Smoking and U...Some Facts

Smoking facts show that smoking kills. It is the leading cause of lung cancer today. Smoking all began with the import of tobacco from Europe to the New World, at the end of the 15th century. Smoking spread quickly,
and the habit became wildly popular. It was actually being promoted as the cool thing to do. They had posters everywhere, and everyone started to smoke. It wasn't until after World War II, that the dangers and other smoking facts were published. It wasn't until 1950, that evidence of a link between smoking and lung cancer became apparent. In 1965, the Surgeon General, added a warning labels to cigarettes. In that same year, the UK government banned all cigarette advertisements from being aired on television. In 1970, the United States of America banned these advertisements too. Shortly after, the cigarette advertisements were banned from the radio air waves also.

With all of the smoking facts available, why would someone still smoke? Personally speaking, it's been a hard habit to break. Nicotine is very addicting. For just these reasons, there have been several cancer patients that have filed lawsuits against the tobacco companies. Some are taking the smoking facts available and making the big companies pay. It's a hard fight to win, but there have been several lawsuits won.

What methods are available to aide in your stopping smoking? They have taken the smoking facts available 30 years ago, and they have tried to create products to help with the nicotine cravings. One of the most popular methods is the nicotine patch. These will help reduce the cravings that one has for cigarettes. Another option would be a pill, taken once a day. This can only be prescribed by a licensed physician. They also have nicotine gum, that is sold over the counter at any drug store. With all the smoking facts available, it is up to each individual smoker to make the decision to quit on their own.

References:
http://www.knownfacts.info/smoking-facts .php

Why is tobacco a public health priority?

Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. It is currently responsible for the death of one in ten adults worldwide (about 5 million deaths each year). If current smoking patterns continue, it will cause some 10 million deaths each year by 2020. Half the people that smoke today -that is about 650 million people- will eventually be killed by tobacco.

Tobacco is the fourth most common risk factor for disease worldwide. The economic costs of tobacco use are equally devastating. In addition to the high public health costs of treating tobacco-caused diseases, tobacco kills people at the height of their productivity, depriving families of breadwinners and nations of a healthy workforce. Tobacco users are also less productive while they are alive due to increased sickness. A 1994 report estimated that the use of tobacco resulted in an annual global net loss of US$ 200 thousand million, a third of this loss being in developing countries.

Tobacco and poverty are inextricably linked. Many studies have shown that in the poorest households in some low-income countries as much as 10% of total household expenditure is on tobacco. This means that these families have less money to spend on basic items such as food, education and health care. In addition to its direct health effects, tobacco leads to malnutrition, increased health care costs and premature death. It also contributes to a higher illiteracy rate, since money that could have been used for education is spent on tobacco instead. Tobacco's role in exacerbating poverty has been largely ignored by researchers in both fields.

Experience has shown that there are many cost-effective tobacco control measures that can be used in different settings and that can have a significant impact on tobacco consumption. The most cost-effective strategies are population-wide public policies, like bans on direct and indirect tobacco advertising, tobacco tax and price increases, smoke-free environments in all public and workplaces, and large clear graphic health messages on tobacco packaging. All these measures are discussed on the provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Contact Information

Tobacco Free Initiative
WHO/Noncommunicable Disease and Mental Health
20 Avenue Appia
1211 Geneva 27
Switzerland
Telephone: +41 22 791 2126
Fax: + 41 22 791 4832
E-mail: tfi@who.int

Meaning of Cigarette

A pinch of tobacco rolled in paper with fire at one end & a fool at the other

Disease caused by smoking - 2

Frances Downes who lost fingers
as a result of the same problem

Disease caused by smoking - 1

Gangrene from peripheral vascular

Smoking & DiseaseS

Smoking & Disease

Although everybody is aware of the health dangers of smoking, these dangers are frequently underestimated. The truth is shocking to most people.
Smoking as a cause of death and disability

