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smoking
FACTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Tobacco is derived from the leaves and stems of the Nicotinia tobacum plant.
It was originally native to North America but is now grown around the world.
After harvesting and drying, the leaves are processed into cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and sometimes chewing tobacco and 'snuff'.
These last two forms are often referred to as 'smokeless tobacco' and are just as addictive and damaging to the health as smoking tobacco.
Tobacco contains a drug called nicotine.
This drug is a potent nerve stimulant and is very toxic.
Only two or three drops of pure nicotine if taken at once is enough to kill an average person.
Nicotine acts on the brain and produces addiction effectively and rapidly.
One of the most damaging effects of smoking is the ability to produce addiction in it's users.
Once addiction to nicotine is developed, smokers repeatedly expose themselves to up to 4000 toxins and harmful chemicals contained in cigarettes and tobacco smoke.
Amongst these 4000 toxins and chemicals are -
Acetone
used commonly as paint stripper (great for the lung linings)
Hydrogen cyanide
poison used in gas chambers (just think what it could do in a crowded room)
Ammonia
floor and toilet cleaner (you could have the cleanest throat in the street)
Toluene
industrial solvent (great for dissolving granny's old teeth)
Arsenic
white ant poison (with this little beauty no need for peroxide)
Butane
lighter fuel (suppose this is to give the fags a little more heat to do more damage to the insides)
Napthalene
moth balls (if everything else fails to kill you moth balls to preserve the remains)
Methanol
rocket fuel (this is to give you lift off )
DDT
pesticide (just great for eliminating all those little annoyances in life)
Carbon Monoxide
car exhaust gas (just a little extra flavour added for effect)
Vinyl Chloride
makes PVC (great new lining after the paint stripper)
Cadmium
used in car batteries (a little heavy metal in case the others weren't enough)
And just when you thought the list was finished how about these deadly little cargoes that are also included -
Benzopyrene, Polonium 210, Dibenzacridine, Pyrene, Urethane, Naphthylamine and Toluidine - all cancer causing substances.
HEALTH AND SMOKING
Cigarette smoking has been identified as the single major cause of cancer death.
These deaths are most often due to lung cancer, but also includes cancers of the larynx, mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, stomach and uterine cervix.
Cardiovascular problems (to do with the heart and circulation) such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and circulation difficulties result in additional chronic health problems and deaths.
Smoking is a major risk factor for peripheral vascular disease.
This disease is a narrowing of blood vessels that carry blood to the leg and arm muscles.
This can lead to such severe narrowing that the limb becomes starved of blood and gets damaged severely, sometimes requiring amputation.
Chronic obstructive lung diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis are 10 times more likely in smokers compared to non-smokers.
They have been found to be directly related to smoking.
Smoking during pregnancy is very irresponsible - it is associated with spontaneous abortion, pre-term birth, low birth weight and fetal and infant death.
Chewing tobacco also poses serious health problems including oral cancer (cancer of the mouth), erosion of tooth enamel and tooth decay, gingivitis(infection of the gums), halitosis (chronic bad breath), and gum ulcers.
This is in addition to the heart and circulation problems described above
PASSIVE SMOKING
'Second-hand smoke'(smoke from other peoples cigarettes) has been identified as containing major airborne carcinogens (cancer causing substance) and is a major cause of disease.
Many workplaces, businesses and restaurants are now enforcing non-smoking policies to protect the health of their employees and customers
Children of smoking parents have been found to have more respiratory problems and miss more school than those who have non-smoking parents.
QUITTING
QUIT FACTS
Some quit facts
one cigarette can start your addiction
the younger you are when you start the harder it is to quit
no one starts smoking to become addicted
ceasing now will have immediate effect upon your health
ceasing now will have immediate effect upon your loved ones
non smokers live longer than smokers (one in two smokers will die prematurely from a smoking related disease)
smoking kills nearly 19,000 Australians each year
non smokers have fewer coughs, colds, chest infections, flu and respiratory infections
you will smell fresher, have better skin and whiter teeth
non smoking improves fitness
you save money - cigarette smokers can spend up to $2,500 each year on fags
you save the environment - nearly five hectares of forest are destroyed a year to provide trees for drying tobacco (ie a tree per fortnight for the average smoker)
For young women
smoking will increase chances of cancer of the cervix
smoking will increase the risk of menstrual problems (like missed periods and irregular bleeding)
boys do not like kissing girls who smell like an ashtray
smoking will impair your fitness and increase your chances of putting on weight
smoking may interfere with the oral contraceptive pill and increase the risk of complications
For young men
smoking causes impotence
smoking can affect the ability to achieve and maintain an erection
smoking leads to reduced fertility better sperm formation and motility in non-smokers.
For others
smoking and taking the pill increases the risk of heart attack by up to 39 times and some forms of stroke by up to 20 times.
healthier childbirth- babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to be underweight or premature, to be born dead or die soon after birth.
smoking increases the risk of hysterectomy
smoking will lead to earlier menopause and the associated risks of osteoporosis
BENEFITS OF QUITTING
The benefits of quitting begin as soon as you stop
Time the great outcomes
after a few hours
the nicotine is out of your blood system (the by-products hang around for several days)
after 6 hours
your heart beat slows down to a more normal rate, and there is a drop in the blood pressure
after 24 hours
the carbon monoxide from smoking is cleared from your system allowing more oxygen to get around the body your breathing and lung function is improved
after 2 days
your taste buds recover and food tastes better, your sense of smell returns your breath, hair, fingers, teeth and clothes are cleaner your lungs begin to clear out the rubbish collected in them while you smoked (you may cough this up as phlegm)
after 2 weeks
cilia in the lungs, which are responsible for sweeping the rubbish upward and outward, begin to grow back and recover, your lungs work better and make exercise easier than before
within 2 months
blood will flow more easily to your fingers and toes meaning improved movement and flexibility
after 3 months
fertility improves in men and women
after 12 months
your risk of sudden death from heart attack is down to about half that of smokers
after 5 years
your risk of lung cancer, stroke and other smoking related diseases declines
QUITTING
Most smokers after quitting go through a withdrawal process - this is due to the readjustments that the body must make to get by without nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes and smoke.
See these as a signal that your body is recovering. Stick with it!!
Tips for when you want a cigarette
Delay acting on theurge to smoke
don't give in delay opening the pack or lighting the cigarette for at least five minutes and the urge will pass
Deep breathe
take three slow deep breaths
Drink water
sip it slowly
Do something else
try take your mind off smoking eg- go for a walk, play some music, ring a friend if you feel you need to keep your hands busy- try crosswords, a hobby, doodling or do something around the house.
Recovery signals
You may experience the following symptoms - think of them as recovery signs.
increased coughing to clear out the tar and other rubbish that has accumulated during smoking
dizziness and lightheadedness means the body is adapting to the improved oxygen levels in the blood
headaches may occur due to blood pressure returning to normal
moodiness and anger are understandable because of the highly addictive nature of nicotine and the cravings that result
tingling sensations, aches and pains and sweating and trembling are signs of improved circulation in your body
upset digestion: such as constipation, nausea, stomach upsets and diarrhoea are not very common and rarely last more than a few days
sleep disturbances and poor concentration
If any of these symptoms are becoming too troublesome, don't despair and don't start smoking again.
Go and see your doctor (GP) and get their help and advice.
Acknowledgement
The information on smoking was compiled with information from the booklet "A Guide to Quitting Smoking. It's Worth the Effort" produced by Health Promotion Services, Health Department of Western Australia.
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