Post by Ann on Oct 5, 2005 13:38:33 GMT -5
Questions About Smoking, Tobacco, and Health
Is there a safe way to smoke?
No. All cigarettes can damage the human body. Any amount of smoke is dangerous. Cigarettes are perhaps the only legal product whose advertised and intended use—smoking—is harmful to the body and causes cancer.
Although some people try to make their smoking habit safer by smoking fewer cigarettes, most smokers find that hard to do. Some people think that switching from high-tar and high-nicotine cigarettes to those with low tar and nicotine makes smoking safer, but this is not true. When people switch to brands with lower tar and nicotine, they often end up smoking more cigarettes, or more of each cigarette, to get the same nicotine dose as before.
A low-tar cigarette can be just as harmful as a high-tar cigarette when a person takes deeper puffs, puffs more frequently, or smokes them to a shorter butt length. Even if smokers who switch to lower-tar brands do not make these changes to compensate, the health benefits are very small when compared to the benefits of quitting for good.
Is cigarette smoking really addictive?
Yes. The nicotine in cigarette smoke causes an addiction to smoking. Nicotine is an addictive drug (just like heroin and cocaine) for three main reasons.
When taken in small amounts, nicotine creates pleasant feelings that make the smoker want to smoke more.
Smokers usually become dependent on nicotine and suffer withdrawal symptoms when they stop smoking. These symptoms include nervousness, headaches, irritability, and difficulty sleeping.
Because nicotine affects the chemistry of the brain and central nervous system, it can affect the mood and nature of the smoker.
What does nicotine do?
Nicotine in large doses is a poison and can kill by stopping a person's breathing muscles. Smokers usually take in small amounts that the body can quickly break down and get rid of. The first dose of nicotine causes a person to feel awake and alert, while later doses result in a calm, relaxed feeling. Nicotine can make new smokers, and regular smokers who get too much of it, feel dizzy or sick to their stomachs. The resting heart rate for young smokers increases two to three beats per minute. Nicotine also lowers skin temperature and reduces blood flow in the legs and feet. It plays an important role in increasing smokers' risk of heart disease and stroke. Because nicotine is such a powerful constrictor of arteries, many vascular surgeons refuse to operate on patients with peripheral artery disease unless they stop smoking.
Who is most likely to become addicted?
Anyone who starts smoking is at risk of becoming addicted to nicotine. Studies show that cigarette smoking is most likely to become a habit during the teen years. When young people become cigarette smokers they are more likely to become addicted. They are also more likely to suffer from the health problems caused by cigarette smoking.
How many people smoke cigarettes?
Among US adults, cigarette smoking has declined from about 42% of the population in 1965 to about 23% in 2002 (the latest year for which numbers are available). About 46 million adults smoked cigarettes in 2002. About 25% of men and 20% of women were smokers. Education seems to affect smoking rates, as shown by a steady decrease in the smoking rates in groups with a higher level of education.
Is smoking common among young people?
Yes. Tobacco use, including smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and dipping snuff, remains common among American youth, according to the most recent government surveys.
Despite declines in recent years, more than 1 in 4 high school students (28%) used some type of tobacco in 2003, and more than 1 in 5 (22%) were considered current cigarette smokers. Cigar smoking was also common among high school students (about 15%).
About 13% of middle school students used some form of tobacco, with cigarettes (10%) being the most common.
Tobacco use is higher among male students for all products except cigarettes, where the numbers for boys and girls are now about the same.
Students who smoke are more likely to use other drugs, get in fights, carry weapons, attempt suicide, and engage in high-risk sexual behaviors.
Does smoking cause cancer?
Yes. Tobacco use accounts for about one third of all cancer deaths in the United States. Smoking causes almost 90% of lung cancers. Smoking also causes cancers of the larynx (voice box), oral cavity, pharynx (throat), and esophagus, and contributes to the development of cancers of the bladder, pancreas, liver, uterine cervix, kidney, stomach, colon, and rectum; it is also linked to the development of some leukemias.
How does cigarette smoke affect the lungs?
All cigarette smokers have a lower level of lung function than nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking causes several lung diseases that can be just as dangerous as lung cancer. Chronic bronchitis—a disease where the airways produce excess mucus, which forces the smoker to cough more often—is a common ailment of smokers.
Cigarette smoking is also the major cause of emphysema—a disease that slowly destroys a person's ability to breathe. For oxygen to reach the blood, it must move across large surfaces in the lungs. Normally, thousands of tiny sacs make up the surface area in the lungs. When emphysema occurs, the walls between the sacs break down and create larger but fewer sacs. This decreases the amount of oxygen reaching the blood. Eventually, the lung surface area can become so small that a person with emphysema often must gasp for breath. In later stages of the disease, patients must keep an oxygen bottle nearby or breathe with the help of oxygen tubes inserted into the nose.
