? where a blood vessel burst during a stroke, destroying brain tissue and killing the smoker The picture below shows a slice from a smoker’s brain. The orange arrow shows

What’s In Tobacco Smoke? fifty of these chemicals cause cancer (CARCINOGENS- substances that cause canceer) some of these chemicals are unsafe at any level at least one chemical, nicotine, is addictive, like heroin or cocaine Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals

What’s In Tobacco Smoke? Tar Tar is a term used to describe several thousand chemicals that make up the “particulate” or solid and liquid portions of tobacco smoke Gases Poisonous, odorless gases such as hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide make up most of tobacco smoke (85% to 90%)

Facts on Cigarettes Did you know... Light & Mild cigarettes can give the smoker virtually the same amount of chemicals as Regular

Facts on Cigarettes Did you know... Filters do not make cigarettes “safe” Filters were originally added to cigarettes to keep the tobacco from sticking to the smoker’s lips

Facts on Cigarettes Did you know... Bidis (or Beedees) contain up to 3 times the amount of tar and carbon monoxide and 7 times the amount of nicotine as a cigarette Herbal cigarettes may not contain tobacco, but they contain many of the same deadly chemicals as tobacco cigarettes - they are NOT a safe alternative to tobacco cigarettes

Facts on Cigarettes Did you know... Cigars contain: up to twice as much tar, 5 times as much carbon monoxide and 7 times as much nicotine as a single cigarette

Second-Hand Smoke The smoke released at the lit end of the cigarette contains the same chemicals as that which the smoker inhales, sometimes in greater quantities : fifty of these chemicals cause cancer some of these chemicals are unsafe at any level many of these chemicals are irritants or allergens (cause allergic reactions)

Second-Hand Smoke Second hand smoke is the third leading preventable cause of death in Canada Second hand smoke causes more deaths than illegal drugs, AIDS, and traffic accidents combined Homicide 581 Illegal Drugs 732 AIDS/HIV 1,325 Traffic Accidents 1,924 Second Hand Smoke 4,700 Alcohol 6,700 Tobacco 45,000

Second-Hand Smoke Second Hand Smoke causes: asthma aggravation and ear infections decreased lung function cancers heart disease and stroke bronchitis and pneumonia deaths Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Does Smoking Make You Slim? NO! Teenage smokers were found to have HIGHER body weights than teenage non-smokers While smokers may gain a couple of pounds after quitting smoking, this weight gain does not last Eating right and exercising is the only way to maintain a healthy weight - talk to your doctor for more information

Women and Tobacco “I started smoking to look older and I’m sorry to say it worked.” Pam started smoking at age 10 because she “wanted to look older”. She got emphysema at age 24 (top photo) and had to have her lung removed. At age 26 (bottom photo) the medication that now keeps her alive has dramatically changed her appearance.

Women and Tobacco Women who smoke are at increased risk of cervical and breast cancer and 6 times increased risk of rectal cancer In Canada, more women now die of lung cancer than breast cancer Every 35 minutes, a Canadian woman dies of tobacco related illness Breast Cancer Deaths Lung Cancer Deaths (red line)

Women and Tobacco Women who smoke experience more severe premenstrual symptoms and a 50% increase in menstrual cramps Tobacco use while on the birth control pill increases the risk of heart disease 10 times. Tobacco use while pregnant harms the fetus, increasing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other illnesses

Acknowledgements Special Thanks To The Following: Maison-Sante The Why Files, University of Wisconsin Board of Regents Brookhaven National Laboratory Media Campaign Resources : Manitoba Medical Association National Clearinghouse on Tobacco and Health For More Information, visit our website at or contact: Sue Lantos Physicians For A Smoke-Free Canada P.O. Box 4849, Station “E” Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5J1