What You Need to Know About Smoking
By Dr. Nora Quiason, MD - Feb 1, 2011
The Surgeon General and the American Cancer Society rank smoking as the single greatest avoidable cause of death and disease. Scientific evidence shows that there is no risk free level of exposure to tobacco smoke. Here are some facts to help you and your loved ones quit smoking.
How Serious Is the Problem?
In the United States, it is estimated that 43 million adults smoke cigarettes, 23 percent of which are men and 18 percent women. While smoking is declining in developed countries, there is an increased smoking in developing countries. Many adult smokers begin smoking before the age of 19. It is predicted that smoking will kill 650 million people alive today, and tobacco related deaths will increase from 5.4 million/year today to 10 million/ year by 2030, most occurring in developing countries.
In the US, tobacco use accounts for 87 per cent of lung cancer deaths and 30 per cent of all cancer deaths. It also causes cancer of the mouth, esophagus, voice box and distant organs like the pancreas and bladder. It causes long term injury to breathing organs leading to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), manifesting in breathlessness, relentless coughing, tiredness on exertion and weakness. COPD consists of two forms, chronic bronchitis resulting from damage to the breathing passages and emphysema resulting from shrinking of lung surface area for oxygen exchange. Many patients with COPD eventually require oxygen treatment to function from day to day. COPD is irreversible. Tobacco causes premature wrinkling of the skin, slow healing, and most importantly heart disease, high blood pressure and decreased blood flow to the legs and hands causing pain. Smokers are more likely to die within an hour of a heart attack than non-smokers. Smokers are likely to die younger than non-smokers. For each pack of cigarettes sold in 2004, $10.82/pack was spent in healthcare and lost productivity making tobacco use is a major cause of disability, lost productivity, and increased health care cost.
How Does Tobacco cause Injury?
Nicotine in tobacco is an addicting substance which reaches the brain quickly stimulating the reward center to flood the brain with a substance called dopamine causing pleasurable effects. Since the effect is short lived, the smoker tends to repeat the process. A smoker can get 10 puffs from one cigarette or 200 hits of nicotine daily in a one pack/day smoker. Like any substance of abuse, tobacco causes abstinence withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, headaches and sleeplessness making it difficult not to light a cigarette for a any length of time.
Although nicotine is the addicting substance, tobacco contains about 4,000 different chemicals which are responsible for the harmful effects to bodily organs. Among these chemicals are poison gases carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide, poisons like arsenic, cyanide and formaldehyde, acetylene and benzene and various cancer causing agents.
What Is Second Hand Smoke?
Second hand smoke or environmental smoke is passive smoke inhaled by non-smokers and come from smoke exhaled into the air (mainstream smoke) and from the smoke of burning cigarettes (side stream smoke. This is found in homes, workplaces, restaurants and other recreation venues where smoking is allowed. Exposure of non-smokers is measured by blood levels of cotinine, a biomarker of second hand smoke. Passive smoke is known to contain higher concentrations of harmful chemicals than that inhaled by smokers. Even short term exposure can cause upper airway irritation and damage to the linings of the blood vessels of healthy non-smokers. Second hand smoke has been designated as a known cancer causing agent. Non-smokers exposed to second hand smoke have a 20-30 per cent risk of developing lung cancer and a 25-30 percent risk for heart disease.
Many public buildings have adopted a no smoking policy and many communities have no smoking ordinances in eating and recreational places but there is yet no way to prevent exposure of children to smoking in the home. Ventilation engineers have concluded that there is no ventilation technology so far that can eliminate smoke in buildings and homes.
What Are the Effects of Tobacco Smoke on Children?
While second hand smoke is harmful to everyone, infants and children are especially vulnerable because their respiratory system is still underdeveloped. Nicotine and carcinogenic substances cross the blood brain barrier and breast milk so that mothers who smoke and breast feed expose their unborn child and babies. Infants exposed to smoke are known to have weak lungs and are at higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome. Infants and children exposed to passive smoke tend to develop more bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections and more serious and frequent asthma attacks.