More than 7 million current and former smokers suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the name used to describe both chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Often both of these conditions are present at the same time. The late stage of chronic lung disease is one of the most miserable of all medical conditions. It creates a feeling of gasping for breath all the time—similar to the feeling of drowning.
What in cigarette smoke is harmful?
Cigarette smoke is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds produced by the burning of tobacco and additives. The smoke contains tar, which is made up of more than 4,000 chemicals, including over 60 known to cause cancer. Some of these substances cause heart and lung diseases, and all of them can be deadly. You might be surprised to know some of the chemicals found in cigarette smoke. They include:
*cyanide
*benzene
*formaldehyde
*methanol (wood alcohol)
*acetylene (the fuel used in welding torches)
*ammonia
*Cigarette smoke also contains the poisonous gases nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide. Its main active ingredient is nicotine, an addictive drug.
Why do smokers have "smoker's cough?"
Cigarette smoke contains chemicals that irritate the air passages and lungs. When a smoker inhales these substances, the body tries to protect itself by producing mucus and coughing. The "early morning" cough of smokers happens for several reasons. Normally, tiny hairlike formations (called cilia) beat outward and sweep harmful material out of the lungs. Cigarette smoke slows the sweeping action, so some of the poisons in the smoke remain in the lungs and mucus remains in the airways. When a smoker sleeps, some cilia recover and begin working again. After waking up, the smoker coughs because the lungs are trying to clear away the poisons that built up the previous day. The cilia stop working after long-term exposure to smoke. Then the smoker's lungs are even more exposed and susceptible than before, especially to bacteria and viruses in the air.
If you smoke but don't inhale, is there any danger?
Yes. Wherever smoke touches living cells, it does harm. Even if smokers don't inhale they are breathing the smoke as secondhand smoke and are still at risk for lung cancer. Pipe and cigar smokers are also at an increased risk for lip, mouth, and tongue cancers.
Does cigarette smoking affect the heart?
Yes. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of heart disease, which is the number one cause of death in the United States. Smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes are all risk factors for heart disease, but cigarette smoking is the biggest risk factor for sudden heart death. Also, smokers who have a heart attack are more likely to die within an hour of the heart attack than nonsmokers. Cigarette smoke can cause harm to the heart at very low levels, much lower than what causes lung disease.
*This and many more questions & answers at the American Cancer Site
Is there a safe way to smoke?
No. All cigarettes can damage the human body. Any amount of smoke is dangerous. Cigarettes are perhaps the only legal product whose advertised and intended use—smoking—is harmful to the body and causes cancer.
Although some people try to make their smoking habit safer by smoking fewer cigarettes, most smokers find that hard to do. Some people think that switching from high-tar and high-nicotine cigarettes to those with low tar and nicotine makes smoking safer, but this is not true. When people switch to brands with lower tar and nicotine, they often end up smoking more cigarettes, or more of each cigarette, to get the same nicotine dose as before.
A low-tar cigarette can be just as harmful as a high-tar cigarette when a person takes deeper puffs, puffs more frequently, or smokes them to a shorter butt length. Even if smokers who switch to lower-tar brands do not make these changes to compensate, the health benefits are very small when compared to the benefits of quitting for good.
Is cigarette smoking really addictive?
Yes. The nicotine in cigarette smoke causes an addiction to smoking. Nicotine is an addictive drug (just like heroin and cocaine) for three main reasons.
When taken in small amounts, nicotine creates pleasant feelings that make the smoker want to smoke more.
Smokers usually become dependent on nicotine and suffer withdrawal symptoms when they stop smoking. These symptoms include nervousness, headaches, irritability, and difficulty sleeping.
Because nicotine affects the chemistry of the brain and central nervous system, it can affect the mood and nature of the smoker.
What does nicotine do?
Nicotine in large doses is a poison and can kill by stopping a person's breathing muscles. Smokers usually take in small amounts that the body can quickly break down and get rid of. The first dose of nicotine causes a person to feel awake and alert, while later doses result in a calm, relaxed feeling. Nicotine can make new smokers, and regular smokers who get too much of it, feel dizzy or sick to their stomachs. The resting heart rate for young smokers increases two to three beats per minute. Nicotine also lowers skin temperature and reduces blood flow in the legs and feet. It plays an important role in increasing smokers' risk of heart disease and stroke. Because nicotine is such a powerful constrictor of arteries, many vascular surgeons refuse to operate on patients with peripheral artery disease unless they stop smoking.
Who is most likely to become addicted?
Anyone who starts smoking is at risk of becoming addicted to nicotine. Studies show that cigarette smoking is most likely to become a habit during the teen years. When young people become cigarette smokers they are more likely to become addicted. They are also more likely to suffer from the health problems caused by cigarette smoking.
