Smoking

What’s in a cigarette Nicotine: The addictive drug in cigarettes Stimulant: Is a drug that increases the action of the central nervous system Tar: Is a thick, sticky, dark fluid produced when tobacco burns. This tar consists of many cancer causing substances known as carcinogens

What’s in a cigarette Carbon Monoxide: Is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas in cigarette smoke that passes through the lungs and into the blood. The gas unites with the hemoglobin and prevents it from caring oxygen.

Statistics from the American Lung Association Cigarette smoke contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer. About 8.6 million people in the U.S. have at least one serious illness caused by smoking. Secondhand smoke involuntarily inhaled by nonsmokers is responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths annually. In 2004, 22% of high school students were current smokers.

Smoking Effects on the lungs

How the circulatory system works

The Healthy Lung Anatomy & Physiology of the lungs.

Chronic Bronchitis Chronic bronchitis: is the inflammation and eventual scarring of the lining of the bronchial tubes. As the cilia become useless, tar from cigarette smoke builds up, which results in coughing and excessive mucus secretion.

Pulmonary Emphysema In emphysema, the fine dividing walls between the tiny air sacs break. The sacs balloon out to become large pockets of air with hard inflexible walls.

Lung Cancer Cancer is an area of uncontrolled cell growth that invades the surrounding tissue and destroys it. This is due to the build up of tar in the lungs.

Chronic Bronchitis & Pulmonary Emphysema

Smoking and the Circulatory System Constricts blood vessels Plaque builds up in arteries Makes heart work harder Increase chance of heart disease Increase chance of stroke Increase blood pressure

Other effects of smoking Shuts down circulation in small vessels causing cold hands and feet. Wrinkling of skin, especially the face Interferers with immune response making colds more likely Yellow teeth and tongue Odor

Other effects of smoking Makes it likely that men will produce abnormal sperm Causes women to become infertile Smoking & Pregnancy

Effects of smoke on young children In the U.S. 21 million children live in homes where residence or visitors smoke in the home on a regular basis. Children of smokers tend to have a higher incidence of sore throats, ear infections, and upper respiratory problems. Children who live with smokers have double the risk of developing lung cancer. Children of smokers are nearly 3 times as likely to smoke.

Effects of smoke on unborn children and infants Can impair fetal growth. Miscarriages Prenatal death Premature delivery Low birth weight Deformities Growth & Developmental problems throughout early childhood. Stillbirths