Why Should Smokers Quit?
The US Surgeon General reports show that after quitting, blood levels of carbon monoxide drop to normal in 12 hours ; circulation and lung function improves after 3 months and lung function normalizes in 9 months. After quitting, risk of heart disease is reduced to half that of a smoker in one year returning to that of a non-smoker in 15 years. Risk of stroke is reduced to non-smoker level in 5 years and lung cancer death rate is reduced to half of smoker's rate 10 years after.
How Do I Quit Smoking?
· Plan a quit date. Complete a week long smoking diary to give you an idea of triggers to smoking such as smoking after a meal. This will allow you to make contingency activities for vulnerable times. Enlist the help of your support system. If other family members smoke, plan to quit together.
· Gather smoke cessation information from websites such as the CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/index.htm), Quit Smoking (http://quitsmoking.about.com/), American Cancer Society Kick the Habit (http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/ped_10_3.asp?sitearea=PED)
· Talk to your doctor about medications to help you quit. Among them are:
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT): This is best used immediately after you smoke your last cigarette. NRT is recommended for all adult smokers except pregnant women and persons with serious heart disease. NRT comes in the form of nicotine patches, gum, inhalers, lozenges, and nasal spray. You and your doctor will determine the extent of your smoking usually using a formula of pack/year and the type of NRT best suited for you.
Non-nicotine medications: Bupropion (Zyban, Wellbutrin) is an antidepressant which reduces nicotine craving and is usually started one to two weeks before the quit date. Varenicline (Chantix) works blocks the nicotine receptor thus blocking the pleasurable effects of cigarettes and reducing withdrawal symptoms. Clonidine is a blood pressure medication in pill form or a weekly patch and is generally given to reduce drug withdrawal and cravings.
Other aids in smoke cessation include hypnosis and visual imagery, acupuncture and counseling.
If you smoke, know that it is never too late to quit smoking. The advantages of quitting far outweigh the discomfort of withdrawal. Many smokers quit several times before they quit permanently. If you relapse, Just quit again. Do it for you. Do it for the children.
By Dr. Nora Quiason, MD - Feb 1, 2011
The Surgeon General and the American Cancer Society rank smoking as the single greatest avoidable cause of death and disease. Scientific evidence shows that there is no risk free level of exposure to tobacco smoke. Here are some facts to help you and your loved ones quit smoking.
How Serious Is the Problem?
In the United States, it is estimated that 43 million adults smoke cigarettes, 23 percent of which are men and 18 percent women. While smoking is declining in developed countries, there is an increased smoking in developing countries. Many adult smokers begin smoking before the age of 19. It is predicted that smoking will kill 650 million people alive today, and tobacco related deaths will increase from 5.4 million/year today to 10 million/ year by 2030, most occurring in developing countries.
In the US, tobacco use accounts for 87 per cent of lung cancer deaths and 30 per cent of all cancer deaths. It also causes cancer of the mouth, esophagus, voice box and distant organs like the pancreas and bladder. It causes long term injury to breathing organs leading to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), manifesting in breathlessness, relentless coughing, tiredness on exertion and weakness. COPD consists of two forms, chronic bronchitis resulting from damage to the breathing passages and emphysema resulting from shrinking of lung surface area for oxygen exchange. Many patients with COPD eventually require oxygen treatment to function from day to day. COPD is irreversible. Tobacco causes premature wrinkling of the skin, slow healing, and most importantly heart disease, high blood pressure and decreased blood flow to the legs and hands causing pain. Smokers are more likely to die within an hour of a heart attack than non-smokers. Smokers are likely to die younger than non-smokers. For each pack of cigarettes sold in 2004, $10.82/pack was spent in healthcare and lost productivity making tobacco use is a major cause of disability, lost productivity, and increased health care cost.
How Does Tobacco cause Injury?
Nicotine in tobacco is an addicting substance which reaches the brain quickly stimulating the reward center to flood the brain with a substance called dopamine causing pleasurable effects. Since the effect is short lived, the smoker tends to repeat the process. A smoker can get 10 puffs from one cigarette or 200 hits of nicotine daily in a one pack/day smoker. Like any substance of abuse, tobacco causes abstinence withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, headaches and sleeplessness making it difficult not to light a cigarette for a any length of time.