* Smoking-related disease is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the world.
* Smoking-related disease will cause the death of one in every two life-long smokers.
* Smoking kills more than 19.000 Australians per year or around 50 people per day - this equates to one Australian every thirty minutes!!
* Smoking is the single largest cause of lung cancer and is an important factor in at least seven other cancers.
* Smoking causes around 82% of deaths from lung cancer.
* Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and several other causes of death. Smokers in their 30’s and 40’s are five times more likely to have a heart attack than non-smokers.
* About half of all people killed by tobacco-related diseases die in middle age, with an average loss of about 20–25 years of life expectancy.
* Diseases associated with smoking can cause pain, distress and disability for many years before death.

Smoking and cancer

Cancer is the best-known risk associated with smoking. In Western Europe, North America and parts of Asia, it has been estimated that smoking accounts for approximately 30% of all cancer deaths.

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Smoking and the heart and blood vessels

Smoking increases the risk of death caused by arterial disease. The arteries carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body. During normal ageing the lining of the arteries becomes less flexible, fatty deposits are laid down in the walls of the artery and the diameter of the artery narrows. This process is known as atherosclerosis. This narrowing reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the rest of the body. This lack of oxygen can result in angina (crushing, cramp-like pain in the chest) when the arteries supplying the heart are affected. It can also lead to heart attack and stroke. Smoking can accelerate the process of atherosclerosis and therefore increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Smokers who die from smoking in their 30’s and 40’s die mainly from heart attacks. Risk of death from heart attacks in this age group of smokers is five times higher than that of non-smokers. It is estimated that tobacco is responsible for up to 80% of all heart attack deaths in smokers under 50 years of age.

Although death from stroke is less common than death from heart attack, risk is increased in people who smoke. In the USA, death from stroke and other diseases involving the blood vessels in the brain is increased in people aged 35–64 years who smoke.

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Diseases of the lung

There are other diseases of the lung that can be caused by smoking aside from cancer. Smoking also increases the risk of chronic obstructive lung disease and consequent infection of the airways. This disease is due to three processes:

* Persistent cough and phlegm production caused by production of excess mucus (commonly referred to as the ‘smoker’s cough’)
* Thickening and narrowing of the airways in the lung
* Emphysema (expansion and damage of the smallest air chambers in the lung) 3⁄4 smoking causes 90% of deaths from this condition.

Other diseases

Smoking may also increase the risk and possibly the severity of a variety of disorders other than those mentioned above. These include:

* Stomach ulcers
* Impotence
* Female infertility
* Tooth/gum disease

Women smokers are also at greater risk of hip fracture from osteoporosis than corresponding non-smokers.
Smoking and pregnancy

It is well known that smoking during pregnancy can damage the baby and even cause a miscarriage. Compared with non-smokers, smoking during pregnancy can cause:

* Reduced birth weight
* Increased risk of the baby dying just before or just after birth

4 Steps to Defeating the Urge to Smoke

4 Steps to Defeating the Urge to Smoke

Memorize H.A.L.T.
Quitting tobacco is a process. It doesn't happen overnight, but compared to the amount of time most of us spent smoking, recovery can be very quick, indeed.

Years of smoking taught us to react to literally everything by lighting a cigarette. When we were happy, we'd celebrate by lighting up. When we got angry, smoking would calm us down, or so we thought. Tired? Smoke a cigarette to stay awake. Hungry? Feed yourself a smoke. This list goes on. Between the physical addiction to nicotine, and the mental associations that tie what seems like all of our activities to cigarettes, it can feel as though we're chained to the habit with links of steel.

Successful recovery from this addiction includes learning how to hear the message behind the urge to smoke and respond with more appropriate choices, such as a nap or a meal, for instance.

Have patience with yourself! This new skill takes some time to hone, but you'll get better at it. Eventually, cigarettes will fade as a trigger, and you'll make choices based on what you really need without thinking twice about it.