How many people smoke cigarettes?
Among US adults, cigarette smoking has declined from about 42% of the population in 1965 to about 23% in 2002 (the latest year for which numbers are available). About 46 million adults smoked cigarettes in 2002. About 25% of men and 20% of women were smokers. Education seems to affect smoking rates, as shown by a steady decrease in the smoking rates in groups with a higher level of education.
Is smoking common among young people?
Yes. Tobacco use, including smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and dipping snuff, remains common among American youth, according to the most recent government surveys.
Despite declines in recent years, more than 1 in 4 high school students (28%) used some type of tobacco in 2003, and more than 1 in 5 (22%) were considered current cigarette smokers. Cigar smoking was also common among high school students (about 15%).
About 13% of middle school students used some form of tobacco, with cigarettes (10%) being the most common.
Tobacco use is higher among male students for all products except cigarettes, where the numbers for boys and girls are now about the same.
Students who smoke are more likely to use other drugs, get in fights, carry weapons, attempt suicide, and engage in high-risk sexual behaviors.
Does smoking cause cancer?
Yes. Tobacco use accounts for about one third of all cancer deaths in the United States. Smoking causes almost 90% of lung cancers. Smoking also causes cancers of the larynx (voice box), oral cavity, pharynx (throat), and esophagus, and contributes to the development of cancers of the bladder, pancreas, liver, uterine cervix, kidney, stomach, colon, and rectum; it is also linked to the development of some leukemias.
How does cigarette smoke affect the lungs?
All cigarette smokers have a lower level of lung function than nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking causes several lung diseases that can be just as dangerous as lung cancer. Chronic bronchitis—a disease where the airways produce excess mucus, which forces the smoker to cough more often—is a common ailment of smokers.
Cigarette smoking is also the major cause of emphysema—a disease that slowly destroys a person's ability to breathe. For oxygen to reach the blood, it must move across large surfaces in the lungs. Normally, thousands of tiny sacs make up the surface area in the lungs. When emphysema occurs, the walls between the sacs break down and create larger but fewer sacs. This decreases the amount of oxygen reaching the blood. Eventually, the lung surface area can become so small that a person with emphysema often must gasp for breath. In later stages of the disease, patients must keep an oxygen bottle nearby or breathe with the help of oxygen tubes inserted into the nose.
More than 7 million current and former smokers suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the name used to describe both chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Often both of these conditions are present at the same time. The late stage of chronic lung disease is one of the most miserable of all medical conditions. It creates a feeling of gasping for breath all the time—similar to the feeling of drowning.
What in cigarette smoke is harmful?
Cigarette smoke is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds produced by the burning of tobacco and additives. The smoke contains tar, which is made up of more than 4,000 chemicals, including over 60 known to cause cancer. Some of these substances cause heart and lung diseases, and all of them can be deadly. You might be surprised to know some of the chemicals found in cigarette smoke. They include:
*cyanide
*benzene
*formaldehyde
*methanol (wood alcohol)
*acetylene (the fuel used in welding torches)
*ammonia
*Cigarette smoke also contains the poisonous gases nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide. Its main active ingredient is nicotine, an addictive drug.
Why do smokers have "smoker's cough?"
Cigarette smoke contains chemicals that irritate the air passages and lungs. When a smoker inhales these substances, the body tries to protect itself by producing mucus and coughing. The "early morning" cough of smokers happens for several reasons. Normally, tiny hairlike formations (called cilia) beat outward and sweep harmful material out of the lungs. Cigarette smoke slows the sweeping action, so some of the poisons in the smoke remain in the lungs and mucus remains in the airways. When a smoker sleeps, some cilia recover and begin working again. After waking up, the smoker coughs because the lungs are trying to clear away the poisons that built up the previous day. The cilia stop working after long-term exposure to smoke. Then the smoker's lungs are even more exposed and susceptible than before, especially to bacteria and viruses in the air.
If you smoke but don't inhale, is there any danger?
Yes. Wherever smoke touches living cells, it does harm. Even if smokers don't inhale they are breathing the smoke as secondhand smoke and are still at risk for lung cancer. Pipe and cigar smokers are also at an increased risk for lip, mouth, and tongue cancers.
Does cigarette smoking affect the heart?
Yes. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of heart disease, which is the number one cause of death in the United States. Smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes are all risk factors for heart disease, but cigarette smoking is the biggest risk factor for sudden heart death. Also, smokers who have a heart attack are more likely to die within an hour of the heart attack than nonsmokers. Cigarette smoke can cause harm to the heart at very low levels, much lower than what causes lung disease.
*This and many more questions & answers at the American Cancer Site