Although nicotine is the addicting substance, tobacco contains about 4,000 different chemicals which are responsible for the harmful effects to bodily organs. Among these chemicals are poison gases carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide, poisons like arsenic, cyanide and formaldehyde, acetylene and benzene and various cancer causing agents.
What Is Second Hand Smoke?
Second hand smoke or environmental smoke is passive smoke inhaled by non-smokers and come from smoke exhaled into the air (mainstream smoke) and from the smoke of burning cigarettes (side stream smoke. This is found in homes, workplaces, restaurants and other recreation venues where smoking is allowed. Exposure of non-smokers is measured by blood levels of cotinine, a biomarker of second hand smoke. Passive smoke is known to contain higher concentrations of harmful chemicals than that inhaled by smokers. Even short term exposure can cause upper airway irritation and damage to the linings of the blood vessels of healthy non-smokers. Second hand smoke has been designated as a known cancer causing agent. Non-smokers exposed to second hand smoke have a 20-30 per cent risk of developing lung cancer and a 25-30 percent risk for heart disease.
Many public buildings have adopted a no smoking policy and many communities have no smoking ordinances in eating and recreational places but there is yet no way to prevent exposure of children to smoking in the home. Ventilation engineers have concluded that there is no ventilation technology so far that can eliminate smoke in buildings and homes.
What Are the Effects of Tobacco Smoke on Children?
While second hand smoke is harmful to everyone, infants and children are especially vulnerable because their respiratory system is still underdeveloped. Nicotine and carcinogenic substances cross the blood brain barrier and breast milk so that mothers who smoke and breast feed expose their unborn child and babies. Infants exposed to smoke are known to have weak lungs and are at higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome. Infants and children exposed to passive smoke tend to develop more bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infections and more serious and frequent asthma attacks.
Why Should Smokers Quit?
The US Surgeon General reports show that after quitting, blood levels of carbon monoxide drop to normal in 12 hours ; circulation and lung function improves after 3 months and lung function normalizes in 9 months. After quitting, risk of heart disease is reduced to half that of a smoker in one year returning to that of a non-smoker in 15 years. Risk of stroke is reduced to non-smoker level in 5 years and lung cancer death rate is reduced to half of smoker's rate 10 years after.
How Do I Quit Smoking?
· Plan a quit date. Complete a week long smoking diary to give you an idea of triggers to smoking such as smoking after a meal. This will allow you to make contingency activities for vulnerable times. Enlist the help of your support system. If other family members smoke, plan to quit together.
· Gather smoke cessation information from websites such as the CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/index.htm), Quit Smoking (http://quitsmoking.about.com/), American Cancer Society Kick the Habit (http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/ped_10_3.asp?sitearea=PED)
· Talk to your doctor about medications to help you quit. Among them are:
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT): This is best used immediately after you smoke your last cigarette. NRT is recommended for all adult smokers except pregnant women and persons with serious heart disease. NRT comes in the form of nicotine patches, gum, inhalers, lozenges, and nasal spray. You and your doctor will determine the extent of your smoking usually using a formula of pack/year and the type of NRT best suited for you.
Non-nicotine medications: Bupropion (Zyban, Wellbutrin) is an antidepressant which reduces nicotine craving and is usually started one to two weeks before the quit date. Varenicline (Chantix) works blocks the nicotine receptor thus blocking the pleasurable effects of cigarettes and reducing withdrawal symptoms. Clonidine is a blood pressure medication in pill form or a weekly patch and is generally given to reduce drug withdrawal and cravings.
Other aids in smoke cessation include hypnosis and visual imagery, acupuncture and counseling.
If you smoke, know that it is never too late to quit smoking. The advantages of quitting far outweigh the discomfort of withdrawal. Many smokers quit several times before they quit permanently. If you relapse, Just quit again. Do it for you. Do it for the children.