Memorize the meaning of this acronym: H.A.L.T.(Hungry,Angry,Lonely,Tired), and you'll have a powerful checklist to help you decode the urges you experience. Nine times out of ten, a craving can be traced to one of these four things:

Hungry

Have a snack or a meal. If you are hungry, food is the answer, not a cigarette! If you're concerned about weight gain, try drinking water to help control between meal eating. Have healthy snacks on hand also. Celery sticks, raw baby carrots and frozen grapes make good low calorie snacks.

Normal weight gain due to quitting is 5-8 pounds. Metabolism does slow a bit, so getting some daily exercise is a good idea. Take a look at Weight Gain FAQ's for answers to weight gain questions. Also read Maia's Six Month Milestone for a first-hand perspective on this issue from someone with six months smoke free under her belt.

The bottom line is this: don't be too hard on yourself. Try to eat in moderation, but until you get your quit program under solid control, don't fret if you gain a few pounds. Quitting tobacco should be in the top slot of your priority list for as long as it takes. Weight can always be lost later

Defeat Triggers with Knowledge
Angry

This is a big trigger for most of us. Find healthy outlets for your feelings of frustration - if at all possible, try to deal with the situation that is bothering you head on, and be done with it. Talk to friends and family about your feelings or write in your journal. The important thing is not to let anger simmer and get the upper hand. Reaching for a cigarette can seem like a quick fix, but it's always a false fix. Smoking will put you back to square one and you'll be disappointed in yourself as well.

We may not always be able to choose the events that happen around us, but we will always have the choice of how we let external situations affect us emotionally. This is important! If you're mad, you have the power to change that negative feeling in an instant. Instant Stress Busters provides some great tips to help you improve your mood.


Positive self-talk is another way to pull yourself out of the doldrums. Use affirmations to help you create the reality you want for yourself. We have a way of taking actions which are in line with our beliefs, so what you tell yourself matters - a lot. Make affirmations empowering and keep them in the here and now. Instead of saying: "I will be a healthy nonsmoker", say it this way: "I AM a healthy nonsmoker." Rather than saying "I have to quit smoking", tell yourself, "I get to quit smoking". Minor shifts in attitude can make a world of difference.

Education is also a powerful ally - the more you learn about the effects of tobacco, the less value cigarettes will have for you. Learn to hate the habit, and you'll have leverage to help you become smoke free and stay that way for good.

Lonely

Another word to describe this could be bored. Take a look at 101 Things to Do Instead of Smoking. This list comes from forum members who are all in the process of quitting themselves. Early on in cessation, distraction is a useful tool. If you're bored, try redirecting your attention, and see if it helps.

Depression also falls under this category, and can affect anyone. People quitting tobacco are especially susceptible, at least early on, because leaving cigarettes behind can feel like the loss of a friend. My Darling... was one quitter's way of saying goodbye to the habit that was killing her. Ten Healthy Actions to get Yourself out of a Funk is a great article from About Guide to Holistic Healing, Phylameana lila Deasy. If you feel yourself slipping into a depressed state, take action. Change your environment and it will usually change your attitude.

Tired

Fatigue can be a huge trigger. Instead of lighting up, give yourself time to slow down and relax a little, or even go to bed early if you need to. Sounds so simple, yet people often push themselves too far with all of the demands of life these days. Be aware. Don't let yourself get rundown. Protect your quit by protecting your health, both physically, and mentally.



It may feel like you'll never be free of cigarettes and thoughts of smoking will always plague you, but have some faith in yourself, and please be patient. We taught ourselves to smoke, and we can teach ourselves to forget it too. Give yourself time to retrain and get some practice at living your life smoke free. Soon enough, it will seem the most natural thing in the world. You'll get to the point where you'll wonder why you didn't quit sooner, because life without cigarettes has become so easy for you. In the meantime, remember H.A.L.T.

References: About.Com