SMOKING AND TOBACCO USE

Senior Health - Bauberger

Smoking TobaccoSmoking Tobacco• Tobacco use is the leading preventable

cause of disease, disability, and death in the U.S.

• When smoking tobacco 200 known poisons are inhaled into the lungs

• All forms of tobacco contain nicotine and cause cancer

• Like cocaine and marijuana, nicotine increases levels of neurotransmitter dopamine, giving feelings of reward and pleasure.

• Long-term brain changes induced by nicotine exposure result in addiction

Some risks…Some risks…

• Shortness of breath• Dizziness• Lung diseases (chronic bronchitis and

emphysema)• Heart disease (strokes, heart attacks,

aneurysms, etc)• Lung, mouth, throat, bladder, pancreas

and kidney cancer• Dry skin and premature wrinkles

Some side effects…Some side effects…• 1:2 lifetime smokers will die from their habit

• The mixture of nicotine & carbon monoxide increase heart rate and blood pressure while narrowing and blocking blood vessels, straining the heart. (increasing risk of heart attacks and strokes)

• CO keeps oxygen from the muscles & body tissue

• Men who smoke are 10 times more likely to die from lung cancer than non-smokers.

• A pack-a-day smoker breathes in a full cup of tar in a year.

• Cigarette smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of low birth weight, prematurity, and spontaneous abortion (=fetal tobacco syndrome)

Twin StudyTwin Study

Chemicals in cigarettes…Chemicals in cigarettes…• Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals.

– Benzene : from coal and petroleum, used as a solvent in fuel

– Formaldehyde : highly poisonous, used to preserve dead bodies

– Ammonia: Used as a flavoring in cigarettes, also used as household cleaner

– Acetone : Fragrant volatile liquid, used as nail polish remover

– Tar: 70 % of the tar in cigarette smoke is deposited into the lungs

– Nicotine: One of the most addictive substances known, a poisonous insecticide

– Carbon Monoxide (CO) :Odorless, tasteless and poisonous gas, car exhaust fumes

– Arsenic: Also used as rat poison

– Hydrogen Cyanide : Also used as gas chamber poison

Effects of Nicotine…Effects of Nicotine…• Nicotine stimulates the system

• Nicotine affects chemicals in the central nervous system which is why many smokers view smoking as stress relief when under pressure.

• The longer someone smokes, the more they depend on nicotine. As a result, quitting brings cravings & withdrawal symptoms: – Cravings (3 -5 minutes each, and may be strong)– Headaches, indigestion, nausea, diarrhea and sore throats – Restlessness, insomnia, irritability, and sleeplessness– Coughing– Depression and anxiety – Increased appetite leading to weight gain– Inability to concentrate

The cost of smoking…The cost of smoking…

• $6/pack of cigarettes

• 20 cigarettes/pack

• A pack/day smoker spends:– $42/week– $182.50/month– $2191.50/year

The risk of death…The risk of death…• Smoking is responsible for about 1/5 deaths annually

• Approximately 49,000 of tobacco-related deaths are the result of secondhand smoke exposure

• Smoking cuts the life expectancy of the average smoker by 12 years.

““E – cigs”E – cigs”• The electronic cigarette was introduced to the U.S. market in 2007

and offers the nicotine-addicted an alternative to smoking tobacco. • Most "e-cigs" are similar enough in appearance to be mistaken for

regular cigarettes, while some feature different designs, lights, etc.• E-cigarettes don't contain tobacco. • E-cigs contain a mechanism that heats up liquid nicotine, which turns

into a vapor that smokers inhale and exhale, remaining odorless and smokeless

• Manufacturers and satisfied customers say that this nicotine vapor offers many advantages over traditional cigarette smoke. 

• Concern is rising:– Odorless cigarettes luring new (young) users?– Unregulated by FDA because they do not contain tobacco?– Side effects unknown, safety unknown?

““E – cigs”E – cigs”– E-cigs contain just as much if not MORE nicotine than actual

cigarette– No testing has been done on the safety of inhaling straight

nicotine at such high levels– FDA regulation is in the works as more countries are

banning e-cigs – Effects of second-hand “vapor” are still unknown

– Be aware of clever marketing!

Smokeless TobaccoSmokeless Tobacco• Chewing tobacco:

– Loose leaf: Cured tobacco strips typically sweetened

– Plug: Cured tobacco leaves pressed together and wrapped in a larger tobacco leaf

– Twist: Cured tobacco leaves twisted together to resemble rope

• Snuff:– Moist: Fermented tobacco processed, packaged in round cans, “dip” is

placed between cheek or lip and gums

– Dry: Processed into a powder, taken orally or inhaled through the nostrils

– Sachets: Moist snuff packaged in pouches that resemble small tea bags, placed between cheek or teeth and gums

ALL FORMS CONTAIN NICOTINE, ALL FORMS CAN ALL FORMS CONTAIN NICOTINE, ALL FORMS CAN CAUSE CANCER!!!CAUSE CANCER!!!

Why try it?Why try it?• What makes people think “dip” or

any smokeless tobacco is safer?

• Who is most likely to try it?

Effects of Smokeless Tobacco…Effects of Smokeless Tobacco…• Tooth abrasion– Sand in smokeless tobacco scratches teeth & wears away enamel

• Gum recession – Constant irritation in the spot where tobacco is placed damages the tissue & bone, gums begin to pull away from teeth& bone erodes, loosening teeth

• Tooth decay – Sugar in smokeless tobacco leads to decay of teeth and gums

• Tooth discoloration/ bad breath – Teeth become stained, breath is perpetually bad, and the habit of spitting can be offensive.

• Nicotine dependence – The amount of nicotine in a tobacco user’s blood is similar to that of a smoker, leading to increased heart rate and high blood pressure

• Unhealthy eating – Use lessens the sense of taste & smell, causing users to crave saltier & sweeter foods

• Oral Cancer - appears as a white, smooth patch or a wrinkled patch of skin. increased risk of cancer in the oral cavity as well as the pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. All cancers can easily spread to rest of the body.

Youth Tobacco UseYouth Tobacco Use• Data collected in 2012 showed that ~3.5% of people aged 12

& older in the US used smokeless tobacco (=9 mil. people)• Use was higher in younger age groups:

– >5.5% of people aged 18 to 25 were current users

• 1 mil. people age 12 & older started using in the year before the survey – ~46% of the new users were younger than 18 when they first used it

• CDC’s 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that use among high school kids is even higher than for young adults – 11% of male h.s. students– 1.5% of female h.s. students had used

Youth Tobacco UseYouth Tobacco Use• Factors associated with youth tobacco use:

– Examples set by parents– Peer pressure– Local lifestyles and fashions– General attitudes toward authority– Economic conditions– Examples set by teachers and school staff– Presence of gangs– Use of illegal drugs and alcohol

References

• http://www.quittobacco.com/facts/effects.htm

• http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/facts/drugs-tobacco.aspx#

• http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/smokeless/smokeless_facts/index.htm

• http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/s/smoking/deaths.htm