Posted by Greater Sudbury Northern Life
Cigarette smoking has been around since the 1880s when the
cigarette rolling machine was invented.
Since the early 1960's there has been a push to reduce smoking
and using tobacco products because of known risks for lung
disease, disease of the heart and vascular system and cancers.
The uses include cigarettes, pipe and cigars, snuff and chewing
tobacco. Tobacco is a plant that contains nicotine. Tobacco has
been used for many years, even with the knowledge that tobacco
use causes many lethal health issues.
Cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 chemicals and poisons,
with more than 50 of these causing cancers. Nicotine, found in
tobacco, has an addictive property supporting the dependency of
smoking within one week of initiating. Nicotine enters the
blood stream and reaches the brain within 8-10 seconds. Wow,
that is fast!
Nicotine can be a deadly poison causing shaking, vomiting,
convulsions and death with only a few drops. There is a risk of
symptoms for those picking fresh tobacco as it is readily
absorbed through the skin, causing dizziness and nausea -
called "green tobacco illness."
Tar is a sticky substance filled with chemicals that clog your
lungs, making it harder to breathe. It plays a role in the
development of lung diseases and cancer.
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that forms as a byproduct of
burning, therefore present in cigarette smoke. Carbon monoxide
replaces oxygen in the blood, in turn suffocating cells in your
body. Many of us have carbon monoxide (CO2) detectors in our
homes to ensure we are notified if this gas is present in our
homes because it is lethal.
Long-term effects of smoking are extreme. More than 30 per cent
of all cancers are related to tobacco use. Smoking causes 90
per cent of lung cancers, plus areas of the head and neck,
kidneys and bladder. Smoking also increases the risk of heart
disease and stroke. Lung diseases such as bronchitis and
emphysema are directly related to smoking.
Think about it. Think about how your lungs react to a change in
the wind directing smoke at your face at a camp fire. It takes
your breath away. Inhaling smoke does that on a regular basis
and unfortunately, the body gets uses to it - first with
scarring, then decreased breathing capacity, then eventually
disease.
Smokers are also more at risk for other illnesses, including
decreased immune function, stomach ulcers, infertility and
sexual issues. The sad thing is that half the people who start
smoking are teens, and they will continue and die from a
disease that can be prevented if they choose not to start, or
quit.
So why does one smoke? There are many reasons: to be socially
accepted, as a stress relief, because parents smoke, mental
disease, emotional pain, etc.
Second-hand smoke was thought in the past to me a non-issue. We
now know that second-hand smoke places family members at a
greater risk.
There are four million people around the world who die every
year of tobacco use - that equals 11,000/day. Smoking costs
equate to $2,000/year for a one-pack-per-day habit. Over 20 to
40 years, the total is around $20,000-$40,000. Can you imagine
what you could do with that money?
Smoking is an addiction. It is not easy to quit, but there is
help for those who are ready to take back their health.
Karen Hourtovenko, RN(EC), is a health and wellness
consultant from Sudbury who writes columns about healthy living
for Northern Life. This is the first in a series of three
columns on smoking.
