Tobacco and You

Tobacco Mortality

• Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

• Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body; causing many diseases and reducing the health of smokers in general.

• Cigarette smoking causes an estimated 438,000 deaths, or about 1 of every 5 deaths, each year.

Premature Death

• On average, adults who smoke cigarettes die 14 years earlier than nonsmokers.

• Based on current cigarette smoking patterns, an estimated 25 million Americans who are alive today will die prematurely from smoking-related illnesses, including 5 million people younger than 18.

What’s in a Cigarette?• Polonium-210• Urea• Antifreeze• Dog and Cat

Repellent• Cadmium• Gasoline• Rocket Fuel• Nail Polish

Remover

• Pesticides• Embaliming Fluid• Rat Poision• Dynamite• Perfume• Hair Remover• Mothballs• Insects• Floor Wipes• Prison Executions

(hydrogen cyanide)

Smokeless & Dissolvable Tobacco

SNUS

Chewing Tobacco

Snuff

Dissolvable Tobacco

Health Effects• Smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer-

causing agents (carcinogens).

• Oral health problems are strongly associated with smokeless tobacco use.

• Smokeless tobacco use can lead to nicotine addiction and dependence.

• Adolescents who use smokeless tobacco are more likely to become cigarette smokers.

Second-Hand Smoke• Secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke, is a mixture of gases and particles.

•Secondhand smoke contains at least 250 chemicals known to be toxic, including more than 50 that can cause cancer.

Ever Wonder How Much Second-Hand Smoke You’re Breathing In?

Sitting behind someone smoking in a STADIUM for 3 HOURS =

Sitting in the NON-SMOKING SECTION of a RESTAURANT for 2 HOURS =

Living in a PACK-A-DAY SMOKERS HOME for 24 HOURS =

Riding in the CAR with someone smoking, windows up, for 1 HOUR =

Ever Wonder How Much Second-Hand Smoke You’re Breathing In?Sitting behind someone in a SMOKY BAR for 2 HOURS =

Working in a SMOKER-FRIENDLY OFFICE for 8 HOURS =

Working in a SMOKY BAR for 8 HOURS =

Health Effects• Secondhand smoke exposure causes heart

disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults.• Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand

smoke at home or work increase their heart disease risk by 25–30% and their lung cancer risk by 20–30%.

• There is NO risk-free level of second-hand smoke exposure.

Hookah• Hookahs use a moist

paste, which is typically 30% tobacco fermented with 70% molasses and fruit.

• This gives it a more pleasant taste and smell than traditional tobacco products.

• The different fruit flavors make it “easier” for non-smokers to try & use.

How it Works

Toxin Content? Is it safer?(single hookah session compared to a single cigarette)

Chemical Hookah Cigarette Comparison

“Tar” 802 mg 22.3 mg36 times the

tar

Nicotine 2.96 mg 1.74 mg1.7 times the

nicotine

Carbon Monoxide

145 mg 17.3 mg8.4 times the

carbon monoxide

Tobacco Manipulation

Tobacco Manipulation

Flavored products: Cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and so-called “little cigars” have been introduced in many candy, fruit, and alcohol flavors that mask the harshness of the products and make them appealing to children and youth.

Tobacco Manipulation

Novel smokeless products: New smokeless tobacco products, some in teabag-like pouches and even in dissolvable, candy-like tablets, have been marketed as ways to help smokers sustain their addiction where they cannot smoke.

Tobacco ManipulationTargeted products and marketing: New products and marketing, such as R.J. Reynolds’ Camel No. 9, are aimed at women, girls and other populations.

Tobacco Manipulation

Unproven health claims: To discourage smokers from quitting, and possibly entice new or former smokers, increasingnumbers of products have been marketed with unproven and misleading claims that they are less harmful than traditional cigarettes.

Tobacco ManipulationUndisclosed product designs: The report also details how tobacco manufacturers control nicotine delivery to maximize addiction, while using flavorings and other additives to make their products milder, easier to inhale and more attractive to children and first-time smokers.

Health Benefits of Cessation• People who stop smoking greatly reduce their risk of disease and

premature death. Benefits are greater for people who stop at earlier ages, but cessation is beneficial at all ages.– Smoking cessation lowers the risk for lung and other types of cancer. The risk

for developing cancer declines with the number of years of smoking cessation.– Risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease is

reduced after smoking cessation. Coronary heart disease risk is substantially reduced within 1 to 2 years of cessation.

– Smoking cessation reduces respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. The rate of decline in lung function is slower among persons who quit smoking.

– Smoking cessation reduces the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), one of the leading causes of death in the United States.

– Women who stop smoking during their reproductive years reduce their risk for infertility. Women who stop smoking during pregnancy also reduce their risk of having a low birth weight baby.

Cessation Options• Effective treatments that can increase the chances of successful

cessation include:– Brief clinical interventions (i.e., when a doctor takes 10 minutes or less to

deliver advice and assistance about quitting)– Counseling (e.g., individual, group, or telephone counseling)– Behavioral cessation therapies (e.g., training in problem solving)– Treatments with more person-to-person contact and intensity (e.g., more

time with counselors)

• Cessation medications found to be effective for treating tobacco dependence include:– Over-the-counter and prescription nicotine replacement products (e.g.,

nicotine gum, inhaler, nasal spray, lozenge, or patch) – Prescription nonnicotine medications, such as bupropion SR (Zyban®) and

varenicline tartrate (Chantix®).– The combination of medication and counseling is more effective for smoking

cessation than either medication or counseling alone.

Need Help Quitting?

A tobacco cessation program as unique as your thumbprint.

Kansas Tobacco Quitline 1-800-QUIT-NOW

Hilary Meisterhmeister@sedgwick.gov

660-7198