SUBSTANCE ABUSE:Tobacco’s Risks and Quitting

Ms. Mai

Lawndale High School

Risks for Tobacco Users

Smoking is the major cause of premature, preventable deaths

Smoking causes heart disease, cancer, and chronic lung disease

Smokeless tobacco users have an even higher rate of some types of cancers than smokers do

Heart Disease

Cigarette smoking is the primary cause of heart disease because the arteries are blocked by fatty material

This blockage eventually cuts off the blood supply to the heart leading to a heart attack

Smoking damages the arteries, raises blood cholesterol and pressure, and reduces oxygen in the blood

Cancer Tobacco use is the leading cause of

deaths due to cancer because of the carcinogens in tobacco

Lung Cancer – shortness of breath and coughing up mucus

Oral Cancer – mouth, tongue, and lips have sores (leukoplakia)

Throat Cancer – larynx gets infected (vocal chords are removed)

Chronic Lung Disease

Cigarette smoking is the major cause of chronic lung disease in the US (bronchitis and emphysema)

Bronchitis – inflammation of the membrane that lines the air passages

Emphysema – lungs are destroyed and airs sacs are lost (difficulty breathing because lungs cannot inflate)

Other Health Problems

Smoking can also lead to a stroke (disruption in blood supply to the brain)

Smoking can trigger allergies and swelling of sinuses (common cold)

Smokers have weaker lungs and can get diseases (influenza and pneumonia)

Smoking can also cause diseases in the gums and teeth, and bad breath

Risks for Nonsmokers

Smokers are not the only people who suffer negative effects from smoking

Passive smoking means breathing air that has been contaminated with tobacco smoke

Because of the harmful side effects, many states have passed laws that limit or prohibit smoking in public areas

Passive Smoking Passive smokers breathe in 2 types of

smoke: mainstream and sidestream

1. Mainstream Smoke – smoke inhaled and exhaled by a smoker

2. Sidestream Smoke – smoke from the burning end of a cigarette

Sidestream is more harmful than mainstream because it contains more tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide

Pregnancy and Smoking

The fetus of a pregnant woman who smokes is a passive smoker

Nicotine and carbon monoxide pass through a mother’s bloodstream to a fetus’s bloodstream through the placenta

Pregnant smokers have higher risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, and premature births, birth defects, and low birth weight

Some Tobacco Statistics

Every year smoking-related diseases kill more Americans than cocaine, heroine, alcohol abuse, auto accidents, homicides, and suicides combined

There are over 50 million smokers and over 12 million smoke-less tobacco users in the United States

Every year, an estimated 1 million people start smoking (3,000 per day)

Adolescent males are the fastest growing group of smokers

Quitting Tobacco Use

Every year, 1 million people in the US stop using tobacco

For most, quitting is not easy because of the nicotine addiction

Regardless of the difficulty, the benefits are well worth the efforts

The Health Benefits of Quitting

When someone stops using tobacco, their body immediately begins to clean itself

During the first 24 hours, the levels of nicotine and carbon monoxide in the blood drop, the heart rate decreases, blood pressure lowers, and more oxygen flows in the blood

The Health Benefits of Quitting

During the next week or so, chronic cough begins to clear up and breathing is easier

In time, the risks of heart disease, chronic lung disease, lung cancer, oral cancer, and other cancers are decreased

After two years, the risks of heart and lung disease are about the same as those who never smoked

Other Benefits of Quitting

People who quit soon discover that food tastes better, smell improves, and the bad taste in their mouth disappears

Quitters sleep better, teeth and finger stains fade, breath smells fresher, skin looks healthier, and end up saving a lot of money

They also feel a sense of relief to be finally free of tobacco

What To Expect

Tobacco users typically experience certain withdrawal symptoms

Two or three days after quitting, most of he nicotine in the body is gone so it is no longer a physical dependence, but a psychological one

Common Withdrawal Symptoms

Symptom Duration Cause

Craving for tobacco first 2 or 3 days Addiction to nicotine

Dizziness 1 or 2 days More O2 in blood

Coughing, Dry Throat A few days Body getting rid of mucous from cough

Trouble sleeping 1 week Nicotine affects sleep patterns

Irritability 2 to 4 weeks Body no longer being stimulated by nicotine

Hunger Several weeks Nicotine craving confused with hunger

How To Quit On Your Own

There is no right or best way to quit

Many people quit suddenly (cold turkey), while other do it gradually

Most people who have quit and stayed off tobacco had to try several different times before they were successful

How To Quit with a Group

In the past 20 years, many group programs have become available to help people stop using tobacco

These programs provide information, supportive materials, and structured quitting plans These group programs are sponsored

by hospitals, clinics, and health organizations and charge a small fee

How To Quit with Nicotine Substitutes

A nicotine substitute is a manufactured form of nicotine that is used as a temporary replacement for the nicotine in tobacco (gum and patch) The nicotine in these products is just as

addictive, but the psychological dependence of lighting up or exhaling smoke is not there

Quitting and Weight Gain

Many people worry that they will gain weight if they quit smoking

Weight gain actually depend upon eating and exercise habits, not the sudden lack of nicotine in your body

Techniques for Quitting Tobacco Set a quit date

Keep track of tobacco use

List your own reasons of quitting

Tell other people for support

Quit one day at a time (focus on today, don’t worry about tomorrow)

Substitute with other activities